A Crime of Fashion Read Online Free PDF

tops of her lush and immaculately potted kitchen herbs and inhaled their fragrance.
    Fleetingly I wondered whether thyme could be fatal if inhaled too deeply.
    â€œAxelle, are you listening? Therefore,” she continued, “for the duration of your stay, you will dress in what I deem to be an elegant, fashionable, and stylish manner – lucky jumpers and favourite jeans simply will not do.” Glancing at her elegant gold watch, she continued, “Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to change what you’re wearing. We’re due at Miriam’s in a quarter of an hour and I don’t want to be late – she’ll know everything about Belle’s disappearance.”
    She scrutinized me one last time through narrowed eyes, then turned on her python-skin heels and said, “We’ll just have to say that you came in on the early train this morning and that I’ve only just fetched you from the station. That way it’ll be obvious to everyone that you dressed yourself – on foreign soil. We cannot have Paris believing that a blood relation of mine left my house looking as you are now.” She was quiet for a moment as she checked her make-up. “I’ll see you downstairs in two minutes,” she said. “We’ll go straight to Miriam’s. She’ll be able to sort you out.”
    Then, with a click of her gilded powder compact, she was gone.
    Miriam Fontaine owns a modelling agency and is Aunt Venetia’s oldest friend in Paris. They met at a party held by mutual friends when they were both new to the city (Aunt V from London and Miriam from the countryside south of Paris). That was well before they’d both been married and divorced or had even started in their respective fields. Through thick and thin their friendship has endured and rare is the week when they don’t see each other. This morning Aunt V was desperate to get to Miriam because Miriam hears everything. She’s gossip central in the fashion world. And sure enough, as we made our way into the agency, the first words out of her mouth were “Can you believe?”
    Then: “Ah! Zee little niece Anglaise! Hallo, Axelle,” she said embracing me with air kisses. As she air-kissed my aunt, I heard her say, “She looks so serious, non ?”
    Turning to me, my aunt said, “Axelle, Miriam and I have a few matters to discuss. We’ll be in Miriam’s office, so now is your chance to begin writing your article for Teen Chic . Look around, absorb the ambience, and write something interesting about it all. I’ll be back shortly.”
    No! I knew they were going to talk about Belle La Lune. I couldn’t let this chance for some inside information just pass me by! “But wouldn’t it be a good idea if I were to begin by taking notes on your conversation?” I asked.
    â€œNo, Axelle, not now.”
    â€œBut I’m sure your readers would like to know what you have to say about the world of fashion this morning. Come on, Aunt V, share with me!”
    â€œAxelle, darling, I will not share and you will not listen. Now go, absorb ,” she commanded with a wave of her wrist. “In the next room. Okay?” and she turned down the corridor, arm in arm with Miriam.
    â€œBut I promise to be a fly on the wall! You’ll forget I’m even in the room!” I called out to no avail. They turned the corner and a second later I heard Miriam’s office door firmly close.
    I shuffled off to “absorb” for Jenny’s sake – she’d want to hear every detail about everything. Jenny loves fashion. It started last year when Mrs Watanabe told her she could wear mascara and lip gloss to school. What Mrs Watanabe didn’t know was that Jenny had mastered the “no make-up” make-up look. In other words, what Mrs Watanabe took to be a bit of mascara and lip gloss was in reality foundation, concealer, powder, eyeshadow, eye