First In Series Sampler, Volume 1

Chapter 13

––––––––

THE THREE OF THEM FINISHED the pot of coffee and a tray of cookies Dylan had found in the cupboard. They shared tears and laughter as they reminisced about their times with Meredith. But finally, the inevitable happened, and it was time for the two men to leave and for Morgan to face her first night in the Seaver house.

She closed and locked the door behind the men as they left, assuring them she was comfortable in the house by herself. She leaned against the door after they had left and was surprised to find she was comfortable in the house. She had no fears of being alone in her family home. There were too many good memories that she wanted to spend time with. And one of the first memories she would enjoy was the library.

With hurried steps, like a child rushing to open a gift, Morgan made her way to the library. This had always been her favorite spot, other than the widow"s walk. Morgan was sure this was where her love for books started, here in Aunt Meredith"s library. Her aunt had taught her to respect books, and to always be careful of their spines, not to dog-ear the pages, and to keep the shelves well dusted. That had been her childhood task, to dust the bookshelves, and as she grew older, Meredith had allowed her to climb ladders to reach the top shelves.

She marveled at the rows of old books lining the shelves. As a child, Morgan considered it a treat to be allowed to explore the books. Often, she didn"t understand what was written, but there were beautiful pictures within the old pages. It was during one of her many visits that Morgan decided the occupation of preserving books was her calling. She taught herself how to repair books, and then when it was time for college, she picked a school to learn the fine art of book repair. From there, she"d been able to create a business; she categorized private libraries, called into authenticity first editions, and repaired old books often neglected and unwanted within private collections. Her work had taken her to some of the most illustrious homes along the Eastern seaboard. She even worked for some more specialized private libraries and had built up a good reputation. A reputation that made her sought after by not only private collectors but by auction houses, as well.

Morgan looked through the shelves. There was one book she was searching for, an old favorite from when she was a child. It was a children"s book with no particular meaning, except it was one her mother had written and illustrated. It was one of the few memories Morgan had of her mother.

"There you are."

Morgan felt a sense of relief as she reached out and grabbed the book off the shelf. Now she really felt like she"d come home. She knew there were journals, some decades old, filled with the recordings of events about the island and her family, and she had every intention of looking through them. But for now, she was happy to curl up in the chair and just flip the pages of an old picture book created with love just for her.

The events of the day had taken their toll on Morgan without her realizing it. As she sat in the window seat looking through the book, she felt her eyes droop.

"Meow."

Morgan jerked awake. She"d dozed off after she quit fighting droopy eyelids, and the sound of a cat meowing at her through the window behind her shoulder had woken her. The light from the library illuminated the immediate area outside of the window, and Morgan could see a beautiful, long-haired tabby kitten. She was sure this was the same cat she"d seen on and off since her arrival to Pearl Island. Slowly getting to her feet so as not to startle the kitten staring intently at her, Morgan moved across to the French doors, ready to invite the kitten to share the library with her. Somehow, she thought the animal belonged to the house, but she wasn"t sure. When the kitten marched her way right to the doors, Morgan knew she was right.

"Hello, you sweet thing. You belong here, don"t you? But how on earth did you get up here to the second-floor balcony?"

The kitten gave a soft meow as if in answer and rubbed herself against Morgan"s ankles in greeting. Deciding she was friendly, Morgan bent down and picked the kitten up, cuddling her as she scratched her behind the ears. The kitten lifted a paw to place it gently against her cheek, and Morgan noticed how large the paw was. Looking at the kitten"s front paws closer, she saw the extra "thumb" on each foot. The kitten was a polydactyl cat.

Morgan looked back out the door and saw the large live oak outside the library"s window. She had found the route the kitten had taken to reach the second floor. Reaching for the door handle to close the French door, she noticed the mist was beginning again.

"You just keep showing up out of the mist, don"t you? Bet you"re hungry; let"s see if we can find you something to eat."

Still holding the cat, Morgan felt through the thick fur around her neck, hoping for a collar that would identify the kitten, but she found nothing. The kitten squirmed in her arms, so she put her down and followed the kitten as she led the way to the kitchen. It was clear the cat knew her way around the house, and Morgan was happy to find a little companionship thrust upon her through the mist.

She found some food and put it down on the floor for her guest, who quickly gobbled it up. Morgan smiled as the kitten finished and daintily licked her paws to clean her face and long whiskers.

"So, my little friend, what am I going to call you?" Morgan asked out loud as she looked out the window. Then she looked back down at the kitten as inspiration hit her. "How about Misty?"

The kitten looked up at her and meowed as if agreeing. Smiling down at the feline, Morgan snapped her fingers and called her.

"Well then, Misty, come upstairs with me. I have a feeling you"re the type of cat who will curl up in bed and claim it for yourself."

The kitten looked at her as if she completely understood every word Morgan said. She swished her tail, walked out of the kitchen and headed right for the stairs to the upper bedrooms.

"Yep, you definitely belong here, Misty."