#MIdWeekTease where we first meet Lottie Botte

I'm busy writing Lottie's story who we first meet in New Beginnings for Bryony Bennett

So for this week's tease I thought I'd show you just what Lottie is like when we first meet her in Bryony's story.

(Bryony is in charge of the craft shop)

Five minutes before she was due to turn the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’, her day took a turn for the worse. Lottie Botte—it had to be her, she was the female equivalent of Dario—swanned in and glared when she saw Bryony.

 ‘You,’ she said, in a voice to cut ice. ‘You’re that woman who bought Cliff Cottage and gazumped my brother. You were pointed out to me. What are you doing here?’

Definitely Lottie. Bryony decided she’d had enough of being portrayed as a femme fatale or seducer of innocents, so she might as well act the part. ‘Plotting to seduce your brother, what else? Corrupt him and get him to be my slave.’ And if Lottie thought that remotely likely she was stupider than Bryony thought possible. ‘Have him on his knees, begging for my attention.’

‘What a vile thing to say,’ Lottie shouted. Her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. ‘How dare you? He’s too good for you. I’ll tell him how horrible you are, and he’ll hound you out, you wait and see.’

 Bryony yawned. It was that or giggle. Talk about a second rate actress from an old ‘B’ film like her gran had talked about. It was pathetic.

 Lottie shook with temper. ‘We don’t need the likes of you around here.’

 What on earth does she think I am? A serial seducer of innocents...and not so innocents?

‘Tough, honey, I’m here to stay.’ Probably not a good idea to inflame her further, but Bryony was unrepentant. The day had been on the up until Lottie arrived.

‘You, you, hussy. Keep away from my brother, he’s too good for you, too kind and, loving and loyal and...’

 Bryony saw red. Enough was enough. ‘Careful, Mrs Bott-ee.’ She said the name with exaggerated emphasis on purpose. ‘You’re beginning to make it sound incestuous. You don’t want people getting the wrong idea.’

 Lottie went red, white and red again.

 Oh God, I hope I haven’t given her heart failure. She might be annoying and like a stuck record, but Bryony didn’t want to cause the woman any harm. Just to get her to shut up and go away.

Lottie’s eyes bulged. ‘Urgh What a disgusting awful thing to say. How dare you. Ohh, Maddie.’

Maddie had entered unnoticed by either Bryony or Lottie.

 ‘That’s me,’ she said, as she closed the door and flicked the sign to closed. ‘Is this a private argument or can anyone join it? Lottie, you’re so loud I reckon they can hear you in the Red Pig.’

‘Did you hear what she said? She suggested me, Dario we...Ohh.’ Lottie burst into noisy tears. The hint of a calculated glance to see how Maddie reacted made Bryony suspect a lot was put on for show. She crossed her arms and leant on the counter to see what transpired next.

 No,’ Maddie said. ‘You pulled her to that conclusion.’

 ‘What? I did not, she...oomph.’

Maddie put her hand over Lottie’s mouth. ‘Enough, Lottie, grow up.’ She moved her hand. ‘Get over yourself.’

 ‘Grow up? Me? It’s her coming here, sniffing around Dario. She’s not wanted. I don’t know who sold her that house, but they shouldn’t it was man... men...money...’ She sniffed and blew her nose on a hankie. No tissue, Bryony noted, but finest linen and lace edged. It figured.

 ‘Lottie go home, or you’ll really drop yourself in it. You’re showing yourself up.’ Maddie went to the door and opened it. She indicated the village green where a gas-guzzler was parked. ‘Off you go.’

‘It’s all her fault.’ Lottie shot a venomous glance at Bryony and spun around so fast her skirt made a stand of knitting needles sway and rattle. She ignored it and stormed out. Her parting shot of ‘she’ll wish she never came here,’ floated back to them.

~~~~

If you want to read more, New Beginnings for Bryony Bennett is available from Amazon

UK here  and .com here

All the other @MIdWeekTease posts are here

Happy reading

love Katy xx