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‘The proof of that will be in the finished article. We shall see what you have made of this gown tomorrow. Come along, Mary. We still have to find you some shoes.’
Mary pulled a face at me as her aunt swept from the shop. I smiled at her but I was thoughtful as I took the gown into the workroom and explained what I wanted done.
Margaret smiled as I entered. She was a pretty girl with soft fair hair and a sweet face. She was a year older than me, but had been at work since she left school at fifteen.
She looked at what I’d done and then nodded her understanding.
‘Yes, I can see what you want, Amy. It gives a much nicer, softer effect for a young girl.’
‘Mrs Holland took some persuading, but I think I talked her round in the end. Make a really good job of it for me, won’t you? I think we might get several orders if they like the result.’
‘I shall do my best,’ Margaret said. ‘But it doesn’t look too difficult.’
‘If this works out for us it could mean a lot of extra work for you and Sally, and a lot more customers for the shop if my aunt likes my ideas.’
Margaret looked curious but I shook my head. I had to talk to Lainie first before I told anyone else.
Lainie stared at me as I finished showing her the designs in my folder that evening.
‘I’m not sure, Amy,’ she said. ‘I’ve always stuck to ready-made with a few simple alterations when necessary. Making individual gowns for customers would be a huge step to take.’
‘Yes, if we did it all the time, but we could try one or two of our own designs in the shop. If people liked them we could make them to order for special customers.’
‘But what about the cutting? That takes skill. I’m not sure my girls are up to it.’
‘I was taught to cut patterns at college, and Margaret told me she worked for a tailor for two years, though I’m not sure where she learned to cut. It’s a while since she did any, of course, because she hasn’t needed it here, but I am sure we could do it together.’
‘Margaret has never mentioned her extra skills to me.’ Lainie was thoughtful. ‘If I agree, you would like to show some of your designs to Mrs Holland tomorrow?’
‘Just those four dresses – two for evening and two for afternoon occasions. Nothing else I’ve done would be suitable for Mary, but if they liked the idea I could come up with more in a week or so.’
‘You know she will want to pay less than she would at any established couturier, don’t you? I’ve known Mrs Holland for years and she will never pay sixpence if a penny will do.’
‘I can work out the costs on these dresses and add on some profit for you, Lainie.’
‘And something for yourself. Don’t work for nothing, Amy. I know these people. They have more money than we could ever dream of, but they are as mean as can be. Some of them will do anything to avoid paying their bill.’
I laughed as she screwed up her mouth in disgust. ‘I’ll put an extra ten-per cent on top so that you can give her a discount if she asks. Besides, I think Mary usually gets her own way in the end.’
Lainie smiled at that. ‘I shall make a business woman of you yet.’
‘It’s my father coming out in me.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘It probably is. Joe Robinson knows a thing or two about making money. I’ve always admired him for that. It’s a good thing Bridget married him and not that Ernie Cole she was sweet on for a while.’
‘Did Mum really consider marrying that awful man?’
Lainie laughed. ‘He wasn’t so very awful then. Ernie was what we called a looker when he was young. It was a bad marriage that turned him sour, and then he had an accident and couldn’t do his proper work with the horses any more – and he was jealous of your father, of course. All that was a long time ago. We’ve put it behind us and moved on. You don’t need to bother your head about any of it, Amy.’
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her what she meant, but I decided against it. The past was over and gone, and I was more interested in the future.
‘So what do you think?’ I asked eagerly. ‘Should I show Mrs Holland my designs or not?’
‘See what she thinks of the dress we’re altering when it’s finished, and then we’ll see how we go from there …’
Mrs Holland looked at Mary for what seemed like an age before she spoke, her expression giving nothing away until she finally nodded her approval.
‘Yes, that looks very professional, and much nicer for Mary now that the neckline is softer. Will you put it on my account, please, and send it to the usual address.’
‘Yes, of course, Mrs Holland. Is there anything else I can help you with?’
‘Mary will be having several social engagements over the next month or so, though she won’t be presented to Their Majesties as such. Her father was against that and he has the last say, though I would have arranged it all, of course. However, she has been invited to several more dances, afternoon parties and lunches, and she will have her own dance in September. Will you have anything suitable in stock before then?’
‘I wondered if you might like to look at one or two of the designs I told you about? There are a few that might suit Mary.’
She stared at me in silence for a moment. ‘Are you suggesting that the gowns could be made here for Mary?’
‘Yes, if you approved.’
‘They would need to be top quality.’
‘Of course. Would you care to see the designs?’
‘I would,’ Mary said. ‘Please may we, Amy?’
‘It won’t take a moment to fetch them. I left them in Miss O’Rourke’s office.’
My heart was racing as I walked into the office. I thought all four gowns would look well on Mary, who was a slender, fragile girl and could wear simple elegant styles with the softer look that Paul Poiret had first brought to the attention of fashionable women in the early years of the twentieth century. My own designs were similar, but with a more modern style and hemline; I had included a swatch of materials to show what I had in mind.
I handed two drawings to Mary and two to her aunt, feeling nervous. Would they like them or turn them down instantly? I held my breath as they examined each drawing in turn, exchanging them back and forwards more than once before Mary gave her verdict.
‘I like all of them, but I would prefer the blue evening gown in emerald-green.’
‘They look very stylish on paper,’ Mrs Holland said. ‘How long would it take to make one of these evening gowns?’
‘The blue one that Mary would prefer in green should take two weeks, because there is only one panel of beading on the back of the bodice. She would need to come for a preliminary fitting in a few days’ time, but the beading on the back should only take me a day or so. If I work at it I might have it done in ten days.’
‘And how much exactly would that gown cost?’
‘You will have to ask Miss O’Rourke about that, but I think around twenty pounds.’
‘That’s ridiculous! The gown you just sold us was only fifteen pounds, and that was more than enough.’
‘Miss O’Rourke might be able to give you a discount, but you must ask her about that. I merely work here.’
‘It would be perfect for the Marlborough ball,’ Mary said. ‘I am sure Daddy wouldn’t think it too much. He said I was to have the best available and the gowns at Worth’s were far more expensive. Besides, I like this better than those we saw there – it’s simpler, with less frills and furbelows.’
‘You have no idea what constitutes value for money. Wait here, Mary. I shall speak to Miss O’Rourke and see what she has to say. If she is prepared to be sensible we might order more than one gown.’
Mary pulled a face at me as her aunt went off to speak to Lainie. ‘Aunt Emily makes such a fuss about money. Anyone would think it was her own money she was spending. Daddy gave me two thousand pounds for my clothes and I’ve hardly spent anything yet. I couldn’t find anything I liked.’
‘That was very generous of your father.’
‘Oh, Daddy has lots of money. He doesn’t care what I spend as long as I stay out of his way and don’t bother him when he has his business friends to the house.’
‘What does your mother say about your clothes?’
‘She died when I was quite small,’ Mary said. ‘Aunt Emily was her closest friend, and she has been very good, taking me about with her since I left school at Christmas – but she is rather strict.’
‘I am sorry you lost your mother when you were small. Was she very ill?’
‘I’m not sure. I think she was unhappy. She used to cry a lot and hug me – and I think she drank too much alcohol.’
‘Oh …’ I wasn’t quite sure what to say. ‘I’m sorry, Mary. I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question.’
‘It doesn’t matter. I cried a lot when Mummy died, but then Eleanor came and took me home to stay with her and I felt better. Eleanor was Mummy’s sister’s daughter. I felt better when I stayed with them. Eleanor was good to me but she died during the war. She was a nurse in France and the ambulance she was travelling in was blown up while on a rescue mission to bring injured men back to the hospital. It was terrible.’
‘That was very sad. You must have been very upset.’
‘Yes, I was. Very upset. Eleanor was my best friend. I loved her very much, and I still miss her. If she had been alive she would have come with me to choose my clothes and it would have been so much more fun …’ She sighed deeply. ‘You can’t imagine how many establishments we’ve been to, trying to find the right clothes, Amy.’
‘I know a lot of the styles this season are very sophisticated.’
‘Some of them are so fussy. I like simple things like these designs of yours. Paul likes me in green best, that is why I chose green for that evening dress.’ She smiled to herself. ‘He has been in France, taking part in the first twenty-four-hour race at Le Mans …’
She broke off and glanced towards Mrs Holland as she came back to join us, looking pleased with herself. I guessed that Lainie had given her a generous discount, which we had allowed for in the costing, knowing that she would not be satisfied with just a few pounds off the asking price.
‘I have ordered the green gown,’ she said. ‘We shall see how that looks for a start. Miss O’Rourke has told me she has a new line of ready-made afternoon dresses coming in soon, and we shall look at those before we make any further decisions.’
Mary pulled a face at me as she followed her aunt from the shop.
‘When shall I come for my fitting?’
‘On Tuesday afternoon at half past two – if that suits you?’
She nodded and smiled, then disappeared out into the bright sunshine.
I waited until they had gone and then went into the office, where Lainie was looking at some patterns of silk and satin materials.
‘She insisted on the best material, Amy,’ Lainie said. ‘I told her that would be another five pounds, and she haggled so we ended up at fifteen pounds and ten shillings – will that cover your costs?’
‘Yes, quite easily with some to spare,’ I said. ‘But I had quoted for the best quality material, Lainie.’
‘I know, but Mrs Holland likes to think she is getting the best of the deal so I put the price up and then came down more than I could have done if I’d stuck to your original quote.’
‘I shall have to remember that in future.’
Lainie nodded, looking at me thoughtfully. ‘Yes, I think she will order several more gowns if she is satisfied with the first … I wonder if you know what you’ve started, Amy?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Mrs Holland is the sort of woman who likes to talk when she has discovered something she considers above average. We shall probably have other customers asking us to make things for them before long.’
‘Would that be a problem?’
‘I might have to take another girl on in the sewing room if we can’t cope, but if we were making money out of the work … I suppose it might be worth it.’
‘Well, let’s see how it goes,’ I said. ‘They may not be satisfied with the dress when we’ve finished it.’
‘I don’t see why they shouldn’t be,’ Lainie said. ‘That dress you made for your eighteenth birthday party was rather lovely, Amy. I didn’t realize you had made it yourself until you told me last night.’
‘I think Margaret should do most of the sewing on Mary’s gown, and I shall do the beading myself, of course. That will leave Sally free to carry on with the alterations as usual, and I don’t mind working in the evenings to finish it on time.’
‘Well, you mustn’t work all the time,’ Lainie said with a smile. ‘How would you like to go out this evening? I thought we might go to the theatre to see Noel Coward’s play.’
‘Yes, I should enjoy that,’ I told her with a smile. ‘And I shall go to see my parents this weekend. After that I can really get down to work on Mary’s new gown.’
‘Did she give you permission to call her Mary?’ Lainie asked with a little frown. ‘Some of the customers do, I know, but it is a little familiar.’
‘I don’t even know her second name,’ I said. ‘She talked about her father a lot but neither she or Mrs Holland mentioned her surname.’
‘Well, I suppose it’s all right then. As long as you remain respectful, Amy. You have to be careful with customers, especially people like Mrs Holland.’
‘Yes, of course,’ I replied. ‘But Mary is so friendly, and I know how to treat Mrs Holland.’
I was a little resentful that Lainie should have thought it necessary to warn me to keep my place with the customers. I wouldn’t have dreamed of addressing most of them by their first names, but Mary was different.
‘How exciting for you,’ said my mother when I told her we were making up one of my designs for a customer of Lainie’s. ‘You draw some beautiful things, Amy. I think they are quite as good as any of the expensive designers I see the quality wearing at their social events.’
‘And when do you see them all dressed up then, Bridget?’ my father quizzed her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. ‘I didn’t know you’d been invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace!’
‘Go on with you, Joe Robinson!’ My mother pulled a face at him. ‘You know very well that the papers are full of pictures of the royal family and other members of the aristocracy.’
‘I didn’t know you were wasting your time looking at them.’
‘It’s little enough time I spend sitting down, but I do like to read the papers, and I have a magazine now and then as a treat.’
‘Now the secrets are coming out!’
‘Oh, do stop teasing her,’ I said and shook my head at him. ‘Lainie says she might have to take on another seamstress in the workrooms if my idea catches on.’
‘I hope she’s paying you extra,’ my father said. ‘You will be doing a lot more work, Amy.’
‘We’ve written my fees into the costing,’ I told him. ‘If I had sold my designs to one of the big stores I approached I would have received a fee, and Lainie insisted I include something for my time.’
‘So I should think,’ he said, but again there was a twinkle in his eye. ‘When are you expecting to see Matthew next?’
‘He wrote in his letter that he hopes to come up on Saturday and go back after tea on Sunday.’
