Naughty In Nice (A Royal Spyness Mystery)

time of day. A drink with friends late in the evening maybe.” And he shrugged in that particularly unhelpful Gallic way.
    “Do you know where his villa is?”
    “Of course. It is on the Petit Corniche in the direction of Monte Carlo. About one, two kilometers beyond the town. But you cannot see it from the road. It is hidden away in a little cove.”
    At least I knew where to look now. And maybe I could enact the sort of drama Belinda was so good at—twisting my ankle outside the gate, or being almost knocked over by a speeding car—yes, that was a good one. I wasn’t sure I could carry it off as well as Belinda, but it was worth a try.
    I came out of the hotel and stood on the steps, wondering what to do next. Certainly not go back to the house of horror. I decided to take a look at the town and turned inland past the grounds of an elegant villa until I came to an area of commerce. Shops were just opening up their shutters and shopkeepers were putting out their wares. They called across to each other, good-natured insults and salutations in the strong southern dialect. I reached a little cobbled square, lined with more outdoor cafés, and suddenly there, drinking coffee, were my two new acquaintances from the train. I went over to them, delighted to see friendly faces.
    “How good to see you,” I said. “I thought you were staying at a villa.”
    “Oh, we are,” Vera replied. “But Coco has to meet a man from Grasse to discuss her new perfume, so we had the chauffeur drive us into town. But I’m surprised you’re so pleased to see us. We thought we’d been given the cold shoulder, didn’t we, Coco?”
    “We were mortified. We did not know what we had done to offend you,” Coco Chanel agreed.
    “What do you mean?”
    “We spotted you yesterday evening, going into the casino. We called out to you but you passed us without saying a word.”
    “The casino? I wasn’t at the casino. I was at the villa all evening.”
    “Strange.” Vera looked at Coco. “I could have sworn it was you.”
    “Absolutely. You must have a twin.”
    “How fascinating,” I said. “I wish I had been at the casino. I spent a dreadfully dull evening with my family.”
    “You must come and dine with us sometime,” Vera said. “Our hostess has an excellent chef.”
    “What do you mean, dine ?” Chanel demanded. “You must come to the villa this afternoon so that I can fit you for the clothes you will wear when you model for me at the unveiling of my collection.” She held up a warning hand as I was about to speak. “Do not say no. I will not hear of it. I absolutely insist. You are the look that I want—the true British aristocrat, isn’t she, Vera?”
    “Oh, rather,” Vera agreed.
    I felt my face going red. “No, really, you don’t want me. I’ll do something terrible and embarrass you, I know I will.”
    “Nonsense.” Coco laughed. “As Vera will tell you, it is quite impossible to embarrass me. I have survived all kinds of scandal in my life. I have developed a very thick skin. So come to the villa. Try on the clothes. You will see that what I ask you to do is not so terrible. Shall we say three o’clock?”
    It certainly was tempting. I might be invited to stay for dinner and have something decent to eat. And I’d be away from my relatives.
    “All right,” I said. “I will come.”
    “It is called Villa Marguerite,” Vera said. “Out on the Petit Corniche—that’s the headland you see if you face to the east. You’ll need to take a taxicab. It’s too far to walk.”
    “The Petit Corniche? Is it anywhere near Sir Toby Groper’s place?”
    “My dear, positively on top of him.” Vera laughed. “We look down on his gardens and his swimming pool. Lovely place it is too—private beach and dock. And you should see the size of his yacht. I believe it’s bigger than the Duke of Westminster’s, isn’t it, Coco—and that’s saying something.”
    That settled it. If becoming a fashion model was the only way to have a chance to meet Sir Toby, then I’d have to do it, and pray that I didn’t make too big a fool of myself.
    I arrived home to find the relatives sitting on deck chairs on the lawn. They looked quite peeved as I approached.
    “Where have you been all this time?” Fig demanded.
    “I went to have coffee with friends in town,” I said.
    “Friends?” Fig demanded. “I didn’t know you had friends here. Did you know she had friends here, Binky?”
    I could see her brain