went wearily to bed, not caring that it was still light out. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, and she sought refuge in sleep.
Maggie woke later with a start, bolting upright in the bed. She stared uneasily around at her familiar surroundings, and her heartbeat slowed gradually as she realized that nothing was amiss. Then she heard a thump from below, followed by another, and she reached for her threadbare robe, belting it around her. She crept apprehensively down the stairs without a candle, trying to make as little noise as possible. The thump came again, from the library, and she glided over silently. he heavy doors were ajar, and she peeped in. A broad smile creased her face, and a giggle slipped out before she could stifle it. Maggie clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Nick whirled around and saw her, stopping his pursuit of the tiny gray-striped kitten who was apparently the cause of all the thumping and banging that had woken her. A heavy vase lay in pieces on the floor, and one of the small tables was overturned. He glared at her, and ran a raking hand through his already mussed hair.
“I am glad you think that this is funny,” he growled. “I, however, do not. This little demon cat is for Tommy to take to the stables in the morning. Kathleen’s father rode over and gave it to me. He said its mother was a good mouser, and Tommy’s been missing the old cat down at the barn. We think something may have killed it and eaten it. He had made a pet of the old cat, and he has been kind of upset. I was going to put the ugly little thing in bed with him, since it is so little I was afraid to leave it at the stable alone, but there is only one problem.” He reached out a hand to the tiny little mite and was rewarded with an arched back and a hiss that would have put a mountain lion to shame. He pulled his hand back hastily. “I cannot catch it!”
Maggie’s suppressed laugh started at her stomach and rose through her body until it spilled out her mouth in whoops. She doubled over, clutching her stomach as he scowled at her, crossing his scratched arms over his chest.
“You catch the thing then,” Nick said forbiddingly. “Go ahead. Go on, Miss Know-All.”
“Here kitty-kitty-kitty,” she murmured softly, reaching out a slow hand toward the little spitting speck of a cat. “It is all right, baby, come here now.” She stayed the motion of her hand and was rewarded when the kitten butted her hand with a minuscule head, and rubbed against her. She gathered the sweet, soft thing up against her chest, and Nick glared harder.
“You cheated somehow,” he muttered. Maggie grinned at him.
“Would you put the little imp of Satan in Tommy’s room?” His mouth quirked. “Since it seems to like you so much.”
“All right,” Maggie whispered. She was becoming fond of skinny, diffident Tommy. He was amazingly eager to please, and both she and Kathleen had begun to save treats for him, just for the joy of seeing his beautiful smile. He hung around the two of them as much as his job would allow, and one or the other of them was always feeding him a slice of bread or pastry, and
ruffling his blond hair that stuck up in the front in a spiky cowlick. He blushed and turned deep red every time they did it, so of course they did it all the time. His voice was just beginning to change, and it often squeaked out of control. Nobody smiled or laughed when that happened. They did not want to hurt his amazingly tender feelings. Kathleen had wondered out loud one day how he could still be so sensitive, seeing as how his drunken mother had beaten him every day of his life until she died of a broken neck after tripping over a table in the local tavern where she had worked. He had evidently spent most of his life dodging her and her ‘friends’ she brought home every night to the room where they lived. His life had been horrific until Nick had brought him home to work with Ned and the horses. After hearing that, Maggie’s heart had gone out to the lonely, gentle child, and she tried especially hard to be kind to him.
Maggie started up the stairs,