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

kept waiting a very long time. She was certain that Torridge, however much he might personally disapprove of her, would carry out her instructions to the letter. But there was no escaping that the man was doddery and possibly forgetful. There was a chance that she may have been forgotten, hanging on the other end of the telephone as she was. She was in no doubt the butler had set off determined to summon one of the footman to deliver her message to the earl. But what if he had been waylaid by some unseen event in the servants’ hall and she had slipped from his memory?
    Rose was just about to hang up the receiver, with a view to telephoning Sedgwick Court again later that morning, when she heard the sound of approaching feet and fancied that she even felt rather than just heard the receiver being physically picked up the other end, such was the enthusiastic and earnest manner in which the person appeared to undertake the task.
    ‘Rose, darling, is that you?’
    ‘Yes, darling, of course it is. I’ve had to wait an awfully long time. I think that butler of yours deliberately kept me waiting. Oh, Cedric, I don’t think he likes me very much. He’s dreadfully formidable, isn’t he?’
    ‘Whom, Torridge? Is he? I can’t say I’ve observed that he is. I can’t believe that he doesn’t like you, and as to being kept waiting on purpose, I was in the bath, don’t you know.’
    ‘Oh, were you? I’m awfully sorry to have summoned you from it –’
    ‘Think nothing of it. I can’t imagine anything better than –’
    ‘Darling, I’m awfully sorry to interrupt you when you are in full flow. You know full well there is nothing more that I would like to do than to stand here talking to you for ages and ages. But I’m in Madame Renard’s office at the moment, supposedly firming up arrangements with Lavinia for tomorrow’s fashion show. Do you remember that I told you about it?’ Rose paused a moment to turn and look guiltily behind her shoulder to make certain that her proprietor had not entered the room unobserved. ‘Your sister had graciously agreed to be the main mannequin. But I understand she’s ill and Torridge resolutely refuses to let me speak to her. He says she is very unwell and has taken to her bed and is not to be disturbed on any account. Do you know what’s going on?’
    ‘I say, is the fashion show tomorrow?’ Cedric sounded distinctly despondent to Rose’s ears, even from down the other end of the line. ‘That’s dashed bad luck. For some reason I had it in my head it was next week.’
    ‘Are you saying Lavinia really is ill?’ asked Rose concerned. ‘It occurred to me, rather uncharitably I must admit, that she might simply have changed her mind. It is the sort of thing she might do, isn’t it? I had hoped that if I had an opportunity to actually speak with her myself I might be able to persuade her to go through with it after all.’
    ‘I’m afraid that’s quite out of the question, Rose. She certainly won’t be well enough to appear at your fashion show if it’s tomorrow.’ There was a distinct pause. ‘I say, it isn’t possible to delay it by a week or so, is it?’
    ‘No, it isn’t. The invitations have gone out and Madame Renard will be beside herself if it doesn’t take place tomorrow. She’ll feel that she’d let her customers down. And besides, one or two of them can be rather catty. They might take some satisfaction if she couldn’t pull it off. It’s rather a coup for Madame, you know. And then of course there’s Marcel Girard.’ 
    ‘Marcel Girard?’
    ‘He’s the designer of the couture that will be displayed at the show and which Madame will be selling in her shop. I believe he’s an up and coming designer, or so I’m told. Madame Renard is awfully fortunate that he has agreed to supply her dress shop rather than a more fashionable boutique. I expect it’s something to do with him being a friend of her son’s.’
    ‘And Lavinia was to model these