Episode Five (Series Two)

Episode five of series two was written by Kate O'Riordan and directed by Lawrence Till. It aired on ITV on 16th February 2014, and was viewed by 5.17 million people.

Summary
The women now working in the loading bay are struggling to do the job in the clothing provided until Rose Selfridge steps in with some suggestions to make the clothing women-friendly. Selfridge wants to do more for the war effort, so Delphine arranges a card game with several senior government figures who could help. Selfridge suggests to Lady Mae that Lord Loxley attend, which Loxley is pleased to do believing he can beat Selfridge. Crabb organises rifle training for the staff and Rose Selfridge includes the women. Thackeray's interest in Henri Leclair's secretive behaviour reaches a new level when he follows him. Miss Mardle receives a Belgian refugee as house guest, a violinist.

Plot
Agnes has now moved into Miss Mardle’s house. As they eat breakfast, Agnes receives a letter from George from the front telling her all is well. A tentative knock at the door reveals Miss Mardle’s new lodger. Instead of the female Belgian refugee she was expecting Miss Mardle is taken aback to find an extremely handsome male refugee named Florian.

The new Defence of the Realm Act means that lights across London will now go out at night – including the landmark Selfridge’s shop windows. Gordon can’t stop thinking about the Selfridge lads now out on the front; he wishes he could fight. Rose finds it difficult too; she wishes she could do more.

Meanwhile, Henri gets a frustrating and mysterious telephone call from Webb who still has no results or new information for him…

With so many of the Selfridge men off fighting in the war, women have been employed to fill their roles. There are teething problems in the loading bay as their clothes aren’t practical, and some will need to be taught to drive. Crabb is a bit crabby about it all, and it turns out that he’s approaching a ‘special’ birthday and feeling a bit redundant given he’s too old to go to war. Harry decides to give him a challenge: to setup a training scheme of sorts. Crabb gets onto organising rifle training immediately, and with incredible enthusiasm!

Rose overhears about the ‘womanly’ problems in the loading bay and offers to help straight away! She recognises corsets must be a problem and instructs Grove to produce new, lighter, more practical work clothes for the women immediately.

Thackeray has a run in with Henri about women’s wear. Thackeray tells Henri not to lecture him about war  - why’s he not fighting for his country?

Delphine surprises Harry with an invite to a card game at the club. She’s heard that a position on the government’s Procurement Committee is coming up, and she knows how much Harry craves an official role in the war effort.

Lord Loxley is suddenly awash with extra cash. He tells Mae he’s going to be more involved in commerce and needs her to be the perfect wife. Mae visits Selfridge’s fashion department to get new clothes but is disappointed by Thackeray’s offerings and by his insulting attitude towards her. Mae complains to Harry.

Kitty goes to see Frank at his office – she hasn’t seen him in a while and wants to show him what he’s been missing. They have a cheeky flirtation that results in Frank inviting Kitty on a dinner date.

Miss Mardle has bought Florian a violin. She has to ask him to leave and hopes the instrument will help soften the blow. However, when push comes to shove she can’t do it!

Webb has finally got some information for Henri. It’s an address, and Henri leaves to go there right away. Little does he know that that a mischievous Thackeray has overheard… Thackeray sees Henri knock on a door and speak to a woman. When Henri leaves, Thackeray approaches the door, wanting to find out what secrets Henri is hiding. When the woman tells him Henri was asking about a woman who is now in Germany Thackeray is certain Henri is up to something untoward.

At Delphine’s private card game, Harry meets Lord Edgerton and asks about the place of the Procurement Committee. Lord Loxley snubs Harry’s  advance: the position has been filled, by someone they know and trust. A mysterious latecomer to the game arrives, a chap called Bill Summertime. Who is he?

Victor is with Agnes at Miss Mardle’s house. Uncle Gio left him the restaurant and Victor wants Agnes advice. Agnes tells him she thinks it’s worth the risk. Victor uses the opportunity to ask if there’s still anything between Agnes and Henri.

When Harry returns home from the card game he tells Rose that he won. The chemistry between them sparks and she lets him into her bedroom for the first time in many years.