Thackeray (Cal McCaninch) is charged with displaying the fashions of Madame Lanvin (Beverly Klein) who will be here later today and her representative, Pierre Longchamp (Edward Akrout) is not happy with the display set up by him. Pierre storms out of there as he thinks the display is old fashioned and hasn't captured the modern appeal of her designs. Harry asks Henri (George Fitoussi) and Agnes (Aisling Loftus) to help with the display and see if they can salvage anything, but Thackeray is adamant no one understands what he's trying to convey, even to the point of saying that Harry hasn't been with the store or has its interests at heart since his wife died. "You haven't been the same since Mrs Selfridge died." Why would he when he's lost someone he loved after all. Which is the last straw for Harry as he fires him on the spot, "to get out and never come back" Well that firing was hanging over from last season after everything he did to Henri and was inevitable.
Gordon (Greg Austin) appears to be at a loose end it seems too since he promised Thackeray he could have full say in the display. As is Violette (Hannah Tointon) when she finds out that Princess Marie (Zoe Wanamaker) suggests to Rosalie (Kara Tointon) after she's returned from her honeymoon with Serge (Leon Ockenden) that she set up her mother's studio as an office for Serge so that she'll see more of him. Violette objects to this and says that Pa won't approve it either. When she tells him this he doesn't do much about it saying that Serge is part of the family now which angers her. Violette asks for a job but as they're already inundated with female staff, there's not much she can do. She storms out saying she's going shopping cos that's all she's good for. Then later helps with the display and taking Pierre to the cafe to distract him and win him over whilst the display is being prepared.
Victor (Trystan Gravelle) buys stolen cigarettes for his bar from former soldiers who are nothing more than troublemakers, telling Victor that he came good with his bar. Talk about leaving the loot on display at the bar, which is seen by the policeman, DI Purkiss (Rocky Marshall) and he tells him he could take on other goods too. But Victor calls this a 'one off' since it's not about off loading cheap goods but, "staying in charge."
Harry tells Nancy (Kelly Adams) he hopes to by the land so that he can build houses there and hopes to raise the money after a loan approval from the Directors. Crabb wants to talk with him but he keeps fobbing him off, since he clearly objects to this going ahead. They can't afford to take the risk for no returns.
Henri has photos taken with Madame Lanvin and is obviously shocked at the flashbulbs going off especially after it's mentioned by one reporter that Henri is a French War hero after he was at Verdun. He's distressed by this and has to leave with Agnes worried about what happened to him there. Violette models the dresses in one of the displays at the fashion event which is a huge success, especially since she's one of the models, which will be a big coup for the papers.
At the board meeting Harry says that for the loan they raise themselves, the government will meet that amount for the housing. But Crabb raises his objections, pointing out they have a surplus of female staff, have twelve stores now and their delivery service is losing business, they can't let this go ahead. If they approve it they will lose their profit, which is the name of the game here. Only Gordon agrees to the proposal, leaving Harry out in the cold. He also tells his family about the proposal to build housing which his mother knows Rose would be proud of, but the rest aren't impressed particularly Serge. He tells Harry about Loxley (Aidan McCardle) being interested in funding his plane idea and Harry sternly warns him off Loxley. "Cut off all contact with him immediately!" Obviously falling on deaf ears.
Serge also blabbing to Loxley about Harry's intention to buy the land which Serge sourced for the airfield for himself. Loxley intending to ensure Harry digs a large hole for himself. The hefty bill from the hotel is delivered to Harry and his mother tells the butler to keep this between them. With the Princess telling her that the apartment is being decorated. Seems Harry's getting it from all sides, including his family since Rosalie has divided loyalties and what loyalty he had from Violette is clearly diminishing quickly since he objects to her modelling more clothes seeing this as a one off.
Henri gets drunk at Victor's and they talk about the war, with Victor being at the Somme. Pierre comes in with Rosalie an orders Victor to bring them drinks, which he refuses. When Rosalie asks he tells her only his guests call him Victor and he's not at Selfridge's now, sense some tension there, plus other romantic pursuits too between them in the future. Agnes arrives to take Henri home. Whilst Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbington) tells Doris (Lauren Crace) she's not interested in going back to work, that's going backwards, but Grove insists,on begging she come back and run the Fashion department, even if it's temporary. Doris having had five children by now. Frank (Samuel West) gets a book deal to write about the returning soldiers and Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) encourages her sister, Connie (Sacha Parkinson) to go forward in the fashion department and make a success of her job.
See it's all business when Harry steps into and out of the lift, though on this occasion his plans don't go accordingly, he's not giving up. He insists Nancy have one of the Lanvin suits for her trouble as he seems firmly setting his sights on her now. Though she resists taking the suit, you can tell her mouth was positively watering and she couldn't refuse it! Lots of backstabbing going on here and Crabb hands in his resignation but Harry tears it up. Crabb did what he had to do to look out for the store but it doesn't leave them in very good stead and they've both changed as Crabb tells him. "It's my job to protect the company, even if that means from you." Suppose someone has to look out for the store and that's what Crabb is paid to do, though it seems Crabb was a little out of his depth even if he was looking out for him. As for Loxley, the less said about him the better, but you know things aren't going too well for Harry and you wonder if Loxley will get the upperhand on him this time round.
By 1919 onwards, Harry was living in his Berkeley Square mansion and though it's not shown here yet, construction also began on expanding the flagship store in Oxford Street.
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