Chapter 30

Polly slipped away from the chores briefly at nine and rang Garry. "Eleven. Can't talk. 'Bye, darling."

He was there on the dot of eleven and Polly let him in. They fell into each other's arms. The other Damsels tactfully steered clear of the hall.

"Coffee?" offered Polly at length.

Garry nodded and allowed himself to be led by the hand into the kitchen. Peggy and Jasmine were there. Peggy waited for Jasmine's lead. Jasmine gave him a beaming smile.

"Congratulations, Garry!" she said. She walked up to him. "Am I allowed to give your man a kiss?" she asked Polly.

Smiling delightedly Polly nodded. Jasmine took Garry's free hand and, with her free hand, reached to pull his head down. "Come a bit closer, you blooming giraffe," she said. She kissed him gently. "And every happiness," she added.

Garry smiled at her. "Thanks, Jasmine love."

"Am I allowed a turn?" asked Peggy.

"Yes, love," said Polly.

Peggy kissed him equally fondly. "Congratulations, Garry," she said. "She's a very lucky girl."

"I'm luckier," he replied.

In ones and twos the rest of the girls came in. All were restrained but warm and affectionate. As they had come in so they drifted off again until just Polly and Garry were left.

"They're a lovely lot," said Garry.

"They are, darling. I thought they might mob you up. I'm so glad they didn't."

Garry nodded vehemently. "What would you like to do today?"

"Nothing special. Just be with you."

"That's all I want. Why don't we buy some sandwiches and a bottle of pop each and catch the bus up to Ilkley. We can have picnic on the moor."

"OK. That's a great idea."

"I've booked a table at the Yew Tree this evening."

"Oh wow! That's very special."

"You're very special."

They had a very happy day. After their picnic they lay in each other's arms and talked the afternoon away. They also practised their kissing.

Despite the background drama of Garry and Polly's love life other things had been going on.

The original Damsels convened at Nell's house as arranged to discuss the future of the business. Nell said that each of the girls was earning about £650 a year of which £80 went on rent. The gross annual profit was about £12,000. Fuel and maintenance for the vans was £250 and £1,200 went in tax. So the net profit was in excess of £10,000. They had £15,000 invested bringing in about £850 a year. The current account stood at just under £2,000.

"Golly!" said Molly. "I'd no idea we were so well off so what are we going to do with it?"

"Well, don't let's get carried away. I suggest that we pay each of the older girls in administrative or executive positions £720 a year, that's a salary of sixty quid a month. I think Becca should have £840 or seventy quid a month."

"Why?" demanded Becca.

"Because you're our leader."

"Rubbish! I don't do any more than the rest you."

"Yes you jolly well do. You carry overall responsibility and you're the one with all the bright ideas."

"Hmph!"

"What does everybody else think?"

They all agreed with Nell. Becca was deeply touched and said nothing more.

"As for the rest I suggest we don't touch the investments for the time being but that we split half the profits annually equally between everybody which should mean about two hundred and fifty quid each. Anyone who's been with us less than a year gets a proportion of that."

"Um," said Kim as hesitantly as ever, "how about putting the girls' wages up by five bob an hour?"

"That's a twenty percent rise. How about half a crown? That's another hundred and twenty quid or so a year."

"OK."

Everyone else agreed.

"What about expansion?" Maisie asked.

"Well," said Becca, "I thought we might try Huddersfield first."

"Any particular reason?"

"Sentimentality? After all our two vans came from Brain Bros. It's not really sentimentality. They could actually provide us with moral support. The other thing is that we might be able to tempt Anita into running it."

"Fine by me and Anita would be ideal," chipped in Jane.

"Where would the deposit on a house come from and the payment for a van?" asked Molly.

"The half of the profits we're not distributing," replied Nell.

"Super. I think we've got it cracked then," said Becca. "Anybody got anything else?"

"Yes," said Heather. "Are we going to set up an employment bureau in Huddersfield?"

"I don't think we need to yet," said Kim.

"OK but if and when you think you need to train up someone else please consider me."

"Of course I will. Thanks, love."

The following evening Becca rang Anita and told her the plan. "Would you be interested in running the Huddersfield end?" she asked.

"Would it take a lot of time?"

"Initially but I'll be there to help with that. After that not too much. I manage to look after a husband and one and a half babies."

"I'm very tempted but I'll have to discuss it with Terry."

"Of course. Let me know and then I'll arrange for the two of us to visit the children's home."

"Cheeky! You're jumping the gun, Mrs Hardacre."

Becca laughed. "Look forward to hearing from you," she said gaily.

Sure enough, Anita rang back within a couple of hours. "You're on," she said.

"Great! Gun successfully jumped. I'll get back to you when I've made a date. Is there any that doesn't suit you? I'll treat you to lunch afterwards."

"Not Tuesdays. I go swimming."

"Good for you. I'll be in touch. See you."

On Monday morning Becca rang the children's home at Huddersfield and spoke to a Mrs Jennifer Hill.

"Hello, Mrs Hill, my name's Becca Hardacre and I don't know whether you've heard of us but I run Decorating Damsels."

"Certainly I have. How can I help you?"

"We thought we might expand and set up a new branch at Huddersfield. If we did our primary source of recruits would be from girls leaving your home. Are you interested?"

"You bet I am. I always worry about our leavers but we haven't got the money to go on helping them."

"I understand. Well, I wonder if I might pay you a visit one morning to meet you and introduce you to the girl who will be running the Huddersfield end."

"Yes indeed. How about Thursday at eleven?"

"Fine. I look forward to seeing you then. Goodbye."

She rang Rita next.

"Rita, my love, it's Becca."

"Becca! How are you? How lovely to hear from you? What can I do for you?"

"Come out to lunch with me and Anita next Thursday."

"I'd love to. What's it all about?"

"We're going to start up a branch of the Damsels at Huddersfield."

"Oh gosh! How exciting! When?"

"As soon as we can. Where do you think would be a good place for lunch?"

"The Thistle in the market square. They do a jolly good light lunch and it isn't expensive. I'll book a table. Twelve thirty?"

"That sounds fine. Look forward to seeing you, love."

"Me too. 'Bye!"

Jennifer Hill was statuesque blonde in her late forties. She had a strong face etched with laughter lines and the kindest eyes Becca thought she had ever seen. She greeted Becca and Anita warmly.

"Now," she said, "we can't go on calling each other Mrs all morning. I'm Jenny. May I call you Becca and Anita?"

"Of course," said Becca.

"Good. How about some coffee?"

"Yes, please," said both girls.

Jenny stuck her head into the hall. "Can you rustle up three coffees?" she asked the receptionist.