The Crowded Day

The couple quarrel as they head into their shifts at the busy London department store. Peggy accuses Leslie of spending all his time and money on his vintage car rather than planning a future together. In a painful moment, she ends the engagement and refuses to let him escort her to the staff Christmas party, hinting she may be seeing Mr. Stanton. The tension sets the tone for a day filled with workplace romance and miscommunication.

Peggy tries to provoke jealousy by implying she is dating the proper personnel manager, Mr. Stanton. Stanton is kind and proper, but he does not pursue relationships with shopgirls, complicating Peggy's scheme. The deception exposes the delicate social rules within the store and the danger of office politics.

Leslie's attempt to win Peggy back triggers a report from Peggy's supervisor, Mr Preedy, who sees his advances as unwelcome competition. The accusation threatens his position at the store and foreshadows further friction with management. The incident highlights how romance can bleed into the workplace.

While trying to mend fences with Peggy, Leslie botches a house showing for Mr Bunting's friends because he is distracted by their personal drama. The mistake leads to another reprimand from his own supervisor and raises the possibility of losing his job. The mishap demonstrates how personal turmoil can derail professional duties.

Mr Stanton studies Leslie's personnel file and contemplates moving him to the higher-paying publicity department. He also passes Leslie's report to Mr Bunting, hoping to leverage the material for promotions. The exchange shows the cutthroat side of store politics and the risk of using others' ideas.

In a candid exchange, Leslie tells Stanton that he lifted the ideas for his report from a book by Mr Bunting, causing Stanton to fear repercussions for repeating Bunting's own ideas. He worries his job and reputation could be at stake for the apparent plagiarism. The revelation deepens the web of professional risk in the store.

Yvonne Pascoe reveals to Peggy that she is pregnant and fears for her future at the cosmetics counter. She goes to Mrs Blayburn's home at noon, where the elder woman greets her coldly and calls her a slut, turning her away. The moment marks the brutal social pressures faced by the shopgirls.

Mr Stanton counsels Yvonne to stop working until after the baby is born, with the possibility of returning later. He suggests welfare options given her lack of family support. The scene underscores how workplace rules and social stigma can threaten a young woman's livelihood.

Back at the counter, Yvonne pockets a prescription containing strychnine that was meant for a customer and leaves the store. In her rush she fails to grab an urgent note left for her by a young man at the counter, which ends up on the floor and is trampled by shoppers. The moment compounds her precarious situation.

That night, the staff Christmas party brings out flirtations and power plays. Peggy tries to attach herself to Mr Stanton, interrupting his conversations with Mr Bunting's daughter. Leslie is singled out by Mr Bunting for the quality of his report, putting him on track for the higher-paying publicity role. The party exposes the store's social hierarchies and the risks of deception.

After the party, Peggy discovers that Leslie has told Mr Bunting that she and Mr Stanton were engaged, causing Bunting's daughter to cry. The deception backfires and strains Peggy's relationships, while also showing Leslie's willingness to push boundaries to improve his standing. The incident underscores the consequences of manipulation.

Peggy learns that Leslie has sold his old car, signaling that he cares more about her than the vehicle. She happily reunites with him, only to learn he has bought an even older car. The back-and-forth with the car becomes a light symbol of their rocky dynamic.

Eve Carter, the store's beautiful model, is revealed to be secretly married to a husband who uses a wheelchair and supports her financially. She hides her marriage by removing her wedding ring at work, preserving her professional image. The revelation adds another layer to the store's hidden personal lives.

Yvonne wanders the dark London streets, contemplating suicide after the day's pressures. A threatening customer harasses her on a tea stall, forcing her to flee through the streets until she finds refuge in a church. She collapses in tears but resolves not to kill herself and discards the strychnine pills in a waste bin.

The next morning a watchman finds a crumpled note left by Yvonne's would-be fiancé. The message is from Michael Blayburn, telling her he has found work and asking her to marry him, promising to call the next day. The note hints at a hopeful future despite the turmoil of the past days.