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

Instinctively Rose took a step backward.
    ‘Oh, dear, what am I thinking?’ sighed Lady Celia. ‘I am going about this all the wrong way, aren’t I? Have I made rather a mess at apologising? Really, I am not good at this sort of thing at all.’
    No you’re not, thought Rose, but she thought better than to say it out loud. Really, Lady Celia was the most objectionable of people. She longed to ask her the question that was on the tip of her tongue. Why are you here? For it was obvious even to the most casual of observers that Lady Celia was not at all interested in clothes let alone modelling them. So why had she volunteered to do so?
     
    ‘How do you think I look in this, Rose?’ asked Sylvia, admiring her reflection in a full length mirror. ‘Don’t you think it suits me very well?’
    Sylvia was dressed in a black silk chiffon dress trimmed with a delicate Venise pattern collar. She swished this way and that to get the full effect, much to the annoyance of both Elsie, the seamstress undertaking the alterations to the garments, and Monsieur Girard, who was overseeing the proceedings.
    ‘Mademoiselle, will you kindly keep still,’ cried the designer throwing his arms up in the air for the umpteenth time. ‘Do you want to be pricked by the pin? We have not the time for you to admire yourself in the glass. You look very fine, yes. But you will only wear these dresses tonight if Elsie can alter the gowns in time. You, mademoiselle, are not helping matters. The event, it is this evening, not next week. Elsie, she still has the seams to sew up on the semi-made gown for Lady Celia.’
    Elsie, her mouth full of pins, made a rather strange humming sound to show that she concurred with what the designer was saying. For additional emphasis she yanked on the gown and grazed Sylvia’s leg with a pin.
    ‘Ow!’ squealed Sylvia. ‘You hateful girl. You did that on purpose.’
    ‘She did not,’ said Rose quickly. ‘But do try and keep still and see sense. If nothing else we need you back in the shop as soon as possible. There are still customers to be served and a lot to do before tonight’s event. You can’t expect Mary and me to do it all ourselves, you know.’
    ‘I don’t see why Madame can’t help you. It’s her event and her shop after all.’
    ‘Madame has a headache. I suggested that she go home for an hour or two to rest. No, don’t look at me like that, Sylvia, it’s for the best. It’s her nerves. She’s very anxious and worried about tonight. She’s afraid it won’t be a success.’
    Sylvia sniffed, but remained still so that Elsie could pin her.
    ‘Where’s the marquis’s daughter, I’d like to know?’ she said after a while.
    ‘If you’re referring to Lady Celia, she’s meeting a friend for lunch and then doing some shopping,’ said Rose. ‘She’ll be back in a couple of hours to try on her outfit. So do be helpful and allow poor Elsie enough time to sew the seams.’
    ‘Yes. It would be just awful, wouldn’t it, if poor Lady Celia had to wait.’
    ‘Really, Sylvia, I don’t know what’s got into you. Why are you being like this? Usually if a customer has a title you are all over them like a rash in the hope you might get a tip.’
    ‘I am not!’ protested Sylvia. ‘You take that back. If you must know, I just don’t like her, that’s all,’ she added sulkily, turning her gaze away from her reflection.
    ‘I suppose you’ve taken against her because she’s a friend of Lavinia’s?’ said Rose, aware that Sylvia had resented Lavinia when she had worked in the shop.
    ‘All this playing at being a shop girl or playing at being a mannequin, it’s enough to make an honest hardworking girl like me feel sick. Not for the likes of them the long hours and low pay,’ moaned Sylvia. ‘They think they’re so above us, don’t they, with all their money and titles and fine things? Still, I’m not sure why I’m saying all this to you. You’ll be one of them soon, won’t