The Fashion Princess Read Free Page B

representing the magazine.”
    â€œWe promise we’ll be good,” chimed the children.
    â€œNow, Orlando,” called Bryony, “if you
are
good, we’ll watch a super-hero movie in the hotel later! Come on, Saffron, we should get going.”
    Berry rolled her eyes. “I
never
get to see any date movies!” she complained.
    â€œThat’s because you never get asked on any dates,” retorted Orlando.
    â€œYes I do, but I certainly wouldn’t tell you about them!” Berry fired back.
    â€œEeeurgh. Dating makes me feel sick!” said Orlando, pretending to choke and eventually falling to the ground, clutching his throat and throwing his legs straight up in the air.
    Poppy laughed. But this was the worst thing to do with Orlando, because it encouraged him to keep doing the ‘funny’ thing over and over again, until it was no longer funny at all.

    Saffron kissed Poppy goodbye and dashed off after Bryony, leaving the three new friends trying to decide what to do and where to go. Orlando started to try on a huge mother-of-the-bride style hat he found lying on a chair until Berry hissed at him to put it down before he got into trouble with its owner.

    â€œI know,” she said. “Let’s go and collect our Fashion Week goody bags from the sponsor. They’ve always got amazing stuff in them and it’s all free!”
    Poppy nodded keenly, while Orlando pretended to skip like a girl and said, “Oooh, yeah, our goody bags!”
    Despite the fact that Bryony had warned them about sticking to the main walkways, they couldn’t resist taking a short cut between two of the main tents. Orlando led the way confidently and they saw what it was like behind the scenes at Fashion Week, which the girls found absolutely fascinating. There were rails crammed full of outfits being wheeled to and fro, plus shoeboxes and make-up on trolleys. Crates of juice were lying around, as well as spare tent poles and generators used for heating and lighting the tents. People were agitatedly discussing timings, music was playing intermittently and seamstresses dashed about with measuring tapes round their necks and pins in their mouths.There were models everywhere. Then, as they were walking behind one of the dressing tents, they heard what sounded like someone sobbing so they decided to investigate.

Chapter Five
    POPPY, BERRY AND Orlando peered in through the flap to see what was going on. They saw a very frail and rather familiar-looking girl. She was bent double, crying buckets.
    â€œI think that’s Tallulah!” whispered Poppy.
    They all crouched down to get a better look and saw that a very short man, skinny except for his pot belly and dressed all in black, was talking to her.

    â€œPull yourself together, Tallulah. I’ve only decided that you’re not right for this show. I’m just not feeling your look for this collection, darling! OK?”
    â€œBut you were totally feeling it yesterday when we had the final fittings and dress rehearsal,” sobbed Tallulah.
    â€œIt
is
Tallulah. And that’s Ned Carew,” whispered Berry as the children strained to hear. “I bet Bryony wouldn’t admirehim so much if she could hear him talking now!”
    Poppy nodded.
    â€œWell, I’m not feeling your look now, sweetheart,” Ned continued, seeming totally oblivious to how upset Tallulah was. “I’ve got a younger girl lined up – fresh from Europe. She’s so much more now. I just want what’s best for the collection and so should you. And right now, that’s not you! That’s all I’m saying. Don’t take things so personally, yeah? Get over it.”
    Poppy was shocked. She couldn’t imagine anyone in the world being more beautiful or perfect than Tallulah, and she was really young too. Poppy thought she was probably about the same age as Saffron, although she’d been a world-famous model since she