Spinning the Web

Miss. Libby was sitting in her bright sunflower yellow kitchen, deep in thought. Lisette had left to do some shopping, so she was all alone. She still couldn’t get over the fact that Lisette had gone and applied for a job at Miss. Jill’s Dress Shop. The fact that Jill had actually hired her was an even bigger surprise!  How could she have hired her? Wasn’t she afraid that Lisette would find out and if Lisette found out, who knew what would happen. What would she do with the information?  Libby shook her head, taking another drink of her Vanilla Chai tea. Perhaps she needed something a little stronger. Her stomach was in knots. 

Things had been going so smoothly. She had the perfect set up with Miss. Jill, and now some stranger from out of town, just appears and risks ruining everything. All the hard work that Miss. Libby had put into the lucrative side business. She needed this business, as her Inn wasn’t doing very well presently. She set her cup down hard making some of of the tea splash out onto the white tablecloth. Something had to be done, and she was going to do it. She was going to make a phone call to Jill and give her a piece of her mind. 

Miss. Jill was pacing the floor with the phone in her hand. “Yes, I know but…”  “She is a nice la…”  Jill rolled her eyes, she could barely get a word in. “Just calm down and listen!” she finally said in a little sterner of voice, finally Libby got quiet. 

“I am not firing her, the girl didn’t even start yet! I think this could be a very good thing. I could really use the extra help in the store, especially when the special customers come.  Lisette can stay out front with the other customers, as I take the special customers to the back room. 

Jill sighed, as Libby ranted again, but by the time they ended the conversation, Libby did seem a little more warmed up to the idea. She would come around, thought Jill, at least she hoped she did. Dealing with an irritable Libby was not pleasant.

There were times Jill wished that she had never got involved with this side business in the first place. All she had wanted to do was own her own Dress and Fabric store, and then she met Miss. Libby. Before she knew it, she was caught up in a tangled web of secrets, and she kept getting deeper entwined. 

Miss. Libby hung up the phone feeling a little better. Perhaps Jill did know what she was doing. Lisette did seem pretty innocent and naïve, so she might be the right one to help out at the store. It would free up Jill. Maybe business could increase if Jill had more time. Libby saw dollar signs in her head and her smile grew bigger. This really may be a good thing, a very good thing, she thought.  She was thinking of what all she could do with the extra money, as she headed upstairs with her silver Persian cat following right behind her. 

Lisette was dumbfounded. She had come back to the Inn, because she forgot her wallet and she had overheard Miss. Libby on the phone. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but when she heard her name spoken, she couldn’t move from her spot in the hallway. 

Miss. Libby wanted Miss. Jill to fire her!? Why? Did she have that strong of dislike for Miss. Jill? She listened some more and things just weren’t adding up. Miss. Libby said that Lisette couldn’t find out about their other business dealings. That they all would be in jeopardy then. What other business? 

Lisette’s mind was swirling. Something wasn’t right and suddenly she was uncertain about working for Miss. Jill. Maybe she should rethink this whole idea of staying in this town. What was she getting into? She needed to take a walk to clear her brain about the troublesome conversation she had heard. 

She didn’t really have a destination in mind she just left the Inn and kept walking, pondering things over. 

When she finally decided to pay attention to her surroundings, she figured out where she was. She was near the creek where she had met the little Annie before.  She had walked out of town. Perhaps sitting by the creek was just what she needed to relax and think straight. 

Walking a little ways more she saw the babbling creek and it didn’t look like anyone was around. Lisette relished the idea of sitting alone for a bit. She slipped off her shoes and dangled her feet in the water. The cool water felt good, she hadn’t meant to walk so far and her feet were a little sore. She found a pebble in the grass and skipped it across the water. She was beginning to relax, when she heard a “MOOOOO!” right behind her! 

Jumping up, she almost lost her balance!  She caught herself and turned around to see Betsy, the cow staring at her, with her deep brown eyes. 

Lisette tried to catch her breath and calm down when she noticed something hanging around Betsy’s neck. It was the enchanted cowbell! Oh Lisette was really tempted to grab it off her neck and shake it for all it was worth! It just had to work again. She went to grab it, but something stopped her from touching it. Never had she been so intimidated by a cow’s eyes before. 

Betsy continued to stare at her and then just as quickly as she had appeared she turned her back on Lisette and walked back towards the barn. Lisette stared after her. Oh how she wanted that bell, but … She sighed. No, she wasn’t going to give up, she would go to work for Miss. Jill and see what she could find out. Perhaps all those Nancy Drew books that she had read as a child would finally pay off! 

(to be continued….next week)