Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

a ride home today and I’ll show you some of the routines. You’ll pick them up in no time. I’m a great teacher.”
    Nicole, Jenni, and Sam were all smiling at me as if they expected me to break into tears of joy like a newly crowned Miss America. I could tell they thought they had done me some sort of huge favor. How do you tell someone who thinks cheerleading is some sort of divine gift that you think it’s stupid? Spelling things out in front of large crowds while wearing a short skirt was not remotely my idea of a good time. But I didn’t want to offend the only girls who seemed interested in being my friends. If I insulted them, I had a feeling I’d be even less likely to befriend anyone else.
    I thought quickly. “You know, I’d love to, because I’msure it’s super fun and all, but I’d hate for people to be upset that I snuck onto the squad.” I gave a shrug like I was full of remorse and wanted nothing more than to prance about on the sidelines of various sporting events.
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Nicole assured me. “I’ll take care of everything. You’re one of us now. No one bothers our group.”
    â€œI guess I owe you,” I said slowly, giving her what I hoped looked like a sincere smile.
    â€œI guess you do,” Nicole said with a wink.

Chapter 15
    â€œ Y ou have to give me a tour.” Nicole stood in the foyer next to me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
    â€œThere’s not much to see. Bedrooms, kitchen, living room. The usual.” I could feel my face flush.
    â€œAre you kidding me? Look at this place. It’s like Buckingham Palace or something. My mom is going to freak out when she hears I’ve been in Morrigan. She’s always wanted to see the inside of this place.”
    Suddenly I wondered if it was even okay that I’d invited her over. It hadn’t occurred to me to check with Dick, but maybe he was weird about having visitors in his house. Knowing Dick, he would have potential guests fill out some sort of application form, sign a waiver, complete a confidentiality agreement, or possibly take a qualifying quiz before they were let in the frontdoor. He’d probably also want them to demonstrate that their relatives came over on the Mayflower . After all, it wasn’t inviting someone over to my house, it was inviting them to an estate .
    Nicole sat down on the bottom step. “This must be exactly where the maid died in the twenties. She was found here in a puddle of blood with her eyes wide open.” Nicole ran her hand over the stair. For some reason, her fascination made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t anything different from what I felt when I walked up the stairs, but it seemed like the kind of thing you shouldn’t comment on. I think Miss Manners must have some sort of rule about how early you can bring up references to fatal accidents that happened in someone else’s home.
    â€œThey say she was having an affair with the Wickhams’ son.”
    â€œWhat?” That tidbit hadn’t made the local paper.
    â€œThat’s why they killed her. She was pregnant and the Wickhams didn’t want a lowly maid as the mother of their grandchildren. Apparently, the son was really in love with her. Real Romeo and Juliet stuff, a forbidden love.”
    â€œSo you think someone pushed her down the stairs?”
    â€œThat’s what everyone says. There was a fight where the parents tried to pay her off, but when she wouldn’t take the money, Mrs. Wickham snapped and pushed her. She broke her neck when she fell. Then they got away with the whole thing. They called it an accident and no one dared to question them. The butler found her in the morning lying at the bottom of the stairs. They say the blood never came out of the floorboards.”
    I could feel my heart picking up speed, but I shook it off. “Well, you can report back, there isn’t any