Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay Read Free Book Online Page B

of my guests. As for me, I sincerely hope it was created to bring attention to my eyes.”
    I met her gaze. Her eyes were spectacular, and I could imagine that Vivian would have been quite inspired to match their unusual hue. They were a light teal or a dark aqua depending upon how the light shone into them. I glanced around the shop to see if perhaps Viv had put the hat she had created for Lady Ellis on display.
    “It won’t be out here. I told you it was to be kept a secret,” she said. She sighed. I knew it was to let me know that she was finding the entire situation tedious.
    I felt a prick of irritation with her but an even deeper stab with Vivian. How could she take off and not leave decent records? It was completely irresponsible. I didn’t care how brilliant Viv was with her designs: if she annoyed a client with the stature of Lady Ellis, the business was going to go belly-up before her clever fingers could save it.
    “Let me just go check in back,” I said. “Can I offer you refreshments while you wait?”
    “No, thank you,” Lady Ellis said. “We are in a hurry, after all.”
    “Yes, my lady,” I said. Suddenly, I felt as if I were in an episode of
Downton Abbey
, playing the part of a clumsy American.
    I hurried into the workroom, thinking that if Vivian didn’t get back soon, we were going to have some issues, namely, me throttling her.
    Although Fee had given me a quick tour of the studio portion of the shop, I hadn’t really paid much attention because this was not my area of expertise. Oh, I knew a lot of hat terminology, such as crown, brim and blocking. I’d have to have been in a coma all these years not to have picked up on most of it.
    Still, although I admired pretty ribbons and cool hat shapes and what could be created by putting these things together, my brain was more geared toward appreciating the finished result. The few hats I had attempted in my youth always ended up looking like chowder pots and not very attractive ones at that.
    I opened all of the cupboards and drawers and I checked all of the shelves. I saw loads of supplies and lots of half-done projects but there was nothing that I thought Viv would have concocted to accentuate Lady Ellis’s eyes.
    Going out front empty-handed was going to be like facing a firing squad without a blindfold. I straightened my shoulders. There was nothing to be done for it. I could almost hear the low tones of a dirge playing in my head as I dragged my feet toward the front.
    Lady and Lord Ellis were browsing the shop when I returned. Lord Ellis was trying on a trilby hat in front of one of the mirrors while Lady Ellis tipped it to sit jauntily over one of his eyes. They were laughing together and for a moment I thought the bad news might not be received as poorly as I feared. Again, I was so wrong.
    “I apologize, Lady Ellis,” I said. “But I didn’t locate any special projects in Vivian’s studio.”
    The smile vanished from Lady Ellis’s face as if I’d slapped her. I got the feeling she did not often hear the word “no.” The man with her gave a low whistle like a teapot that was about to reach optimum boil.
    Frantically, I glanced around the storefront. There had to be something here that would appease her. Again, I knew I should focus on her vanity.
    “It could be that your hat is such a special creation that Viv didn’t want to leave it where anyone could see it,” I said. “I’m sure that must be it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Vivian was hoping to have you model it for the shop.”
    “Model?” Lady Ellis asked.
    She looked interested, so I ran with it.
    “Oh, yes,” I said. “We do put out a catalog and our Web site features Viv’s exclusive designs.”
    Lady Ellis studied me as if trying to figure me out. “Do you really think Vivian would want me to model one of her hats?”
    “I think she’d be honored,” I said.
    Lady Ellis gave me a smile that reminded me of the one Lord Ellis had worn a few minutes