[Arry]

Hanson and Cook . . .

Hanson was not above batting his eyes at Cook. He found it often worked on his Gammer, though not on his Ma, much to his dismay. He put on his serious face after, mirroring hers, and took a deep breath. ‘We’re going to see the new kittens in the barn,’ he said. ‘And of course, we’ll be very careful with them,’ he piped up, forestalling a word of caution from her. ‘Master Meri showed me just how to touch them. And we won’t bother the Mama Kitty.’ He shook his head solemnly to emphasize his words.

He looked about the kitchen hopefully, his eyes lighting on the cookie jar up on the counter, and at the plate of ham and cheese sandwiches on thick slices of bread near it. He could see the golden crust of a few of the sandwiches peeking out from under a napkin laid over them. His stomach grumbled loudly at the thought of setting his teeth into one of them, followed by a fat cookie . . . or two. He knew better than to ask outright for the sandwiches and cookies. Cook would more than likely call him cheeky and send him and the others scurrying off.

Cook was glancing at his two new friends standing behind Woody. ‘Say, you haven’t met my new friends, have you? This is Tim Woodlock and his sister, Wren. They want to see the kittens, too.’