“Does Father know that these friends of yours have been altering a good number of rooms here at Barry Park? Just yesterday I passed the gray room and was shocked to see it now in seafoam green. Positively shocked, I tell you.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “You’ve never concerned yourself with anything here, Britney. Why start now?”
She ignored his question. “And, once in demure and serene hues, the front drawing room is now an ugly dusty rose color and with a distasteful wallpaper that I wouldn’t want to see in a garage toilette.”
“You exaggerate slightly, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a haughty air. “Why don’t we ask Father what he thinks about these changes? You know how he likes to have a say in these matters.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Matthew shot out.
“You really are so adorable when you put on full display your naïve and childish outlook on the world. You should know me better by now, little brother. I would not hesitate to tell Lord Barry all of the horrible things you and your friends have done here...his beloved home...” She sniffed back nonexistent tears. “...barely recognizable.”
Before I could consider the consequences of my actions, I stood and went to her. “What possible benefit could you derive from such a spiteful act? Your only motivation is to hurt Matthew.”
She smiled, that ugly and knowing smile that seemed eternally reserved for me. “Benefit?”she said, twirling a lock of her hair. “From telling Lord Barry what I know, I would benefit only in the satisfaction of putting you all in your place. However...”
She let the word linger.
“Come on, Britney. Don’t keep us waiting all night.”
“However,” she began again. “Perhaps there is a way I could benefit from not telling Lord Barry.”
Matthew and I looked at one another then back at her.
“What?”we both said.
“I want the benefit of a part in your movie. That would really be a nice trade off, don’t you think.”
“Come again,” Matthew said with a disbelieving shake of his head.
“You heard me. Get me a part in this movie and I will convince dear old dad to let us stay on. You know how he can’t refuse me anything. Otherwise, I tell him how disgusting you’ve all been and insist that he, indeed, kick you all out. Perhaps even charge the production for damages accrued.”
“Britney,” I said. “Giving you a part is not up to us. We have no say in the casting. That’s Keely and Ayra.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Didn’t I just hear you say that they’ve become like your family? Like sisters?”
Her grimace on the word ‘sisters’ said so much.
“Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean that I have any influence over their decisions.”
She shrugged. “That’s not my problem. Figure it out. Get me a part, or I shut the whole show down.”
“You’re being unreasonable,” Matt said.
“Find a way,” she said simply.
Resigned, I looked at Matthew. “I’ll go talk to Keely.”
Grabbing my hand, he stopped me. “She’s my sister, my responsibility. I’ll go talk to Keely.”
I glared at Britney as I passed by her. “I’ll go with you,” I told Matthew.
Once in the hall, I rushed to keep up with his quick steps. “What are you going to say?”
“I have no idea. My sister is a selfish child who only thinks of herself? My sister, who has absolutely no acting experience, would like to appear in your movie? My sister is going to ruin everything if you don’t give in to her demands?”
“So, in other words, Britney is going to ruin this movie one way or the other; either shut it all down or put on such a poor performance that the critics will have a field day.”
