Belle stared at Rachel in disgusted shock then she hissed, “Mom, I can’t believe you just said that.”
Her mother’s eyebrows went up. “What? He’s stinking rich. He lives in a castle, for goodness sakes and you’re carrying his child. The least he could do is buy you a cute car.”
“He’s already housing me, feeding me and you and Gram, by the way. Not to mention, he’s paying for Dirk,” Belle reminded her.
“So?” her Mom replied.
“So, I think that’s enough, don’t you?”
“No,” Rachel returned. “Like I said, he’s stinking rich and you’re carrying his child which, by the way,” she mimicked the same tone Belle had used on her, “he seems delighted about.” She turned to her door, muttering, “Tomorrow, I’ll have a word.”
Belle hastily exited her side and shouted after her mother, “Don’t you dare ask Jack to buy me a car!”
“Oh! Brilliant!” Yasmin called from the steps. “What kind of car are you going to get?”
Belle closed her eyes.
“One like yours,” Rachel called back.
Belle opened her eyes and glared at her mother.
“Brilliant!” Yasmin repeated, her happy gaze on Belle. “We can be car twins.” Belle was trying to wrap her mind around the concept of “car twins” while she walked forward and witnessed Yasmin’s face falling. “Though, Jack’s a Jag man. He’s always owned Jaguars.” Then her expression brightened. “If he gets you one of those, you should get green. I love green Jags. British racing green. Lush.”
Belle walked up the steps announcing, “Jack is not buying me a car. My car is perfectly fine.”
“No… it… is… not,” Yasmin decreed, sliding her arm through Belle’s elbow and walking her through the open door. “You’re a national treasure, a stylish national treasure. Your boyfriend is hot and he’s rich and he’s famous and you’re having his baby. This all means you need a great car.”
Yasmin, Belle decided instantly, not only liked to spend her trust fund money, she liked to spend any money, no matter whose it was.
“Can we stop talking about the car?” Belle asked when they hit the entry and Rachel, with effort, pushed the heavy door closed behind them.
“Oh yes!” Yasmin whispered with excitement. “Let’s talk about The McPherson.” Yasmin’s gaze moved to Rachel and it was dancing. “He’s here and he’s hilarious. I came out to tell you. Wait until you meet him.”
She linked her other arm through Rachel’s elbow and propelled them all to the library.
Belle liked the library almost as much as she liked the drawing room, the morning room and Jack’s study. It was also lined with books and somehow managed to be both austere and welcoming. It was austere because it too was huge with a massive fireplace. But the musty scent, the many books (which everyone knew equalled “relax and stay awhile”), the worn leather couches and comfortable armchairs with ottomans made it welcoming.
Yasmin let them go so they could walk into the library single file and Belle halted at what she saw.
A big man with lots of white, dishevelled hair and ruddy, pink cheeks was standing, arms crossed on his chest, legs planted wide, wearing full Scottish gear.
That was full Scottish gear – kilt, hose, sporran, garter flashes, knife in his sock, ghillie brogues, top-to-toe Scottish gear.
Belle had been to Scotland, she’d seen men casually wearing kilts but this was something else.
But it wasn’t just him.
The woman with him was gorgeous with a mess of rich, dark brown hair which Belle could see only because there was a lot of it. Mostly the crown of her head was covered as it was wrapped tightly in a big scarf that had moons and stars printed on it and long, ragged edges that tangled in her hair. She also had long, thin scarves, three of them that Belle could count, their ends dangling and tangled with a variety of long and short silver necklaces around her neck. She also had silver bangles on both wrists, silver earrings at her ears and silver rings on all her fingers. She was wearing a belt made out of big silver disks threaded through the belt loops of her jeans not to mention another scarf wrapped lower on her hips.
She wore so much silver, it made her mother’s copious silver, self-ornamentation seem tame.
Belle stared at them, stunned.
They looked exactly like two, crazy “Ghost Helpers” would look.
If Jack met these two, he’d have a fit.
Then he’d eject them.
Then he’d demand that Belle give up her quest to send Myrtle and Lewis to heaven.
“Holy heck,” she whispered.
“Aren’t they great?” Yasmin asked.
“Holy heck,” Belle repeated.
“I love your scarves!” Rachel shouted, moving forward and greeting them both.
Belle hung back.
Gram and Joy were also there and as Belle continued to stand frozen to the spot, her mind consumed with all the ways Jack would lose his mind when he met Cassandra McNabb and The McPherson, Gram spoke.
“My granddaughter is a little shy.”
The McPherson regarded Belle a moment, his eyes narrowed.
Then his face cleared and he grinned a crooked, mad grin.
“Get over here, lass!” he boomed. “Let The McPherson get a good look at you.”
“Um…” Belle muttered.
“Come on, come on…” he urged, moving toward her and Belle wanted to retreat, she really, really did but she thought it might appear rude.
The McPherson got close and put a big, gentle hand between her shoulder blades and propelled her forward all the while looking down at her.
“I’m Angus McPherson of The McPhersons, at your service,” he announced.
“I’m Belle Abbot,” she whispered timidly.
He stopped her close to the huddle of women that had formed in front of the fireplace.
When he spoke again, he was no longer booming. It was quiet and as gentle as the hand he’d put at her back.
“I know, lass. Know you, know what you did. Never met a hero. Been one, a number of times, never met one. Least, not a wee slip of girl like you.”
She’d tilted her head to watch him speak and as he did, she pulled in a breath.
“No, lass,” his voice was still quiet when he talked on, “we won’t talk about it. I know it makes you uncomfortable.”
She didn’t know how he knew that unless Cassandra, the clairvoyant white witch soaked up her vibes somehow and told him but Belle didn’t say anything. She just nodded.
“Now!” Angus McPherson was back to booming. “Let’s get this ghost business sorted!”
“I’m Cassandra,” the witch came forward, a smile on her face, her hand extended.
“Belle,” Belle replied and took her hand.
When Belle’s fingers closed around Cassandra’s, through her hand she felt Cassandra’s body jerk. Then the woman went still, her smile died and her eyes grew hazy.
Belle grew concerned when she didn’t come out of her sudden, weird trance and Belle’s hand gripped Cassandra’s more firmly as she lost her shyness and moved closer.
“Are you all right?” Belle asked but Cassandra didn’t answer. She just kept staring at nothing, vacant, looking lost.
Angus got close and whispered, “Cass?”
“What’s happening?” Joy asked, her tone concerned.
“Cassandra,” Belle called when Cassandra still didn’t focus. She got closer, her hand squeezing and Cassandra’s hand squeezed back, so hard it caused pain. “Cassandra!” Belle called again, sharply. Now she was worried. “Are you okay?”
“Cass!” Angus bellowed, putting a meaty hand on Cassandra’s shoulder and shaking her.
All of a sudden Cassandra’s eyes widened and she yanked her hand from Belle’s like Belle’s hand burned.
Then she stared at Belle, her eyes full of something Belle couldn’t read but whatever it was, it made Belle’s worry intensify.
Significantly.
“Bloody hell, mate,” Cassandra whispered.
“What?” Belle asked in a breathy voice.
Cassandra opened her mouth, her eyes dropped to Belle’s stomach then she closed it. Her gaze swung to Angus and Belle could tell she was trying to communicate something but Belle didn’t know what.
“Is something wrong?” Lila was now close and watching Cassandra.
“Nothing, just that, I think there’s a complication,” Cassandra answered, backing up and away from Belle.
Angus, however, stayed close.
“What complication?” Yasmin asked. She, as well as Belle’s Mom and Joy had also closed ranks.
“I can’t say for certain, right now. I need to…” she stopped abruptly, her head jerked then her face went pale.
Belle felt the blood run from her own face and she glanced at her Mom when Rachel snapped, “What is it now?”
Cassandra came back into the room swiftly and announced, “I need to stay here. In the castle. So does Angus.”
Belle felt Angus grow still beside her but it was Joy who spoke. “Why? Is something –?”
Cassandra cut her off, “I need to do some readings.”
“What kind of readings?” Joy asked hesitantly.
Cassandra started moving toward the door. “I’ll explain later. I need to get set up now.” She stopped at the door, turned and asked suddenly and bizarrely, “Do you have a cat?”
Joy shook her head but said, “We have dogs. German Shepherds, two of them.”
Cassandra wrinkled her nose in disgust and dropped her eyes to the floor mumbling, “Dogs. Bloody useless.” Her gaze went to The McPherson and she declared, “Angus, we need to chat.”
Angus ambled to the door saying, “You got it, lass.”
Lila followed them determinedly insisting, “Wait just one damned minute.”
Both Cassandra and Angus halted their exit and looked at Belle’s grandmother.
“What, exactly, is going on?” Lila demanded to know.
As Belle, with her mother on one side, Jack’s mother on her other side and Yasmin close, stared at the three at the door, Cassandra’s gaze levelled on Gram.
“I can’t be certain and I don’t want to alarm you but I think there aren’t two ghosts in this house.”
“There are,” Joy blurted. “I’ve been seeing them for forty years!”
“I saw them too!” Rachel added. “And so did Belle.”
Cassandra shook her head but stated, “There aren’t two ghosts.” Her gaze took in everyone in the room. “I think there might be three.”
Joy gasped.
Lila’s head whipped around to look at Belle.
“Bloody hell,” Yasmin whispered.
“Oh lordy,” Rachel breathed.
Belle talked around her heart which was lodged squarely in her throat.
“Three?” she asked.
Cassandra’s eyes settled on Belle. “I don’t know, mate. I’m sensing something.” She turned her gaze to Lila. “Let me do some readings. I’ll let you know the minute I know.”
“How long will that take?” Lila enquired.
“I don’t know. It could take an hour. It could take five days. He might not want to be sensed, might go into hiding,” Cassandra answered.
“He?” Joy asked.
“He,” Cassandra replied and then took in a breath. On her exhale, she tried to calm them all. “There’s nothing to panic about, not yet anyway. Just let me get to work.”
“Go! Work!” Rachel demanded sharply.
Cassandra gave Angus a look, Angus nodded and they both left the room.
Everyone in the room was silent.
Then Joy’s body jerked and she rushed forward, muttering, “I need to get some rooms ready.” Then she left the room.
At her words, Belle’s terror intensified and she looked at her mother.
“Mom –”
Rachel took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Nothing to worry about, honeypot. We’ve got the Ghost Helpers on the case. Everything will be fine.”
Belle turned to her mother. “That’s what I’m worried about. They’re going to be staying here.”
“I think that’s good,” Yasmin put in. “A timesaver. They don’t have to drive to work. They can just get up, have breakfast and then,” she clapped her hands, “get right to it.”
Belle looked at Yasmin and asked, “Did you see them?”
“Sure,” Yasmin replied casually.
“Did you get a good look at them?” Belle went on.
“Sure,” Yasmin repeated. “Seriously, Belle, they’re cool. Before you got home, we told them the whole Myrtle and Lewis story and they sounded like they knew exactly –”
“Yasmin,” Belle interrupted her, being uncharacteristically rude but she thought the situation warranted it, “you’ve known Jack longer than all of us. What do you think he’ll do when he sees those two and finds out they’re staying under his roof doing readings and going into weird trances and, I don’t know,” she paused as her hysteria escalated and finished with, “being outrageously Scottish!”
Light dawned and Yasmin whispered, “I see what you mean.”
“I think –” Belle started but her grandmother interrupted her.
“I think that we should let the witch do her work. I think, if Belle has a word, Jack will come around. And I think we all need to be vigilant. Whatever that was wasn’t good and the best thing we can do is let the experts go about their business.”
“Gram –” Belle began but was interrupted again.
“You’ll have a word,” Gram demanded.
“But –” Belle tried yet again but was interrupted yet again.
“Bellerina, have a word.”
Belle sighed then whispered, “I think you might be overestimating my influence over Jack.”
At that, Lila laughed.
As did Yasmin and Rachel.
And they all laughed like what Belle said was hysterically funny.
Which it was not.
“I’m not being funny!” she snapped.
Gram came forward and pulled Belle loosely into her arms.
Putting her cheek against her granddaughter’s, she said softly in Belle’s ear, “I think you’re underestimating your influence over Jack.” She pulled away and looked in Belle’s eyes and when Belle opened her mouth to speak, hurried on, “We’ll see who’s right, hmm, my sweet?” Belle closed her mouth and stared stubbornly at her grandmother when Lila repeated firmly, “Have a word.”
Belle stepped out of Lila’s arms and crossed her own over her baby bump.
Then on a sigh, she gave in, “All right, I’ll have a word.”
“Just,” Rachel added, getting close and putting her hand on Belle’s upper arm, “give me a chance to ask about the car first.”
“Mom!” Belle cried.
“No. Seriously. I don’t want him in a foul mood when I ask him. He might say no,” Rachel said.
Belle decided to let it go.
She was, as she reminded herself hourly, pregnant, hormonal, living in a haunted castle (now with three ghosts) and falling in love with Jack Bennett.
She had to pick her battles and while doing so guard her reserves.
And she needed her reserves in order to have her “word” with Jack.
“I’m going to take a nap before dinner,” she announced, deciding that would do wonders for her reserves.
“Good idea, honeypot. I’ll wake you in an hour, okay?”
Belle nodded.
Then she left.
And she only felt better when she found the dogs, guided them to her and Jack’s room and lay down on their bed.
And she only felt better because Baron and Gretl were with her and she was in a room that was now her and Jack’s and lying on a bed that could be described using the word “their”.
But she couldn’t help but wonder about the possible third ghost, who “he” might be and what Jack was going to think when she had her “word”
.
* * * * *
Belle woke before Rachel came to her room.
She lay in the bed still a bit sleepy but feeling rested.
Her hand went to her belly and she felt the hardness there.
“Well, sweets,” she whispered to her belly, “I promised life would eventually go back to normal and boring but your Daddy knew better, didn’t he?”
She splayed her fingers wider on her belly and smiled at the thought of Jack as “Daddy”.
Her mobile, sitting on the nightstand, sounded.
She picked it up and it said, “Jack Calling”.
There it was again.
He was on her mind and then he called.
She couldn’t shake how weird that was.
Or how wonderful.
She slid her finger across the screen and put the phone to her ear.
“Hi,” she said softly.
She could hear the smile in his voice when he replied, “Belle.”
“You okay?” she asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
She heard dog tags jangling as both Baron and Gretl moved forward for pets.
Belle didn’t disappoint, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she pet them both at the same time which was how they preferred it.
“Yes, poppet. I called to let you know I’m taking off in fifteen minutes. I finished earlier than I thought.”
Belle felt a rush of happiness.
Which was quickly followed by a rush of anxiety.
“Um…” she paused before saying weakly, “Jack.”
He was silent then his tone was cautious when he asked, “What is it?”
“Well…” she began, not knowing how to have her “word” but kind of happy that she was having it on the phone where she didn’t have to watch him blow his stack in person (and before her mother could ask about the car).
“Belle.” His voice was no longer cautious, it held a warning.
“We met Cassandra and Angus today.”
There was more silence, a sigh then, “Angus?”
“The McPherson.”
Jack’s tone was now filled with humour when he asked, “His name is Angus McPherson?”
Belle again thought Jack found the weirdest things funny.
“Yes. Why?”
Lucky Stars Page 31
