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Back The Shoe Queen
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. “And may I say, those shoes are adorable.”
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. ( I )
  7. ( one )
  8. ( two )
  9. ( three )
  10. ( four )
  11. ( five )
  12. ( six )
  13. ( seven )
  14. ( eight )
  15. ( nine )
  16. ( ten )
  17. ( II )
  18. ( eleven )
  19. ( twelve )
  20. ( thirteen )
  21. ( fourteen )
  22. ( fifteen )
  23. ( III )
  24. ( sixteen )
  25. ( seventeen )
  26. ( eighteen )
  27. ( nineteen )
  28. ( IV )
  29. ( twenty )
  30. ( twenty-one )
  31. ( twenty-two )
  32. ( twenty-three )
  33. ( twenty-four )
  34. ( V )
  35. ( twenty-five )
  36. ( twenty-six )
  37. ( twenty-seven )
  38. ( twenty-eight )
  39. ( twenty-nine )
  40. VI
  41. ( thirty )
  42. ( thirty-one )
  43. ( thirty-two )
  44. ( thirty-three )
  45. ( thirty-four )
  46. ( VII )
  47. ( thirty-five )
  48. ( thirty-six )
  49. ( thirty-seven )
  50. ( thirty-eight )
  51. ( thirty-nine )
  52. ( forty )
  53. ( forty-one )
  54. ( forty-two )
  55. ( VIII )
  56. ( forty-three )
  57. ( forty-four )
  58. ( forty-five )
  59. ( forty-six )
  60. ( forty-seven )
  61. ( forty-eight )
  62. ( forty-nine )
  63. ( fifty )
  64. ( fifty-one )
  65. Acknowledgments
  66. Acknowledgments
  67. Questions for Discussion

“And now we’ve lost her anyway.” Genevieve eased off the D’Orsays and set them down on a stool beside her. They were several shades darker than earlier, and splattered with mud. Another pair ruined forever…She looked under the table at her feet, which were stained an odd blue—and then back up at…

Olga!

She was coming out of what must have been the WC, closing the door behind her. Being wet through made her look darker—the hair, the eyes—though still with that translucent quality. Oil in water.

“Well, well!” Genevieve did her best at wide-eyed surprise. “Fancy running into you.”

“Yes. How strange,” said Olga.

Genevieve moved her D’Orsays down to the floor. “Olga, meet Lulu of Montparnasse.”

“I know who she is. Doesn’t everyone?”

“Come and join us.” Lulu gestured to the empty stool. “Vivi will buy you a drink. Won’t you, chérie?”

One hour and several drinks later, nobody had entered or left the steamy bar. Lulu was chain-smoking, lighting each new cigarette from the end of the last. She was trying to soften Olga up. But Zachari’s assistant remained stiff and guarded. As did Genevieve.

“I like you, Olga,” Lulu was saying now. “We’re two of a kind. Two women who’ve known hard times. You can’t appreciate how good life is until you’ve seen the darker side. Don’t you think?”

“I suppose so. Yes.” Olga looked edgily at Genevieve.

“Why don’t you get us another drink?” said Lulu, adding, “Lady Ticksted?”

“I’m not—” But Genevieve stopped herself from going any further. Took a breath. After waving at the barman two or three times and failing to get his attention, she went up to the bar and ordered three more Armagnacs. By the time she returned with the drinks, Lulu was really hitting her stride.

“As for my mother—well, she couldn’t wait to get rid of me. And I couldn’t wait to get away from her, from the very moment I was born. I pushed my way out of that woman’s body so fast that she didn’t even have time to get home to bed. I landed in the street!”

Olga drained her brandy in one gulp. Her face was flushed and hot-looking.