by Fiona Ford
Dot got to her feet and kissed Flo’s cheek. ‘So we’ll add wise to the list of things that was wonderful about Celia too, shall we? You’ve shed enough tears, darlin’. Don’t let guilt eat away at you and rob you of your life. There’s been too much death round here lately as it is.’
Despite Dot having a word with Mr Button, Flo knew that she couldn’t sit around the house all day musing over her lot. After her chat with the Liberty matriarch Flo had felt a lot better and ready to face the world. The first step was returning to work and seeing how the department was managing without her. She could scarcely imagine what Evie Allingham had been up to in her absence, and could only hope that Alice had taken charge.
Sure enough as Flo stalked across the floor just after four o’clock she saw Alice, resplendent in a Liberty raspberry utility print dress, blonde hair gleaming under the shine of the overhead lights, briskly issuing instructions to Evie, Jean and Mary.
‘Looks like it’s business as usual then,’ she chuckled as Alice, Mary and Jean beamed delightedly at her.
‘Are you sure you’re well enough to come in?’ Alice frowned. ‘You should be at home resting.’
‘I’ve just spent the last day and a half resting. I need to get back to normal,’ Flo insisted.
‘Even so, you should take it easy,’ Mary said, her voice rich with concern. ‘You’re covered in cuts and bruises.’
Flo looked down at her hands as if seeing them for the first time. Mary was right; her hands were battered, and her nails torn to shreds, but that was the least of her worries.
Shrugging, she smiled back at Mary. ‘So, how have things been in my absence?’
‘Wonderful!’ Now Evie was beaming too, walking towards Flo after she had finished serving her customer. ‘We’ve been incredibly busy, and we’ve taken orders from a couple of new customers too.’
Flo nodded before seeing Alice’s worried expression. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘We may have been busy, and we may have taken two new customer orders, but sales are still down,’ Alice admitted.
‘You obviously didn’t walk past Botheringtons earlier on,’ Mary said, her voice low.
‘Why? Should I have?’
‘Well, if you had you would have spotted that Botheringtons are also stocking utility prints,’ Alice exclaimed, red blotches of anger blooming across her neck.
‘I don’t suppose we can expect to be the only ones that stock utility fabric,’ Flo pointed out.
‘That’s just what I said,’ Evie put in.
‘I know everyone else stocks utility print, but the trouble is they’re stocking carbon copies of what we’ve got for half the price,’ Alice fumed.
‘And of course the customers are coming in to see what we’ve got before going up the road and seeing if they can get it elsewhere for a fraction of the price,’ Jean explained.
‘But how did they know how to replicate it?’ Flo asked.
‘Oh, heavens above,’ Evie put in. ‘All they’d need to do was walk past our shop window. I wouldn’t worry about it – anyone that’s anyone will come to Liberty’s for their prints; Botheringtons can’t compare.’
Flo wasn’t sure Evie was right. Times were hard in the face of war and if sales went down any more then it was likely staff would end up being made redundant again. However, she knew it was better to put a brave face on for the rest of the girls.
‘Yes, that’s probably true. Well, if you’re all right, I shall just pop upstairs and take a look through the deputy store manager paperwork. I’ll pop back down before we shut.’
With that she walked back up the stairs and through the labyrinth of corridors into Mr Masters’ office.
As she took a seat and caught sight of Henry’s familiar handwriting she felt overwhelmed with disappointment and uncertainty. Henry had been such a good friend to Celia, and such a tower of strength that horrible night, she couldn’t believe he was responsible for taking the Liberty fundraiser money. Nobody who went to so much trouble to look after so many people in their life would be capable of such a thing.
Rubbing her hands across her face, she tried to make sense of what had happened. Henry had been such a support: she owed it to him to get to the bottom of the mystery. But first she had to turn her attention to his workload.
Going through the papers, she was relieved to find Henry had left comprehensive sales figures for all the departments. Running her finger through every one she didn’t know whether to feel pleased or disappointed that all the other departments were down on last year, just like her own.
Although she knew it was temporary, Flo had to admit it felt good to be in charge again. She knew she had the department to look after, but since Neil’s death, Flo couldn’t help feeling that she had been letting things happen to her, without making any decisions for herself. Dot and Celia had been right, enough was enough, and now, following the revelations about her own family life, Flo felt she needed to take back some of that power. She felt she needed to be closer to the woman who had turned out to be her mother. Dot and Alice had been a wonderful stand-in family over the last few months, but as she pushed the papers away to the edge of her desk instinct told her it was time to stand on her own two feet. It was time to face her future by facing her past.
Chapter Forty-Three
It hadn’t taken long to move the few things Flo had brought with her to Bell Street back to her Islington home. In fact it took even less time with Alice, Mary and Dot’s help in the back of Edwin’s precious Standard.
‘I thought you knew how to drive, Mary,’ Alice grumbled as Mary took a corner at top speed.
‘I do,’ Mary fumed, putting her foot on the accelerator again as she headed towards the Holloway Road. ‘This is how it’s done.’
‘It’ll be me that’s done if you carry on driving like this,’ Dot roared from the back seat. ‘Take your foot off that sodding accelerator. There’s a speed limit in case you hadn’t noticed.’
‘And I’d rather like to get back home in one piece if it’s all the same to you,’ Flo said cheerfully as Mary turned to pull into her road.
When Mary brought the car to a screeching halt, Flo held on to her possessions with both hands, grateful the journey was over.
‘Thanks for the lift, love,’ she said, clambering out of the front seat.
‘You’re welcome!’ Mary beamed, hopping out to open the door for Alice and Dot. ‘Have you got everything?’
‘I think I left my kneecaps back in the road there, but apart from that I seem to have the lot,’ Dot teased.
Mary groaned good-naturedly. ‘Come on. Let’s get Flo settled in and then we’ll drive back.’
‘God help us all,’ Dot muttered in a stage whisper, as she followed Flo up the path.
Shaking her head with mirth, Flo went inside. She was delighted to see the place was no longer a mess. Instead it looked as if Jean had been keeping her home clean and tidy. The jars were arranged alphabetically, the mantel was free of dust and the sink sparkling clean and clear of mugs. There was even a thoughtfully placed bunch of nasturtiums in the centre of the kitchen table with a note welcoming Flo home.
‘Home sweet home.’ Alice beamed. ‘What a lovely job Jean’s done.’
‘Hasn’t she?’ Flo agreed, looking around at the place. It was all so strange, and yet so familiar. Here were all of Aggie’s treasured blue and white plates on the dresser, the photo of her with her Uncle Ray on their wedding day, and of course another of her and Neil nestled right beside them. On the chair was Jean’s leather work bag. A lovely mix of old and new, Flo thought, realising that it felt good to be back. It had been the right decision.
‘Can I get you all a cuppa?’ she asked, setting her bags on the kitchen floor.
Dot checked her watch. ‘Just a quick one, darlin’, Edwin needs his car.’
‘That’s if Mary gets it back in one piece!’ Alice chuckled, before turning to Flo. ‘Yes, a quick one for me too. I promised Doris I wouldn’t leave Arthur for too l
ong. He’s got another tooth coming through and he’s a right little sod at the moment.’
‘Alice! That’s no way to talk about your child,’ Mary admonished.
Alice rolled her eyes. ‘Trust me, when you’ve got Emma all to yourself, you’ll be saying the same thing.’
‘Have you thought any more about taking her out for the day?’ Flo called, putting the kettle on and checking the larder for milk. She was thrilled to see that Jean had efficiently stocked up with another pint and pulled it out before getting the tea things ready.
‘Yes. I’ll be going in next week on my day off. It’s all arranged,’ Mary said, her voice full of excitement. ‘And I thought we could celebrate her birthday, too?’
‘How wonderful.’ Alice clapped her hands together.
As Flo busied herself making the tea, her eyes strayed to the dresser once more. Suddenly she spotted a letter resting on the top of the dresser in Neil’s father John’s handwriting. Wordlessly she picked it up and frowned as she ran her fingers over her name on the front of the envelope. What did he want with her? He didn’t usually write.
‘What have you got there?’ Dot called nosily.
‘Just some post,’ she called, putting the note down. ‘Nothing important, I’m sure.’ Turning back to the tea, she carried the pot and cups across to the table and then smiled at the girls. ‘Thanks for helping me today.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Dot said softly. ‘And you know you’re welcome back south of the river anytime, don’t you?’
Flo nodded. ‘I do.’
‘And anytime you feel like babysitting Arthur you just have to say the word.’ Alice laughed good-naturedly.
Chuckling, Flo leaned back in her chair, sending Jean’s bag that had been on the edge crashing to the ground.
‘Hells bells!’ she groaned, stooping down to retrieve the contents. Only as she did so she saw that amongst the hand cream and gloves was a stack of papers. Frowning, Flo turned them over and saw the papers were marked ‘Private and Confidential’ with the Liberty letterhead all over them.
‘What’s that?’ Mary asked, peering over her shoulder.
‘It looks like some work documents I asked Jean to bring back for me.’
Alice frowned. ‘Wouldn’t you just do it yourself?’
‘Ah, she’s got all high and mighty,’ Dot teased. ‘Now she’s back to being a high-up she doesn’t like getting her hands dirty!’
Flo swatted Dot’s hand with the papers. ‘Flamin’ cheek. It was just easier to ask Jean, that was all. She was working late with Evie the other night,’ Flo lied.
Seemingly mollified, the girls sipped their tea, giving Flo a moment to flick through the papers again. At first glance they looked like confidential sales documents and patterns for the new prints that were going to be released into store next season.
Horror pulsed through her. What was Jean doing with these and how had she got her hands on them? Even Flo had to sign all sorts of forms to see these patterns, for they were highly confidential. More to the point, what did Jean need them for?
Stuffing them back into Jean’s bag, Flo hung it on the chair and smiled as she turned to the girls, doing her best to concentrate. But all the while Flo’s mind was whirring. She had no idea why Jean had those papers, but she certainly didn’t want anyone else to know what was going on until she did. Much as she adored working at Liberty’s, and the girls who worked with her, Flo had noticed that gossip, no matter how well intentioned, travelled fast. For the moment, she wanted to keep whatever Jean was doing under wraps.
Chapter Forty-Four
The girls left Flo’s about an hour later with promises to come round for supper one night the following week. Flo shut the wooden door behind them, listening to the roar of Mr Button’s car as Mary sped down the road, then sank her forehead against the window pane. Here she was then, home sweet home.
It had been a long time since she had been alone and for a moment she felt lost with only silence for company. But equally Flo knew it was where she needed to be. Slipping her shoes off, she found her slippers by the umbrella stand, where she’d always kept them, and pushed her feet into the warm wool. Padding through to the kitchen, she thought about making another cup of tea while she unpacked but then her eyes strayed to Jean’s bag hanging innocently from the back of the chair, and couldn’t resist one more look.
Reaching for the papers, Flo sat down at the kitchen table, trying to come up with a logical answer as to why Jean would have these patterns in her possession. Could she have taken them mistakenly? Could someone have given them to her in error? Flo doubted it. Jean wasn’t a stupid girl, and these papers had ‘Private and Confidential’ marked all over them. She would have known they weren’t meant for her eyes, which begged the question again: why did she have them?
Just then the sound of the front door opening rang through to the kitchen. Flo scrambled to her feet, eager to try and put the papers back where she had found them. But it was too late: Jean walked straight through to the kitchen wearing a welcoming smile only for her face to fall as she took in what was in Flo’s hands.
‘What are you doing with those?’ Jean looked furious.
‘I might ask you the same question,’ Flo replied, her tone even.
‘They’re private,’ Jean hissed, stepping forward and doing her best to snatch the papers from Flo’s hand. But Flo was too tall and too quick and lifted the papers high out of Jean’s reach.
‘Too right they’re private,’ Flo exclaimed. ‘These are confidential Liberty papers. What are you doing with them?’
‘Nothing.’ Jean shrugged. ‘I must have taken them by accident.’
Flo laughed as she lowered her arm and looked at the papers again. Nobody accidentally took papers like these.
‘You took them by accident?’ Flo echoed in disbelief. ‘Please, Jean. Don’t treat me like a fool. Now, I’ll ask you again, as your boss and your landlady – and I really want you to tell me the truth this time – what are you doing with these papers?’
As Flo looked at her, Jean remained rooted to the spot, colour creeping up her neck and face as her eyes darted nervously back and forth. Flo wondered just how long Jean was going to stand there trying to come up with something when the sound of the door banging shut behind her caused the atmosphere in the room to shift.
‘It was me that took the papers, not Jean,’ a voice called from behind Flo.
Whirling around, Flo came face-to-face with Bess. Still in her coat and shoes, she stood there in the kitchen doorway, her face ashen and her eyes stern.
Anger flooded through Flo. First Jean was lying to her and now Bess. How dare they treat her like a fool?
‘Really?’ Flo said in mock surprise. ‘And how would you have access to private papers at Liberty’s, Bess?’
‘It was when I was at the first-aid night,’ Bess said casually. ‘I took them then. I just gave them back to Jean to return.’
Flo let out a deep sigh. ‘And why would you need these private Liberty papers, Bess? What possible use could they be to you?’
Bess pursed her lips and shook her head. ‘I’d rather not say if you don’t mind. I appreciate it looks bad but there’s no easy way to explain it.’
Flo looked from Jean to Bess and saw that they were both wearing matching stern expressions, and she didn’t know what to say or do. Walking back across to the kitchen table, papers still in her hands, she sank into one of the chairs and rested her head in her hands. She thought for a moment. The sisters were inseparable, always had been; Flo knew that. She also knew that attacking them now like this was probably the worst way of handling the situation. More than anything she wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on and she knew she wouldn’t do that by trying to fight with the sisters.
‘I know that one of you is lying to me,’ Flo said, glancing between the two girls. ‘I also know that there will be a very good reason that you have those papers in your possession. But you must try and understand it fro
m my point of view. I’ve seen these papers in your bag, Jean, and I have to go to Mr Button.’
Jean looked anxiously at Bess, who gave a quiet but determined nod.
‘If that’s what you have to do, Flo, we understand,’ Bess said quietly, ‘but I’m asking you not to. There’s a very good reason that we have those papers.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ Flo said tiredly. ‘Would you like to tell me what that reason is?’
Flo paused, hoping for an answer, but as the girls just looked at their feet, Flo knew she wasn’t going to get any more sense out of either one of them. ‘In that case I don’t have a choice,’ she said, pushing the papers back across the table towards Jean. ‘I hoped you girls would trust me with whatever’s going on, but if you can’t that’s up to you. I suggest you put those papers back where you got them, Jean, and I’ll be talking to Mr Button about this tomorrow.’
As she stood up to walk away from the table, she was surprised when Bess reached out and gripped her hand. ‘Please don’t do that, Flo,’ she said. ‘I know this looks bad; we both do. But please trust me. If you’ll just give us a bit more time to sort this out we can tell you everything. Then when you’ve heard us out you can decide whether or not to go to Mr Button. If you go to Mr Button now he’ll sack Jean, and with my hand and everything we’ve lost we can’t afford that. Please, Flo, please trust us for just a little bit longer.’
As Flo looked at the earnest expression on Bess’s face she felt conflicted. She loved her job, adored the store and knew her loyalties really ought to lie with Liberty’s. Yet the store was under so much stress already with Henry’s alleged actions and the fact Mr Button was trying to juggle his Board of Trade work. Not only that, there was something in Bess’s expression that told Flo it might be best to bide her time. Perhaps she ought to try and find out more about what was happening before she made her move. Flo wasn’t sure if she was in fact doing the right thing, but she did know that sometimes doing nothing was better than doing something.