Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

Author:Lisa Jewell [Jewell, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 9781446472507
Google: M-kB1n1Cs9oC
Amazon: 1846059232
Publisher: Century
Published: 2012-07-18T23:00:00+00:00

34

1920

ONE MONDAY MORNING in early May, Mrs Stamper invited Arlette into her office behind the curtain at the back of the shop floor. She seemed twitchy and uncomfortable, and had a slightly oily, grey pallor.

‘Miss De La Mare,’ she said, grimacing slightly, ‘please, sit down.’

Arlette smoothed her skirt behind her and sat before Mrs Stamper, rather apprehensively.

‘I have a small announcement to share with you and I would be obliged if you didn’t share this with other members of staff, but I discovered yesterday that I am to be a mother.’

Arlette stared at her in surprise. She had often wondered at Mrs Stamper’s lack of children and had not liked to mention it in case it were to upset her.

‘Yes,’ she said, registering Arlette’s surprise. ‘It was unexpected. After ten years of marriage myself and Mr Stamper had rather thought that it wasn’t to be. But now, well, I am terribly happy to say that it is. I have offered my resignation to the directors and they have accepted, and asked me to work out a four-week notice period.’ She paused and appeared to swallow down a wave of nausea inside a large cotton lawn handkerchief that bore her own initials. ‘They have also asked me to put forward a suitable person to take over my position. And I have put you forward, Miss De La Mare.’

‘Oh,’ said Arlette, her eyes widening.

‘Over these last six months I have found you to be both reliable and sensible. You are also bright and have a way with numbers that most of these other girls,’ she gestured beyond the curtains, ‘do not appear to possess. It is a harder job, slightly longer hours and fewer holidays, but you will be recompensed, I feel, more than satisfactorily. I will leave Mr Jones in the accounts office to tell you exactly what that will be. And, of course, a much increased responsibility. But I know you can take it on board. You are so very mature and have such a lovely way with the clientele. So …?’ She stopped and looked at Arlette.

Arlette stared at the table top.

‘Would you consider it?’

Arlette looked up at her and beamed, entirely uncontrollably. ‘Oh, yes!’ she said. ‘Yes. I would like that very much. Very much indeed. And congratulations, Mrs Stamper. I’m delighted for you. I really am.’

Mrs Stamper smiled softly at Arlette and said, ‘Thank you so much, Miss De La Mare. And, please, call me Emily …’

‘Whatever happened to your lovely friend Godfrey?’ asked Minu.

They were lying together on a silk-covered bed in the Mayfair apartment of a man called Badger. Badger was an absurdist who drew cartoons for Punch and wrote a rather strange column in the Illustrated London News about his social life, which had a cult following. Being referred to, however obliquely, in one of his columns was something of a badge of honour and all the socialites would pore over it religiously every Monday morning to see if they had merited a mention.

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