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Ivy was iliest of the bunch: a canary-yellow felt toque trireen feathers that looked like antennae off to one side

"Oh, not that one!" said both Alexia and another voice at the same time when Ivy reached to pull it off the wall

Ivy’s hand dropped to her side, and both she and Lady Maccon turned to see thefroht, without envy, that this was quite probably the most beautiful fereen eyes, prominent cheekbones, and di now Normally Alexia objected to dimples, but they seemed to suit this woular frame and the fact that she had her brown hair cut unfashionably short, like aher

This was not because of the hair Or, not entirely because of it This was because the woman was also dressed head to shiny boots in perfect and impeccable style--for a ht of fashion A top hat perched upon that scandalously short hair, and her burgundy cravat was tied into a silken waterfall Still, there was no pretense at hiding her femininity Her voice, when she spoke, was low and melodic, but definitely that of a woloves from a display basket They were as soft as butter to the touch, and she looked at the at the woman

"I am Madame Lefoux Welcome to Chapeau de Poupe How may I serve you fine ladies?" She had the hint of a French accent, but only the barest hint, utterly unlike Angelique, who could never seem to handle the "th" sound

Ivy and Alexia curtsied with a little tilt to their heads, the latest fashion in curtsies, designed to show that the neck was unbitten One wouldn’t want to be thought a drone without the benefit of vah it was impossible to tell if her neck was bitten under that skillfully tied cravat Alexia noted with interest that she wore two cravat pins: one of silver and one of wood Madaht hours, but she was cautious about it

Lady Maccon said, "My friend Miss Hisselpenny has recently becoed and is in dire need of a new hat" She did not introduce herself, not yet Lady Maccon was a name best kept in reserve

Madame Lefoux took in Ivy’s copious flowers and feather bees "Yes, this is quite evident Do walk this way, Miss Hisselpenny I believe I have so over here that would perfectly suit that dress"

Ivy dutifully trotted after the strangely clad woave Alexia a look over her shoulder that said, as clearly as if she had the gu?

Alexia wandered over to the offensive yellow toque she and Madame Lefoux had so hastily warned Ivy off of It coeneral sophisticated tenor set by the other hats Alh it wasn’t meant to be purchased

As the extraordinary patroness seehly distracted by Ivy (well, ouldn’t be?), Alexia used the handle of her parasol to gently lift the toque and peek underneath It was at that precise moment she deduced why it was her husband had sent her to Chapeau de Poupe

There was a hidden knob, disguised as a hook, secreted under the hideous hat Alexia quickly replaced the hat and turned away to begin innocently wandering about the shop, pretending interest in various accessories She began to notice that there were other little hints as to a second nature for Chapeau de Poupe: scrape marks on the floor near a wall that seehts that were not lit Alexia would wager good hts at all

Lady Maccon would not have thought to be curious, of course, had her husband not been so insistent she visit the establish the height of la h to hold even her unstylish awareness But with the scrapes and the hidden knob, Alexia becaht be soulless, but the liveliness of her mind was never in question

She wandered over to where Madame Lefoux had actually persuaded Miss Hisselpenny to don a beco little straw bonnet with upturned front, decorated about the croith a few classy crearaceful blue feather

"Ivy, that looks remarkably well on you," she praised

"Thank you, Alexia, but don’t you find it a tad reserved? I’m not convinced it quite suits"

Lady Maccon and Mada like that horrible yellow thing at the back you insisted on at first I went to take a closer look, you know, and it really is quite ghastly"

Madalanced at Alexia, her beautiful face suddenly sharp and her dione

Alexia smiled, all teeth and not nicely One couldn’t live around olves and not pick up a few of their n?" she said mildly to the proprietress

"The work of an apprentice, I do assure you," replied Mada She put a new hat onto Ivy’s head, one with a few more flowers

Miss Hisselpenny preened

"Are there any ly yellow hat

"Well, there is that riding hat" The proprietress’s voice ary

Lady Maccon nodded Mada the hat nearest to the scrape marks Alexia had observed on the floor They understood one another

There came a pause in conversation while Ivy expressed interest in a frosted pink confection with feather toggles Alexia spun her closed parasol between two gloved hands

"You see as well," said Alexia, all ment crossed Madame Lefoux’s face at that "And, of course, there is the door handle But you kno it goes--there are always kinks to work out after opening a new establishment"

Lady Maccon cursed herself The door handle--how had sheon her parasol to look down at it

Ivy, all insensible of the underpinnings to their conversation, went on to try the next hat

The handle on the inside of the front door was far larger than it ought to be and sees and bolts, far more security than any ordinary hat shop required

Alexia wondered if Mada Madame Lefoux in a chatty manner when Alexia rejoined them, "Alexia always says round Her choices are so often banal"

"I lack ihly creative French maid"