Episode Summary: Mr. Selfridge loaned an expensive car to be put on display at Selfridges in the hope of attracting customers to his department store. Henri Leclair is to make the uninsured luxury car the focus of the window display that promotes “Motoring for the Modern Age!” Mr. Leclair happens to mention missing Miss Agnes Towler’s assistance to Mr. Selfridge, who is unaware that the shop girl has left Selfridges after the humiliating incident that involved her father.Continue reading...
Agnes Towler finds herself without a job and in the company of her drunkard father after her landlady threatened eviction if she and her brother do not take in the intoxicated family member passed out on the stairs of the apartment. Although Victor Colleano takes pity on her misfortune, he finds consolation in the fact that he can now engage in a relationship with Agnes without breaking the Selfridges rule prohibiting love affairs between employees. Victor courts Agnes, who agrees to become Victor’s girlfriend. Kitty Hawkins also benefits from Miss Towler’s absence as she displays her competence to Lady Carlyle, one of the loyal customers fond of Miss Towler. Unlucky for her, Miss Towler’s absence may only be temporary. Harry Gordon Selfridge arrives in the impoverished London neighborhood attracting the attention of its poor inhabitants. He finds the residence of Agnes Towler and asks the landlady for her. The sight of Mr. Selfridge at her residence surprises her. Even more surprising is Mr. Selfridge’s wish for her to return to work despite the humiliating and disruptive incident at Selfridges involving her father. Mr. Selfridge sees himself in Miss Towler and he believes that he would be remiss to let a person of great potential miss her chance. Contrary to Miss Towler’s belief, Mr. Selfridge could not care less about her deadbeat father. Mr. Selfridge believes that the sins of her father bear no merit on the being of Miss Towler. She, however, explains that she can never be rid of her ruinous father for he manages to find her and her brother wherever they go. Mr. Selfridge takes it upon himself to speak personally to Reg Towler, Miss Towler’s father. He offers him money with the condition that he must never bother Miss Towler again. Reg maliciously mistakes Mr. Selfridge’s generosity as a deed enacted by a lover. The despitefulness of his notion infuriates Mr. Selfridge causing him to manhandle the drunkard instilling fear in him. Reg Towler fearfully accepts the imposition. The episode, however, resurfaced dreadful memories of his deadbeat father. Mr. Selfridge remembers the time he learned and confirmed that his father who supposedly died a war hero was in reality alive. Moreover, the man returned from war and chose to abandon his family for another. The calls of Miss Towler brought him back to the present and the delight of having successfully removed the bane of Miss Towler’s existence brought him joy. Mr. Selfridge gives Miss Towler a ride back to the store in his car and he finds her childish delight at riding a car refreshing. Knowing that her return will cause a stir among her colleagues, Mr. Selfridge advises the grateful shop girl not to apologize or explain her return. True enough her return shocked her colleagues including Miss Mardle, who nevertheless receives her without much protest. Mr. Grove, however, disapproves of Miss Towler’s return explaining to Mr. Selfridge that her father’s disgraceful behavior at the store is enough reason for her dismissal. Mr. Selfridge asserts that dismissing her would have been a mistake and adds that the parent is not the child. Mr. Grove argues that Miss Towler’s return despite her desertion will confound the staff giving Mr. Selfridge reason to address the staff in order to expel reservations about her return.
Roderick Temple drops by the home of the Selfridges unannounced insisting on seeing Rose Selfridge. Rose feigns forgetting to inform their butler, Mr. Fraser, of the appointment she scheduled with the painter, Mr. Temple. Rose receives Roddy in the drawing room and they reconcile as friends. The sight of the portrait Roddy painted, however, rekindles their passion and the two passionately kiss. The arrival of Rose’s youngest daughter, Beatrice Selfridge, breaks their scandalous act. Rose flounders for an excuse for the inappropriate intimacy her daughter witnessed between her and Roddy. She asks Beatrice to keep what she witnessed a secret explaining that the painting Mr. Temple made is a surprise for Harry. Rose realizes the indignity of engaging in an affair that she ends her burgeoning relationship with Roddy. This, however, ignited Roddy’s passion for her even more. Beatrice’s inability to keep a secret adds to Rose’s misfortune. She wakes to find her displeased husband with the portrait Roddy made of her. Harry’s demeanor exudes his suspicion, but Rose is unyielding with her claim of innocence. In fact, she claims that the portrait of her was to be a surprise and it is to hang in his office. Later that day, Rose receives another unexpected visitor, Miss Ellen Love. The woman has come to inform her that Mr. Selfridge has been having an affair with her. Much to Miss Love’s shock, her revelation did not surprise Mrs. Selfridge at all. Mrs. Selfridge claims to have had her suspicions from the onset. Moreover, she believes that Miss Love’s decision to divulge the affair to her suggests that the affair has reached its end or has already ended. Mrs. Selfridge finds her undertaking an act of desperation for a misguided belief that Mr. Selfridge has fallen in love with her unaware that the man has had many similar liaisons. Miss Love leaves with a threat of causing the Selfridges discord. Unbeknownst to Miss Love, her revelation hurt Mrs. Selfridge despite her apathetic reception of the news of her husband’s affair.
Roger Grove breaks the news he received from Mr. Colleano about thieving at the loading bay to Mr. Selfridge. Mr. Selfridge instructs Mr. Grove to catch the thieves red-handed and to terminate them immediately. Victor learns of the plan to catch the thieves in the act and hastens to warn George Towler, who naively and unknowingly taken part of the theft. Victor pulls George aside as he is loading items to the unmarked van and makes it clear to the ignorant young man that he has been inadvertently aiding Alf and Sam with their theft. Victor advises George to wise up believing that he remains as the breadwinner of the family. Imagine his surprise at learning that Agnes has resumed working at Selfridges. In fact, she is again assisting Mr. Leclair with the motor driving promotion. The promotion has caught the interest of high society including Lady Loxley, who pays a visit at Selfridges to find that the store has started to take down the posters of Miss Love officially ending her association with Selfridges. Just as Mr. Selfridge gets rid of his mistress, he learns from Tony Travers through insinuation that his wife might be having an affair with the bohemian young painter, Roddy Temple, after seeing them at the Chelsea Arts Club. Travers continues with the insinuation despite Mr. Selfridge and Lady Mae’s obvious discomfort about the subject. This displeases Lady Mae, who scolds her lover for his behavior, upsetting Travers for having to oblige to her censure. Travers abandons Lady Mae, who could not care less for she has found a replacement in the person of Mr. Colleano. Lady Mae uses Mr. Colleano’s ambition to open a restaurant in Soho to lure him into becoming her lover. She offers him a place in her kitchen as a temporary replacement for her ill chef with the suggestion of using her influence to help him realize his dream. Victor speaks with Agnes about her decision to return to work at Selfridges, which complicates their relationship given the rule prohibiting love affairs between colleagues. Agnes apprises Victor of the visit she received from Mr. Selfridge that justified her return despite its consequences in their relationship. Victor understands Agnes’ decision and both decide to continue their courtship in secret. They, however, engage in an argument after Agnes refuses Victor’s dinner offer due to a prior work engagement with Mr. Leclair. Kitty fans the fire after commenting to Victor how Agnes and Mr. Leclair make a lovely couple. Fueled by his jealousy and ambition, Victor agrees to cook for Lady Loxley despite recognizing the woman’s real intentions. Meanwhile, Agnes and Mr. Leclair finish a window display. In order to show his appreciation for Agnes’ hard work, Mr. Leclair buys her a scarf, an act that adds to her infatuation with the gorgeous creative director.
In light of the recent thefts from Selfridges employees, Mr. Selfridge addresses all employees to discuss honesty. Selfridges prides itself for giving their customers exactly what they paid for and believes in the philosophy that employees stealing from the store only steal from themselves. Mr. Selfridge speaks of his humble beginnings starting as an errand boy and shares of the pride he felt at earning the trust of his employer. He believes that an establishment cannot run without trust, which is why he has no tolerance for dishonesty. Mr. Selfridge, however, avows of his willingness to offer help to those who seek it. He speaks of his refusal to accept Miss Towler’s resignation due to the humiliating incident at the store that involved a member of her family. Mr. Selfridge reiterates his desire to help those who seek his help and his abhorrence for theft. He arrives home after his speech to spend time with his family. He finds his wife reading to their youngest child, Beatrice, and asks about the fifty white roses he had sent to Rose. More importantly, he stresses the message in his note and repeats that Rose is his one and only. Mr. Selfridge gives Rose a kiss causing her to blush leading Beatrice to divulge innocently of having seen her mother terribly blush after Mr. Temple kissed her. The innocent statement causes domestic strife between husband and wife. Harry finds the gall to admonish Rose for kissing Roddy in his house in front of their daughter when he is guilty of having an affair with Ellen Love. Harry declares to have ended his affair, and Rose refutes the accusation of her affair with Roddy. She, however, believes of its justification if she did. Harry rationalizes his extramarital affairs as urges he could not contain and that it is a constant struggle for him, but he receives disgust from his wife instead of pity. He leaves the house for the club and resorts to alcohol to drown his sorrows. Frank Edwards finds a heavily inebriated and depressed Mr. Selfridge at the club. The arrival of Ellen Love, who spews harsh words, after being rejected adds to his despair. Frank ushers her out of the club and later checks up on her at her apartment. He finds her overdosed with pills in an attempted suicide. Meanwhile, a severely intoxicated Mr. Selfridge makes his way to Selfridges and against better judgment takes the expensive sports car for a drive. Unpleasant memories of his childhood and recent events that led to his inebriation cloud his mind leading to a serious car crash.
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