“You kept them?”
“Felt it was best to let them grow a bit and to let you see them first.”
“Thank you. I know you have never been very fond of kittens.”
“The ones I knew tended to be very destructive. It appears Loki is a very strict mother.”
“Oh, dear. Wait, how did she get out? She rarely goes outside, and when she does it is mostly to linger on the porch.”
“We never did figure that out. I feared we had lost her, but then she sauntered back in.” Mary looked out the window as the carriage turned to go up the hillside and head up to Belle’s house. “And it looks as if all your pets await you, along with my two nephews who have come to visit.”
“Aunt Sarah sent her boys, Joseph and Malachi, to come stay with you?”
“Why wouldn’t she? I know how to care for boys.”
“No, no, you misunderstand. You live very close to town. She remembers the town as being dangerous. And, well, hateful.”
“It has grown since she was a child. But, the biggest push was that she and her man are taking a small trip and she didn’t want her boys left alone. I do think she was pleased I was staying at your house for a time.”
The carriage came to a stop and Harold gallantly helped Mary down from it. Then he did the same for Belle and Morgan. Belle was smothered by the welcome of her dogs, even as she greeted the boys. Then she stepped into the house, took one look at Loki sitting proudly with her kittens, and knew she would be keeping them all.
Belle had barely shut the door behind her when there was a knock at it. She opened the door to find the sheriff with a tight grip on Charlie Bennet’s arm. “Can I help you, Sheriff?”
“I believe I can help you with this fool. Sorry it has taken me so long. I heard your fire bell the night your barn caught fire, but it took a while for me and some of my men to get to your house. That actually proved helpful. I caught this fool redhanded. He had come back to pick up what was left of the torch he had tossed into your hay loft. That was going a step too far. He has a choice now. Charged and jailed, or fix your barn and replace your hay. There will be signs of him doing that within a week or it is back to jail. And he will do it, won’t you, Charlie?” He gave Bennet a shake until the man grunted an agreement. “Will that satisfy you?”
“Yes, Sheriff, I believe it will.”
“Now I just have to find something that will calm down Will’s father about his son being shot in the leg by this fool. Come along, Charlie.”
After thanking the sheriff again, Bella went into her house and turned to face her aunt, grinning at her. “I think the sheriff finally got fed up with being dragged away from his meals so often.”
Belle laughed and then looked around for Loki and her kittens. She sat on the floor and was soon surrounded by kittens. She only worried about telling Geordie she was keeping them all for a moment, until he sat down beside her on the floor and joined her in playing with the kittens.
“Do ye plan to keep them or sell them? Or just give them away?”
“Since these are the only kittens she has ever had, I plan to keep them,” Belle said.
“Ye kept her locked up?”
“Not really, she has always stuck very close to home. She just never had any kittens.”
Her cousins Joseph and Malachi joined them, then Morgan wandered over. Abel came to look at the kittens, but then went back to stay with the dogs. Belle sat on the sofa, and one of the kittens crawled up. It curled up on her lap, and as she patted it, she fought to stay awake and failed.
“Cousin Belle has gone to sleep,” said Joseph. “Long trip?”
“Long enough, but she slept on the train, too,” Geordie said and frowned down at the kitten in Belle’s lap. “Can you move the kitten for me and I will tote her up to bed.”
Geordie got her tucked into her bed, even removing most of her clothing. Then he studied her. All his instincts told him she was probably with child, but he had no idea how to get her to face the possibility. Giving her a kiss on the forehead, he left the room, his mind crowded with plans for ways to get Belle to recognize her condition.
When he got back downstairs he did not see Mary, so sat down next to Harold.
“Has Mary gone to bed for the night?”
“I think her plan was to relieve herself but I believe she changed her mind and went to bed.” He sighed. “I am just going to have to tell her.”
“Tell her what?”
“That she was caught on the change, as I believe they say. She is with child. I have no idea how she is going to take this.”
