Read Online Monica Ferris_Needlecraft Mysteries_01 by Crewel World - Free Book Online Page A

little stiffly, “Well, I’ve only seen one Broadway production, so I hardly think I’m qualified to compare the Guthrie to the Great White Way. But on the other hand, I lived just two blocks away from the best Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, so I’ll be glad to come sneer at what the upper Midwest dares to call Italian food.”
    Margot laughed, but Betsy wasn’t sure Jill was amused. After she left, Betsy asked, “Margot, do you really have to go to a city-council meeting?”
    â€œYes, why?”
    â€œI’m grateful for the ticket, but I’m not sure Jill and I will get along.”
    â€œOh, nonsense. I’m sure once you get to know her, you’ll like her very much.”
    â€œWell, there’s no need to go out of your way just to be nice to me, when I’m guessing you’d really like to go.”
    â€œYou’re right, I would like to go, but I really do have to attend that meeting. The art show is one of our biggest annual events, thousands of people come here for it, and advance planning is very important. Anyway, I enjoy being nice to you.”
    â€œThen I thank you very much.”
    Margot went behind her desk to check Betsy’s entry of the sale to Jill. Betsy followed, asking, “Margot, what are your plans for me?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI hope you aren’t planning on my being here forever.”
    â€œI haven’t, but all right, I won’t. Why?”
    â€œIrene Potter was in here a little while ago. Don’t you find her a little scary? She has the falsest smile I’ve ever seen. Then Jill came in, and when Irene tried to wait on her, Jill said to let me do it, and when I did it right Irene gave me a look that nearly froze my earlobes off.”
    â€œOh, Irene just has this problem about being nice. She tries, but she doesn’t know how.”
    â€œNo, listen. Jill says that Irene knows you are going to teach me how to run the shop. It seems Irene has her eye on this place, and she’s scared you’ve cut her out entirely by giving me her job.”
    Margot grimaced. “Hardly. I only hire Irene when all my other part-time help has flu, broken legs, and brain concussions.”
    Betsy insisted, “Margot, I think Irene Potter seriously hates me.”
    â€œHow can she hate you? She doesn’t know anything about you.”
    â€œShe thinks I’m taking something that should be hers. And if she hates me for taking her job, I bet she hates you for giving it to me.”
    But Margot wasn’t listening; she was examining Betsy’s knitting. “This is very good, Betsy. The knitting is a trifle tight, but this row of purling is really well done!”

5
    Margot woke early the next morning. Her usual first thought presented itself: What day is it?
    Ah, Wednesday, her day off. What was on the agenda? Well, there was that art-fair presentation this evening, at seven sharp. Her notes were still on the computer. She’d read them over one more time, then print them out.
    Betsy’s here, came a sudden memory, almost an interruption. That was something new in her normally predictable life. But not a disruption, came the reassurance, Betsy was all right, Betsy was fitting in fine, Betsy was enjoyable company.
    But it did make a difference to have someone else living in the apartment, if only because she had to remember to wear a robe and to check the refrigerator rather than think that just because she had not used the last of the milk that there would be some for the morning coffee.
    The question was, was Betsy enjoying herself? Margot hoped so. Because despite what she had said yesterday, this was someone who was not just a weekend guest but a long-term arrangement. All Margot’s immediate plans had to be changed, and some of her long-term ones, now that there was another person who had to be considered. It was almost like being married again.
    So while it was okay, even