“Mikey,” Bella said softly.
“Americans,” Hattie muttered in xenophobic abhorrence.
“Poorly-accessorized, small-minded Scottish people,” Mikey muttered back, using nearly Hattie’s same tone.
Fiona giggled.
So did Annie.
“I’ll just take care of you now, Hattie,” Fern offered but Hattie walked in, slammed the candle she was holding on the wee table and glared at Fern.
“Don’t bother. I’ve decided I don’t want it,” she declared, cast a venomous gaze about the room and stormed out.
Mikey snatched up the candle and smelled it, exclaiming loudly enough for the departing Hattie to hear, “Oo, meadow, my favorite scent! I’ll take it!”
Annie and Fiona were still giggling but Fern was looking at Bella.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Bella shook her head but said, “Yes, fine. It’s not unusual from her, Hattie’s never liked me.”
“Hattie doesn’t like anyone,” Annie proclaimed.
“I don’t know,” Fern whispered and her eyes were on the door.
“You don’t know what?” Mikey asked.
“It’s just…” Fern started then she glanced again at Bella. “I grew up with her, we were in the same year as Prentice at school. She really liked him.”
“What’s not to like?” Mikey enquired then declared, “The man is hot.”
Fern grinned at Mikey. “Aye, well, he always was a fine looking lad. It’s just the way Hattie liked him.” She looked at Bella. “It always spooked me.”
Annie and Mikey (and Fiona) leaned forward as Annie asked, “How so?”
Fern shook her head. “I can’t say, can’t put my finger on it. But it was just…” she paused and shivered, “strange.”
“You. Are. Creeping. Me. Out,” Mikey stated flatly.
“Sorry,” Fern whispered on a grin to Bella.
“You know, Dougal said something once,” Annie put in softly and everyone turned to her. “Something about how he heard Hattie say something about Fiona. Something very Hattie, just mean. But Dougal said something like, ‘Reckon it’s Prentice, Hattie always hated anyone who caught Prentice’s eye.’ I didn’t think anything of it but it’s true.” Annie looked at Bella. “She barely knows I exist except to be passably nasty but she’s always been actively spiteful to you and I saw her look at Fiona once and it was downright chilling.”
Fiona’s ghostly body shivered just listening to Annie and thinking that Hattie looked at her like she’d caught Hattie looking at Bella just now which, evidently, she had.
“She made a play for him once,” Fern threw in, everyone looked at her and then instantly moved closer. “I only know about it because I overheard Old Lady Kilbride talking about it.” Fern tilted her head to the side and looked at Bella. “Sorry Bella, but it was just after you left.”
Bella gave her a small smile and Fern carried on.
“I, personally, saw the first part but I didn’t know she took it further. See, Prentice was getting pissed at the pub and everyone saw her sidling up to him, even me. It was kind of sad, really because everyone knew Prentice was upset, sorry Bella,” she said again and when Bella shrugged and gave her a small, encouraging smile, Fern forged ahead. “And everyone knows when he’s upset he gets kind of moody and they should leave him alone.”
“You can say that again,” Mikey put in and Fern gave him a grin.
“Apparently,” Fern carried on, “she made her play when he was walking home. I don’t know what happened but Mrs. Kilbride said Hattie was in fits. Mrs. Kilbride heard her from the pavement, shouting the house down over at her Mum’s. Her friend was there, what was her name?” Fern paused. “The one who moved to Dundee?” When no one answered, Fern carried on, “Anyway, she was saying something about Prentice being good enough for toffee-nosed Americans, sorry Bella,” she repeated on an embarrassed grimace and went on, “But not good enough for the local lasses and demanding to know what was wrong with her.”
“I’d need a whole week, twenty-four seven, to detail what’s wrong with her,” Mikey muttered.
“I hardly think Hattie Fennick is worth this kind of intense conversation,” Bella remarked.
“You’ve got to admit, it’s weird,” Annie replied.
“Okay, so she had a crush on Prentice back in the day and, because of her unrequited love, she doesn’t like me and didn’t like Fiona. That’s understandable. We have or had what she wants or wanted. And this is Hattie. It’s can’t be a surprise that she’d be poor loser,” Bella explained.
“This is true,” Annie said.
It was true, Fiona thought, but it still was spooky.
And Fiona was on the lookout for spooky.
Because spooky could become dangerous.
Watch out for Hattie Fennick! Fiona shouted at Bella.
“But, I’ll watch out for Hattie Fennick,” Bella announced and at this dramatic statement everyone looked at her funny so she grinned. “I mean, I wouldn’t want the likes of Hattie Fennick messing up my Scottish fairytale come alive, now would I?”
Mikey slid an arm along her shoulders and tucked her into his side. “Nothing’s going to mess up your Scottish fairytale come alive, especially not the likes of Hattie Fennick,” he assured and gave Bella a squeeze.
“All right,” Bella said decisively. “Now, I’ve got a bedroom to decorate. We need new furniture. And bed linens.” She turned to Fern. “Do you deal with that too?”
Fern smiled and replied, “Absolutely.”
Fifteen minutes later, Bella had warmed to her theme and was standing in the store discussing ideas with Fern on how to redecorate the sitting room whilst Annie and Mikey were perusing her wares when the bell over the door rang and Prentice’s sister Debs stormed in.
She was breathing so heavily she was wheezing, her hand held to her throat.
“Debs, what on earth?” Bella asked, hurrying to Debs while Fiona floated along.
“The… you… Mrs. Kilbride…” Debs panted, “said you were here. I ran here the minute I saw it.”
“Saw what?” Bella asked and without another word Debs opened her big bag and pulled out a magazine.
“Oh crap,” Annie breathed as everyone got close.
“I thought they’d gone,” Bella whispered as she looked at the magazine as if it might grow teeth and bite her.
“Apparently, they had, into hiding!” Debs declared and showed Bella the cover.
On the front was a photo of Laurent and his strumpet, a bright yellow jagged line separating them, an announcement above them stating, “It’s over!”
In the bottom corner there was a photo of Bella and Prentice snogging.
Actually snogging.
Not a peck on the lips but a full on snog.
The small title by their photo said, “While Isabella Lives Happily Ever After”.
Fiona stared as Bella groaned, “Oh no.”
“Girlie-girl!” Mikey hooted. “They got a picture of you and Mr. Broody-Hot making out! Look at that! It’s gorgeous! I love it!”
Bella glared at Mikey while Annie asked, “How on earth did they get that?”
Bella took the magazine from Debs’s hand and started flipping through it.
“Remember a week ago, you, Dougal, Pren and I were at the pub?” Bella asked Annie, still flipping. “Well, Pren kissed me by the car.” Her head came up. “We thought the photographers had all gone.”
“Well they hadn’t,” Mikey commented.
“Yes, Mikey, I can see that,” Bella snapped.
“Oh, wow, hey Mikey. You’re here,” Debs smiled at him in belated greeting and Mikey returned her smile.
“Why are you so happy about this?” Annie asked Mikey with narrowed eyes.