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"Mada to Italy, for my low spirits, you understand"

"Oh, dear, but, Alexia, you do realize"--Ivy lowered her voice to a whisper--"that Italy is where they keep Italians Are you quite certain you are adequately prepared to cope?"

Lady Maccon suppressed a s"

"I a about Italy recently I a to recal quite what it was, but it cannot possibly be a healthy place to visit, Alexia I understand that Italy is the place vegetables coetables"

Lady Maccon could think of nothing to say in response to that, so she continued packing

Ivy returned to perusing the hats, final y settling on a flowerpot style covered in striped purple and black tweed, with large purple rosettes, gray ostrich plu piece of wire that stuck straight out of the crown It looked, when Ivy proudly donned said hat, as though she were being stalked by an enraptured jel yfish

"I shal have a new carriage dress made to match," she announced proudly while poor Tunstel paid for the atrocity

Lady Maccon remarked, under her breath, "Wouldn’t it be more sensible to, for exaible?"

Ivy pretended not to hear, but Tunstel shot his wife’s friend a wide s up fro, Mrs Tunstel , if you reat favor"

Ivy was never one to let down a friend in need "Delighted, Madame Lefoux How may I be of assistance?"

"Wel , as you ood phrase when applied to Ivy--"I wil be acco Lady Maccon to Italy"

"Oh, real y? How noble of you But I suppose you are French, which can’t possibly be al that different from Italian"

Mada her powers of speech

She cleared her throat "Yes, well , I ondering if youof the hat shop while I ae in trade? well , I don’t know" Ivy looked about at the dangling hats, undeniably telory But stil , she had not been raised for commerce

"You could, of course, borrow from the stock at your leisure and discretion"

Mrs Tunstel ’s eyes took on a distinctly covetous sheen "Wel , if you put it like that, Madame Lefoux, how can I possibly refuse? I would be absolutely delighted to take on the task What do I need to know? Oh, wait just a moment, before we start, if you please

Ormond" Ivy summoned her husband with a little flap of her hand

Dutiful y, Tunstel trotted over, and Ivy issued him a complex set of whispered instructions In a flash, he had doffed his hat to the ladies, let himself out the front door, and was off down the street about some errand at his wife’s behest

Alexia approved At least Ivy had him well trained

Madame Lefoux led Mrs Tunstel behind the s her how to cook the books

"No need to place any new orders, and no need to open the shop for business al that frequently while I am away I have listed the important appointments here I understand you are a busy lady"

Ivy displayed surprising aptitude for the accounting She always had been good with su serious, at least about hats

Just as they were finishing up, Tunstel reappeared, clutching a sood-byes Directly before leaving, Ivy handed Alexia the package that Tunstel had just acquired

"For you, my dearest Alexia"

Curiously, Alexia turned it about in her hands before unwrapping it careful y It turned out to be a whole pound of tea inside a decorative little wooden box

"I re I had heard about Italy" Ivy dabbed at the corner of one eye with her handkerchief in an excess of sentiment "What I heard… Oh, I can hardly speak of it… I heard that in Italy they drink"--she paused--"coffee " She shuddered delicately "So horribly bad for the stomach" She pressed Alexia’s hand fervently with both of hers and the damp handkerchief "Good luck"

"Why, thank you, Ivy, Tunstel , very thoughtful and kind of you both"