Cat's Cradle by Shannon Donelly

Author:Shannon Donelly [Donelly, Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780983142386
Publisher: Cielito Lindo Press
Published: 2011-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

Ash watched fascinated as Bea carried her kittens back into the library cupboard, one by one. He had opened the kitchen door for her and she trotted in, head up, kitten dangling from her mouth by the scruff of its neck, and the tiny creatures half curled into submission. The kittens cried when she left to go and fetch the next of their number, so he stayed with them.

He sat in the enormous leather chair, piling the balls of fluff onto his lap, where they wobbled and stared about them.

When Bea brought the last of them—the black one—she crawled back into her cupboard and gave Ash an expectant stare as if to say, You can put them back in with me now that we are home.

He did so, and watched with a rather curious satisfaction blossoming in his chest as the kittens snuggled close to their mother for their next meal.

The expected knocking sounded on the front door all too soon. At first he thought he would allow Knowles to answer like a proper servant in a proper household. Recalling the broken furniture and Knowles distraction, he went to the door himself.

“I have come for my cat and kittens,” Mrs. Pearson said and swept in like a duchess.

“Please do come in. Won’t you take a glass of wine? I’ve discovered a tolerable port in the cellar. Or if you would prefer, we now have a daily supply of fresh milk.”

She halted and turned a startled stare on him, her red-gold eyebrows raised. “Milk?”

“The kittens put Knowles in the habit of acquiring the stuff. And since our kittens are having some themselves, I thought you might care to join them.”

“Thank you, but no thank you.” Hesitating, she bit her lower lip. “Are they really eating just now?”

“Come and see,” he said, gesturing to the library.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Emaline followed him into the room and glanced into the cupboard. Bea lay there, looking contented, her purr a low rumbling. Five kittens lined up against Bea’s gray and white belly, their faces lost in their mother’s coat.

“Oh, Bea, why must you always keep your kittens here?” Emaline said, unable to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

“Why indeed?” Sir Ashten said. “Please, will you at least sit down? We have acquired a settee, as you may have noted. And you really ought not to disturb them just now. So why do you not tell me about Bea’s attraction to this particular room?”

He was playing on her conscience, she knew. And looking as smug as Bea did herself. However, he was right. She could not simply drag the kittens away from their mother just now.

She sat down on the settee, her basket on her knees. “It is not much of a story. Bea arrived at Adair Manor quite full of kittens, and before we knew what was what, she had her litter here. Of course, we tried to move them. Uncle Walter was not pleased to share his library. But no matter where we took her—kitchen, barn, my room even—Bea brought them back into this room.

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