Wartime at Liberty's

by Fiona Ford

  Afterwards, Flo had hoped to have a word with the girls to make sure Evie hadn’t been bothering them but they had disappeared so quickly she hadn’t had a chance. Consequently Flo had put the heated exchange out of her mind. Or at least she had tried to. At 5 a.m. that morning, she had finally given up on sleep and decided to get up and make a head start on the day. She was due at the school again later, but first wanted to ensure the department she was trying her best to love again was in no way neglected.

  Now, in the quiet of fabrics, Flo focused on tidying, sweeping and organising, finding the melodic plod of the task at hand soothing. In fact she was so focused on her work she didn’t hear Mr Button come up behind her, his arms full of paperwork.

  ‘Flo,’ he said, clearing his throat.

  Jumping out of her skin, she whirled around to face him, her heart pounding. ‘Mr Button, sir! I didn’t see you there.’

  ‘I just wanted to check you were all right. I see so little of my department managers these days that I couldn’t resist coming to say hello.’

  Flo smiled with affection at the store manager she was so fond of. ‘And it’s very nice to see you, sir. You look busy.’ She gestured to the pile of paperwork in his hand.

  Mr Button sighed. ‘Yes, these are the minutes of the Board of Trade meeting last night. I wondered if you wouldn’t mind giving them to Mrs Allingham when she arrives as she couldn’t make the meeting?’

  Flo put down her sweeping brush and took the files from her boss’s hands. ‘There’s a lot here.’ She marvelled at the weight of them.

  Mr Button rolled his eyes heavenwards. ‘Yes, they keep us fairly busy, but I can’t complain – it’s nice to feel useful.’

  ‘I imagine Mrs Allingham feels just the same,’ Flo said carefully.

  ‘I imagine she does. Since giving up her position on the Botheringtons’ board some time ago I think she wanted something to fill her time.’

  ‘Why did she give it up?’

  ‘Something to do with her brother, I think. He’s still there of course, but they’ve been estranged for years. The two fell out over their mother’s will many years ago. She had left everything to Mrs Allingham, as her own husband had died in the last war.’

  ‘Upsetting her brother in the process.’ Flo nodded in understanding.

  ‘Precisely, my dear. The sad fact of course is that Evie lost all the money,’ Mr Button continued. ‘She was taken advantage of by some cad or other who presented her with a business opportunity that didn’t exist. As a result Mrs Allingham turned to religion. She believes the Church is the salvation for all, and is almost fanatical about getting everyone to denounce anything she perceives to be immoral.’

  ‘That sounds a little harsh,’ Flo exclaimed. ‘Though I must say she has had a few choice words to say about some of our more bohemian customers.’

  Mr Button frowned. ‘Has she? I must have a word. I told her when she joined us that she needed to keep comments like that to herself.’

  ‘Oh no,’ Flo cried, not wanting to cause any more trouble in the department. ‘She never says anything in earshot; it was just a surprise to hear someone say those things. Still, at least it makes a bit more sense now why she is the way she is.’

  ‘Is everything all right, Flo?’ Mr Button asked gently. ‘You’ve had an awful lot to contend with of late; I wonder if perhaps you need some time off?’

  Flo shuddered at the thought: time off idling away at home dwelling on her misfortunes was the last thing that she needed.

  ‘I’m fine, thank you, sir.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Mr Button tried again. ‘You can talk to me.’

  ‘I know, sir.’ Flo nodded. ‘But I’m fine. Anyway, tell me how you are. It feels as if it’s been ages since I saw you.’

  ‘I’m fine too, Flo. Nothing a few days off with Dorothy wouldn’t cure anyway.’

  ‘I think she’d like that herself,’ Flo said. ‘She misses you.’

  ‘I miss her. I don’t see her anywhere near as much as I want to.’

  ‘She’s noticed,’ Flo replied drily. ‘And it’s not lost on Mrs Allingham.’

  ‘Making trouble, is she?’ Mr Button said, getting to the point.

  ‘A bit,’ Flo admitted this time. ‘Nothing Dot can’t handle.’

  At that Mr Button gave a knowing laugh. ‘I’ll bet. Perhaps it was a mistake inviting Mrs Allingham to work here. I thought she would be good for the department, especially when Jean was away.’

  ‘No, her expertise is very useful.’ Flo admitted. ‘I just wonder if she has ideas above her station, shall we say, and of course it doesn’t help that she and Dot are constantly at loggerheads.’

  Mr Button laughed, ‘You have a way with words, Flo, and I understand what you’re getting at. This department has been through enough in recent months. Let me talk to Henry and see if we can’t make things a bit easier for everyone. I may not get to spend as much time as I would like in Liberty’s but I can make sure that every staff member here is as happy as they can be.’

  With that Mr Button gave Flo an encouraging smile and Flo felt sure that some of her problems at least were on their way to being resolved.

  Despite Mr Button’s promise, Flo was still worried about what her lodgers had been up to with Evie. Settling herself at the school piano at lunchtime she wondered if there was a way to find out what had been going on between them all without upsetting anyone.

  ‘Penny for them?’ Celia grinned, approaching the piano, her hands full of sheet music, before the kids arrived.

  ‘You don’t want to know.’ Flo sighed as she glanced over with interest at what was in Celia’s arms. ‘What have you got there?’

  ‘More Max Monroe melodies,’ she gushed. ‘The kids loved singing something a bit different and I thought it would be excellent practice for you too.’

  Flo took the music Celia proffered her and laughed. ‘That’s very kind of you but this is about the children not me.’

  ‘Nonsense! They love it,’ Celia said, pushing her concerns away. ‘Besides, I love it too – takes me back to my youth. And you clearly adore it. You’re a very gifted pianist.’

  Flo shrugged. ‘I do love it, but I love singing more.’

  ‘And you’ll come back to it in time,’ Celia promised. ‘In the meantime it looks to me as if you’ve the weight of the world on your shoulders.’

  ‘That obvious?’

  ‘A bit. Want to talk about it?’

  ‘I really don’t,’ Flo replied honestly.

  ‘Well, in that case what about a drink one night?’ Celia suggested.

  At the idea Flo lit up. ‘Why don’t you come along and meet the rest of the girls from Liberty’s? They’ve all heard so much about you.’

  Now it was Celia’s turn to look surprised. ‘What a lovely idea. You sure the girls won’t mind?’

  ‘Not a bit,’ Flo promised. ‘Pop over after the shop closes this evening. It’s rehearsal night so we can all go across to the pub for a well-earned drink before the rehearsal and you can meet Max Monroe.’

  Celia gasped. ‘Oh my days! Are you sure?’

  ‘More than sure!’

  Celia giggled excitedly. ‘I can’t wait.’

  At that point the children filed into the hall and with a start Flo realised that she couldn’t wait either.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  That evening, after an afternoon full of rain and cloud, Flo found herself in a warm and cosy pub waiting for the gala night rehearsal to start. As Flo glanced around her at the clientele she noticed that most people appeared to be in a reflective mood. Flo could only assume it was because the papers had been filled with news of the British ocean liner, SS Ceramic. It had been torpedoed and then sunk by the Germans near the Azores. Flo had found herself gripped by the reports, especially after discovering there was one survivor who had been taken as a prisoner of war. Flo couldn’t help thinking about the men who had perished, the women they had left behind and the wife of the surviving man, who
now faced a long, difficult road ahead in a German prisoner-of-war camp.

  The news had been a stark reminder of the loss of her husband and she had felt sick with heartache, preferring to hide herself away and get on with her work rather than to socialise. She had hoped that after her chat with Celia she would become more capable of managing her grief. She wondered when the pain would ever end.

  By the time she was due to meet everyone in the pub she felt a little better. As well as the girls and Celia, Henry had asked to join them, and Dot had issued him with a warning the moment he’d set foot in the pub.

  ‘You’ll have to behave yourself,’ she’d warned as he took a seat. ‘No boss talk. You’re not the boss out of hours.’

  Henry laughed. ‘Fair enough. Now what can I get you all to drink?’

  ‘Port and lemon,’ Dot piped up quickly. ‘And if you’re buying you can be an honorary Liberty girl more often.’

  As the girls gave their orders, Flo sank her head back against the hard wooden plinth of the pew she sat on and felt her shoulders begin to soften.

  ‘So tell me again what the council said?’ Alice asked Mary as Henry set a glass down in front of her.

  Flo glanced across at her friend and noticed her face was flushed red and her eyes crinkled with excitement. Mary had worn that look for most of the afternoon, after returning from her council meeting about adopting baby Emma.

  ‘They said I was approved. That we both were.’ Mary beamed. ‘They will need to do a few last-minute checks but otherwise when David and I marry next month baby Emma will be legally ours.’

  ‘And Mrs Matravers is happy with the arrangement?’ Dot asked. ‘Not that it should be any of her business.’

  ‘David has written to her and she agrees it’s the best thing. It’s a relief to know we have her support otherwise it could have been very difficult.’

  ‘Well, I think we should raise a glass to you,’ Jean said, holding her milk stout aloft. ‘It’s nice to have a celebration.’

  ‘To celebrations,’ the girls chimed in.

  ‘What else are we celebrating then?’ Dot asked, her face blank.

  The girls laughed.

  ‘Well, there’s Bess getting out of hospital and doing so well,’ offered Jean.

  ‘And there’s the fact I’ve taken matters into my own hands with Jack’s sister and written to her,’ Alice said – her voice full of pride, Flo noticed. ‘I decided to reason with her.’

  ‘Blimey! Flo marvelled. ‘Whatever did you say?’

  ‘I told her that I adored her brother, and I would never hurt him, that I understood the way she felt, that I would be protective of my sibling too if it were me, but that she really didn’t have to worry.’

  ‘Good on you, darlin’,’ Dot said, lifting her drink to her lips. ‘What does Jack think?’

  At that Alice’s face fell. ‘I didn’t actually tell him.’

  The girls burst out laughing but Flo couldn’t miss the look of despair across her friend’s face.

  ‘You didn’t tell him?’ Flo echoed. ‘He’s going to have kittens when he finds out.’

  ‘No he won’t,’ Alice protested. ‘He’ll be pleased I took the pressure off his shoulders.’

  ‘If you say so.’ Dot sniffed. ‘Though if you ask me, what we’re really toasting, Alice, is your last days on earth – or at least they will be when Jack finds out what you’ve done.’

  At that the girls chuckled once more while Alice just shook her head in mock disbelief. Taking another sip of her drink, Flo saw the door open and watched Celia burst in looking around her uncertainly. Flo got to her feet and waved her hand to beckon her over.

  ‘You found us all right!’ Flo exclaimed, inviting Celia to take a seat next to her.

  ‘No trouble at all,’ she replied, nodding quiet hellos to the rest of the girls as they introduced themselves.

  ‘We’re just in the middle of celebrating,’ Mary said, her eyes shining with happiness, ‘so you’ve come at a good time.’

  ‘Well, I’m delighted,’ Celia smiled as Henry returned from the bar with a port and lemon for her. ‘The kids have been rotten sods all afternoon, so it’s nice to hear some good news after the time I’ve had.’

  Celia’s honesty caused the table to fall about with laughter. Flo took a moment to survey her new friend properly. Her navy skirt was covered in dust and the laughter lines around her eyes seemed to have increased just in the last few hours.

  ‘You must have your work cut out up at that school,’ said Dot.

  ‘Some days,’ Celia admitted, taking a long sip of her drink.

  ‘Well, it’s very nice to meet you,’ Dot went on. ‘Flo talks about you all the time.’

  Celia beamed at Flo. ‘And it’s lovely to meet you all. I’ve heard lots about you from Henry, and Flo too of course, so I feel as if I know you all already.’

  ‘We’re thrilled you’ve helped Flo realise her passion,’ Mary ventured.

  ‘Even if she still won’t sing at the fundraiser,’ Rose muttered under her breath.

  Giving Rose a sharp nudge in the ribs, Dot turned to Celia and smiled pleasantly. ‘So did you never marry then, Celia?’

  ‘I was married once. Not any more, however. It’s a long story.’

  ‘It always is, darlin’,’ Dot replied with a hint of knowing. ‘So you’re on your own then?’

  Celia nodded and Dot sighed in understanding. ‘Sorry to hear that. My George has been gone over twenty-five years and every day without him feels like a burden.’

  ‘But you’ve found Mr Button again now,’ Flo put in.

  ‘Pah! Not if Evie Allingham has anything to do with it.’ Dot’s voice was full of scorn.

  ‘You can’t believe he’s interested in her!’ Alice replied.

  ‘No – and you should know by now he’s not remotely interested in anyone but you,’ Rose offered.

  ‘Plus Evie Allingham is incredibly religious,’ Flo added. ‘Mr Button was telling me all about how she was brought up that way and now she has become almost fanatical about morals after some rogue ripped her off causing her to lose all her money.’

  ‘I didn’t know that!’ Dot exclaimed.

  ‘Neither did any of us,’ Mary said. ‘But it explains why she’s so judgemental with some of the customers.’

  ‘And Mr Button won’t like that,’ Alice ventured. ‘Plus if she really is as religious as he says, she won’t be interested in taking someone else’s man.’

  ‘Perhaps she is just winding me up then,’ Dot mused, draining her port.

  ‘I should say so,’ Celia agreed. ‘Sounds like you’ve fallen on your feet, Dorothy. I should forget all about this Evie character. She may have designs on your Edwin, but he won’t have designs on her.’

  ‘Quite right,’ Henry said knowledgeably, earning himself a glance of surprise from the rest of the table.

  ‘Isn’t it time we were heading back to the pleating room for rehearsal now?’ Flo said, looking at her watch. ‘Max is due any moment and we won’t want to let him down.’

  Celia clapped her hands together in delight. ‘I can’t believe I’m going to meet Max Monroe!’

  ‘He’s a diamond,’ Dot said. ‘You’re in for a treat, Celia darlin’.’

  With that the girls filed out into the night and walked back across to Liberty’s. As they led Celia through the store, Flo delighted in the oohs and aahs her new friend uttered. She remembered only too well how astounded she had been when she had first walked into the store and seen the magic of Liberty’s and all its secrets unveiled for the first time.

  Following Celia’s delighted gaze, Flo saw that she was looking at the wood-panelled room on the ground floor, which was locked with an iron gate.

  ‘This is the fine jewellery room. It’s where we keep all our very precious pieces,’ Flo whispered. ‘We show important customers like Queen Mary our rare and precious items in there, away from prying eyes.’

  ‘You mean the Queen herself has been in that roo
m?’ she gasped.

  ‘Let me tell you that there’s even a special sofa in there, just for the Queen herself,’ Flo replied, giggling as Celia’s mouth fell open in shock.

  Linking her arm through her new friend’s Flo dragged her away so they could catch up with the others. Reaching the pleating room she pushed open the door and was surprised to see Max Monroe had already arrived and was chatting away to Mr Button.

  ‘What are you two up to, gossiping away like a couple of old women?’ Dot chuckled, being her usual forward self.

  ‘We were just discussing former glories, if you must know.’ Mr Button grinned. ‘Max here was telling me all about his time in the army.’

  ‘Now of course I sing for ENSA,’ Max chimed in.

  ‘’Course you do,’ Alice exclaimed. ‘You’re everyone’s favourite.’

  ‘You’re too kind, my dear.’ Max chuckled. ‘It’s a way to serve my country. Heaven knows I’m too old now to fight for it.’

  ‘And I’m too injured,’ Henry said bitterly.

  Flo looked at him in surprise. She’d had no idea he felt that way, assuming he had been content with the service he had given his country and his role looking after Stan.

  She was just about to open her mouth to comment when Max Monroe beat her to it. ‘You look like a man who’s done the best he can. Do you sing, sir?’

  Henry’s morose expression from moments earlier fell away as he smiled in reply. ‘Only in the bath.’

  ‘Well, if we ever need anyone for a bathtime fundraiser, I’ll be sure to engage your services.’

  With that everyone laughed politely and introductions were made. As Flo turned to introduce Celia and told Max she was a singer, Flo watched the woman tremble.

  ‘Pleasure to meet you,’ she stammered.