Page 30 of Taken By the Savage Highlander

The kitten, apparently as stubborn as the woman raising her, began to purr. It was as if it was challenging him; like the animal knew he would not remove it from his chambers.

“Only because I daenae wish to see her in her nightgown once more,” he said, mindlessly petting the creature. “It is late enough that I’m sure she will change as soon as she gets back to her quarters.”

When the animal crawled up further, he didn’t resist it. The annoyance he had initially felt was still there, but it was quickly fading. It was charming in a way that even he could not deny.

Margo had not intended to fall asleep straight away when she returned to her chambers, but when the morning sunlight streamed across her face, she realized what had happened.

“Oh dear,” she muttered, throwing her arm over her eyes.

She was about to drift off again when she heard the kittens whining in protest. With a groan that wasn’t truly annoyance, Margo sat up and looked over at the opinionated, wriggling pile by the hearth. Though they could go a bit longer between feedings, they were not quiet about when they were ready to eat.

“I’m coming,” Margo said with a chuckle.

When her feet hit the cold floor, she lifted her arms above her head, stretching out the stiffness from her sleep. As she rose, Tilly’s dainty knock sounded on her door. The maid entered a few seconds later with Eleanor on her heels.

“We brought milk for the kittens,” Eleanor said, slipping around Tilly to shuffle over to the cats.

“Thank goodness,” Margo said as she walked over to accept the bowl from the tray Tilly carried. “They are very loud and upset that I have not fed them yet.”

“Aye, I figured they may be,” Tilly said, placing the tray aside and joining Eleanor at the hearth.

“Margo?” Eleanor asked, her gaze never leaving the kittens. “Have you seen the little gray one this morning?”

“No,” Margo said, shuffling forward and looking over her sister’s shoulder. “I haven’t had a chance to check on them yet.”

“She’s not here,” Eleanor said, her voice rising in pitch. “The others are here, but she is not!”

“She may have just wandered off,” Tilly said, already springing into action to search the room. “They’re at the age now where they want to explore, and she is trouble.”

“I’ll help,” Margo said, putting her hand on Eleanor’s shoulder and squeezing. “You should feed these four. I think they would be incredibly upset to have to wait any longer.”

Eleanor nodded, though her eyes were slowly filling with tears. Margo turned away first, joining Tilly in her search of the room. Together, they checked all the known hiding spots the kittens had used before. When they exhausted all of the usual cracks and crevices, they began a more desperate search.

How did she sneak away? It must have happened while I was sleeping. I’m sure they were all there when I retired.

But, as she shook out her comforter, she trusted that thought less and less. She had not even spared the kittens a look, taking their soft noises as confirmation that they were all safe. Perhaps the poor thing had been on her own all night.

Shaking that dreadful image from her mind, Margo began opening the drawers of her wardrobe. She knew that she likely wouldn’t find the kitten there, but she was running out of options. It seemed as if the cat had gotten out of her chambers, and if that were the case, she could be in danger.

“I do not think she’s in here,” Eleanor said tearfully, sniffling as she took care of the four remaining babies. “You would have found her. Or she would have come out to eat.”

“I will find her,” Margo said, grabbing her gown and stepping into it. “I promise. She will get hungry and come looking for us.”

“I will tell the household!” Tilly added as cheerfully as she could, her hands working quickly up Margo’s back. “She willnae be missin’ for long. It wouldnae surprise me if someone’s already found her. Perhaps she’s already been fed.”

“Perhaps,” Eleanor agreed, though she didn’t sound convinced.

“You should stay here,” Margo told her, walking over to place her palm on top of Eleanor’s head. “Just in case she is hiding somewhere in here. She will need you to feed her if she comes out.”

“Right,” Eleanor said, focusing on the kittens crawling over one another in front of her. “I will call for you if she shows up.”

Margo leaned down and pressed a kiss to Eleanor’s cheek. Then, she straightened and walked to the door, leaving Tilly and Eleanor to finish feeding the kittens. She slipped out quickly, watching the floor to ensure she did not accidentally miss the animal.

Unsure of where the cat might have gone, Margo wandered the castle. She checked alcoves and dark corners. Every time she came across a bench, she got down on her hands and knees to ensure she laid her eyes on every inch of the castle.

Eventually, her search brought her closer to the kitchens. The smell of fresh bread drifted down the hallway, warm and rich. Her stomach growled, and after a second of deliberation, she followed the scent.

It had taken no time for the kitchen to be functional again. When she stepped inside, most of the staff had returned to their regular positions. The strongest of the kitchen servants were still busy with the repairs for the storage room, but the place was operating at its prior capacity.