Sophie sighed with pleasure. At least, then, she would have someone to start with.

“Claudette,” she said. “I am promoting you to manager of this store. I am Sophie Massot, head of House Massot.”

Claudette’s eyes widened, but she was too shocked to say anything.

“What is your current salary?”

“Eighteen thousand euros, Madame,” Claudette whispered.

“That’s all?” No wonder we cannot attract serious staff, Sophie thought. “Never mind, as of now it is forty thousand euros.”

Claudette swallowed hard.

“Your first task as manager will be to terminate the other staff.”

“All of them?”

“All of them,” Sophie said implacably. “Do you not see how they are dressed, Mademoiselle? House Massot sells pieces aimed at very rich women.They are used to being served by people who take pride in both their work and their appearance. When one is selling fine gems, the two things go together; don’t you think?”

Claudette nodded.

“But, Madame, who will run the place?”

“You’re in charge,” Sophie said. “Don’t you have any ideas?”

“Actually . . . I do. There are some staff in the other stores who think as you do, Madame. Maybe too many staff. . . . You could take the best ones and dismiss the rest, and you would still have enough in each showroom, I think, for the current volume of customers.”

The store was empty; nobody had entered in the last quarter of an hour.

“Delicately put,” Sophie said with a smile. “There will be changes coming, Claudette, plenty of them.”

The girl glanced back at the others, who were now openly staring at them, expressions hostile.

“But what shall I say is the reason for their dismissal?”

“You could always try the truth,” Sophie said. “Inappropriate dress, inattentiveness to customers, socializing on company time. You can handle it, can’t you?”

Claudette looked at the group again, and gave a small, resolute toss of her head.

“Oh yes, Madame,” she said. “Certainly.”

Richard discharged Sophie at rue Tricot an hour later. She had anticipated Claudette and visited all the Massot stores herself; besides, although she had confidence in the girl, Sophie was in a mood to trust no one.

It was not that surprising to find it the same story everywhere. Exceptional jewels displayed, and served, with a sloppiness of presentation and lack of enthusiasm that was simply breathtaking. The shops were either empty of customers, or contained the barest trickle. Sophie wondered how they stayed profitable. Presumably the prices were so high that a very few sales could keep the stores afloat.

But a 9 percent rise in the stock . . .