A Shop Girl at Sea - blog tour

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A Shop Girl At Sea - Rachel Brimble

About the author

Rachel Brimble lives in Wiltshire with her husband of twenty years, two teenage daughters and her beloved chocolate Labrador, Tyler. Multi-published in the US, she is thrilled to have a new beginning writing for Aria in the UK. When Rachel isn’t writing, she enjoys reading across the genres, knitting and walking the English countryside with her family…often stopping off at a country pub for lunch and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Follow Rachel:

Twitter: @RachelBrimble

Facebook: @RachelBrimble

About the book

Bath, 1912.

Amelia Wakefield loves working at Pennington's, Bath's finest department store. An escape from her traumatic past, it saved her life. So when Miss Pennington sets her a task to set sail on the Titanic and study the department stores of New York, she couldn't be more excited – or determined!

Frustrated with his life at home, Samuel Murphy longs for a few weeks of freedom and adventure. Meeting Amelia on board the Titanic, Samuel can't help wonder what painful history has made the beauty so reserved. But he already has too many responsibilities for love.

Ruby Taylor has always kept her Pennington co-workers at a distance. Making sure her little brother is safe has always been her priority. But when that means accepting Victoria Lark's offer of sanctuary, more than one of Ruby's secrets is under threat of being revealed...

A riveting and uplifting saga, perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Fiona Ford.

EXTRACT

 City of Bath – March 1912

Amelia Wakefield darted her gaze from Elizabeth Pennington’s secretary to Miss Pennington’s closed office door. Her summons to the fifth floor could only mean she was in trouble. Why else would a mere assistant window dresser be called to Pennington’s executive offices?

She searched her mind and conscience for any misdemeanour she might have unwittingly committed. Could she have arranged the dining set incorrectly in the west window? Selected the wrong country attire for the main window? She swallowed and glanced at Mrs Chadwick.

Please God, tell me I haven’t inadvertently mistaken a piece of underwear for outerwear.

Elizabeth Pennington’s door opened. ‘Ah, Amelia.’ She strode into the outer office. ‘Thank you so much for waiting. Won’t you come in?’

Amelia stood and ran her slightly clammy hand down the side of her long uniform skirt. ‘Good afternoon, Miss Pennington.’

‘Tea would be nice when you’ve a moment, please, Mrs Chadwick.’

Following Elizabeth into her office, Amelia failed abysmally in her attempt not to stare in awe around a room she had only been in twice before. As heiress of Bath’s finest department store, Elizabeth’s office was wonderfully opulent. The huge ornate desk stretched along a good portion of the back wall, the row of sash windows behind letting in the hazy March sunshine. A plush seating area was arranged on one side of the room, with four huge plinths in each corner holding vases filled to bursting with vibrant flowers.

‘Take a seat, Amelia.’ Elizabeth’s green eyes were kind as she gestured towards one of the chairs in front of her desk. ‘There’s no need to look quite so afraid, you know.’

Amelia slowly lowered into the chair. ‘I wasn’t sure—’

‘Why I asked you here?’

Amelia nodded.

‘Then let me put you out of your misery.’ Elizabeth pulled some papers towards her, on top of which lay a slim, embossed envelope. She folded her hands. ‘As you know, I have been taking special care to ensure you are as proficient in the design department as Esther. Her baby is due any day now and I have no idea when, or if, she is likely to return after the baby is born. What I do know is that you have exceeded my expectations in every way.’

Amelia relaxed her shoulders a little and released her held breath. ‘Oh, well, that’s wonderful. Thank you.’

‘You’ve not only been vigilant in your own work but have inspired everyone in the department. So much so that the improvement in their commitment and output is wholly noticeable. Therefore, as things are running so smoothly, I’ve decided we can spare you for a while.’

‘Spare me?’ Amelia’s heart sank, her trembling returning. ‘But I don’t understand. If you are happy—’

The door opened and Mrs Chadwick entered carrying a tray laden with cups and saucers, and a china teapot. ‘Shall I put this in the seating area, Miss Pennington?’

‘Yes, please.’ Elizabeth stood and picked up the papers and envelope before smiling at Amelia. ‘Come, let’s sit over here.’

Buy links

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2TcCv8y

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HSZ1OC
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2PrvM9M

iBooks: https://apple.co/2uBz17q

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