“The Wicked Warlock of Chicago?” Mikey drawled. “Wish I didn’t but I do.”
Bella wished at that moment for the first time in her life that she didn’t know Mikey.
“The wicked what of what?” Jason asked, his voice tinged with humor.
“You know Annie and Dougal are a Scottish fairytale come alive?” Mikey asked Jason as Isabella returned with the casserole dish and scooped a heavy spoonful onto Jason’s plate.
“What?” Jason asked, voice now tinged with confusion but also still with humor.
And who could blame him. Where was Mikey going with this?
It was only seconds later Isabella found out she didn’t want to know.
Mikey waved his hand around. “Separated for decades by tragedy, reunited, getting married, the whole fairytale come alive. That’s Annie and Dougal. Well, Bella’s fairytale includes a wicked warlock of a father and an evil duke who stole her away and was a cad and a bounder. But she finally escaped him and now she’s waiting for her knight in shining armor,” Mikey explained.
Isabella stood, holding the mostly empty casserole dish, staring at Mikey in horror.
Jason and Sally were both staring at Mikey with rapt faces. Then their eyes moved to Isabella.
That whole time, Prentice was simply staring at Isabella.
“You were married to a duke?” Jason asked.
“No, she was married to a –” Mikey started.
Isabella swiftly interrupted him by asking, “Prentice, do you want seconds?”
His eyes still locked on her, Prentice shook his head.
She walked directly to the kitchen wishing she could ignore this but she damn well couldn’t.
Sally turned to her father and asked, “Daddy, what’s a bounder?”
“Aye, and what’s a cad?” Jason asked right after Sally.
Isabella wondered how long it would take for Mikey’s body to wash ashore after she threw him over a cliff.
And, also, would they consider foul play if it was just a push?
“Both are names for not very nice men,” Prentice answered his children.
“I don’t like Miss Bella being with a not very nice man,” Sally said quietly.
Well, maybe Isabella would stab Mikey before pushing him.
Or, at least, conk him on the head.
“I don’t either,” Jason mumbled.
No, she decided she’d go with stabbing.
“How’d you get away from the evil duke?” Sally yelled as Isabella slid the apple crumble out of the oven and put it on a hot pad.
“She divorced him,” Mikey answered for her. “And took a boatload of his money with her when she did, thank God.”
Isabella rolled her eyes heavenward. Then she rolled them back and switched off the oven.
“Is she rich?” Jason asked, now amazement was tingeing his voice.