Madame Crabbe ignored her husband and looked at Alice-Miranda and Lucas. ‘May I have a picture with you two?’
‘Sure,’ they agreed.
While Madame Crabbe fussed about having the photo taken, Mr Plumpton and Miss Reedy had joined the children in the foyer and begun a head count. Susannah and Ashima had begged off the walk, complaining of headaches, so there were eighteen children in all.
‘Where’s Mr Lipp?’ Miss Reedy tapped the face of her watch. It was now almost quarter to five and they had planned to leave at least five minutes ago.
Just as she spoke there was an audible gasp as several of the children spotted him. Harry Lipp bounded down the stairs dressed in what looked like an orange velour leisure suit. He had matching orange trainers and a headband in the same bright shade.
‘Good grief, what is he wearing?’ Miss Reedy whispered.
‘Looking good, Mr Lipp,’ Rufus Pemberley called. He walked over to high-five the teacher, who realised quite late what the lad was doing. He raised his hand just in time to avoid being clobbered.
‘Yes, well, one does try to look the part.’ Mr Lipp began jogging up and down on the spot.
The group was interrupted by a growling noise and the sound of claws tripping over the tiled floor.
‘Lulu, stop right there,’ Monsieur Crabbe commanded. The little dog paid no attention. She raced over to Mr Lipp and began to bark noisily.
Monsieur Crabbe rushed after the dog. ‘I’m afraid she is upset that I haven’t taken her on a long enough walk today,’ he apologised. He was wondering if the man’s orange leisure suit may also have had something to do with Lulu’s distress, but he kept that to himself.
‘Oh, she’s gorgeous,’ said Alice-Miranda as she leaned down to give Lulu a pat.
‘Grandpa’s got a dog just like her,’ Millie said. ‘Is she a miniature dachshund?’
Monsieur Crabbe nodded. ‘Oui. Her name is Lulu.’
‘Like the hotel,’ Alice-Miranda said. Lulu had calmed down and was lapping up the attention as Alice-Miranda rubbed her ears and Millie stroked the top of her head. ‘Would you like us to take her to the park, Monsieur Crabbe?’
At the mention of the word park, Lulu began to wag her tail so hard it looked as if it was in danger of being shaken right off the end of her body.
Monsieur Crabbe frowned. ‘Oh, I’m not sure.’
Madame Crabbe reappeared, holding a different frame with the new photograph already inside. ‘Oh, Henri, please let the children take her. I’m sure they will look after her and bring her back in one piece.’
‘Yes, we promise we will, won’t we, Millie?’ said Alice-Miranda, nodding excitedly.
‘Children, we must get going, otherwise your run around might end up being just a walk there and back,’ Miss Reedy said.
Alice-Miranda stared up at Monsieur Crabbe, with her brown eyes as big as saucers.
‘Oh, all right, you can take her,’ the man relented. ‘I will just get her lead.’
Madame Crabbe was way ahead of her husband. ‘Here you are.’ She handed the green lead over to the girls. There were two plastic bags attached.
‘She might, you know . . .’ Monsieur Crabbe pointed at the bags.
Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘It’s all right. We know what to do.’
Monsieur Crabbe picked up Lulu and planted a kiss on the top of her furry head. ‘You be good for these little girls.’
‘They are going to the park, Henri, not to the moon. I don’t get that much attention when I visit my mother for a week,’ Madame Crabbe sighed.
‘Of course not,’ Henri Crabbe said. ‘That is because I am always hoping you will stay much longer.’
He then grabbed his wife around the waist and planted a kiss on her cheek.
‘See what I have to put up with?’ Madame Crabbe laughed.
The children giggled.
‘We won’t be too long,’ said Miss Reedy. She looked wistfully at the couple’s display and blushed. ‘And I’ll keep an eye on Lulu.’
Mr Lipp, who had continued his jogging on the spot, suddenly charged towards the door, with some of the more energetic students hot on his heels. ‘All you slowpokes can catch up. Sure you don’t want to join me, Plumpy?’ he called before he shot out the door.
Josiah Plumpton’s nose glowed red and you could almost see the smoke coming out of his little pink ears. ‘The cheek of that man. How dare he?’
Miss Reedy touched Mr Plumpton on the arm. ‘Please don’t let him worry you, Josiah.’
Mr Plumpton frowned. He was wondering how he could compete with Mr Lipp’s ever-growing list of talents. Dramatist, conductor and now, apparently, an athlete too.
Alice-Miranda and Millie walked ahead of their teachers, with Lulu guiding the way.
‘I don’t think Hairy’s outfit impressed Miss Reedy at all,’ Millie whispered. ‘Or his jogging. More pathetic than athletic, I think.’
‘Millie! At least he’s trying to impress her. I think Mr Lipp really likes Miss Reedy. I just hope that she lets him know that Mr Plumpton’s her man,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
By the time Alice-Miranda, Millie and their canine guide reached the park, most of the children were already engaged in a vigorous game of basketball, which Mr Lipp was umpiring. Only Sloane was sitting out.
‘Do you want to come for a walk with us?’ Alice-Miranda called to her.
Sloane nodded. The girls asked Miss Reedy if they could do some exploring. She said it was fine, as long as they stayed inside the park’s boundaries. It wasn’t a huge space, but it was clearly well loved, with a basketball court, some play equipment, benches to sit on and pretty flowerbeds. Miss Reedy and Mr Plumpton were soon distracted, discussing the hollyhocks and other flowers growing along the edge of the garden path.
Lulu was doing her best impersonation of a sniffer dog, waddling along with her nose to the ground, until an elderly man leading a stout white bulldog approached. As soon as the little dachshund saw the other dog, she raised her nose into the air and strutted like a model on a catwalk.
The old man dipped his hat to the girls. ‘Bonjour, mademoiselles. Bonjour, Lulu.’
‘Bonjour, monsieur,’ the girls said together.
‘What a lovely fellow,’ Alice-Miranda exclaimed, looking at the bulldog.
He ignored her and barked at Lulu, his tail wagging. Lulu turned her head in the opposite direction.
‘Ah, anglais? Louis has been in love with Lulu since they were puppies. But she does not love him back. He tries his best but she just ignores him,’ the man explained carefully. ‘Where is Monsieur Crabbe this afternoon?’
‘He’s busy at the hotel. He was kind enough to let us take Lulu out for a walk,’ Alice-Miranda said.
‘You are lucky girls to be left in charge of that dog. Monsieur Crabbe does not usually trust her with anyone. Not even Madame Crabbe. She is like a baby to him,’ the man said. ‘Enjoy your walk.’
The girls said goodbye and continued along the path.
‘So you’re not a fan of the bulldog,’ said Millie, looking at Lulu. The little dog put her nose even further into the air as if to agree.
‘I can see why. He’s not the most handsome creature, is he?’ Sloane added.
‘Looks aren’t everything,’ Alice-Miranda said.
‘No, but if I was a cute dachshund, I wouldn’t be falling for an ugly old bulldog either,’ said Sloane.
Lulu barked as if to agree.
‘Look.’ Alice-Miranda pointed at an archway in the middle of a long hedge. ‘Do you think there could be more of the park through there?’
‘Let’s go and see,’ Millie said. ‘It might be a secret garden.’
On the other side of the hedge, the park narrowed. It was an L shape and ran behind some townhouses. It was another pretty space but didn’t look to be as well used as the main part of the park. Lulu sniffed her way along the fence. The girls could just catch glimpses of tiny courtyards at the rear of the buildings. Most of the fencing was
made of ornate metal and looked quite old, except for one section. It had thick black fabric running along the inside, completely obscuring the view.
The girls explored all corners of the secret section of the park. Apart from an expanse of lawn and some mature trees, there wasn’t much to it.
‘Do you want to sit down for a minute?’ Alice-Miranda asked as she spied a bench ahead.
‘Yes,’ Sloane groaned. ‘I’ve still got blisters.’
‘Isn’t it wonderful to be in Paris?’ Alice-Miranda looked around before plonking down onto the seat. ‘I just love it here.’
‘I can’t believe that we’re opening shows for Fashion Week – it seems a bit ridiculous really,’ said Millie, grinning.
‘That’s not ridiculous,’ Sloane said. ‘My mother is soooo jealous.’
‘But you said that she hated Paris,’ Millie challenged her.
‘She does, but she loves fashion. It’s killing her that I’ll get to see all these amazing shows.’
‘Amazing could be one word for them,’ Millie said. ‘From what I’ve seen on the TV, weird is more like it.’
‘No one says that you have to wear the clothes,’ Alice-Miranda giggled. ‘I wonder if the models feel silly sometimes.’
‘Well, I would, wearing a set of ram’s horns on my head, a bathing suit and skyscraper heels,’ said Millie.
‘No, my mother wears that sort of thing to the supermarket all the time.’ Sloane kept a straight face. ‘It’s what everyone’s wearing in Barcelona.’
‘Really?’ Millie tried to suppress a giggle. ‘Well, come to think of it, my mother was wearing a sleeping cat around her shoulders last time I was home. And I’m sure she had some very fetching crab claw boots too.’
The girls’ clothing claims became more and more ridiculous and soon they were all laughing so hard there were tears streaming down their cheeks.
Lulu had been sitting under the seat, dozing, when suddenly she began to growl. She scrambled to her feet and rushed out, pushing her nose against the nearby fence. It was the section covered in black fabric. Fortunately, she was still on her lead and could go no further.
‘What’s the matter, Lulu?’ Alice-Miranda walked over to see if she could find the source of the dog’s distress. ‘Is there a cat teasing you over there?’
Lulu’s growling stopped and she began to bark. Her nose was jammed hard against the fabric and no amount of cajoling could tear her away.
Millie and Sloane scurried around to join Alice-Miranda. Millie pushed her face against the fence too and closed one eye, trying to see through the thick black fabric.
‘I can’t see anything,’ Millie observed. ‘It’s just an empty courtyard.’
Lulu’s barking grew louder and more urgent.
‘Lulu, please calm down,’ Alice-Miranda begged.
The dog stopped momentarily.
‘Did you hear something?’ Alice-Miranda turned to Millie and Sloane.
‘What?’ Millie asked.
‘I can hear birds and the kids playing basketball,’ Sloane said.
‘No, it’s not that. I don’t know exactly.’ Alice-Miranda listened again but Lulu started to bark even more fiercely than before.
‘Come on,’ Millie said. ‘We should go.’
Just as the girls turned to leave, a dark shadow loomed over the top of the fence. A key jangled in a lock and a man burst out of the gate, closing it swiftly behind him.
‘Que faites-vous? What are you doing?’ he snarled.
Millie shot into the air. Sloane wasn’t far behind her. Lulu raced forward and began to bark at the man.
‘Bonjour, monsieur,’ Alice-Miranda said as she strained against Lulu’s lead. ‘Something upset the dog so we were trying to see what it was. Probably just a cat.’
‘Take that mutt and get out of here.’ The man’s eyes narrowed to angry slits. ‘Or I will . . . I will call the police.’
‘Please, monsieur, we were just taking Lulu for a walk,’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘I’m sure there’s no need to involve the police.’
Alice-Miranda wondered why he was so irate. It was not as if the girls had been trespassing and Lulu had only been barking for a few minutes at most.
‘How dare you?’ The man’s grey hair seemed to stand on end as if charged with an electric current. ‘You need to stop spying on people.’
Lulu’s high-pitched woofs were replaced by a low growl.
‘Oh, monsieur, I can assure you that we weren’t spying at all,’ Alice-Miranda explained. ‘We don’t really look like secret agents, do we?’
The man inched closer to the children. He smelt like smoke and beer.
Millie gulped. She pulled on Alice-Miranda’s sleeve. ‘Come on, I think we should go,’ she whispered. ‘Now!’
‘Monsieur, I have no idea why you’re so cross but it’s not terribly friendly, you know,’ Alice-Miranda began.
In the distance, Miss Reedy was calling Alice-Miranda’s name.
Millie once again tugged at her friend’s sleeve. ‘We’d better go. Miss Reedy’s looking for us.’
‘Yeah, come on,’ Sloane agreed.
‘Your friends, they are much smarter than you are, little one,’ said the man, curling his lip. He strode back to the gate, pushed it open and disappeared. The slide of a bolt and the jangling of keys followed.
Lulu rushed forward and barked with all her might.
‘Great, turn into a rottweiler now, Lulu.’ Millie rolled her eyes at the dog. ‘You could have taken a bite out of him a minute ago.’
‘Come on, girl,’ said Alice-Miranda. She reached down and picked up the little dog, who wasn’t going to be distracted easily from her barking. Alice-Miranda had a strange feeling about the angry man.
The children jogged back to the main section of the park. Up ahead, the rest of the group was assembled and it was clear that they were the last to arrive.
‘Oh, there you are. I was about to call the police,’ said Miss Reedy, looking relieved.
‘Not you too,’ Sloane snipped. Miss Reedy frowned, puzzled.
‘Sorry, Miss Reedy. We were just talking to one of the neighbours,’ Alice-Miranda explained.
‘Yes, and he already threatened to call the police,’ Millie added.
‘Why on earth would he say that?’ the teacher asked, wondering what the girls had been up to.
‘It’s all right, Miss Reedy. He was just a cranky old guy,’ Sloane said, ‘but Alice-Miranda stood up to him.’
‘Oh dear, young lady,’ said the teacher, smiling at her smallest student. ‘I hope you haven’t been upsetting the locals.’
Alice-Miranda shook her head. ‘Not on purpose. But I don’t think the man was very fond of children, or dogs.’
Charlotte Highton-Smith fiddled with the piece of paper in her hand and wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder.
‘Could you take a message, please?’ Charlotte said. ‘Could you ask her to call me as soon as she gets in. I’d like to arrange a time that we can meet. Today, if possible. Thank you.’
She hung up the phone and frowned. ‘Honestly, that woman is harder to find than a comfortable pair of slingbacks.’
Her sister emerged from the bedroom. ‘Are you all right?’ Cecelia asked.
‘Yes, I’m just having trouble getting hold of Rosie Hunter,’ Charlotte replied.
‘You’ll have to tell me more about her. How did you find her in the first place?’
‘She found me, actually, and made me an offer that was too good to refuse. She certainly knows her stuff but she seems to have appeared from nowhere,’ Charlotte explained.
‘And she’s going to write about the shows from Paris?’ said Cecelia.
‘Yes, that’s the plan. We’ll publish some of the articles in the store magazine too. Her writing is very funny and I think she’ll put a much more human spin on some of the ridiculous nonsense that goes on at Fashion Week,’ Charlotte replied.
‘I’d love to meet her,’ Cecelia nodded, ‘b
ut not quite as much as I’d like to meet that mysterious Dux LaBelle.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Charlotte asked.
‘I’ve made an appointment for a preview of the LaBelle collection later in the week but it was very strange. When I said that I was looking forward to meeting Monsieur LaBelle, the fellow on the phone told me that Dux is far too busy to meet clients. I suppose Dux is new and the clothes speak for themselves but if he wants to make it in this town, he’s going to have to do at least some of his own PR.’
Dux LaBelle had burst onto the Paris fashion stage a year ago with his first collection of evening wear. His designs were stunning, featuring beadwork and fine lace that were second to none; critics were in awe of his workmanship. His designs had instantly become firm favourites with the celebrity set too. Women loved his work and journalists were desperate to know more about him. But Dux did not give interviews or talk to the press. During his one and only public appearance at his show last year he had worn a mask. It was as if he had come and gone in a puff of smoke.
‘I was hoping you were going to sign him up. Actually, I think Ambrosia Headlington-Bear wore one of his gowns to the FFATAS, didn’t she? Not that I saw her in person, but there was a lovely shot of her on the cover of Gloss and Goss,’ said Charlotte.
Cecelia nodded. ‘Yes, I saw that too.’
‘Well, you might not get to meet Rosie Hunter either at the rate I’m going. She’s not answering her telephone at the hotel and I didn’t ever get a mobile number for her. I’ll try her email.’
Charlotte sat down at the gilded Louis XIV desk in front of her open laptop just as a message arrived in her inbox. ‘Oh, here she is now.’
Cecelia picked up a magazine from the coffee table and sank into the overstuffed couch.
‘Oh dear,’ Charlotte said. ‘She says she’s just returned from the doctor. She’s not well but she doesn’t go into any details other than to say that she doesn’t want me to catch anything so we should postpone the meeting for a few days.’
Cecelia looked up and said, ‘Well, I think she’s right. You don’t want to risk catching something in your condition.’
‘Gosh, Cee, you make it sound like I’ve got the plague,’ said Charlotte, grinning. ‘You’re right, though. I hope she can still get to some of the shows.’
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