The Paradise - 1 ª Season

In 1875 country girl Denise Lovett arrives in Newcastle to work in her uncle Edmund's drapery shop but he cannot afford to take on new staff due to the competition from the Paradise,the newly opened department store run by handsome go-getter John Moray. Denise gets a job in the Paradise's haberdashery department along with friendly Pauline and catty Clara,who once had a fling with Moray - supervised by the strict Miss Audrey. Moray's assistant Dudley is perturbed that Moray is buying on credit without the funds to pay his suppliers so Moray persuades Lord Glendenning to invest in the Paradise whilst telling Glendenning's daughter Katherine tht he cannot marry her as she had hoped. He uses as his excuse the memory of his late wife. When Clara tries to humiliate her in front of Katherine Denise reverses the situation,proving she is an excellent saleswoman,and she receives Moray's personal thanks and the guarantee of permanent employment. Moray also instigates a sale,which does very well though it is interrupted by an irate Edmund.

Denise impresses both Miss Audrey and Moray with her promotional idea of Miss Paradise Pink,awarding a prize to the store's prettiest customer. Katherine brings her unhappily married friend Jocelin to the Paradise where,to Dudley's horror,Moray allows her to buy items on credit. Jocelin is charmed by young sales assistant Sam and confesses to him that her marriage is a sham before making a play for him. Upon discovery however she insists that he came on to her and demands his dismissal. Moray refuses and Sam's job is saved,due to the evidence of Denise and,somewhat improbably,Lord Glendenning.

When Denise finds an abandoned baby in the Paradise Moray sees the opportunity for free publicity in the local press as well as starting a fund for the little boy from customers. Peter Adler,a philanthropist who runs a foundling home,agrees to take the baby in in exchange for a group of foundling girls visiting the store. Despite opposition in some quarters Katherine handles the situation well and Denise also rises to the occasion,causing the jealous Miss Audrey to forbid her to impress Moray with new ideas. Nonetheless she suggests,through Katherine, the creation of a children's wear department,which impresses Moray. As Katherine and Peter start to date Denise discovers Clara's secret whilst Edmund and Miss Audrey discuss what might have been when they were younger.

Staff gossip is full of Moray's apparent stoicism as Katherine is wooed by Peter but Dudley tells Katherine he knows that Moray is pining for her and she eventually admits her love for Moray and finishes with Peter. Miss Audrey loses her voice - for the first time since she turned down Edmund's marriage proposal - and is confined to bed with a mystery illness.Clara believes she should be temporarily in charge as Moray senses that Denise will be better suited to impressing a potential client and appoints her instead. She is successful despite Clara's efforts to sabotage her. Thanks to Edmund Denise sees that the cause is anxiety - in part due to her jealousy of Denise - and selflessly allows Moray to effect a cure.

In order to expand the Paradise Moray is keen to buy Bradley Burroughs' barber shop next door but Bradley stipulates that he wants a partnership in the store. Jonas suggests to Moray that he agree but to cut Bradley loose if he oversteps the mark and soon Bradley's womanizing is making him a liability,as well as his threats to claim that Moray killed his wife. So Jonas takes him on a carriage ride from which he does not return. Katherine decides to make Moray more attentive to her by boycotting the Paradise and giving custom to Edmund and it works though Edmund is angry that she used him. Miss Audrey steals an idea from Denise which backfires but Moray,knowing Denise's worth,asks her to submit another proposal,which is successful and once more she gains his respect for her enterprise.