A Perfect Christmas (35 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

C
ait’s birthday several days later passed uneventfully. No one at work knew what day it was and she didn’t enlighten them. In fact, had it not been for Agnes’s thoughtfulness in buying her a card there was a strong probability she would not have remembered what day it was herself until after the event. She had believed that New Year’s Eve would prove equally uneventful and prepared herself to spend it quietly at home by herself. But to her utter shock and joy, and without her having to manoeuvre others into anything, she was offered an invitation because the young woman issuing it had taken a liking to her and felt she was just the type who would fit in nicely with the group of girls she socialised with. All Cait’s hard work in changing her attitude was rewarded and New Year’s Eve was not the quiet lonely occasion she had prepared herself for.

The invitation had come about the evening before when she had arrived at the bus stop in town to await her journey home. It had started to pour down and, having no umbrella with her, she’d started to get soaked. Next thing she knew she was being asked by a young woman of around her own age, who had noticed her predicament, if she would like to share her umbrella with her until either of their buses arrived.

Cait had noticed her while they had been waiting for their respective buses. She’d liked the look of her, and whereas before she wouldn’t have hesitated to acquaint herself with the girl and do her best to engineer a friendship, the new Cait held herself back and allowed the girl to make her own approach if she wanted to. The bad weather had created the perfect opportunity for that to happen. Cait was only too glad to accept the offer and soon found herself falling into easy conversation with her rescuer. She took an instant liking to the bubbly young woman and tried not to hope she might feel likewise, for fear of being disappointed. But she obviously did because before they parted company, Cait’s bus thankfully arriving first as it was still pouring down, the other girl Cait now knew to be Belinda had given her her address and invited her to come round whenever she liked, which a jubilant Cait had enthusiastically agreed to do. As she had stepped on to the platform of the bus Belinda had called out to her that if she wasn’t doing anything better, she was welcome to join her and her other friends on New Year’s Eve. They were all meeting at the clock tower at seven-thirty and going to see in the New Year at a skiffle club.

Cait was waiting at the clock tower for Belinda and her other friends to arrive at a quarter past, not taking any risk she might be delayed and miss them. Belinda’s other friends, three of them as it turned out, were a bit wary of her at first, but soon warmed to the new Cait’s friendly, unpushy, easygoing manner. Before the evening ended she had become the fifth member of their group, her vision of herself as a lonely old woman beginning to fade.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

C
ait had never before seen Jane Trucker in a flap, but she was certainly seeing her in one this morning.

In a complaining tone while making a list of things to do, she was saying, ‘Oh, if only the secretary had remembered her mistake yesterday and not when she realised Mr Bowden was already on his way! She’d forgotten to inform us last week that he is planning to visit us today to view our summer collection and make his order . . . he’s getting married at the end of February so will be away on honeymoon when we normally have all the buyers descending on us. He’s visiting all his suppliers early and is expected here at twelve today so we’ve got less than two hours to get everything ready for when he arrives.’

Cait asked her, ‘Who is Mr Bowden?’

Jane smiled. ‘He’s a nice young man. Not long since taken over the family business when his father retired. He’s been here a couple of times accompanying his father as his second-in-command, but he told me once when I was chatting to him while his father was with Mr Swinton that when he was a young boy, his father used to let him take a day off school and as a treat bring him along to meet some of the suppliers. He came to Rose’s several times then. Bowden’s are amongst our best customers and we push the boat out for them. The family own several high-class shoe shops in towns and cities up north, all patronised by the well-to-do of those areas who buy only our most expensive handmade range, so we really can’t afford to upset them.’ Jane paused long enough to look at her wrist watch. ‘Goodness, time is moving on.’

Cait was bothered on two fronts by this unexpected visit. The first reason she did not voice to Jane. She’d have to cancel her own arrangement with another landlord to view a flat he was letting. She had meant to go in her dinner hour, desperate to be the first in the queue this time. At least it wouldn’t affect her arrangement to visit Belinda at her house tonight, for a girlie get-together. The second concern she had she did voice to the older woman. ‘I’m worried I’m going to make a total hash of this and look a real idiot. Mr Bowden is bound to ask me questions about the stock he’s interested in, and I won’t be able to answer.’

‘Stop worrying. There’s nothing he’ll ask that I can’t answer. If I see you struggling, I’ll step right in.’

Cait was mortally relieved to hear this. She asked Jane, ‘What would you like me to do to get things ready for his arrival?’

Jane consulted her list. ‘Hilda Digby needs informing she’ll be required to provide a cold buffet for us in the entertainment room – that’s the room off the viewing room where we take customers after they’ve decided on their selections, where they can relax with refreshments while we do the rest of the business. Hilda is not going to be at all amused at the short notice we’re giving her, but knowing her as I do I expect she’ll do her best to put together a good spread.’

‘Would you like me to speak to her?’ Cait asked.

Jane smiled gratefully at her. ‘If you don’t mind, yes, please. Oh, and can you ask them to prepare a tray of tea and coffee ready to bring up to your office the moment we get word Mr Bowden’s arrived. And if you could ask April on reception to keep her eyes peeled for his car in the car park and let us know immediately she sees it.’

Cait chuckled. ‘It’s like organising a military operation.’

Jane nodded. ‘Isn’t it just? I’m sure our customers have no idea how much trouble we go to to make them feel welcome and valued.’ She looked down her list again. ‘After you’ve dealt with the telephone calls, would you be kind enough to check the viewing room? See that the cleaner has given it a dust and polish recently as we haven’t had a viewing for a couple of months. The shelves and what’s on them could be in need of a dust. If so, let me know and I’ll do it myself if I have time. Or maybe I can find someone in the factory to do it.’

Cait had no intention of putting any more pressure on Jane. If the room needed dusting she would do it herself.

Jane remembered something else then and said, ‘Oh, and another thing to add to the list. Check the gents’ toilets are clean and there’s a fresh bar of soap and clean towel available. Then have all the men up on this floor told to use the one in the workers’ entrance until Mr Bowden has left. Can’t risk him using the facilities after the disgusting state some thoughtless men leave them in, can we?’ She said this as she added more tasks to her list. ‘Right, I think I’ve thought of everything. First of all I’m going to arrange for Harry Owens to check his inventory. All the outside manufacturers’ samples of the new range should be unpacked and on display. If not, he needs to see to that urgently. I already know that all the samples of the designs we produce ourselves are displayed. Just before Mr Swinton died, he took all the office staff down with him to have a look at them. He felt it was important for all the employees to know just what the company sold.’ A momentary look of sadness crossed Jane’s face at that memory but she quickly reverted to her efficient self.

Cait rose, telling her, ‘I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve dealt with the jobs you’ve given me – see if there’s anything else I can do.’

Jane stared at Cait as she hurried away. After the young woman’s disastrous start, she was proving to be quite an asset. She would willingly accept instructions from Jane, and had not once reverted to her old superior ways. Jane couldn’t fault the work she produced either. She knew she’d be sorry when eventually a permanent manager was in place and Cait returned home. She assumed the family couldn’t be short of a bob or two, considering the way the factory had always done well since she’d been employed here. No doubt Cait usually spent her time in leisure pursuits. It was a shame, she felt, that the girl had not shown any interest in joining the company in a junior capacity as it was apparent to her that Cait had a good brain in her head and, with the right training and encouragement, could go far.

The shelves and stock did after all need a thorough dusting. Cait knew the cleaners kept their materials and equipment in a cupboard next to the ladies’ toilets by the clocking-in machine. After collecting what she required, she set about the task. Half an hour later she was still in the showroom, giving the shelves and the display of shoes and handbags on them a proper dust, doing her best to make sure they were all arranged in a way that showed them off to their best advantage.

Harry Owens did a double take when he bustled in a short while later, pushing a trolley with a dozen or so boxes holding the samples of shoes he’d not yet had time to unpack and check off. The owner’s daughter was standing there with a cloth in one hand, a shoe in the other, giving it a vigorous rub.

Looking at her incredulously, he said, ‘You shouldn’t be doing a job like that, Miss Thomas. We have cleaners to see to that sort of thing.’

Cait wiped her forehead with the back of one hand. ‘The client is due very shortly so we had no time to locate them. It’s all hands to the pump. Miss Trucker is running around, trying to get everything organised in time like her tail’s on fire, and I don’t mind at all what I do to help.’

Harry looked impressed. Tongue-in-cheek, he said, ‘Well, when you’ve finished, my office could do with a once over.’

She laughed. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

A while later Cait was down to her last two shelves. Having picked up one of the shoes it held, she had given it a thorough dusting and was just putting it back when she felt the heavy wooden shelf wobble. Then, to her absolute horror, it broke away from its moorings in the wall and clattered to the floor with a crash, narrowly missing her feet. It collided with the one below, bringing that down with it and scattering all the shoes that had been arranged there.

Cait stared at the chaos surrounding her for several long seconds before panic reared within her. The customer was due shortly and what impression would he receive if he walked into this mess? She couldn’t tell Jane about it as she’d already got her hands full. Cait needed to sort this out herself. Her brain sprang into action. She needed Glen Trainer up here, and quick, to repair the shelves while she checked all the shoes over for any signs of damage. There must be a telephone extension nearby for the customers to use. Maybe in the entertainment room next-door. She was relieved to see she was right when she popped her head around the door a moment later. Dashing into the room and over to the table, she picked up the receiver.

When the receptionist answered, in an urgent tone, Cait said, ‘This is Caitlyn Thomas. Please locate the whereabouts of Mr Trainer of Maintenance and have him come to the viewing room urgently. I can’t stress
urgently
enough.’

Immediately it sank in with the receptionist just who her caller was, she snapped to attention and responded, ‘I’ll get on to it straight away, Miss Thomas.’

Cait replaced the receiver in its cradle and headed back to the showroom.

Glen’s and Cait’s paths had not crossed since Christmas Day, though obviously due to her position she knew he was leaving soon for a better job with more prospects. Just before the hooter blew that evening, when she knew he’d be clearing his desk for the new man who’d replace him, Cait had meant to telephone him discreetly, to wish him the best in his new venture and to thank him for what he’d done for her personally. But while he was here she could do that in person.

When Glen came charging into the room ten minutes later, breathless from running, he found Cait on her hands and knees picking up the shoes and inspecting each one as she did so, putting any marked ones aside to attempt to disguise the defects using an assortment of pots of shoe polish and buffing cloths which she had discovered in a drawer beneath the display shelves.

She was mortally glad to see him and exclaimed, ‘Oh, thank God you’re here! I’m sorry about this as I know it’s your last day with us and this is all you need. But you can see for yourself what’s happened and we have a customer . . . a very important one . . . descending on us any minute to view our summer range and make his order. We can’t show him in here to this mess, can we? He’s expected to arrive around twelve and that’s less than an hour away.’

Glen quickly weighed up just what needed doing then assured her, ‘It’ll be tight but I reckon I can have this back to what it was by that time. I’ll do my best anyway.’

She thanked him enthusiastically. Side by side they worked together, Cait continuing to inspect the shoes and clean those requiring it, Glen fixing the shelves securely back in place. She had just finished her task and Glen was tackling the second of the shelves when the telephone in the next room shrilled. Cait went to answer it.

Before she could announce who she was into the mouthpiece, Jane Trucker asked in an urgent manner, ‘It’s that you, Miss Thomas?’

‘Yes, it is, Miss Trucker.’

‘Have you finished down there? Is it all shipshape? Only I’ve just had a call from reception. Mr Bowden’s car has pulled up at the front entrance . . . well, by now he’ll be out of it and heading inside. You need to be back up here ready to greet him when I escort him to the office.’

Cait rested the receiver on the small table and dashed back into the viewing room, to whisper urgently to Glen, ‘Miss Trucker’s on the telephone. The customer has arrived and is heading for reception right this minute. Miss Trucker wants me back up there now. But we’re not finished here!’