“Rat! There’s a rat!” cried out Ella, from atop a chair.
By now, everyone was speaking all at once. There were orders to fetch a bit of cheese alongside orders to shut the door that led into the hallway. There were inquiries about whether it was safe to come down from the chair alongside inquiries of whether or not a broom provided adequate defense against rats.
Seeing that this commotion was quite unproductive, His Grace commanded, “Everyone! Silence, please! That’s enough!” With that, the commotion abruptly abated. All fell silent, except the birds in the garden and the small creature in the kitchen.
“That certainly does not sound like a rat,” commented Lord Farellshire. Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement. Having determined the direction the noise was coming from, Mr. Tulk dropped the broom and lay on his belly to reach under the cook’s cupboard.
After a brief struggle, he pulled his hand out to reveal a young brown kitten. At once, all of the women who had been screaming in fear just a minute before now rushed towards the creature to coo and fawn over it.
“Be careful, Cecilia, it might scratch you.” warned His Grace.
“Oh! The poor thing is trembling. What shall we do?”
Wisely, Hugh advised everyone to stop crowding around it. “It’s frightened. Let’s try to not startle it. Perhaps a bit of cream or some milk will help it calm down.”
At once, Lady Cecilia turned to His Grace, “Please may I keep it, Brother? I would so love to have a kitten of my own.”
“It is still quite young, Cecilia. So I am quite certain that its mother is looking for it. Perhaps we should try to reunite them before we make any decisions regarding whether or not we should keep it.”
At this, Hugh suggested, “Shall I consult the grounds staff to see if they know anything, Your Grace?”
“Splendid idea, Fletcher. In the meantime, Mrs. Oakley, could you please look after the kitten?”
As Catherine scooped up the fragile creature, Lady Cecilia begged for permission to assist in its care. His Grace eventually acquiesced, but on the condition that Lady Cecilia wore gloves so as to protect herself from bites and scratches.
The last thing Hugh heard Lady Cecilia squeal before the kitchen door closed was, “Do you suppose we could give it a bath, Mrs. Oakley?”
Hugh turned to everyone in the kitchen, “Right. That’s that. Everyone back to work, please.”
* * *
It was soon ascertained that the kitten belonged to a litter of four kittens born to a stray cat in the stables. This was bad news for Anthony because he knew that Cecilia would certainly start to cry if he suggested giving any of them away.
“Well, then let her keep the things. What’s the harm?” shrugged Kenneth as he toyed with a cricket ball.
“What’s the harm? You would put Cecilia in charge of four kittens? She would let them run around this house with reckless abandon! It would cost a fortune to repair and replace everything they ruin.”
“Then take charge of two of the animals yourself, Anthony. Cats are far quieter than dogs, you know. And I’m sure the creatures would be contented to quietly watch you do your paperwork,” offered Colin.
“Can’t you each take one for yourselves, Cole? Kenny? If cats are so grand and harmless as you say, then for the sake of my sanity please take two of them.”
“And where do you suggest we put them, Tony? You know that we’re only staying on Colin’s estate temporarily. We intend to be back in town for the Little Season, and our lodgings and lifestyles would certainly conflict with caring for cats.”
“I can care for one, Your Grace,” offered Miss Meyer softly.
Anthony had almost forgotten that she was still present. After Cecilia had gone off with Mrs. Oakley to care for the kitten, Colin had suggested moving to the drawing room to play cards whilst awaiting dinner.
About halfway through an especially frustrating round of Commerce—for Colin was winning, yet again—Fletcher had come in with news regarding the kitten’s mother.
“That’s a brilliant idea, Miss Meyer. You can keep one, Cecilia shall keep another, and I shall ask the servants if any of them would be willing to look after the rest. At least Cecilia won’t cry about being separated from them.”
“Aren’t you going to keep one of the cats for yourself, Your Grace?”
Anthony considered it carefully. He was not particularly fond of cats, but maybe if he kept one, he would have an excuse to interact with Miss Meyer more often and ask her—
Why would I care about seeing Miss Meyer more frequently? It’s not like I have any business with her. Nor do I need to see her for any particular reason.
Anthony was starting to realize that even though Miss Meyer was Cecilia’s governess, he was also starting to think of her as an acquaintance. After all, here she was, enjoying the afternoon with them.
