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"Are you talking to the rat?" I began to craard the foot of the bed, but hethe chirping sound

I waited, with sorab, evidently catching whatever it was, for he gave a sray, furry shape clutched by the nape, dangling like a tiny purse froers

"Here’s your wee ratten, Sassenach," he said, and gently deposited a ball of gray fur on the coverlet Huge eyes of a pale celadon green stared up at oodness," I said "Wherever did you coer, very slowly The kitten didn’tgreen eyes disappeared, going to slits as it rubbed against h its miniature frame

"That," Jamie said, with iive ye, Sassenach He’ll keep the verery"

"Well, possibly very s e cockroach could carry him--is it a hirow," Jamie assured me "Look at his feet"

He--yes, it was a he--had rolled onto his back and was doing an ihly the size of a broad copper penny, sh by themselves, but enormous by contrast with the tiny body I touched the ray fur, and the kitten writhed in ecstasy

A discreet knock came at the door, and I snatched the sheet up over my bosom as the door opened and Mr We up like a pile of wheat straw

"ErI hope all is well, sir?" he asked, blinking shortsightedly "My lass woke ht there was a skelloch, like, and then we heard a bit of a bang, like--" His eyes, hastily averted from me, went to the scar of raood in the ashed wall, left by Jamie’s poker

"Aye, it’s fine, Joseph," Jamie assured him "Only a wee cat"

"Oh, aye?" Mr We into a sray fur "A cheetie, is it? Well, and he’ll be a fine help i’ the kitchen, I’ve nae doubt"

"Aye Speakin’ of kitchens, Joseph--d’ye think your lassieup a dish of cream for the baudrons here?"

Mr Wemyss nodded and disappeared, with a final avuncular smile at the kitten

Jaorously through his hair, which was behaving with even more reckless abandon than usual I eyed him, with a certain amount of purely aesthetic appreciation

"You look like a woolly ?"

"A sort of prehistoric elephant--you know, the anith of his body, then looked at me quizzically

"Well, I thank ye for the compliment, Sassenach," he said "Maain, casually arching his back, which--quite inadvertently, I didn’t think--enhanced any incidental rese anatomy of a hed

"That’s not precisely what Iin any et back in bed"

The sound of footsteps on the landing sent hi up the sheet in fright In the event, it was Mr We his daughter a possible sight of Hi fine, we had left the shutters open the night before The sky outside was the color of fresh oysters, lanced at it, blinked and nodded at Jamie’s thanks, and toddled back to his bed, thankful for a last half hour’s sleep before the dawn

I disentangled the kitten, who had taken refuge in my hair, and set him down by the bowl of cream I didn’t suppose he could ever have seen a bowl of creah--infor all he orth

"He’s a fine thruly "I can hear hiet hi his warht, and the air in the room was chilly, sour with ash

"Found hi his head on my shoulder to watch the tiny cat, who had abandoned hiht I’d lost him when Gideon bolted--I suppose he’d crept into one of the saddlebags, and cas"

We lapsed into a peaceful stupor, drowsily cuddled in the warhtened, moment bybirds The house aking, too--a baby’s wail ca, the murmur of voices We should rise, too--there was so much to be done--and yet neither of us moved, each reluctant to surrender the sense of quiet sanctuary Jahed, his breath warm on my bare shoulder

"A week, I think," he said quietly

"Before you s here, and speak to the h the country between the Treaty Line and Drunkard’s Creek and call athem here to drill If Tryon should call up the militia, then"

I lay quiet for a moainst o with you"

He kissed the back of my neck

"D’ye wish it?" he said "I dinna think there will be need Neither you nor Bree know of any fighting will be done here now"