“That’s fine,” he replied immediately.
Belle blinked before she parroted, “That’s fine?”
“Yes, Belle. We’ve plenty of room. Not to mention if they stay, it’ll save on their expenses.”
Belle was surprised at how easy that was.
She, however, thought it best to forewarn him, “They’re a little bit strange.”
His voice was back to sounding amused. “She’s a clairvoyant witch and he’s a Scottish ghost hunter. I figured they’d be strange, poppet.”
“No, I mean,” Belle took in a breath and said, “they’re really strange.”
“She’s a clairvoyant witch and he’s a very Scottish ghost hunter,” Jack repeated. “I figured they’d be really strange.”
Belle couldn’t help it, she giggled.
Then she gave him the full story. “Cassandra’s doing readings. She thinks there’s a third ghost.”
There was more silence, this longer and far, far heavier.
Finally, he said, “A third ghost.”
“She isn’t sure. She’s doing readings.”
“Readings,” Jack replied.
“I don’t know what that means,” Belle told him. “I’ve been napping but I do know she seemed very keen. Cassandra, I mean. She started straight away.”
Belle decided not to tell Jack that Cassandra was keen in a weird, scary way that made Belle’s heart lodge in her throat. Jack, she figured, probably wouldn’t like that.
“Readings,” Jack muttered again, sounding at a loss.
“Jack?”
She heard him sigh another sigh and then he assured her, “It’s fine, Belle.”
“Yasmin thinks they know what their doing.”
“It’s fine.”
“Yasmin seems pretty certain.”
“Poppet, I said, it’s fine.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“I’ll be home soon.”
“Um…” she muttered again and Jack was silent so Belle forged on, “Angus wears a kilt.” This was met with more silence so she continued, “And hose, ghillie brogues, a sporran, the whole lot.”
She heard him burst into laughter.
It was, she thought, very funny. So, softly, she laughed with him.
“I’ll be home soon,” he repeated when she’d stopped laughing.
“Okay, see you.”