by Fiona Ford
Flo shook her head. ‘I won’t sing. But I’ll talk to Mr Masters for you. He owes me a favour after today.’
‘Yes, that was a flamin’ cheek getting you to go all that way for his brother like that. Hardly Liberty business is it,’ Dot complained as Jack returned with a tray full of milk stout. He chuckled.
‘Uh-oh, who’s upset you now, Dot?’
Flo smiled by way of greeting at him, but couldn’t miss the way Dot’s eyes lit up at the box of chocolates he had in his hand.
‘Nobody you need worry about,’ Dot reassured him, standing up to kiss Jack’s cheek and take the box of chocolates at the same time.
Rose turned to Jack. ‘Busy day?’
‘I’ve been in Surrey all day. I’m there three times a week training our guys.’
Dot frowned. ‘You must be knackered with all that travelling about.’
Confusion passed across Jack’s features. ‘Knackered? Sorry, what does that mean?’
‘Tired,’ Alice explained. ‘Just don’t let her give you a lesson in cockney rhyming slang.’
Dot winked. ‘I know all the swear words! Now then, as Jack’s here, how about we call time on shop talk.’
‘Well, what should we talk about then?’ Rose frowned. ‘There’s so much happening in the store at the moment.’
‘Honey, from what I can gather there’s always something happening at Liberty’s,’ Jack teased.
‘We could talk about Mary’s wedding,’ Flo suggested.
At the change in subject the girls’ eyes lit up.
‘Do you know where you’re going to hold it?’ Alice asked.
‘We thought the little church around the corner from Bell Street. It’s not very big but should be enough for us.’
‘Oh, where we had Arthur christened,’ Alice said in surprise.
‘The very same. I thought it was such a lovely church.’
‘It is,’ Rose agreed. ‘It’s where me and Tommy got married.’
‘And me and George, Gawd rest him.’ Dot sighed, her face clouding over for a brief second. ‘It’s a happy place, Mary, and it’ll do you proud.’
Mary nodded happily. ‘You will all be there, won’t you?’
‘As if you even have to ask!’ Flo exclaimed.
‘I know it sounds silly,’ Mary said softly as she played with the stem of her glass. ‘It’s just that with no family, I don’t want to look a twit.’
Flo offered Mary a sympathetic smile. She knew how difficult it was to get married with no relations to support you.
‘You leave it to us,’ Dot said firmly.
‘That’s what I hoped,’ Mary replied. ‘And I was also hoping Mr Button would walk me down the aisle. Do you think he would, Dot?’
‘If he can find the time, darlin’,’ Dot muttered darkly, knocking back the rest of her drink in one.
Flo blanched in surprise at the sudden change in mood. ‘What’s up with you?’
Dot pushed her glass away and folded her arms. ‘Ignore me. It’s just Edwin’s never bloody well about.’
‘Well, he is busy with the Board of Trade,’ Rose pointed out carefully.
‘We’re all busy,’ Dot fumed. ‘But we still manage to find time for one another. I’ve got my sister coming over next week and I thought it would be nice for the two of them to get reacquainted after all these years, but can Edwin find the time, can he hell.’
‘But it’s not as if he’s swanning about,’ Flo protested. ‘He’s working.’
‘Yes, with Betty bloody Fawcett, who’s also offered her services to the Board of Trade,’ Dot muttered. ‘He’s always with her.’
Mary looked at Dot in astonishment. ‘You can’t surely be jealous of Betty Fawcett. She’s been shopping at Liberty’s for years.’
‘Precisely,’ Alice said crisply. ‘Besides, she’s drop dead gorgeous and a film star in her twenties. Mr Button’s ancient, he’s—’
‘I dare you to finish that sentence, lady,’ Dot snapped, cutting Alice off mid-flow. ‘Look, I know you think I’m being daft,’ she said, her tone gentler now, ‘but Edwin’s always with her, and when he’s not with her and he’s with me he’s always talking about what she said or what Evie Allingham said.’
‘Who’s Evie Allingham?’ Mary asked.
Dot’s lip curled with disdain. ‘She used to be some bigwig up at fabrics in Botheringtons.’
‘Oh yes,’ Alice replied. ‘The department store over Tottenham Court Road way; they do a very nice line in budget material.’
‘Precisely.’ Dot sniffed. ‘Why the Board of Trade wants to encourage people from lesser department stores beats me. They should have come to Liberty’s for the best girls.’
As the girls sniggered at Dot’s snobbery Flo felt the tension in her shoulders unwind. She might have her problems but, in that moment, she was grateful for the companionship of these women around her.
‘We might be the best girls, but we’re not without our problems,’ Rose said, a hint of sadness to her voice.
‘What’s the matter?’ Flo asked gently. ‘You haven’t had more bad news about your sight?’
Rose shook her head. ‘Tommy’s coming back next month and I’m worried that it’s a bad idea.’
‘Goodness me. What on earth’s got into you?’ Mary cried. ‘You should be looking forward to seeing him, not worrying about it.’
‘You don’t understand,’ Rose said, pouting slightly. ‘This will be the first time he’s seen me since the incident. He might not like the fact I can barely see.’
‘What rot,’ Mary fired indignantly.
‘She’s right,’ Alice agreed. ‘How many times has Tommy written to you now and told you that he loves you, that he doesn’t mind about your eyesight? He wants to be there for you.’
‘I know that’s what he says,’ Rose wailed, ‘but that’s in a letter, not real life.’
Dot let out a long sigh. ‘You know we were just talking about how lovely it was that Mary is getting married in the same church as you and me wed in, Rose darlin’?’
‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ she asked, puzzled.
‘Well, do you remember what you said in that church?’
‘Erm, well, we said our vows,’ Rose replied, still looking unsure.
Dot slapped her hand down hard on the table, causing Flo’s milk stout to slop over the sides of her glass. ‘Exactly. And in those vows you both promised you would love each other in sickness and in health. Now, unless you two were pratting about up the altar when you said those things it won’t make a bit of difference whether you’ve lost most of your sight or developed another head. Your Tommy loves you no matter what and it’s high time you started believing that.’
There was a pause then before Rose let out a small smile. ‘All right.’
Dot rolled her eyes at the gesture before addressing the girls. ‘Does anyone have any real problems? Because it strikes me that most of us are worrying over flamin’ nothing.’
‘Nothing, apart from Jack’s sister sticking her oar in.’ Alice sighed.
‘Come on now, honey, you know Gracie doesn’t mean anything by it.’ Jack said consolingly.
Flo frowned and ignored Jack. ‘What’s Gracie got to do with anything?’
Alice sighed. ’She’s written to Jack and told him that I, as a married woman with a child will bring nothing but trouble to his door and he should get shot of me sharpish.’
‘What a lot of nonsense. As if you brought any of this on yourself,’ Flo said. ‘What does Jack think?’
‘That Gracie doesn’t know anything about Alice.’ Jack smiled, ignoring the fact that the girls were talking about him rather than to him. ‘And that she’s thousands of miles away on a farm in Montana and doesn’t have the first idea about what’s happening in England.’
‘Well, you’re right,’ Flo agreed. ‘She doesn’t know you, Alice. Look, this was never going to be easy for either of you. But what Gracie thinks doesn’t matter – what matters is what Jack
thinks.’
Jack reached over and wrapped an arm around Alice’s shoulders. ‘And I happen to think you’re okay.’
Alice laughed as Dot rolled her eyes. ‘Anyone got anything else?’
Flo thought for a moment. ’Just make sure this wedding of yours isn’t on a Saturday, Mary,’ she muttered darkly. ‘I don’t want to give Mr Masters cause to sack anyone else from the department.’
‘All these sackings sound bloody silly to me,’ Dot spat. ‘How about some of them fat cats on the board take a pay cut? That’d save the company a few quid.’
Flo smirked. ‘I don’t think even that would pay for all the wages that have to be cut. We have to face it, girls, times are changing and we have to make the most of things.’
‘Too true,’ Mary agreed, sipping her drink. ‘Take this new adoption act that’s coming into effect next year, for example. David and I are having to jump through all manner of hoops to adopt little Emma even though David is Mabel’s sister.
It’s not enough to be related to a child you want to look after any more.’
‘What do you mean?’ Flo asked.
‘Well, we’ve got to be approved by the council now. In the past, any willing adult could take a child on; now if you’ve been in trouble with the law or aren’t of good moral character there’s a chance you won’t be approved,’ Mary explained.
‘In my day we had none of this carry-on,’ Dot said sagely. ‘We looked after a kiddie and that was that.’
‘Well, times have changed,’ Flo said, not unreasonably. ‘This new act that’s coming in is going to mean kids are better looked after.’
‘Load of old nonsense and red tape if you ask me,’ Dot continued as if Flo hadn’t spoken. ‘Sounds like summat that flaming Public Morality Council has got involved in.’
‘Public what?’ Rose quizzed.
‘You must have heard of it,’ Flo put in. ‘Full of old gasbags poking their nose into other people’s business. All concerned about the morals and state of our private lives.’
Rose shook her head. ‘It’s passed me by, that one.’
‘One of the customers was telling me about it a while ago,’ Flo continued. ‘Her friend’s husbands was a member and it had caused quite a stir.’
‘Full of very religious types, isn’t it?’ Mary asked.
‘Apparently so,’ Flo said.
‘Well, what’s the point of them then? They don’t really want to interfere in our lives to make sure we’re all upholding our morals, do they?’ Rose asked doubtfully.
Flo smiled and shook her head. ‘No, they’re more concerned with prostitution and homosexuality. They monitor what’s going on and report anything untoward to the police.’
‘Like spies,’ Jack put in.
‘Exactly like spies!’ Dot said. ‘If you ask me they’ve got nothing better to do with their sad little lives. They’re a disgrace in my book. What with this bunch of do-gooders, not to mention interference in the wellbeing of kiddies, the government should be getting their priorities right and bleedin’ well sorting this war out. Churchill ought to be bringing our boys home.’
Flo took a large gulp of her drink. She had to admit that she didn’t disagree, but one look at Mary’s anxious face told her this was not what she needed to hear.
‘I’m sure it will all go smoothly and it’s just a formality, Mary,’ Flo offered. ‘The council will approve you and David with no problem at all. Especially once they see your wedding plans are all sorted out.’
Mary smiled gratefully at her friend. ‘I hope so. Emma would be the making of our family.’
‘To family,’ Dot said suddenly, holding her half-empty glass aloft.
As the girls clinked glasses together, Flo felt a sudden sense of grief wash over her as she realised her family was all gone.
Chapter Twelve
Jean’s absence was never felt more keenly as the continued autumn rain and cool winds brought hordes of shoppers into Liberty’s. With customers looking for fabric to make coats, winter skirts and the new slacks women were wearing up and down the high street, Flo had a job to keep every customer happy as they waited far longer than usual to be served.
Once again, Flo had needed to enlist the help of Henry to get through the queues, and once again, he had impressed her with his knowledge of the stock and the way he handled the customers.
But after the fourth day in a row Flo had called on his services, she had to admit he looked as if he had reached breaking point.
‘I’m wearing you out, aren’t I?’ she said during an unexpected lull in trade.
Henry smiled. ‘Not at all. I’m just a bit tired. I’ve got a lot of work to do, reports and such like for the board, and of course Stan is still off school.’
Flo raised an eyebrow. ‘Stan still isn’t well?’
‘No, he’s on the mend, and Celia has been very good to us.’
‘Celia?’ Flo probed.
‘Yes. Mrs Hallam from the school. We go way back.’ Henry smiled. ‘She was friends with my mother back in Yorkshire and she helps me out with Stan when she can.’
‘That’s nice,’ Flo exclaimed. ‘And what a coincidence that you both ended up here in London.’
‘Not really,’ Henry admitted. ‘She’s from London originally. After I left the army, I worked in a factory with Mum and Celia for a while then in 1935 Mr Button offered me a job at Bourne and Hollingsworth. When I took Stan in four years later Celia told me she felt ready to move to London too so we found her a job at the school. She’s known Stan all his life, and since our mother died it’s been nice for him to have a woman about.’
Flo understood exactly what Henry meant. Aggie had been wonderful throughout the years. But even so there had been times she had desperately wanted her own mother.
Henry smiled fondly at Flo. ‘Flo, I know that these staff cuts were not the best thing for your department, or any other come to that.’
Flo pursed her lips at the statement, resisting the urge to reveal her true feelings. ‘We all have to make sacrifices.’
‘I should have pushed back against the board more,’ Henry continued. ‘I made a mistake and I’m sorry. I should have fought harder for you, for this department, and instead I let them railroad me. I was too concerned with making a good impression in a new job.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Flo said in a firm tone. ‘I’ve done your job and I know the pressure you’re under. The board wouldn’t have given you a choice.’
‘Even so,’ Henry replied with a grimace, ‘I went back to the board last night after yet another busy day and told them we had to reinstate Jean, that the department needs her.
‘Do you mean that?’ Flo asked, looking at him in astonishment.
‘I do,’ Henry replied gravely. ‘I should never have made you sack someone. I’m sorry.’
Something like happiness flooded through Flo for the first time in months as she contemplated the idea of giving Jean back a job that should never have been taken from her in the first place.
‘You’re absolutely sure about this? The board aren’t going to change their minds?’
‘No,’ Henry promised, his eyes twinkling with kindness. ‘Once they found out that the deputy manager was working overtime, they realised it wasn’t appropriate. I made them see what they should have seen all along. Why don’t you pop over to visit Jean tonight after work and we’ll get her back here as quickly as possible? We want it to seem as though she never left.’
Together with Alice, Flo made her way to Islington to see Jean. However, her response was not what Flo had expected. Jean had barely looked Flo in the eye as she’d shown her and Alice inside, and when Flo had told her what she considered to be happy news, Jean hadn’t looked as thrilled as she had hoped. In fact she seemed reticent and even worried about the prospect of a return.
‘Are we all coming back?’ Jean asked, her face full of doubt as she sat at the kitchen table opposite Flo and Alice.
‘Not everyone, no,’ Flo admitt
ed. ‘But after spending some time in the fabric department himself, Mr Masters has seen that we simply cannot manage without you, Jean.’
‘Not all departments are as unique as ours,’ Alice added. ‘We’re fortunate in some ways that Mr Masters can see that.’
‘I see.’ Jean nodded. ‘It just don’t seem right somehow. That I get my job back and all those other girls don’t.’
Alice smiled at her. ‘I know that, love, but you have to think of yourself. You want to come back to Liberty’s, don’t you?’
‘I do,’ Jean agreed, nodding so fiercely that a lock of hair fell from the loose chignon at the nape of her neck, ‘but it don’t feel right to be going back to work when the others can’t.’
A cloud passed across Flo’s face. She knew Jean was correct, but what else could she do? She couldn’t fight everyone’s battles.
‘There are many things in this world that aren’t right, Jean. We both know that. I wish I could give everyone else their jobs back, but I can’t, I can only give you yours – so what do you say? Will you return?’
Jean said nothing and instead looked towards the window as if she could see beyond the blackout curtain.
‘What do you think Bess would say if she was here?’ Alice asked.
Jean turned back to the girls and smiled at the mention of her sister. ‘She already told me that if anyone offered me my job back then I should take it sharpish. She reminded me that we need the money and, given I could be called up any day, she said I should make the most of this and the WVS work I do as well.’
‘Sounds like good advice,’ Alice replied. ‘So what do you think? You know how much we want you back.’
‘We do,’ Flo echoed. ‘And I hope you know how sorry I am I picked you. It wasn’t a reflection of you or your hard work or how much I value you. Please come back to us, Jean.’
Jean looked first from Alice to Flo and then back out towards the window. It was all Flo could do not to beg her for an answer but instead she turned to look at the kitchen. It seemed Jean had been letting the place go in Flo’s absence. The once gleaming butler sink overflowed with dirty cups and a stack of mismatched tea towels lay haphazardly on the wooden work surface, which was covered in tea stains.