going to take no for an answer.
‘Under bed,’ Inge hissed.
Annie didn’t need to be told twice; she hit the carpet and rolled under the bed as quickly as she could.
Meanwhile, Inge opened the door. Annie could see the white rubber clogs of the nurse at the door. She gave a little shudder of anxiety.
Some Italian was exchanged, too quickly for Annie to make out. Then, to her vast relief, the door closed and she and Inge were alone in the room.
‘Is safe,’ Inge told her, ‘I say room is empty.’
Annie came out from under the bed. ‘You are my new best friend,’ she declared. ‘Now I know you can’t give me food, but you can tell me where to hide when the nurse comes back again tomorrow.’
Chapter Twelve
London
Elena means business:
White blouse (Banana Republic)
Grey pencil skirt (Calvin Klein)
Grey suede high heels (LK Bennett sale)
Tiny diamond pendant (Tiffany’s from Seth)
Metallic blue nails (Chanel)
Total est. cost: £460
ELENA WAS SITTING in the small basement office of her mother’s house, firing out emails from her laptop. She was still seethingly furious with her mother.
How dare she turn all their ideas down without even listening, without even looking properly, without even asking one single informed question!
Svetlana was so stubborn and so pig-headed. Everything had to be done exactly her way, or it couldn’t be done at all. Compromise was not a word which had ever entered into Elena’s mother’s head.
No wonder she’d run into so many divorces. She was a complete tyrant.
She hadn’t even wanted to talk to Elena properly again. As soon as Elena’s presentation was over, Svetlana had busied herself with her trip to Italy and then, after leaving a great long list of instructions, she’d been driven off to the airport early in the morning.
Elena cared passionately about Perfect Dress. She wanted it to grow and to thrive. She wanted it, one day, to be a leading international label. In Elena’s opinion, Svetlana did not care nearly enough about the label. For Svetlana, Perfect Dress was just a hobby, something she’d been happy to create to keep Elena busy.
Was Svetlana really bothered if Perfect Dress survived for another season or not? Elena didn’t think so.
Svetlana would still have her mansion, her millions, her London social life, her dazzling jewels, and no doubt she’d be quite happy to give Elena a little allowance and then begin her insatiable quest to marry her off to the richest Eastern European man she could reel in.
Ha.
For a brief moment, Elena stopped raging and thought about the very important man in her life: the non-Eastern-European, non-multimillionaire Seth.
Seth was another reason that Elena needed to make Perfect Dress a success. If she didn’t have an office and a business in New York, then she would have to come back to London and say goodbye to Seth – which was impossible to imagine.
Her handsome photographer boyfriend was the best guy she’d ever met; maybe the best guy she would ever meet. He’d been with her since she first moved to New York, in fact he was part of the reason she’d moved. She didn’t have any doubts that they were very much in love but a move back to London might ruin everything.
Did Svetlana care?
Did Svetlana even consider her feelings for one moment?
Did Svetlana realize how serious she felt about this business and this guy?
No, no and no.
Fingers slamming against the keys, Elena was back to raging once again. She would show Svetlana. She would have the new dresses made up and she would make them fly!
A timid tap on the office door let Elena know that Maria was on the other side.
‘Hi Maria, come in.’
Elena liked and respected Maria and often wondered how Maria had managed to put up with Svetlana and all her demands for so long.
‘So sorry to disturb,’ Maria began, with an apologetic little bow.
‘No don’t worry about it. Is everything OK?’
‘The tennis coach is here for the boys. He has
‘Under bed,’ Inge hissed.
Annie didn’t need to be told twice; she hit the carpet and rolled under the bed as quickly as she could.
Meanwhile, Inge opened the door. Annie could see the white rubber clogs of the nurse at the door. She gave a little shudder of anxiety.
Some Italian was exchanged, too quickly for Annie to make out. Then, to her vast relief, the door closed and she and Inge were alone in the room.
‘Is safe,’ Inge told her, ‘I say room is empty.’
Annie came out from under the bed. ‘You are my new best friend,’ she declared. ‘Now I know you can’t give me food, but you can tell me where to hide when the nurse comes back again tomorrow.’
Chapter Twelve
London
Elena means business:
White blouse (Banana Republic)
Grey pencil skirt (Calvin Klein)
Grey suede high heels (LK Bennett sale)
Tiny diamond pendant (Tiffany’s from Seth)
Metallic blue nails (Chanel)
Total est. cost: £460
ELENA WAS SITTING in the small basement office of her mother’s house, firing out emails from her laptop. She was still seethingly furious with her mother.
How dare she turn all their ideas down without even listening, without even looking properly, without even asking one single informed question!
Svetlana was so stubborn and so pig-headed. Everything had to be done exactly her way, or it couldn’t be done at all. Compromise was not a word which had ever entered into Elena’s mother’s head.
No wonder she’d run into so many divorces. She was a complete tyrant.
She hadn’t even wanted to talk to Elena properly again. As soon as Elena’s presentation was over, Svetlana had busied herself with her trip to Italy and then, after leaving a great long list of instructions, she’d been driven off to the airport early in the morning.
Elena cared passionately about Perfect Dress. She wanted it to grow and to thrive. She wanted it, one day, to be a leading international label. In Elena’s opinion, Svetlana did not care nearly enough about the label. For Svetlana, Perfect Dress was just a hobby, something she’d been happy to create to keep Elena busy.
Was Svetlana really bothered if Perfect Dress survived for another season or not? Elena didn’t think so.
Svetlana would still have her mansion, her millions, her London social life, her dazzling jewels, and no doubt she’d be quite happy to give Elena a little allowance and then begin her insatiable quest to marry her off to the richest Eastern European man she could reel in.
Ha.
For a brief moment, Elena stopped raging and thought about the very important man in her life: the non-Eastern-European, non-multimillionaire Seth.
Seth was another reason that Elena needed to make Perfect Dress a success. If she didn’t have an office and a business in New York, then she would have to come back to London and say goodbye to Seth – which was impossible to imagine.
Her handsome photographer boyfriend was the best guy she’d ever met; maybe the best guy she would ever meet. He’d been with her since she first moved to New York, in fact he was part of the reason she’d moved. She didn’t have any doubts that they were very much in love but a move back to London might ruin everything.
Did Svetlana care?
Did Svetlana even consider her feelings for one moment?
Did Svetlana realize how serious she felt about this business and this guy?
No, no and no.
Fingers slamming against the keys, Elena was back to raging once again. She would show Svetlana. She would have the new dresses made up and she would make them fly!
A timid tap on the office door let Elena know that Maria was on the other side.
‘Hi Maria, come in.’
Elena liked and respected Maria and often wondered how Maria had managed to put up with Svetlana and all her demands for so long.
‘So sorry to disturb,’ Maria began, with an apologetic little bow.
‘No don’t worry about it. Is everything OK?’
‘The tennis coach is here for the boys. He has
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