17Ben knocked, then stuck his head in and called for Molly, in a hurry to tell her his news.
“Well, bonjour, Ben!” she said, from a chair next to the woodstove. “I’m glad to see you. Please excuse my not getting up.”
“No, no, please stay where you are,” said Ben, swooping down to kiss her cheeks, then her mouth. “I hope it’s all right that I showed up without any notice. I’ve just had the most extraordinary phone call from Maron.”
“Do tell,” said Molly, pulling her blanket up to her chin.
“It’s freezing in here. Let me get some wood and jack this fire up a bit first.”
“Sure, leave me dangling!”
Ben was out and back from the woodpile quickly, the orange cat weaving through his legs when he came in. He squatted down by the stove, using a poker to get the logs adjusted the way he wanted
