Meanwhile Wilfred remains in the background and it is now that he shows his use to Jane. Meanwhile, despite the prevailing attitude that men are better than women in business, it’s the “lord of the manor” who becomes embroiled in a financial crises which reduces his partner to a bankrupt - meanwhile Jane and Mrs Briggs, having set up as a limited company, are not only making a success of the business but Jane will not be putting Mrs Briggs into the same situation as her husband finds herself in. Jane also has a brief affair with a married man, and in the end has to make a decision that will affect everyone around her.

The War also makes an appearance (with the book being written in 1930, this can only really be WWI), changing the lives of many people, including Jane’s friend Wilfred, who has always been in love with her and who goes to war when he realises she doesnt love him. Jane has to face the opposition of men – who cant believe that a woman could be better at business than a man – as well as women – who dont want to be seen mixing with people in “trade”. This seems a fairly straight forward story, but as usual the devil is in the detail. Again through hard work and determination she makes a success of things which proves to be useful to those closest to her in the end. Finally she sets up shop for herself with the financial backing of one of her clients. She gets a new job working in a larger drapers than before, and through her youth and determination brings change and more business to her stuffy old boss. Her father has died before the book starts, leaving Jane living with her step mother and stepsiblings, and Jane is now self aware enough to know that she needs to leave as soon as she can. At the beginning of this book, Jane finds herself in her late teens, working in a small time draper’s shop.

High Wages by Dorothy Whipple