Read Murder at Renard's (Rose Simpson Mysteries Book 4) for Free Online Page A

girl, she walks like a cart horse. And her manners. She will be scowling at the customers and frightening them away.’
    ‘If that’s the case,’ said Lady Celia rather coldly, ‘I’m rather surprised that you employ her. Although I have to admit that she does sound rather intriguing.’
    Madame Renard turned scarlet and fiddled with a button on her blouse. ‘It is true the girl has a few flaws. But she can be quite charming and attentive when she chooses, quite an addition to the shop.’ She appealed to Rose. ‘Is that not so, Miss Simpson?’
    ‘Yes, indeed, Madame,’ answered Rose, not wholly of that opinion herself. ‘But I suggested Sylvia because of her physique not her disposition. She is as tall as Lavinia and thinner if anything so Lavinia’s clothes should certainly fit her or require only very minor adjustment.’
    ‘ C’est possible . Oui . What you say, it may be correct,’ said Madame Renard somewhat grudgingly, not sounding at all enthusiastic about the prospect. 
    ‘Sylvia?’ Monsieur Girard said. It was the first time he had uttered a word regarding the proposal, and all eyes turned to him with interest. He looked up and stared at the wall as if he were looking into the distance and could picture the girl standing there before him swathed in one of his gowns. ‘Sylvia.’ He said the name again slowly to himself in a voice barely above a whisper, as if he were trying it out to see how it sounded on his tongue. ‘ Oui . Yes. She has not the poise or temperament of Lady Lavinia, but the figure … yes … she has the silhouette.’
    ‘Oh? I should like to see this girl,’ Lady Celia said, clenching her hands together. ‘You say she is in the shop now?’
    ‘Yes. Miss Simpson will point her out to you if you like,’ Madame Renard said. ‘But I would rather you did not say anything to her about becoming the mannequin until I have spoken to her. She is a foolish girl, that one. It will go to her head, I think, if we are not careful.’
    The two younger women ventured out into the shop with Rose wondering how she might discreetly point out Sylvia. To her relief both shop assistants were busy attending to customers and so their arrival went relatively unnoticed. Lady Celia walked immediately to one of the tables of accessories and picked up a hat which she pretended to study.   
    ‘I take it Sylvia is not that washed out looking girl over there?’
    ‘No, that is Mary.’
    ‘Ah, so she’s the other one, is she? Pretty, yes. But rather a common little thing I would have said.’ Lady Celia put down the hat and stopped all pretence at studying it. ‘What, no word from you, Miss Simpson? Not even a frown and yet I can tell from your silence that you don’t think much of me. I can’t say I blame you. I daresay I come across as rather unkind. I don’t mean to be, I assure you. I’m afraid I have a tendency to say the first thing that comes into my head. It is a great affliction.’
    ‘Indeed?’
    ‘I can see you don’t believe me. You think I am making fun of you and your fellow shop assistants.’
    ‘Aren’t you?’
    ‘As it happens, no, I’m not,’ Lady Celia said, suddenly becoming serious. She gave Sylvia another glance and laughed. ‘Why, I don’t know what Madame Renard is making all the fuss about. The girl seems to be behaving quite charmingly to that customer. Really, I don’t see how she could be more attentive if she tried.’
    ‘Have you seen enough?’ asked Rose. ‘We had better go back to Madame’s office so that you can be measured for your semi-made outfit. They will need to do the final seams. And Madame will want to speak with Sylvia. She will need to try on all Lavinia’s outfits. It’s likely to take quite a time. We’ll be short staffed. I’ll be needed back in the shop to serve.’
    ‘Rose … May I call you Rose? Let us not get off on the wrong foot. I daresay I have been rather unkind.’ Lady Celia made an attempt at smiling sweetly.