The Fashion Princess (4 page)

Berry seemed to know the whole
scene inside out. She nudged Poppy. “Wow, look – there's Tallulah Melage,” she whispered, pointing to one of the models close by.

“This is so cool!” Poppy whispered in reply. “Don't you think she's the most beautiful girl in the whole world?”

“Definitely,” agreed Berry, mesmerized by the model.

Tallulah must have heard their whispered comments because she turned to the girls and smiled broadly.

“I'm not pretty first thing in the morning, I promise you, girls. It's all tricks of the trade,” she said sweetly, before floating off in a black chiffon mini-dress.

“Wow, she's a really nice person too,” said Berry.

“I know,” agreed Poppy. “I just can't believe she spoke to us.”

“Most models are really rude and unfriendly,” said Berry, sounding very knowledgeable. “But I reckon it's just 'cos they're hungry.”

“Yeah, probably,” agreed Poppy; she wasn't really sure why the models would be hungry, though she did know that she got quite grumpy when she hadn't eaten properly.

Saffron and Bryony came back after registering at Reception and were quite miffed when they found out that they had missed out on a personal chat with
Tallulah Melage. Bryony was secretly hoping that Tallulah would be there when she interviewed Ned Carew later that morning. She was desperate to meet her.

Bryony handed out everyone's official
Buttons
and
Bows
name badges, which allowed them access to all the VIP rooms and the shows. The girls were absolutely thrilled with theirs and pinned them on right away. Orlando was rather less enamoured with his, and shoved it into his famous bag!

“We have to wear our badges if we want to wander around the tents and runways and get into the smart cafés and everything,” explained Berry, taking Poppy under her wing.

“Um, OK, but what are runways?” asked Poppy curiously.

“Just the catwalks where the models sashay up and down in their incredible outfits,” explained Berry.

“I wish we could go and stare at airport runways instead of this old garbage,” moaned Orlando. “Clothes were invented to keep us dry and warm, or cool and comfortable. Everything else is just rubbish. That's what my dad says.”

“If you don't like it here, you should have stayed behind at the hotel, moron!” said Berry.

“Enough bickering, you two,” said Bryony firmly. “Let me explain what the plan is. First of all, Saffron and I have a couple of ‘press only' shows to go to, so you guys can go exploring. Then I've got an interview with Ned Carew. But you can go to any of the other shows so long as you wear your badges, OK?”

Berry and Poppy nodded, while
Orlando swatted a wasp.

“You can roam around freely but you mustn't leave the park, and don't take unofficial routes between the tents – always use the walkways, otherwise you'll get in the way. And if you get lost, go to Reception and we will find you there. Let's meet for lunch over in the VIP restaurant at about one o'clock. Here's a map. Have fun, and remember:
behave
– especially you, Orlando. You're wearing
Buttons
and
Bows
badges so you're representing the magazine.”

“We promise we'll be good,” chimed the children.

“Now, Orlando,” called Bryony, “if you
are
good, we'll watch a super-hero movie in the hotel later! Come on, Saffron, we should get going.”

Berry rolled her eyes. “I
never
get to see any date movies!” she complained.

“That's because you never get asked on any dates,” retorted Orlando.

“Yes I do, but I certainly wouldn't tell you about them!” Berry fired back.

“Eeeurgh. Dating makes me feel sick!” said Orlando, pretending to choke and eventually falling to the ground, clutching his throat and throwing his legs straight up in the air.

Poppy laughed. But this was the worst thing to do with Orlando, because it encouraged him to keep doing the ‘funny' thing over and over again, until it was no longer funny at all.

Saffron kissed Poppy goodbye and dashed off after Bryony, leaving the three new friends trying to decide what to do and where to go. Orlando started to try on a huge mother-of-the-bride style hat he found lying on a chair until Berry hissed at him to put it down before he got into trouble with its owner.

“I know,” she said. “Let's go and collect our Fashion Week goody bags from the sponsor. They've always got amazing stuff in them and it's all free!”

Poppy nodded keenly, while Orlando pretended to skip like a girl and said, “Oooh, yeah, our goody bags!”

Despite the fact that Bryony had warned them about sticking to the main walkways, they couldn't resist taking a short cut between two of the main tents. Orlando led the way confidently and they saw what it was like behind the scenes at Fashion Week, which the girls found absolutely fascinating. There were rails crammed full of outfits being wheeled to and fro, plus shoeboxes and make-up on trolleys. Crates of juice were lying around, as well as spare tent poles and generators used for heating and lighting the tents. People were agitatedly discussing timings, music was playing intermittently and seamstresses dashed about with measuring tapes round their necks and pins in their mouths.
There were models everywhere. Then, as they were walking behind one of the dressing tents, they heard what sounded like someone sobbing so they decided to investigate.

POPPY, BERRY AND
Orlando peered in through the flap to see what was going on. They saw a very frail and rather familiar-looking girl. She was bent double, crying buckets.

“I think that's Tallulah!” whispered Poppy.

They all crouched down to get a better look and saw that a very short man, skinny except for his pot belly and dressed all in black, was talking to her.

“Pull yourself together, Tallulah. I've only decided that you're not right for this show. I'm just not feeling your look for this collection, darling! OK?”

“But you were totally feeling it yesterday when we had the final fittings and dress rehearsal,” sobbed Tallulah.

“It
is
Tallulah. And that's Ned Carew,” whispered Berry as the children strained to hear. “I bet Bryony wouldn't admire
him so much if she could hear him talking now!”

Poppy nodded.

“Well, I'm not feeling your look now, sweetheart,” Ned continued, seeming totally oblivious to how upset Tallulah was. “I've got a younger girl lined up – fresh from Europe. She's so much more now. I just want what's best for the collection and so should you. And right now, that's not you! That's all I'm saying. Don't take things so personally, yeah? Get over it.”

Poppy was shocked. She couldn't imagine anyone in the world being more beautiful or perfect than Tallulah, and she was really young too. Poppy thought she was probably about the same age as Saffron, although she'd been a world-famous model since she was Daisy's age.

Ned strolled off as if he didn't have a care in the world, leaving poor Tallulah in a crumpled heap.

“I'm over. He hates me,” she said to herself. “What am I going to do?”

Berry went in through the gap in the tent, followed by Poppy and Orlando. She walked up to the model and handed her a tissue.

“We still think you look lovely!” she said shyly.

Tallulah managed a small smile and sniffed. “Thank you! It's just so awful that I've been dropped by Ned – he's like God around here. No one else is
going to want to work with me now.”