Love and Marriage at Harpers

Rosie Clarke

Description

From the bestselling author of The Shop Girls of Harpers and The Mulberry Lane Series.
Oxford St, London, 1913.

The shop girls of Harpers Emporium on Oxford Street are happy in their work and their lives are moving on at quite a pace.
United by the suffragette cause and now living under one roof, some will find love and marriage whilst others experience heartache and tears.
Harpers is the bond that holds them together, bringing strength through hardship and pain and friendship and love.
A heart-warming saga following the lives, loves and losses of the Harpers Girls. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries, Pam Howes and Dilly Court.

What readers are saying about Love and Marriage at Harpers:

'It was so nice to catch up with the Harpers girls. I love that not only can I get lost in their daily lives, loves and losses but the fact I learn a little history along the way. I can't wait for the next one'

'A thoroughly enjoyable read.'

'Another cracking read from Rosie Clarke... I heartily recommend that you read her books.'

'I love Rosie Clarke's books and this, the second in the Harpers Girls series did not disappoint.'

'I didn't want the book to end.'

'I can't wait to read the next book in the series.'

'A delightful addictive read.'

'Best book I have read in a while'

'Love and Marriage at Harpers is a charming historical novel'

'A wonderfully written tale of friendship, romance and the ties that bind'

'I felt as though I had been reunited with old friends'

'Exactly what I expected from this talented author: a wonderful second book in series!'

'An extremely enjoyable read and can't wait to get the next book!'

Sujets

• Vie de famille
• Parentalité et Éducation des Enfants
• Mashups
• Social History
• 20th Century
• Modern
• Historical
• HISTORY
• Women
• Motherhood
• Gran Londres
• Friendship
• Historical romance
• World War I
• Modern history
• General officer
• Parenting
• Historical fiction
• Woman
• Greater London
• The Women
• City Life
• Great Britain
• General
• Central London
• Sagas
• Family Life
• Romance
• Obermodern-Zutzendorf
• Grand Londres
• London
• Première Guerre mondiale
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: Boldwood Books
• Date de parution: 03 mars 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781838891855
• Langue: English

Extrait

Love & Marriage at Harper’s


Rosie Clarke
Contents



Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38


More from Rosie Clarke

About the Author

About Boldwood Books
1

‘Have you heard the stunning news?’ Rachel Craven asked Sally Ross when she entered the kitchen of the apartment they shared with Maggie Gibbs and Beth Grey on the morning of 21 February 1913. All of them were employed at Harper’s, the new department store in Oxford Street, and the arrangement to share a flat had worked out well for the four friends who had met when applying for posts at the prestigious store.
Sally took off her coat and flung it over the back of a chair.
‘I don’t believe I would have the courage to do what Emmeline Pankhurst did…’ Rachel went on as she turned down the gas under the saucepan she was tending.
On 19 February, Emmeline Pankhurst – and some unnamed accomplices – had blown up a villa being built for Lloyd George near Walton Heath Golf Club and the papers were filled with the atrocity and up in arms at the way the suffragettes had become so militant. The story had knocked the news of Captain Scott’s failure to reach the North Pole off the front page.
‘I’m not sure I’d want to.’ Sally flicked her pale blonde hair back from her eyes. The wind had blown it all over the place, because it was longer than usual. ‘It was brave, of course, because she could easily have blown herself up instead of Lloyd George’s new villa – but what does it achieve? She will go to prison and I don’t believe she has advanced the Women’s Movement one inch. In fact, she will have a lot of influential men thinking we’re a bunch of lunatics… and if she’d been a few minutes later, innocent workmen would have died.’
Rachel agreed with Sally, though her loyalty to the leader of their movement made her reluctant to give voice to her opinion, even though Emmeline had become too militant of late. They had both joined the Movement for Women’s Rights the previous year and often attended meetings. Lately, however, some of the speakers had been too fiery and were often booed by men who came just to disrupt the proceedings. Sally had gone on to the stage at one point at a recent gathering and told the listeners that she thought they should have non-violent protests and march to Downing Street and the palace with their banners, but she drew the line at using bombs. She had been shouted down by some of the more vociferous members.
‘I think the Women’s Social and Political Union is going too far, Rachel, and I shall not attend their meetings again – only those of the less militant branch, the Women’s Rights Movement, which is what we all thought we were part of when we joined…’
‘Yes, you’re right, of course you are. The Women’s Social and Political Union is far too militant for us and I shall not attend their meetings in future either.’ Rachel smiled at Sally approvingly as she deftly changed the subject, not wanting to get bogged down in politics. ‘I like the colour of your new blouse – what do they call that colour exactly?’
‘York tan – at least that’s what the salesman called it. I bought some stock for Harper’s fashion department and liked them so much when they arrived that I purchased one for myself…’
‘Very smart!’ Rachel turned back to the gas cooker where she had some potatoes boiling for the supper they would share with Beth and Maggie, when they arrived. ‘I bought some boiled ham for our tea to have with mashed potatoes and sliced carrots.’
‘I’m glad it’s your turn to cook supper and not mine.’ Sally sighed heavily.
‘Are you all right, Sally?’ Rachel asked, because the younger girl looked tired. ‘It was a bit much, Ben Harper and his sister Jenni making you the buyer for Harper’s without enough training, but now they’re both in America and that makes a lot of work and responsibility for you.’
Ben Harper, the owner of Harpers store in Oxford Street London, had been gone for more than five months and Rachel thought that was disgraceful. It seemed to her that he’d simply abandoned ship, leaving it to his managers and Sally to cope with the buying and running of the shop, which Rachel believed unfair.
‘Jenni Harper writes me long letters giving me advice and if I need anything urgently, I send her a telegram and she always helps.’ Sally shook her head dismissively. ‘When Jenni was last over just before Christmas, she told me that her brother is anxious to return but can’t at the moment.’
‘What sort of business could keep him from the store he professes to care about?’ Rachel muttered.
Sally shook her head. ‘Jenni said it was very important… But she approved everything we’re doing and says she doesn’t think Mr Harper could do better if he was here. Besides, we’ve taken on a new buyer for the men’s department and it seems to be doing better again…’ At first the men’s department had struggled, because the stock was not ideal for the British market but that had been adjusted after Sally’s advice had been sought and given.
‘It was Miss Harper’s idea to have the sale after Christmas, I suppose,’ Rachel said, frowning. ‘It made an awful lot of work for the staff and we really didn’t have a lot of damaged or unsaleable goods to get rid of.’
‘No, we’ve been lucky that our stock has a good turnover.’ Sally looked thoughtful. ‘I bought in a few seconds from some of our suppliers. Most of them only had a very small fault…’
Rachel hesitated, then, ‘I hope you won’t be offended, Sally, but I didn’t think that was such a good idea personally. Some of my ladies were a bit sniffy when I told them they were buying seconds.’
Sally nodded her agreement. ‘Jenni said it’s what they do in their stores in New York, but I think you’re right, Rachel; it doesn’t work with our customers. I don’t think I’ll do that again…’ She broke off as the door opened, letting in a cold blast from the hallway. Maggie had a red nose and Beth looked frozen as they hurried inside.
‘Oh, it’s warmer in here,’ Maggie, the youngest of them, exclaimed. ‘Sorry we’re late, Rachel. We went to buy some tinned fruit for afters and missed our bus so we had to wait twenty minutes for the next one.’
‘The wind goes straight through you out there,’ Beth said. She and Sally were both in their early twenties and Rachel was in her mid-thirties, a widow and supervisor for the hat, accessories, bags and jewellery departments. Beth was a senior salesgirl but Sally had risen swiftly to the position of buyer because Ben and Jenni Harper had taken a liking to her. ‘Are you two going to that suffragette meeting this evening? I intended to come, but I’m not sure I can face that bitter cold again…’
‘The meeting has been cancelled until further notice,’ Rachel told her. ‘Because of the arrest and coming trial of Emmeline Pankhurst, the sisters think that there will be agitators in the crowd. So we’re waiting until some of the fuss dies down… and both Sally and I have decided not to attend the WSPU meetings in future. What Emmeline did was just too much… too violent. Innocent men might have been hurt.’
‘Yes, I saw something in the paper…’ Maggie put in. ‘A man left his evening paper lying on the seat when he got off the bus so I brought it home. I haven’t read the whole article but it says she looked pale but calm as she was arrested. She pleaded guilty to the bombing and to other disturbances.’
‘They will put her in prison,’ Sally said. ‘I just don’t see the point of what she did – and I think it puts men who might agree with our cause, against us.’
‘I agree,’ Rachel said, ‘but you know that Emmeline thinks we have to do something drastic to make them listen to us, otherwise they will just go on ignoring us. I spoke to her a few weeks ago at one of our meetings because I wanted to know her opinion – and she is always open to all members, as you know. She said that even those who are not against us treat us like children or pets to be humoured. I asked her if she thought it worth the risk personally and she said she was willing to give her life if she had to… I admire and like her so much, but I fear she will lose support for both branches of the Movement if she goes on this way…’
Rachel looked at Beth, sending her a silent plea, because Sally was evidently angry and she wanted an end to politics. ‘Will you make the tea while I mash the potatoes? The carrots have butter on them already…’
‘Lovely, I’m hungry,’ Beth said and went to pour boiling water into the teapot. ‘I definitely want to join the Movement instead of just attending the meetings once they start again, Rachel, but not the WSPU…’
‘Yes, me too,’ Maggie agreed. ‘I think it is time women had equal rights with men. Why shouldn’t we? They’ve had it all their own way for too long…’ She looked angry, pink spots in her cheeks. ‘However, I agree with you and I do not want to see innocent people hurt…’
Rachel understood that some of the anger in the younger girl’s voice was because of her break-up with her boyfriend Ralf the previous autumn. After a big quarrel over Maggie’s visit to her dying and estranged mother, Ralf seemed to have disappeared from the picture. Yet it was ironic that the trouble between them had been caused by Ralf’s mother, who had wanted to dominate the girl she thought would be a docile bride for her son. Maggie had a mind of her own and she had not put up with Ralf’s mother’s interference for long. Instead, she’d left her lodgings at his home and come to join her friends at the flat. Although Ralf ha