She widened her search.There were plenty of leafless trees and bushes scattered along the road.He could be hiding in the brush, or maybe he’d climbed a tree.She didn’t see any gray balls of fur, but everything about the day was gray and brown.“Tristan!Here, kitty, kitty.”
“You’re much more likely to get his attention by calling out ‘fish,’” Mr.Beaumont said.“It’s even better if you spell it because then he thinks you’re trying to not share, and he’ll have none of that.”
“Do you have any fish to give him?”
“No, but he already hates me.If it brings him back, I’ll gladly face his displeasure.”He raised his voice.“I say, Miss Davis, would you care for a bite of f-i-s-h?”
Nora held her breath as they waited for any indication Tristan was coming.The only rustling came from the rain hitting the bushes.
Mr.Beaumont tried again.“This fish is so good.I’m glad Tristan isn’t here to have any.”
If she weren’t so worried about Tristan, she’d find it amusing Mr.Beaumont spoke of and treated the cat more like an unruly toddler than an animal.
“Hey, mister!Come give us a hand.”The two men attempted to shift the hack out of the rut and off the main portion of the road.
Mr.Beaumont’s shoulders sagged.“I best go help.Keep calling.Maybe he’ll like your voice better.”
He walked back toward the hack, but Nora couldn’t turn around.All she could imagine was seeing Tristan’s mangled body when they lifted.Instead she squinted at each branch bouncing in the rain and tried to distinguish gray fur from gray sky.
“On my count.One.Two.Three.”
Their grunting gave way to an angry yowl.
Nora turned in time to see a brown and gray streak dart from between the rut and wheel.By God’s mercy, Tristan must have been kept safe in the space between wood and mud.Even so, the poor beast was distraught and apparently desired Nora to comfort him.He ran straight for her and leaped.She instinctively dropped the umbrella and swooped him up.Soaked and caked in mud, he was more than happy to share his newly acquired wealth.Her entire ensemble would need a thorough washing, but Nora had never been so relieved to hold an animal in her life.
She adjusted her grip like Mrs.Beaumont had shown her and promised him the first bite of fish she could find.Mr.Beaumont was a few minutes more, and by the time he rejoined her, he was as soaked and mud-caked as Tristan.
“Well, Tristan.It looks like I’m still stuck with you.”Despite Mr.Beaumont’s words, he scratched under Tristan’s chin and smiled.
Tristan accepted the affection but growled when Mr.Beaumont attempted to reclaim him.
“I’m happy to carry him after the fright he gave us.”It was the least she could do for Mrs.Beaumont.They didn’t need the rascal escaping again and breaking her heart.
“If he gets too heavy, tell me.”He retrieved the umbrella and dumped the accumulated rain before angling it over both of them.
“They said they’d see to the driver and indicated there’s a horsecar stop not too far from here, but it’s not due for another half hour.”
It might be better for them to walk to the home of her nearest friend, Theresa Plane.It couldn’t take much longer than that, and they’d have a place to dry off and clean up before moving on.Given Theresa’s fondness for animals, she’d welcome Tristan and check him for injury.If Nora and Mr.Beaumont passed a horsecar before then, they could always get on and travel to their separate destinations from there.
“I have a better idea.If you’re willing to walk, I have a friend who lives about a mile from here.She has a carriage we can borrow.”
“That is a long distance to walk in this rain.We’ll be soaked to the marrow by the time we arrive.”
“By the looks of you, you’re already soaked, and I’m most of the way there.At Theresa’s, we can warm by a fire before moving on.”
He checked his watch and scowled.“There isn’t time, not if I’m to see you home, change, and still arrive to work on time.”
“I’ll visit with Theresa, which fulfills your promise to see me to safety.She will gladly lend you the use of her family carriage so you can return home.It will still be faster than waiting for the horsecar and enduring its multiple stops.”
He wasn’t pleased, but he must have seen the wisdom in it.“Are you certain your friend won’t mind?”
“Theresa will be delighted to have Tristan to care for and a story to share.”The Guardians would give Nora no end of teasing when they heard.“I’m not in the habit of befriending men.”
He laughed.“Especially those you deem Don Giovannis.”
“You should be honored.I’ve spoken with you more than any man not related to me since the beginning of time.In fact, I’m rather exhausted from it and think silence is best from here forward.”She skirted the road’s edge, doing her best to avoid puddles and maintain her balance with the squirming feline.
Mr.Beaumont strolled beside her, holding the umbrella aloft and providing a barrier from any conveyances that passed their direction.“But you know I’m not one for silence.”
