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  Poor Little Witch Girl

  Bewitching the Rich Guy, Book 3

  Michelle Francik

  © 2020, Michelle Francik

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Cover Designer: Mariah Sinclair at the Cover Vault

  Logo Design: Mallory Rock at Rock Solid Book Designs

  Proofreader: Falcon Storm

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Sweet Promise Press

  PO Box 72

  Brighton, MI 48116

  Contents

  About this Book

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  More Peach Plains Paranormal

  More Sweet Promise Press

  More Michelle!

  About this Book

  Poppy Bennet is a glass half-full kind of witch, always seeing the best in people and the silver lining in tough situations.

  When she agrees to participate in a reality dating competition, she has no idea what she’s getting herself into. She only wants to help her best friend, Stella, clear her great-grandmother’s name and reclaim what was stolen from her family. Poppy’s always taken a back seat, letting her three strong-willed witch friends take the lead.

  But now she’s front and center. And as the mystery builds and danger looms perilously close, Poppy has to figure out exactly who she is and who she wants to be.

  Is she up for the challenge?

  Poor Little Witch Girl is a twisty-turny mystery with a sprinkle of humor and magic that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Can you figure out whodunit? Download your copy today!

  Author’s Note

  This series, Bewitching the Rich Guy, is an experiment in perspective and human nature. Recently I attended a work meeting with three coworkers. We were each handed a document then a supervisor went over the new rules with us. Coming out of the meeting, my coworkers were talking about it and each of them had a different take not only on the meeting, but on the content. I was startled. Even though we all attended the same meeting, we all experienced it differently.

  At the time, I was working on Book One in this series, A Get Witch Quick Scheme, and things kind of fell into place. Since I wanted to explore the idea of how people experience things differently, I decided to write four books about the same series of events but from different perspectives.

  Each book is written from a different character’s point of view and gives more back story, plus a

  deeper understanding of who they are and how they see things. The timelines are the same and the major events are the same, starting with Stella asking them all to participate in a dating reality show, and ending with their epilogues after the show has ended. But each character’s journey is uniquely their own.

  Each book is a stand-alone story with its own mini-mystery, and each main character has her own

  happily ever after. There are hints and clues throughout the earlier books, but you won’t know how it all ends until the final book in the series.

  I realize this might upset some readers, but I believe there are other readers who will find this interesting and exciting. Come along on this journey with me and the Four Rich Witches and experience the magic and mystery of human nature

  1

  Poppy Bennet walked through the park, enjoying the bright summer day. Birds were singing in the trees, children were laughing, and lovers walked hand in hand. She sighed as she bent down to pick up a toy from the middle of the path. She handed it to a frazzled mom chasing after a toddler and was rewarded with a tired smile. Poppy smiled back.

  She felt a tug on the leash as her Pomeranian stopped to sniff a puddle. “Come along, Pearl, I don’t think that’s anything you should be sniffing” she scolded. The dog, unfazed by her words, wagged her fluffy tail, giving the puddle one last sniff before they resumed walking.

  Poppy was happy. Well, she was mostly happy. Life was good as a witch, and she was a rich witch which made it even better. She was a very lucky woman and she never let herself forget it. Even when the sun wasn’t shining as brightly as it was today.

  As she passed two men walking on the opposite side of the path, they looked her up and down, and one of them whistled. Poppy frowned, ducked her head, and kept walking. She was a petite, slender blonde with big eyes and ruby red lips. For some reason, men thought she wanted to be ogled, as if she was nothing more than a pretty face. They didn’t notice she was more than just her looks and that infuriated her. She wanted to meet a man who saw past all that--to her kindness, and positive attitude. It would nice to be seen as something more than an air head, too. She was a grown woman who was capable of taking care of herself.

  “Oh Pearl, lookie! It’s a kite! Lookie, Pearl, lookie!” she yelped. She giggled when she realized her behavior wasn’t that of a “grown woman,” but she shrugged it off. “Oh, I don’t care,” she told Pearl as the dog looked at her with big eyes. “So what if I’m not the smartest bulb in the shed.” As they walked off, Poppy realized she’d mixed up her expressions, but she wasn’t going to let that bother her, either. She was happy and nice and that’s all that mattered.

  Her phone made a loud beeping noise and she pulled it from her pocket. “Ooh! Duty calls, Pearl. I’ll drop you off at home then I have to skedaddle to Stella’s. She’s called an emergency meeting of the Four Rich Witches. Hmm. I wonder what’s going on,” she muttered, walking a little faster, with a more pronounced bounce in her step.

  She reached Stella’s door at the same time as Raven and she grinned at her friend. Raven knocked and while they waited, she considered how different they all were. The Four Rich Witches had become friends by accident. Or magic, she supposed.

  Stella and Fiona had met first and become good friends. One day when the two of them were eating dinner at a fancy restaurant, Stella lost her patience with a teenage boy who was being loud and obnoxious. She conjured a spell to quiet him down but as she cast it, she felt a wave of magic wash over her. She turned to see where it was coming from and met the startled eyes of Raven, who was sitting at a nearby table. Apparently, she’d lost patience with the boy as well and had cast her own spell.

  Witches looked like everyone else. There was no magic that let them see
other witches at a glance. But if a witch used her magic, other witches could sense it. While Raven and Stella stared at each other in shock, Fiona wiggled her fingers to cancel out the spells which had collided over the boy. But her magic was interrupted when Poppy backed up right into her hand, causing her to miss her mark.

  The boy continued to be disruptive until the manager asked his parents to leave, and Raven and Poppy somehow ended up at the table with Fiona and Stella, drinking champagne and sharing a cherry cheesecake. They’d been fast friends ever since. They’d even lived together for a time, and that’s when they decided to call themselves The Four Rich Witches. That experience had almost ended in disaster, so now they all lived in their own places, but were still best friends.

  Stella opened the door with a mischievous grin and ushered them in. “What’s going on?” Poppy asked.

  “We have to wait for Fiona,” Stella told her. “I want to tell you all at once.”

  Luckily Fiona arrived a few minutes later and Poppy sighed with relief. Stella had started pacing back and forth, and Raven had folded her arms in front of her and was tapping her foot impatiently. “Come in, come in,” Stella grabbed Fiona’s arm and drew her into the living room, kicking the door shut with her foot.

  “What’s going on?” Fiona asked Poppy.

  “I don’t know, but Stella’s really wound up. She said she wanted to wait until we were all here before she said a word,” she shrugged her shoulders.

  “All right witches, this meeting is hereby called to order,” Stella’s excitement was contagious, and Poppy found herself holding her breath in anticipation. “I have a favor to ask and it’s a big one.” She took a deep breath and looked around at her friends, who were all looking at her expectantly. “I need you all to go on a dating reality show and help me solve a mystery.”

  “What are you talking about?” Fiona asked into the startled silence that followed Stella’s announcement.

  “I’m talking about the new reality show, The Catch of a Lifetime. I saw the announcement earlier on TV and it’s perfect! He’s cute, we can win prizes and it’ll be a lot of fun!”

  “Show us,” Raven demanded.

  “Um, I can’t. I wrote down the information, though.”

  “Why didn’t you record it?” Raven asked.

  “How cute was he?” Poppy didn’t care about the money or being on TV, she wanted to know about the bachelor.

  “Are you nuts? Why would we want to be on a reality show?” Fiona sounded annoyed.

  Stella liked to think of herself as the group’s “Get Rich Quick” schemer. Even though their families had money, none of them had money of their own. And even though they were witches, living could get expensive, so Stella had taken it upon herself to make sure they all had enough to pay their bills and have some extra for fun.

  Stella sighed and shook her head. “All right already. Sheesh. Sit down and let me explain.” She waved her hand and four glasses of champagne appeared on the coffee table. “Ooh!” Poppy reached for glass and handed one to Raven who took a sip and let out a satisfied, “Aah.”

  Fiona raised her hand and a tray of chocolate truffles joined the champagne. Stella nodded at her. “Nice touch, Fi.”

  Fiona shrugged, “I can’t wait to hear more. Do tell, Stella.” She sat down on the arm of the leather sofa, facing the others.

  “Yes, do tell, Stella darling,” Raven said, mocking the way Fiona spoke. Poppy frowned. She hated when the witches acted like, well, witches. Fiona flipped her wrist changing Raven’s hair from black to white. Raven sighed. “Seriously, Fifi, can’t you think of anything more interesting? You made my hair white last week.”

  “Raven quit teasing Fiona. Fiona don’t be so sensitive,” Poppy said, pressing her lips together in annoyance.

  Stella flicked a finger at Fiona, freezing her in place before she could react. “Poppy, you know how Fi hates it when you tell her not to be sensitive.”

  She looked at Stella with wide eyes. “Did I say that out loud? I meant it to stay inside my head.” She quickly turned to apologize, not wanting to upset her friend. “Sorry, Fiona.”

  Stella released the spell and Fiona glared at Raven, who smirked right back at her.

  “Enough! I called an emergency meeting because this is something we absolutely must do!” Once she had their attention she continued. “I’ve been very bored lately and my search for a real job has not been going well. It seems that people want experience and references and silly things like that.”

  Raven looked at her quizzically. “Why would you want a job when you can make anything you want, when you want it?”

  Stella sighed. “I don’t know. I guess I just want to see if I can do something myself. Without using magic.” She paused and looked around. She must have realized they didn’t believe her, because she shrugged and started over.

  “Okay, here’s the deal. This new show, The Catch of a Lifetime, is different than other dating shows. For one thing, the bachelor is from old money, he’s handsome and hot and seems like a genuinely nice guy. He’s doing this show to raise money for the animal sanctuary he oversees. They save animals that are old or have been abused. He wants them to end their days feeling safe and loved.”

  “I can see the appeal, but a dating show? And what makes you think any of us could get an audition let alone get on the show?” Fiona asked.

  “They’re looking for women that are classy, sophisticated and smart, as well as attractive. We all meet those requirements.”

  Poppy burped loudly and she could feel her face turn red with embarrassment. “Sorry. I think I drank that champagne a little too fast.”

  “As I was saying, most of us meet the requirements,” Stella smirked. “And if we get on the show, we get paid to be there. Even if we don’t win, they pay for everything while we’re there. And there are prizes besides getting the rich guy.”

  “Like what?” Fiona asked.

  “Like a new car for the winner and the two runners up. And $500,000 cash for the first-place contestant. The runners up each get $200,000.” She paused to let that sink in. Being a witch didn’t pay very well so the money was a huge enticement.

  “And here’s the kicker. Instead of having a group of women competing together, they’re going to have Chadwick spend several days in a row with each contestant. That way they’ll get to know each other a little better. And when they’re not spending time with him, the other women will be staying at a mansion, here in Greveswood.” She turned at looked directly at Fiona, her eyebrows raised.

  “No way! You’ve got to be kidding,” Fiona sputtered.

  “Yes way! I couldn’t believe it either.”

  “What?” Poppy asked. “What are you two blathering on about?”

  Fiona answered. “We’re talking about how the contestants get to stay at Marwood Manor.”

  “Marwood Manor? Why does that sound familiar?”

  “Because it’s Stella’s family home. Or at least it was, until Mable Marwood stole it from her great-grandmother.”

  Stella added, “There’s more to the story, but the gist is this. Mable tricked my great-grandmother and was able to get the title to the Manor as well as most of the jewelry that had been passed down from generation to generation. When my family tried to get things back, Mable and her family hid everything in the Manor. We know it’s all there, but we haven’t been able to do anything about it.” She paused and took a deep, dramatic breath. “So, you see, this is the perfect opportunity to get inside the Manor and do what I need to do to get even.”

  2

  Poppy was a little shocked, but also excited. She’d never done anything like this before. It would be fun to be on a reality show and if it helped Stella, that was even better. The discussion had gone from the reality show to Spinney history and now Stella had redirected it back to the show and was sharing the details.

  “I wrote down the date for the cattle call, er, um, I mean casting call,” Poppy giggled and Fiona frowned, but Stel
la just kept going. “We have to show up, get the producers’ attention, and hopefully, they’ll pick us to audition. I went on the website after I texted you and the auditions will be next month, so we need to move fast.”

  “Okay, I understand why you might want to do this, but why should all of us try out?” Raven asked.

  Stella looked annoyed but answered the question. “Because that way we have a better chance of getting at least one of us on the show.”

  “But what if I get on, or Poppy. How is that going to help you? From what I understand, reality shows keep the contestants separated from the rest of the world for the length of the show. Even if we got into Marwood Manor, we wouldn’t be able to contact you.”

  “Well, that’s for me to worry about. First we need to get on the show.”

  “Well, that shouldn’t be too difficult. We’re witches after all. We can cast spells to have them pick us.” Raven rubbed her hands together gleefully.

  “Actually, no. No magic. We can’t use magic to get on the show or to make Chadwick choose us.”

  “Why not?” she asked, hands on her hips.

  “Because the manor is enchanted. You have to be invited in without magical manipulation. If you use magic to get on the show, the house won’t allow you in,” Stella explained.