Page 8 of A Shop Girl’s Christmas (Pennington’s Department Store #3)

Satisfaction swept through Elizabeth as she slowly walked around Pennington’s second floor. It was the first of December and the store had never looked more beautiful, thanks to the talented efforts of her friend and head window dresser, Esther Culford, and her team. The entrance columns to every department donned bright red ribbon and climbing ivy, the newel posts of the grand staircase decorated with silver and gold bunting. Everything was spectacular and wholly Pennington’s.

How she would miss Esther when she left in three short weeks to await the birth of her babe. Guilt that she hadn’t done more to encourage her friend’s early departure niggled at Elizabeth’s conscience. Considering Joseph’s increasingly worrying behaviour, it was no surprise she had succumbed to her own selfish need that Esther stayed longer at the store. Lord knew, it helped to know she only had to venture to the design or ladies’ department, to have a good chance of finding her friend.

And it was Esther she sought out now.

Entering the ladies’ department, Elizabeth was pleased by its busyness and the underlying sense of heady excitement prevalent amongst the female clientele as they pursued the merchandise, dutifully attended to by her staff.

‘Miss Pennington, good afternoon.’

Elizabeth smiled as she turned to the head of the department. ‘And the same to you, Mrs Woolden. I trust all is well?’

‘Very well, indeed.’ The older woman beamed, her gaze full of pride. ‘Was there something you needed from me?’

‘I was actually looking for Mrs Culford.’

‘She is busy measuring up some dresses in the back room. Would you like me to summon her?’

‘No, that’s quite all right. I’ll go through and talk to her.’ Elizabeth glanced around the department again. ‘Keep up the good work.’

She left Mrs Woolden and strode behind the serving counter towards the back room. Pulling aside the curtained partition, she found Esther scrutinising several dresses hung on a rack, her brow furrowed in concentration.

‘Isn’t our winter clothes collection co-operating with whatever it is you have in mind, Esther?’

Esther visibly started. ‘Elizabeth! I didn’t hear you. Are you looking for me?’

‘Yes, but please, finish whatever it is you’re contemplating. Your expression was not of someone particularly happy with what they are seeing. Is something wrong?’

‘Not at all. I just want every single window to be perfect before I leave and, for once, I can’t find exactly what I need.’ She shook her head. ‘Maybe it’s the baby affecting me, I don’t know.’

‘What do you mean?’ Concerned, Elizabeth stepped closer and cupped her friend’s elbow. ‘Are you feeling all right?’

‘I’m feeling marvellous but finding it harder and harder to concentrate as the baby grows.’

Elizabeth’s guilt intensified as she steered Esther towards a long sofa at the side of the room. ‘Then take a minute or two to talk to me. Come and sit down.’

Esther exhaled heavily. ‘It does feel welcome to sit awhile. Was there something in particular you wanted to speak to me about?’ She looked into Elizabeth’s eyes, her gaze concerned. ‘You don’t look yourself, even though I can tell you’re trying your best to hide it.’

Elizabeth briefly closed her eyes. ‘There’s not a lot I can conceal from you, is there? I wanted to talk to you about Joseph.’

‘Joseph? What’s the matter?’

Elizabeth studied her friend, fighting a horrible sense of betrayal towards Joseph. What happened in their marriage should stay between them, but the more his anxieties grew, the more Elizabeth struggled to help him. If she didn’t share her worries with someone soon, she would explode.

Without a mother, a father she couldn’t abide for the majority of the time, and very few friends outside of the store, it was Esther who she grew closer and closer to the longer they worked together. Esther could be trusted. She loved Elizabeth as Elizabeth loved her. They were friends. Good friends.

‘Elizabeth?’

She blinked and released her held breath. ‘I really shouldn’t be burdening you with this, but I don’t feel I can cope with things on my own any more.’

‘Whatever it is, let me help you.’

Elizabeth took Esther’s hand in hers and stared at their joined fingers. ‘Have you read about the recent murder here in the city?’

‘Of the woman offering charity to the poor? Well, yes, it’s awful. Why?’ Esther’s cheeks paled. ‘It wasn’t someone you knew, was it? Not someone who worked at Pennington’s?’

‘No, but her death has sent Joseph into a worse state of mind than ever. It’s Lillian, you see. He’s convinced the same man who murdered her murdered this woman, too. He’s… he’s not thinking straight, Esther, and I’m scared.’

‘Scared? But surely Joseph won’t do anything silly. He’s a sensible, straight-down-the-line sort of a man. You know that better than anyone.’

‘Which is why I am so afraid about the change in him. And now he knows we have an ex-Scotland Yard sergeant working here, he’s determined Stephen Gower is the answer we’ve been waiting for.’

‘The security watchman?’

‘Yes. He’s relocated here from London. I have no idea why, but he has made it clear he is here for a while and Joseph sees that as a sign he was sent here for him. For Lillian.’

‘And he intends to ask Mr Gower to help find a killer? But that’s madness. He can’t just blurt something like that to a relative stranger.’

‘I know.’ Elizabeth slipped her hand from Esther’s and collapsed back. ‘I don’t know how to calm him. How to make Joseph see that we must bide our time. What can I do? It’s killing me to see him acting so out of character. He’s so on edge and I feel powerless to do anything to help.’

Esther’s brow furrowed as she stared across the room. ‘You know, it’s not impossible that Mr Gower won’t help him.’

Surprise that Esther would agree with Joseph, rather than her, made Elizabeth sit up straight. ‘You think I’m wrong in delaying Joseph talking to him?’

‘No, but I do agree with Joseph that he must at least try to take advantage of anything, or anyone, who might be able to help lay his demons to rest. Life is too short not to grab every opportunity of living with a peaceful heart and mind. We both know that.’ Esther stood and paced in front of the sofa, her arms crossed above her expanding stomach. ‘Maybe we could act as intermediaries with Mr Gower. We would be a lot calmer and a lot less of a threat to him than Joseph. Especially if he’s acting so unpredictably.’

Elizabeth shook her head, unsure any of them approaching Mr Gower was a good idea so soon. ‘I really think we need to give the poor man enough time to at least settle at Pennington’s before we mention anything to do with his policing and the murders. Whatever will he think of me and Joseph as employers? Asking anything of him outside of his role here is highly unorthodox. Not to mention unprofessional.’

‘Hmm. I see what you mean.’

Elizabeth stood. ‘Let me think what to do. I feel better just sharing this with you. Every time I’m with Joseph, I am as jumpy as a cat. I had to tell you what is happening. I am so going to miss you when you leave.’

‘Well, it’s not for a few weeks yet.’

‘I know, it’s just…’

‘What?’

‘I also recently received a letter from my father, and it has not helped with my anxieties. He’s in Paris and had much to say about the department stores there.’

‘Ah. You’re worried his interest in the store might re-emerge from its relative silence?’

Dread knotted Elizabeth’s stomach and she pressed her hand there as she paced. ‘I couldn’t bear it if he came back here. With everything happening with Joseph, to have my father reappear and cause us trouble, might be the last straw.’ Resentment bubbled inside of her and she halted, crossing her arms to stop the trembling in her hands. ‘He gave the store to Joseph and me without condition. He has no right.’

‘And did you tell him as much?’

‘Of course, and he said he was merely informing me of the goings on in France. Nothing more.’

‘But you don’t believe him.’

‘Or trust him. I never will.’

Esther sighed and tucked her arm into Elizabeth’s. ‘Why don’t you come with me to the design department and see how the windows are coming along? I’m sure that will cheer you up.’

Elizabeth forced a smile and tried her hardest to bury the worries hounding her. ‘I’m sure that will be the perfect antedote.’

They walked from the back room of the ladies’ department and out into the main corridor. But Elizabeth’s mind still remained troubled with the best thing to do as far as Joseph and Mr Gower were concerned. It felt right that she did all she could to protect Joseph’s heart from further distress, further disappointment, and if that meant she had to be firmer with him than she ever had before, so be it.

It had taken a life of struggle, pain and humiliation to get to where she was as the mistress of Pennington’s; it had taken even more to give her heart to a man and believe true love really existed. She could not risk anything, or anyone, endangering the happiness she and Joseph had now that they had found each other.