there was a good chance Madame Delors would know about it.
Barrington stopped inside the door and glanced around the compact little shop. It was years since he’d had reason to frequent such an establishment, but it was evident they hadn’t changed. Bolts of richly coloured fabric of every type and shade filled the shelves; dress patterns were tacked to the walls; and in the centre of the room stood a raised podium surrounded on three sides by mirrors.
‘Bonjour, monsieur,’ called a charmingly accented French voice. ‘Puis-je vous aidez?’
The owner of the establishment was small and compact, with dark inquisitive eyes and a head of flaming red hair that surely owed more to artifice than it did to nature. Still, it suited her well and Barrington doffed his hat. ‘Bonjour, madame. My name is Sir Barrington Parker. I would like to ask you a few questions, if you have a moment to spare.’
The woman’s eyes narrowed, his comment obviously having put her on guard. ‘What kind of questions, monsieur?’
‘About a woman.’ He purposely didn’t use the term lady. ‘One I believe you dressed in the not-too-distant past.’
‘I dress many women, monsieur. You will ‘ave to give me ‘er name.’
‘Miss Elizabeth Paisley. Petite, lovely, with dark brown hair and uncommonly pretty green eyes.’
The modiste evidenced neither surprise nor recognition. ‘I do not think I know the lady.’
‘Really? I was told you’d made clothes for her. Perhaps you dealt with the gentleman who bought them. A Colonel Tanner?’
Madame Delors obviously knew a thing or two about what one did and didn’t say to gentlemen asking questions about other gentlemen’s ladies. ‘I ‘ave many gentlemen coming to buy clothes for their ladies, monsieur. But they do not always give me the names of the ladies they are buying for.’
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