The Favoured, The Fair and Ms. Vérité Claire

8 Pardonnez-moi

The following day's headlines included, "Le Cirque Jerk's Prank Stank!", "RomeOhNo!" and "Society Dame Says Actress to Blame!" But the one that nearly did Vérité in was placed above an under-the-chin shot of Vérité in her molasses mask which read, "Would You Die For This?!" It was too much for any woman to bear.

Minx must have been paying Garrett-Simon a mighty sum because he had refused to give her up to the police for any bribe Vérité could think of. When Vérité herself went to the police and insisted they arrest the performer for mischief they shamed her for wanting to waste the public's money tracking down "the guy on the bag of Robin Hood Flour" who was probably "half way to Portland by now."

"Julia, have you spoken to Orson lately?"

Vérité was standing in the window with her arms crossed wearing a rather severe fitted black faille outfit with velvet trim. She twisted her mouth as her eyes wandered to the creative left pensively, considering something.

"No," Julia said, curious as to why Vérité would think so.

"I was wondering if I couldn't get him to mug me or push me into traffic or something."

Julia sat on the edge of Vérité's bed and sighed patiently. "I'm sure he'd love to, but may I ask why?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about how after Elizabeth Taylor's affair with Richard Burton the church wanted her excommunicated and the public wanted her to wear a scarlet letter, then she nearly died and the Pope forgave her and everybody went on with their lives. Although...now saying it out loud...maybe it was the other way around. Hmm. Well, there's a lesson in there for you anyway, Julia, which is if you can get the Pope to buy it, so will everyone else."

"So cancel the contract?"

"I suppose," Vérité moped.

"This is silly," Julia said lightheartedly. "You did nothing wrong. No one would ever recognize you from that picture in broad daylight and anyone who knows you also knows by now it was a joke."

"And so I am a joke and I am good and mortified. Do you have any idea what it's like to walk into Holt's and have the floor manager pretend he doesn't know you?"

"All the time!"

"Yes, well once upon a time he and I and everyone else at the O'Kane Centre saw the ambassador to Spain's wife fall down two flights of stairs. That means she fell down one flight, rolled over the landing and then continued falling down the second flight! And that same floor manager still offered her champagne on Holiday Preview night!"

"Vérité..."

"No, no. I know you want to cheer me up, but Minx has pulled off her coup. And even though I have always felt she was the reincarnation of a village witch doctor whose last words were, 'Now everybody drink up!' – "

"Vérité..."

"– or 'Everybody into the volcano!' – "

"Vérité!"

" – or 'Follow those shadows over that cliff!', I have to admit she has a flair. She has won this one fair and square."

"That's very grand of you, Vérité."

"Flair will still get you killed in most countries. But not France. We're going to Paris."

"Paris!"

"Don't be so excited. This is not an adventure, it's an escape."

"Oh can't I be a little excited? It's Paris!" Julia, who never thrilled at anything, was practically swooning. She clasped her hands and crossed her legs at the ankles, bouncing on the bed hopefully.