Bell, Book, and Scandal

woman’s viewpoint in Vernetta’s book,“ Jane said. “Writers who are concerned should download the e-pubbed version before it’s taken off the Internet.“
    “Most of us who might have been her victims already did so the minute the story got out,“ Felicity assured them. “Orla put it on a computer disk and made copies for those of our friends who aren’t here. At least it’s not something of mine. I couldn’t have been that boring, even when I was much younger.“
    “I envy you your circle of friends,“ Jane said.
    “You have me. And Felicity. We’re all you need,“ Shelley said, patting Jane’s arm.
    “Shelley’s right,“ Felicity said. “One really good friend who understands is worth ten who don’t.“
    Shifting mental gears back to writing, Felicity went on, “What I really find most unbelievable about this is that Sophie ever bought it. It’s really a horrible book. Putting aside all the typos and misspellings, it has virtually nothing to recommend it. The characters are cardboard, always whining to themselves about why they’re obsessing about this person in their dreams and doing nothing about it. It’s far too long and tedious. There’s no sense of time or place. No good phrases that make you think ‘I wish I’d written that.’ “
    “Maybe she never read it?“ Jane speculated. She’d learned through the publishing magazine she’d subscribed to that there were lowly first readers who cleared out the worst of the manuscripts that arrived by the hundreds every week at publishing houses.
    “I doubt it,“ Felicity said. “Sophie’s really choosy about who she thinks should be paid that kind of money.“
    “What if someone else, say someone higher up than her, had loved it? One of those Harvard Business School people who’ve never read good fiction and thought it was ‘Literature’ with a capital L?“ Jane asked.
    Felicity thought this over for a moment. “I still doubt it. It is possible, though. Publishing has changed a lot in the last few years with all these conglomerates who made their money selling toilet tissue or safe-deposit boxes. Corporate executives who think publishers are ripe plums to be picked at random to raise their profile as intellectuals. People who are nearly illiterate are making important and catastrophic decisions. It’s certainly food for thought.“
    “If that is what happened, isn’t Sophie powerful enough to go after whoever did it to her with hammer and tongs?“
    “Probably not, if Felicity’s right,“ Shelley said. “Sophie’s exalted position might be in danger as well.“
    “That’s a happy thought,“ Felicity said with a grin. “She’d never be able to derail any new writer’s budding career again.“
    “There are plenty of new young people coming up to do that, judging by my own experience here at the conference,“ Jane said. “Two of them totally rejected me without even reading my material. Not that I’m even at the budding stage yet. More like a feeble little seed.“
    “You can’t ever let yourself think that way again,“ Felicity said fiercely. “Now let’s order a nice big breakfast before the waiter throws us out.“
    Jane and Shelley were still feeling a bit rocky from their chocolate overload the night before and ordered unbuttered toast and glasses of watered-down orange juice.
    “You two make me look like a pig,“ Felicity said, tucking into a spicy Spanish omelette to which she’d added hot sauce and lots of pepper.
    In spite of her strong resolution to forget all about Vernetta, Sophie, and Zac, a tiny bell at the back of Jane’s mind kept tinkling, as if saying “Remember, remember.“
    Somebody had said something revealing in the meeting in Sophie’s suite. Her subconscious was sure of it, whether Jane cared or not. She wished she could muffle the thought and enjoy the last day of the conference.
    Just as they were finishing breakfast, a friend of Felicity’s dropped by their table with a huge wad of copies of Miss Mystery’s picture. “Do any of you need more of these?“
    Felicity introduced her to Jane and Shelley, but didn’t give their names. “No, thanks, Sudie. There are hundreds of them floating around already, and she can’t possibly find all of them.“
    Sudie said, “Then I’ll just follow her and replace what she’s picked up.“
    When she was gone, Felicity said, “She’s not even a writer. She’s a fan and means well. She always goes overboard though. I really