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Authors: The Pleasure of Her Kiss
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and be warm.
“Hey, look up there!” Justin was pointing at her, his eyes bright, his dimples deep and winking even from across the stream. “Lady Kate’s here!”
“Oh, watch me, Lady Kate! Watch me!” Little Lucas stuck his arms out like a pair of wings, stiffened, and then abruptly fell over backward into the water with a shallow splash.
“Excellent, Lucas!” Kate called out as the boy rocketed up with a squeal and an explosion of water.
“Guess what, Lady Kate!” Healy wobbled toward her atop the stepping stones.
“What, Healy?” The other children swarmed past the tottering boy.
“Grady can swim clear across the stream! All in one big breath.”
“Just like a pike!” Mera shouted, her fist dug into the thick, black fur at Mr. McNair’s massive scruff. The dog lumbered gently alongside the little girl, patient, devoted, that huge, goofy smile lighting his large hound eyes.
If only Mr. McNair were Prime Minister! He wouldn’t let the children starve.
Kate really ought to be chiding them about playing so far from the hall, but how could she resist kneeling to meet their hugs and their laughter? The little ones holding on tightly; Lucas and his cap, Dori squishing kisses onto Kate’s cheek, Healy climbing into her arms, Mera with one hand in Kate’s and the other wrapped around Mr. McNair’s neck.
“So you’re a pike now, Grady?” Kate asked.
“He’s incorrigible, Lady Kate.”
“Incorrigible?” Dear Glenna must have learned another new word today. Another to add to the plates of fear that she used to armor herself. “Ebullient, I’d call him.”
“Ebullient?” Glenna frowned more deeply as she stood apart, her curiosity never failing to distract her. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find it—”
“In the dictionary, I know.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at Grady. “I was just saying that I told them not to leave the hall grounds.”
“Spoilsport!”
“Yeah!”
Kate stood upright, her arms still full of Lucas. “Glenna is only looking out for your best interest, children. And frankly, I agree with her.”
“With Glenna?” Grady swabbed his cheek with his forearm. “Why?”
Glenna sniffed. “Told you so.”
“Children, please.” Kate used their proximity to gather them with her arms and herd them up the bank, far away from the rainbow pool. “We’re hosting a fishing tournament at Badger’s Run; it’s our job to make sure the contestants have the very best time. Else they might not come back next year.”
“What’s a turmanent, Lady Kate?” Dori grinned up at Kate, thrusting the end of her tongue through the great gap between her front teeth.
“It’s a fish race!” Justin shouted, his cunning alive in his eyes. “Right, Lady Kate?”
“Not exactly a race, but a contest. Whoever catches the biggest fish after three days wins the prize.”
“We can win! Come on! Let’s go, Justin! I saw a big one in there!” Grady threw himself backward and stumbled down the bankside into a gorse bush, Mr. McNair grabbing the tail of the boy’s shirt before he rolled to a stop. “Oh, yuck, Mr. McNair! Get off!”
“The tournament is for our guests, Grady. You must promise to keep away from the streams and the fishermen until I say you can play there.”
“Ah, but, we really could—” The dog sat down on Grady’s leg, pinning him to the ground.
“I mean it, Grady. And you too, Justin. And the rest of you. You’re to stay clear of the streams and the lodge and the contestants. For the next three days.”
“Then get this blinkin’ hound off me!”
Grady shoved at the dog, but Mr. McNair merelylapped his tongue across Grady’s face and the children burst out laughing; even Glenna smiled.
“Call him off, sweetheart,” Kate said to Mera.
“Come, Mr. McNair!” Mera stretched out her little hand and the dog lifted himself off Grady, then loped to her side. “He likes the new girl, Lady Kate.”
“Mr. McNair likes
“Hey, look up there!” Justin was pointing at her, his eyes bright, his dimples deep and winking even from across the stream. “Lady Kate’s here!”
“Oh, watch me, Lady Kate! Watch me!” Little Lucas stuck his arms out like a pair of wings, stiffened, and then abruptly fell over backward into the water with a shallow splash.
“Excellent, Lucas!” Kate called out as the boy rocketed up with a squeal and an explosion of water.
“Guess what, Lady Kate!” Healy wobbled toward her atop the stepping stones.
“What, Healy?” The other children swarmed past the tottering boy.
“Grady can swim clear across the stream! All in one big breath.”
“Just like a pike!” Mera shouted, her fist dug into the thick, black fur at Mr. McNair’s massive scruff. The dog lumbered gently alongside the little girl, patient, devoted, that huge, goofy smile lighting his large hound eyes.
If only Mr. McNair were Prime Minister! He wouldn’t let the children starve.
Kate really ought to be chiding them about playing so far from the hall, but how could she resist kneeling to meet their hugs and their laughter? The little ones holding on tightly; Lucas and his cap, Dori squishing kisses onto Kate’s cheek, Healy climbing into her arms, Mera with one hand in Kate’s and the other wrapped around Mr. McNair’s neck.
“So you’re a pike now, Grady?” Kate asked.
“He’s incorrigible, Lady Kate.”
“Incorrigible?” Dear Glenna must have learned another new word today. Another to add to the plates of fear that she used to armor herself. “Ebullient, I’d call him.”
“Ebullient?” Glenna frowned more deeply as she stood apart, her curiosity never failing to distract her. “What does that mean?”
“You’ll find it—”
“In the dictionary, I know.” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at Grady. “I was just saying that I told them not to leave the hall grounds.”
“Spoilsport!”
“Yeah!”
Kate stood upright, her arms still full of Lucas. “Glenna is only looking out for your best interest, children. And frankly, I agree with her.”
“With Glenna?” Grady swabbed his cheek with his forearm. “Why?”
Glenna sniffed. “Told you so.”
“Children, please.” Kate used their proximity to gather them with her arms and herd them up the bank, far away from the rainbow pool. “We’re hosting a fishing tournament at Badger’s Run; it’s our job to make sure the contestants have the very best time. Else they might not come back next year.”
“What’s a turmanent, Lady Kate?” Dori grinned up at Kate, thrusting the end of her tongue through the great gap between her front teeth.
“It’s a fish race!” Justin shouted, his cunning alive in his eyes. “Right, Lady Kate?”
“Not exactly a race, but a contest. Whoever catches the biggest fish after three days wins the prize.”
“We can win! Come on! Let’s go, Justin! I saw a big one in there!” Grady threw himself backward and stumbled down the bankside into a gorse bush, Mr. McNair grabbing the tail of the boy’s shirt before he rolled to a stop. “Oh, yuck, Mr. McNair! Get off!”
“The tournament is for our guests, Grady. You must promise to keep away from the streams and the fishermen until I say you can play there.”
“Ah, but, we really could—” The dog sat down on Grady’s leg, pinning him to the ground.
“I mean it, Grady. And you too, Justin. And the rest of you. You’re to stay clear of the streams and the lodge and the contestants. For the next three days.”
“Then get this blinkin’ hound off me!”
Grady shoved at the dog, but Mr. McNair merelylapped his tongue across Grady’s face and the children burst out laughing; even Glenna smiled.
“Call him off, sweetheart,” Kate said to Mera.
“Come, Mr. McNair!” Mera stretched out her little hand and the dog lifted himself off Grady, then loped to her side. “He likes the new girl, Lady Kate.”
“Mr. McNair likes
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