Ditto what MacNair said; we'll keep the fire burning in the fireplace for ya!

We do have a fireplace, right? *g*

ConnorM and DuncanM (alias MacNair)

"Do we?!"

The two Scots look at each other and then looked incredulously at lahoffy.

"Did you think we are out chopping wood by the cord for FUN!?" demanded Duncan.

"Er-r-r..." said lahoffy.

"Hey, who put all this mud on the carpet down here?" shouted lynnann. "You'd better get the vacuum after this mess before Hayden gets home!"

"Er-r-r..." said lahoffy, now looking puzzled.

"Gas. I said we needed GAS, last winter, but oooo-oooooh, nooooo-ooooooh, you said it would cost too much to have everything converted to gas," Duncan was protesting stridently to his kinsman. "So, here we are, chopping wood like there is no tomorrow just to keep all these girls WARM and enchanted by the fireplaces in every bedroom and the library!"

Connor pushed his battered hat up a few inches. He held a single blade axe in his hand and one sleeve was rolled up, the other one had fallen down, and he had heavy ankle-high boots on. He examined the sole of one shoe curiously--yep, mud. Uh-oh, he thought.

"Er-r-r..." said lahoffy.

Duncan pulled off his knit cap. His dark hair swirled around his brow and neck, soaked with perspiration. The top of his head steamed in the chilly air. In the strenuous labor, he had stripped down to a tank top that had seen better days. He propped the heavy double edge axe against the huge woodpile and relaced one boot. "Cheapskate," he added for good measure.

"They like the wood fireplaces," Connor said with a trace of humor. "They like to watch us chop wood, too. See?"

"Er-r-r..." said lahoffy.

(silent observation.)

"I don't think she could even fire a halo at us for putting mud in the TV room."

"That's your mess, Mr. Mudlugger-boots. I didn't go in the house," corrected Duncan.

�lahoffy? You vacuum up the mud and we'll go back to chopping wood for you," cajoled Connor.

"Er-r-r..." said lahoffy, turning obediently to look for the vacuum.

Storie, raising hand

*ahem* Guys?

I need more wood for the fireplace in my room. Would one of you gentlemen be so kind as to bring some up for me? I'll show you which room...

DuncanMuse

"AGAIN?!" he exclaimed. "I just filled the wood bin in Storie's room!"

Connor looked around the corner of the CDC Main House and looked from the ground to the upper window of one of the guest rooms. "Um-hmmmmmmm. Looks like she chucked the whole she-bang out the window just so you'd haul more up there, kinsman."

"WHAT?!" Duncan strode around the corner of the house and stared at the unruly pile of wood scattered on the ground.

Connor put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Next load of wood you take up? Linger a while."

"Linger?" Duncan looked puzzled.

"Are you dense? L-i-n-g-e-r with the lassie and your wood pile will stay!"

Storie

"Have any of you seen Storie?" Hayden stopped by the kitchen, perplexed. "I've looked all over for her. She's nowhere to be found."

"She wasn't in the library," MacNair offered. "I just came from there."

"She skipped her exercise routine this morning; I haven't seen her in the gym at all today," said lynnann.

"She hasn't been near the pool; poor Otter's down there all by his lonesome." lahoffy reached for a brownie.

"Maybe she went for a ride?" suggested Pacem.

"No ladies have been to the stable." Methos settled into a chair and opened his newspaper. "I'm the only one who took a horse out today."

"Speaking of disappearances, where's Mac?" Richie popped up from behind the opened refrigerator door. He held a sandwich in one hand and a pickle in the other. "I haven't seen him since he and Connor were cutting wood this morning."

"Oooh..."

Every eye turned toward Connor, quietly sipping coffee in the breakfast nook, lost in a novel. He glanced up briefly toward the door beyond Hayden. A knowing smile came and went as he returned to his book.

The others followed his glance toward the door to find Storie, slightly disheveled, leaning against the frame.

"There you are! Storie?" Hayden hesitated, concerned. "Are you okay, hon?"

Storie responded with a vague smile. "Er-r-r..."

Nov 22 2002
Which only proves that when you visit, the boys turn up the heat for ya!

Back to The Playroom

Back to the Library

Home