Lizzie's War by Rosie Clarke Page B

entice her away from Harry’s uncle – especially if her own business was in danger of going down…
    Even as she sat in gloomy contemplation of the future the doorbell went and Lizzie saw two young women enter the showroom. They reminded her a little of the girl who had stolen from her, but she refused to let that unpleasant incident ruin her pleasure in dealing with new customers who wanted a pretty hat.
    â€˜Can I help you?’ she asked and one of them blushed shyly.
    â€˜I’m getting married and I want a pretty hat to go on honeymoon and my friend Sheila wants a hat for the wedding, don’t you, Sheil?’
    â€˜Yeah, if yer got anythin’ we can afford… it’s a bit posh in ’ere, ain’t it?’
    â€˜I like it to be nice for my customers,’ Lizzie said. ‘I’ve got hats you can buy from thirty shillings upwards – if that isn’t too expensive?’
    â€˜No, I can afford a bit more than that,’ the prospective bride said. ‘How much do you want to pay, Sheil?’
    â€˜As little as possible. ’Ave yer got any cheap in the sale?’
    â€˜I haven’t had a sale yet,’ Lizzie replied, frowning. ‘It would be old lines or shop-soiled goods, but I’m not ready for anything like that yet.’
    â€˜We was told yer were havin’ a closin’ down sale soon, so we thought we would get in first.’
    â€˜That’s a silly rumour. I’m not closing down – and thirty shillings is my lowest price, other than a simple cloche or a beret.’
    â€˜Show us what yer’ve got then,’ Sheila said grudgingly. ‘We see a nice white straw in the winder didn’t we, Mave?’
    â€˜Yes – a cloche with a navy ribbon and a silk rose…’ the girl looked hopefully at Lizzie.
    â€˜I’m afraid that one is silk and it costs three pounds,’ Lizzie said. ‘Look, why don’t I show you some that range from thirty shillings to two pounds ten and see if there is anything you like.’
    â€˜Go on then,’ Sheila said. ‘It’s a bit of a lark any road – can we try ’em on?’
    â€˜Yes, of course you can.’ Lizzie opened the cupboards and took out three cloche-style hats, one in white felt, one in navy felt and one in yellow straw. They all had price tags of thirty-five shillings. She took two other hats from the stands, which were a similar shape, but a little softer and made of silk velvet; these were priced at two pounds and two guineas. Lizzie knew she had more in their price range in the back room but wasn’t inclined to fetch them after her previous unpleasant experience.
    She showed the girls the hats they could afford, including some smart berets at twelve shillings and a brown cloche with a cream ribbon at the same price, but they didn’t seem interested in them, because they were after the more stylish hats. Mave wanted a special hat and tried on three of the more expensive ones. She hovered between the white felt and one of the silk velvets and sighed as she preened before the mirror.
    â€˜I love them both,’ she said. ‘I’ve got three pounds and that isn’t enough to buy them both, is it?’
    Lizzie did a calculation in her head. She would be making just three shillings on the sale, but she was tempted to give in and agree to sell both for the price, but then Sheila spoke up.
    â€˜This navy one is all right, but I’ve only got twenty-seven and sixpence ter spend. Can’t yer let me ’ave it fer that?’
    Lizzie would still make five shillings on the hat. She took a deep breath and then inclined her head. ‘I’ll let you have that one for twenty-seven shillings and sixpence, but I need three pounds and five shillings for the other two – and that’s a special price for you, Mave, because it’s your wedding. I don’t usually discount my hats, but you were misinformed