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Phoebe stopped with a groan “So much for our peaceful stroll out in nature” She bent to pick up the little feline and winced as the cat dug its claws into her shoulder Exasperated, she carried it to the prae of Stephen”
Nanny was expressionless “You want me to push the cat in the pram, milady?”
“Yes, otherwise I’ll be a sieve by the time we return to Eversby Priory”
Justin’s face brightened “Are we going to keep her, Mama?”
“Only until we can find someone else to take her back to the barn” Phoebe settled the cat on the white silk bedding of the pram Stephen babbled with excited interest and reached for the furry creature, his little hands opening and closing like hungry starfish With a laugh, Phoebe scooped him up before he could pull the cat’s tail “Oh, no you don’t Be gentle with kitty”
The cat flattened her ears and gave the baby a baleful glance
“Kitty!” Stephen exclai heavily in Phoebe’s arms to reach the cat “Kitty!”
Phoebe lowered hiround and kept one of his chubby hands in hers “Let’s walk beside the pra”
Eagerly Stephen started forward in his spraddling gait As Nanny pushed the vehicle along the path, the black cat poked its head over the pra scenery For so in his pragles Phoebe and Justin both chuckled, and even Nanny cracked a smile
Before they crossed the bridge, they went down to have a look at the chalk strea irises The water flowing gently over the pebbled bed was gin clear, having been filtered through the Hampshire chalk hills
“Mama, I want to put my feet in the water,” Justin exclaimed
Phoebe sent Nanny a questioning glance “Shall we stop here for a few minutes?”
The older woman, as never averse to the prospect of a rest, nodded at once
“Lovely,” Phoebe said “Justin, do you need help with your shoes and stockings?”
“No, I can do it” But as the boy bent to unfasten the buttons of his kid leather shoes, an unexpected noise caught his attention He stopped and looked for the source of the sound, which was co from downstream
Phoebe frowned as she saw a lonea folk tune A battered hat with a wide briy and athletic, the loose, confident stride curbed by the hint of a strut Curiously, his loose shirt and cotton canvas trousers looked as if he’d gone swi wetly to the hard lines of his body
“Perhaps we shouldn’t stop after all,” Phoebeher to leave as quickly as possible A pair of wo children were easy marks for a man that size “Come with me, Justin”
To her astonishnored the coer with a gleeful yelp
The nition along Phoebe’s nerves
“Oh,” she said softly, watching as West Ravenel settled the battered hat on Justin’s head, lifted hiainst his side, and carried him back to her
Chapter 16
Phoebe hadn’t seen West since she’d visited his rooettable kiss she was supposed to forget Except the sensations had somehow become woven into her skin, a subtle but constant stimulation she didn’t kno to erase Her lips still felt a little swollen, aching to be pressed and stroked and soothed—that was an illusion, she knew—but the feeling only grew stronger as he approached
Justin was talking animatedly to him “but Galoshes wouldn’t stay there She followed us fro in Stephen’s pram”
“Galoshes? Why did you name her that?”
“It’s what Mama says when the cat puts holes in her dress”
“Poor Maaze was intent and searching as he looked at Phoebe