Another letter where I can do no better!
I’ve decided to introduce you to Bitsy Wellington. She plays a major role in Death in a Red Canvas Chair and my readers liked her so much that I brought her back in Death by Pumpkin.
In the first book, Bitsy is the Dean of Students at Pequod College, often butting heads with Will Brewster because of her bend-over-backwards attitude in dealing with the students. She and Rhe grew up together.
“Bitsy sat at a delicate antique wooden desk at the very back of the room, framed by windows that looked out over a well-kept garden full of fall flowers. She wore a corporate grey suit, white blouse with a ruffle at the neck, and was perfectly, if overly, made up. Her salt and pepper hair was swept up in a French twist, and not a strand was out of place. I could see she was sitting on a cushion, which I figured boosted her high enough to work at the desk. Her face was much as I remembered, thin and pinched with a narrow nose. If I were a student, I wouldn’t come here on a dare.”
“Her real name was Elizabeth, but because of her small size, we had always called her Bitsy, which she hated. She had been a full-blown bully as a child, for which I blamed her parents who considered most of the children in town too good to mingle with their daughter. Whether it was swimming lessons or sailing Beetle Cats in and out of the harbor, Bitsy had taken every opportunity to belittle her so-called friends, and I was frequently a target. She hadn’t changed much as an adult – subtly pompous and positively unctuous when she wanted to impress someone. She was not married, and I seriously doubted that matrimony would improve her disposition.”
In Death by Pumpkin, Bitsy has become a full-blown sociopath and she is out to wreak revenge on Rhe and anyone around her because of perceived and real actions on Rhe’s part. Her appearance changes. She’s gained weight and looks like she’s been living hard:
“Her black coat was filthy and stained with large spots of something dark, and stringy, unwashed hair stuck out of her watch cap. Her face wasn’t any cleaner, with smudges of dirt here and there.”
What do you think about Bitsy? Can you see her in your mind?
Yeah, I see her in my mind well, and she doesn’t look good. I see a bit of Kathy Bates, maybe smaller.
I can see that! Will add it to my collection!
You hardly see any actresses with salt and pepper hair, Helen Mirren jumps out to me.
Helen Mirren can play anything – even a paper bag!