Evil Thing (Villains 7)

“Oh, I don’t know, Miss Cruella.” She pulled a freshly pressed dress from my closet. “This will be lovely for dinner tonight,” she said, trying to change the subject.

“Come on, Miss Pricket. Spill the beans! I insist,” I said, laughing and hoping to entice her.

“Well …” She looked to the doorway to make sure no one was in the hallway listening. “To hear Mrs. Baddeley tell it, Mrs. Web appeared at the servants’ entrance like magic, in an ominous puff of black smoke, with her bags in hand and a note from your mother explaining her new position. Your mother had arranged it all without a word to Jackson. Not even a note ahead of time to warn him of her arrival. Jackson was horrified they hadn’t arranged a room before her arrival.”

“Jackson may have many talents, but as far as I know fortune-telling isn’t one of them,” I said, making Miss Pricket laugh.

“Well, he was stoic as ever. You know Jackson.” It was fun talking with Miss Pricket like this. I felt older, more mature, and she was talking to me like an adult rather than scolding me for this or that like a child. It was fun laughing with her. I hadn’t realized she was such a funny woman.

“You seem to have been spending more time downstairs,” I said.

“When your mother suggested I become your companion I thought it would be best to get to know them.” And I thought that was a capital idea.

“Good,” I said. “Gain their trust. I want to know everything that goes on down there.”

“You’re sounding more like your mother with every moment.” She looked at my reflection in the vanity mirror, a line forming between her brows for just a moment. Then the look passed.

“Thank you, Miss Pricket,” I said. “Now tell me more.”

“Well, Mrs. Baddeley was in a right state when Mrs. Web arrived. Crying her eyes out because a strange woman would be supervising her larders and going through her receipts. Just this afternoon I walked in on them in the kitchen. I heard Mrs. Baddeley screaming at the woman, ‘You keep out of my third shelf down!’”

That made me laugh. “What’s in her ‘third shelf down’? Surely she wasn’t referring to what I’m imagining,” I said, making Miss Pricket laugh again.

“You’re cheeky as ever, Miss Cruella. I think that’s where she keeps her receipts,” she said, laughing.

“Well, we can’t have Mrs. Baddeley in tears, can we?” I said as Anita came into the room.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said in her customary shy way.

“Come in, Anita!” I said. “You won’t believe the gossip. Miss Pricket here was telling me the Spider already has Cook in tears.”

Anita blinked a couple of times. “Cook? Since when do you call Mrs. Baddeley ‘Cook’?”

I didn’t know. I think that might have been the first time.

“Well, she is our cook, isn’t she? And that’s what Mama calls her.”

Anita clearly disapproved. “Well, I’ve never heard you call her that. I bet Arabella Slaptton calls her cook by her title rather than her name.”

I thought maybe Anita was right. She usually was. But I was so eager to make Mama happy with me again. She always wanted me to be more grown-up, like a lady. Maybe this was how I could please her. Maybe if I acted like her she would like spending time with me. Maybe she would stay this time.

“Well, perhaps Arabella is on to something,” I said in an offhand way, eager to change the subject.

“Who in blazes is the Spider, anyway?” Anita asked. Poor Anita. She was very smart, but sometimes she really did have trouble keeping up.

I laughed. “Oh, what’s her name, Mrs. Web. The head housekeeper. The stodgy, skulking creature we met in the hall. Looks like a spider. You remember.”

Anita laughed. “Yes, I suppose she does look like a spider,” she said. “Shame on her for making Mrs. Baddeley cry.”

“Yes,” I said, laughing even harder. “I suppose Mrs. Baddeley won’t be making her jellies anytime soon!” Anita and I burst into giggles all over again. Miss Pricket put a hand to her mouth.

“Come on, girls. Let’s stop talking about poor Mrs. Baddeley. And stop calling Mrs. Web the Spider. It isn’t very nice.” I took a deep breath. It was time to take another step forward in my new relationship with Miss Pricket.

“Miss Pricket, I think I will call Mrs. Web whatever I please.” Miss Pricket looked surprised, but she wisely kept her mouth shut. Then I remembered something. “Oh! Anita, I almost forgot! I have the most splendid idea for an adventure during our holiday. If Mama agrees, I think we should take a trip together. Miss Pricket can chaperone, can’t you, Miss Pricket? And really, it would just be for show. You don’t have to accompany Anita and me on all our excursions.”

“Yes, Miss Cruella. I’d be happy to,” she said, looking a little sad.

“Miss Pricket, we are going through an adjustment, aren’t we? It will take a little time, don’t worry. Eventually we will both find our proper places, and you will think of me as your superior rather than your charge. Though I don’t think we need to be too stuffy about it, do you? Since we are almost friends, you and I.” Her face fell even more. I realized then that Miss Pricket had thought of me as a friend. Or perhaps something more.