Page 8 of Welcome to Gothic
Assholes.
Hazel picked up gravel and threw it at them.
Smart kid.
When she reached for another handful, Wendy pried open her fist and made her drop the pebbles. “We should take you back in, baby.” To get Hazel away from those men, especially the guy whodidn’twhistle, but watched them so intently Wendy’s skin prickled with unease. Because if he meant trouble, she could defend herself, but the best defense was a good head start, and she had taken on the care of this little girl.
She picked Hazel up and carried her to the stage door.
The nonwhistling guy met them there and opened it. “After you,” he said.
She planted her feet and looked him in the face. “Are you supposed to be backstage?”
“I’m one of the actors. One of the bad man poachers. I came out for a smoke, but I’m on in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.” She hurried inside in front of him.
Behind her she heard him say, “Hi, Percy, your poacher has reported for duty.”
“One of our poachers,” Percy corrected him irritably.
Hmm. Percy didn’t like the guy, either.
She waited until the man joined the group of very obviously villainous characters who waited in the wings for their cue, and when they went on, she turned to Percy and asked, “Who is he?”
“Oh. Bill.” Percy gave a gusty sigh.
“Oh, Bill.” Hazel didn’t so much sigh as sneer, an odd expression on such a tiny, angelic child’s face.
Wendy looked at her in surprise. So Hazeldidn’tlike everybody.
“Did he give you trouble?” Percy asked.
“No. No. He’s just not...” She shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t like the way he watched me and Hazel when we were outside.”
“He’s a cousin of Miss Lindholm’s. She brought him out from Sweden when he was a young man. His mother said he wanted to be Miss Lindholm’s assistant. Turns out he wanted to be an actor.” Now Percy wore the sneer. “Miss Lindholm’s a good relative. She got him a screen test.”
“No interest?”
“A big, echoing void of interest. Now he hangs around here. She gives him the occasional role in her plays. Supporting roles, only. I don’t know what else he does with his time. Gambles, I think.” Percy looked sideways at her. “He must win because he’s got a car and enough money for gas.”
“Thatmakes him important.”
Percy smirked. “I like you, kid. Ya got a smart mouth.” With a glance on the stage, he lifted his hands in despair. “Could the lighting man get the sunrise right just once?”
Chapter Five
Hazel’s nursemaid still stood, watching the play, not noticing that her charge had been gone or returned.
Wendy carried Hazel to her, tapped her on the shoulder, and when the young woman turned, Wendy used her friendly but firm teacher voice. “Hi, I’m Wendy. You are?”
“I’m Betty.” She looked like a twenty-year-old, uncertain why Wendy had interrupted her viewing of the play, and glancing over her shoulder to watch the stage.
“Betty, I’ve been taking care of Hazel. I’ve had her outside, and since you didn’t notice she was gone, I’m a little worried about your lack of attention to a toddler.”
Betty snapped to attention. Her eyes narrowed. “Hazel’s fine. She always is. She’s so friendly, everybody likes to hold her and that gives me a minute to watch Mr. Cap... the play.”
“Do you know everybody here is trustworthy? There are people in this world who hurt children justc because they can.”
