“It’s bold,” Mikey announced.
“It would be great for toss pillows or something. Just a splash of color,” Bella replied and then looked at Fern and asked, “Don’t you think?”
“Oh I do!” Fern said excitedly. “All that cream framing these bright flashes of blue. Only toss pillows or maybe a bedroll. Perfect!”
“I like it too,” Annie declared.
“Is someone going to wait on me?” They heard asked peevishly from the door and everyone turned to see Hattie Fennick standing there.
Fiona turned too and when she did, her ghostly body went completely still.
Hattie Fennick was glaring at Bella with such hate, if Fiona had breath, that look of frank, open hostility would surely have stolen it.
Danger, Fiona thought.
Then Hattie scowled at Fern with such ill-will that Fiona thought she was being silly about the way Hattie glared at Bella.
Hattie hated everyone. She was a notorious cow.
And Hattie was also incapable of being dangerous. She was just a bitter, little nobody who no one liked because she took out her bad temper on anyone who was unlucky enough to cross her path.
“Hattie, we’re getting some ideas down for Prentice and Bella’s bedroom. Can you wait just a tick?” Fern enquired.
Hattie’s eyes went back to Bella and her lip curled.
“You’re using Fern to decorate Prentice’s bedroom?” she asked as if she wouldn’t ask Fern to paint the house number on her recycling box.
“Prentice and Bella’s bedroom, darling,” Mikey corrected and Hattie sliced a derisive glance at him before she looked back at Bella.
“So, if you’re redecorating Fiona’s house, can we assume you’re going to stay longer than a few months before you run away again?” she queried and Fiona watched Bella brace as both Annie and Mikey shifted into defense mode.
Really, Fiona thought, Hattie was such a cow.
“Hattie,” Fern said in a low voice.
“Well, everyone’s thinking it,” Hattie snapped.
“No, everyone isn’t,” Fern snapped back. “In fact, you’re the only one who is.”
“This is the one who sold Prentice and Bella’s story to that magazine,” Annie talked over the byplay, informing Mikey of Hattie’s duplicity.
“Really?” Mikey asked then raked Hattie top-to-toe with his eyes. “You obviously didn’t negotiate a good enough fee or, perhaps, you like that handbag?”
“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.”