The scene opens to Gordon (Greg Austin) introducing himself to the imaginary staff members, who aren't actually there yet in his new found role as Deputy Store Manager. As well as having to deal with the uproar when things go missing from the counters, which all seem to be a shade of brown, as Gordon calls them. Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbington) taking issue with burnt sienna being just brown. He knows what's happening and Miss Calthorpe (Amy Morgan) refuses to be called a thief by Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes). Gordon heads to the design room where he finds the new Head of Design he's hired, Pierre Longchamps (Edward Akrout) who has great plans for the display. Gordon asks he be more careful in future before he just takes things.
Nancy (Kelly Adams) and ?? go ahead with their plans of embezzling money from Harry (Jeremy Piven) and he takes a massive step in selling off 5% of his own store's shares to meet the financing for the housing project, which Crabb (Ron Cook) is shocked at and in some way feels responsible for the outcome since he objected to the board approving finance. Harry says it's not his fault , he was only doing what he thought was right. This also means he won't be the majority shareholder anymore. Thus signalling the slow decline in his life. There'll be no Selfridge holding large shares in the store, so anything goes, so to speak. As long as it's not Loxley (Aidan McCardle) who snaps them up. Harry's willing to take that risk for the housing yes, but you've also got to ask if in some way he's also doing it for Nancy and not just to keep the project alive, but also his heart. Nancy meanwhile still conspires and as soon as they get the money, they're off to America. She wants to get out of London and make a fresh start, yeah, on someone else's money, at harry's expense.
Harry is angry with Violette (Hannah Tointon) and he is called by Purkiss (Rocky Marshall) telling him that they won't be pursuing any charges against her. He forbids her from going out of the house. Also Serge (Leon Ockenden) announces he's leaving for Paris for a business meeting with a potential investor and things still aren't good in his marriage to Rosalie (Kara Tointon). Lois (Kika Markham) insists the Princess (Zoe Wanamaker) speak with him and she tells him he has to be good to Rosalie cos they're keeping a roof over their heads. He doesn't know how to treat her and make her happy, the Princess advising that he should treat her as if she was someone he'd just met, like all the other girls. Adding she and her father didn't teach him how to talk to one another. Americans love to talk and his father would've sooner shot himself than to speak with the Princess. Well do you blame him? Ha.
Victor (Trystan Gravell) gives in to Purkiss and agrees to the old arrangement, but he demands triple the bribe now, which Victor can't afford. Out surfaces a new worm from under a rock, by the name of Regan. He doesn't want his club but he has an arrangement of how he can keep Purkiss's boss happy, if Victor agrees to setting up a gambling den at the back of the club. To which eh doesn't really have any other choice. Harry comes to see Victor in the hopes of finding out who Violette was with, until he realizes it was him. Victor later refuses to accept her call.
Harry suggests that Violette should help him with the housing cos it's what her mother would've wanted and Nancy tells her she can fund raise for furniture for the houses. She could organize a party and the people that she knows and who invite her to theirs can come now. The Princess gives her a list of eligible bachelors but she doesn't want to get married. Telling the Princess she can write her own invitations if she wants to invite them. Lois says they can muck in, causing the Princess to develop a sudden headache. Hard work is such a killer! Ha.
Harry invites Nancy to dinner and to meet the family so Violette won't be horrid to him if there's a guest and even then she's heard arguing with Rosalie. When she comes in she's rude to Nancy and the Princess remarks how Nancy is Harry's lover. Nancy tells Harry she'll grow out of it cos her first love will be like her father. Harry dispelling the myth that he was anywhere near like Victor. He could've fooled us the way he pined after Ellen Love in Series 1. Harry asks how much Nancy needs to start the ball rolling on the project and she replies £7,000. She's happy to leave with that money, but the architect says they should stick it out and get even more when the government money starts coming in. She reluctantly agrees, but mainly since she appears to be developing some sort of feelings for Harry. On the night of the party, Violette sneaks out and sees Victor who can't keep his hands off her. Ignoring what Harry told her about gentlemen not wanting to marry loose women. She's not interested in a gentlemen though. Can say that again, cos you Victor, are no gentlemen.
Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) is happy with the idea that Gordon will make a clumsy faux pas as Longchamp talks him into ordering French undies for the store, which he displays in the store window. Of course, Grove knowing what the French, 'les dessous affriolants' meaning is in English. So he lets him go ahead, especially since everyone of the staff were impressed with the revolving display he showed them. Grove still bitter about losing out on the position. Miss Mardle telling him that he's a Selfridge, he was bound to get the job and inherit the store anyway.
Doris (Lauren Crace) is worried about Billy (Craig Fletcher) and Grove meeting, especially since he walks right past him on his way to work. Miss Mardle thinks Doris should give him what he wants. Which is to see his baby. Kitty walks home alone and right into Charlie (Thomas Christian) and Silas (Mike Noble). Charlie has been released on bail, paid by none other than Loxley. She runs into George (Calum Callaghan) who takes her home. Loxley has also hired a solicitor for Charlie and when Frank (Samuel West) shows him a clipping showing Charlie has already attacked another woman. He doesn't believe it and doesn't care. Frank tells him his feud with Harry shouldn't involve hsi wife, but he doesn't care if she's in the middle and gets through the mud, he just wants to clear his name. Kitty asks George to accompany her to the shelter where he shows Silas the clipping and tells him not to lie for Charlie. He arrives and challenges George to give him the clipping, which he doesn't. He eventually backs down and George tells Silas to do the right thing. Charlie was a disgrace to the uniform and it's not the war that changed him.
Miss Calthorpe asks a bored Miss Blenkinsop (Deborah Cornelius) what the French means in English and she's taken aback. The display is already causing a scene and in the papers it says how Harry's gone too far, however the display is a success as the store is bustling. Harry tells Gordon not to do it again. Frank tells Kitty the good news of Charlie pleading guilty after Silas comes forward. Serge asks Rosalie to accompany him to Paris. Miss Mardle and Doris meet Billy in the park so he can see his son. He can't have her, but he's got a girl and she tells him to see her. When he leaves, she runs after him to give him the photo and she is run over by a truck. Well that was unexpected! So that's another of the original cast gone then.
Things go from bad to worse for most of the cast this episode, as not only does Harry lose Violette's trust again, but Rosalie's off to Paris with a cad of a husband and the Princess is too occupied with her own money woes. Not to mention Nancy forging ahead with her plans. Same can be said for Victor as he takes on more trouble with the gambling at the club and Doris leaving behind her family in such a cruel way. See when Harry came out of the lift it was serious business with the dessous affriolants! Ha.
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