That Devil Woman

XXIII - A Wholesome Place

Hell Hall had really taken on a new life when Anita and Roger won it in an auction many years ago. If it were not for Roger's songs, they would not have had the money to purchase it. Indeed, if it were not for Roger exploiting Cruella's name and likeness, they would not have bought out her old studio from which her fashion empire was built. Nevertheless, it became the perfect home for Anita, Roger, and their new Dalmatian family. It even accommodated Nanny, whom Anita and Roger had grown quite fond of, both as an employee, and as a friend.

One particular evening was strenuous was Anita. She sat behind her desk in the upstairs office. It was littered with financial paperwork. She knew she and Roger could afford the upkeep, but it was a lot of work, nonetheless. But Anita always reminded herself of how Perdita had felt when she first found her, and that kept her attention.

Anita was signing her name on the bottom of the last page when Roger and Nanny entered.

"They're all in bed now, dear. All one hundred and one of them!" Roger chuckled. Anita stood up from her desk and approached her husband with her hands folded together.

"Oh, thank you both so much," Anita said, hugging Roger. "You two make this all possible."

"As do you!" Nanny reciprocated.

"Well, I promise I will be able to help you two tomorrow night," Anita agreed, "assuming I don't have to keep up with any more paperwork for the plantation."

"Honey, I'm just happy that all those puppies have a safe place to live," Roger said, holding Anita's hand.

"I have to say I was hesitant about your idea, Roger," Nanny admitted, "but I'm so glad to be part of your Dalmatian plantation. Even if it is a lot of work!"

"Nanny, please, take the day off tomorrow," Anita offered with earnest sympathy. "Roger and I can manage by ourselves for one day. And, thanks to Roger's music, we have the money now to pay you for that day anyway." Anita knew it was an insufficient expression of her gratitude for Nanny, but it was the closest she could get to showing her just how crucial she had become to their lives.

"Oh, thank you very much, Anita!" Nanny said, exceptionally gratefully as she hugged Anita. "You're the best employer I could have asked for!"

Anita tenderly hugged Nanny back. Roger moved next to Anita and gently laid his hand around her waist.

Bliss.

"Oh!" Nanny suddenly exclaimed. "I found this left on the doorstep." She pulled a white envelope from her apron pocket and handed it to Anita. Anita took it between her fingers and slid a nail underneath the fold. Opening the letter, she read the name at the bottom first. She gasped.

"It's from Cruella!"

Anita turned to Roger and Nanny. They both looked startled, unsure as to what would prompt this. Anita had never been one to hate, but she could not deny how much she hated Cruella for what she did. She hardly wanted to hear from her. Still, she was the culprit behind the puppy theft, so Anita could not understand why she would want to write to her. She decided she had best dignify her reading it out loud to Roger and Nanny.

"Anita, darling,

"Salutations. I just heard from my outside sources that you have recently bought a new place out in the countryside; an old, unfinished castle once known as Hell Hall. I can clearly remember it still, back when the walls were draped in fur and weak, timid puppies scampered across the floorboards. That's how I knew where to address this letter. I understand that once again it is now filled with darling puppies. Congratulations are in order for the success of your so-called "Dalmatian plantation". I also heard you've done some renovations; indeed, my late mother and father would be very glad to see the building complete. I can't say I ever felt the need to finish the building when I moved in. After all, it was about as broken and pathetic as I was.

"As I write this in my jail cell, dishevelled and defeated, I feel compelled to admit that you won. Though I now understand you never felt this way, I always viewed you as my adversary. As somebody who had to be either trusted or eliminated. You know what they say: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I couldn't understand why you always succeeded me in everything; not just in fashion, but in happiness and fulfilment. I was always in restless motion, relentlessly moving towards the next step. And, I did it all whilst sweating in thick fur. Do not misunderstand me, as I very much believe in my creative vision. But I now see what you have all seen for nearly nine years: there was never any humanity behind my ideas. As your dear husband wrote about me, I really ought to be locked up and never released. You succeeded not in design, but in never falling victim to this world's callousness. You are a woman of strong ethics and resolve, and that allowed success to come to you. So, I hold my hand to my heart and applaud you.

"Bravo, Mrs. Radcliffe. You now have everything you want.

"Warmest regards, Cruella."