Cruello

Chapter 5: Stolen Heirloom

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Estello ran down the road on his way to the address he was given.

"It's funny how those happy accidents can change the whole direction of your life. Although, looking back, "happy" may be the wrong word."

Estello walked up to a gate and rang the doorbell. Jeffery answered the door and looked down at him.

"Ah, you." He said with slight disgust. "Quickly, come on!" He shouted, clapping his hands.

"Right. Okay."

"Come along. Up here." He led up him upstairs to a room that had many designers sketching at tables, wheeling mannequins around, and designing new outfits.

Estello looked around in awe, before Jeffery clapped his hands.

"Silence!" He called out to the room.

All the employees turned to look up at a balcony to see the baroness standing up there ready to make an announcement.

"My last show..." she began, "...was a triumph. Shall I read to you all from Tattletale?" She held up a newspaper and started reading. "Baroness designs stunned with her reinvention of the A-line with a bias cut and higher line that-"

She was cut off by a man coughing. She paused for a moment before continuing.

"Reshapes the silhouette in such an audacious way the audience broke into rapturous applause at first sight. She really is a genius."

She paused, and looked out onto the crowd.

"I'll read that but again, shall I? "She really is a genius." A triumph. Take a moment to revel in it." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Oh, that's enough. New show. We must be perfect. Now go." She said before walking off.

"Window boy." Jeffery scolded. "Grab a mannequin, some fabric, and throw something together. The Baroness needs looks."

"Looks. Right." Estello said, before rushing off.

He ran around grabbing some fabrics and began to work.

...

All the employees were standing in two lines to present their work. The Baroness started going down the line to judge everyone's work.

"That's foolish."

"Unhinged."

"We'll, you're fired."

"Pasty, pasty, pasty."

She stopped when she got to Estello's mannequin.

"Hmm." She hummed, pulling out a switch blade and cutting off some of the fabric.

Estello stuck his hand out and gasped when the Baroness cut him.

"Why are you speaking?" She asked, tweaking his design.

"I think you nicked me." He told her.