Mice in the Attic

By Donna and Ev

"Ahhh...ahhh... choo!" was the sound that greeted Luc the morning after his house guest had arrived. The sneeze was quickly followed by three more.

Luc sighed as he rolled out of bed.  It was another cold morning.  He quickly built up the fires to warm the place and put the kettle on to make tea, then gently knocked on her door.  "Marty?  Are you all right?"

"I think I got a cold in my nose," she said, in between a couple more sneezes.  He opened the door to find her wearing all the clothes he had given her the night before and wrapped up in a quilt as she sat shivering on the edge of the bed.

"Come sit by the fire.  I will bring you tea and something to eat."  He saw that the smaller fire in this room had gone out and frowned.  It should have still been going.  "I like to make omelets for breakfast.  Are you hungry enough for that?"  He helped her keep the quilt around her as she settled in the chair and smiled. 

"I can try to eat something," she said stuffily. "You wouldn't happen to have any Kleenex, would you?"

"Kleenex?"  It took a moment before he realized what she meant.  "Ah.  I do not.  You can use this."  He opened a drawer and handed her a large, clean handkerchief.   At that point, the teakettle whistled and he poured the water for tea.  "Would you like the same tea as last night?"  He found himself wanting to care for her and wanting her to appreciate him. 

"That would be nice," she said as she followed him to the chair by the big fireplace.  When he brought it to her, Luc gently felt her forehead.  "Duh ah ha' a fever?" she snuffled.

"I am not sure.  I have little practice with this." He helped her tuck the quilt around her and settle comfortably in the chair.  "Better?"  He carefully brought her the tea and set about fixing breakfast. 

"Better," she said after another sneeze.  She sipped on the tea, and managed to eat a little of the omelet before curling up on the chair under the quilt and going back to sleep.

He made sure he washed all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen thoroughly.  She slept through it all.  Concerned, he very gently touched her forehead.  She did seem warm, but he wasn't sure.  He sighed.  He needed to go out and feed his horse and check on the wine that was aging in the winery. It wouldn't take much longer to ride to Katherine's and see if she could recommend some sort of medicine for Marty.  Rather than wake her, he decided to go quickly and take care of these things.  The sooner he left, the sooner he would be back.  He put on his warmer boots, an extra sweater, his coat, a scarf, and found his hat and gloves and with one last concerned look at Marty, hurried out into the cold, carefully closing the door behind him. 

The closing of the door roused her from her sleep, and Marty got up long enough to make her way to the bathroom.  She drank a little more of the tea and was about to curl up in front of the fire again, when she heard a little scurrying noise up the stair well.  "Don't tell me there are mice in the attic here too," she sniffed.  She spotted the broom where Luc had left it, and taking hold of it, she made her way up the stairs slowly, listening for the noise again.

Luc quickly finished his few chores around his own place, then saddled his horse and went to Katherine's.  The more he thought about Marty, the more worried he became.  It would not do for her to be sick right away.  Or at all, if he could help it.  He rode quickly to the house and after tying up the horse, knocked firmly at the door. 

Katherine answered the door.  They had just returned from Camelot the day before, and she was a little surprised to have visitors so soon.  "Luc! Welcome!  Come on in and warm up by the fire.  I'm glad to see you!"

He gladly came in from the cold.  "I cannot stay long.  A young lady arrived yesterday and found her way to my house.  She may have a fever today. I'm not sure.  I was hoping you could recommend something for her.  Some medicine?" 

Katherine questioned him about her symptoms.  "It sounds like she has a bad cold.  Here, let me get a few things for you."  She made up a basket filled with several different types of tea, telling him how to prepare them.  "The rosehip one has lots of Vitamin C in it, and the willow bark extract will reduce her fever.  I'll have Connor or John come by tomorrow to see if she is doing alright.  If need be, they can ride for a doctor in town."

"She was half frozen when she came to my door.  She was in Hawaii."  He smiled, remembering how small and cold she looked.  "Is there something special that would best for her to eat?  What should I look for?  I am new at this." 

"Chicken soup," Katherine chuckled. "Lots of good old fashioned chicken soup!"

Meanwhile, Marty had made her way up to the top of the stairs, where she saw a drop down door leading up to what she assumed was the attic.  Once more she heard the scurrying sound. "Gotcha!" she said firmly, then sneezed again. "Where is a good cat when you need one?"

Luc thanked Katherine profusely and hurried back to his farm.  He very carefully took care of his horse, then managed to catch one of the few chickens he kept and started back into the house. 

The chair, to his surprise, was empty. Suddenly there was the sound of several thuds and the muffled yelling of his house guest from upstairs.  As he ran upstairs, the chicken still dangling from one hand, he heard her make a victory cry.  "Got you!" she said as she brought down the broom repeatedly on the mice she had caught nibbling on the corner of a large chest.

"What are you doing?"  He was doubly confused.  First, wondering what she was doing, and second, since when did he have an attic?  He didn't remember seeing this door before.

"Killing a mouse," she said as she gave it one last whack.  "I can't abide mice in a house!  Don't you have a cat?"  Sweeping the offending body away, she looked around.  "Wow, look at all this stuff!"  Next to the chest was one of those movable full length mirrors.  "My granny had one of these!"

He looked around him.  "I have never seen these things before.  I didn't have an attic before."   He shrugged and chuckled.  "This place is magic.  I should put this in the kitchen."  He looked down at the chicken he still carried.  "We should see what is in the trunk."  He grinned at her. 

She sneezed and blew her nose, then knelt down by the chest to open it.  "Ohhh!" she gasped.  "Look Luc!  It's full of clothing!  All sorts!  Even a flannel nightie!  And shirts that could fit you!"

He rushed back up and peered into the trunk beside her.  "Some of these you could wear."  He picked up a very soft, warm-looking sweater of light blue lamb's wool and handed it to her.  "I want you to put something warm on from here."  His eyes crinkled into a smile while he looked at her.

"Good idea," she said as she sneezed again.  She picked a few things out, and then rose to her feet.  "Maybe a good hot bath first."  She grinned at the chicken.  "Need any help plucking it?  I've done that before, you know." But when she sneezed again, Luc ushered her out of the drafty attic, wanting to get her by the warm fire again.

"I will be fine.  You need to stay warm.  I went to Katherine's and she gave me some special tea for you.  It should help you feel better.   And she said chicken soup would be good for you.  So I fix soup."  He grinned at her. "This will not be done until tomorrow.  Needs to simmer." 

"Okay by me," she said as  he steered her downstairs. "Yer almost a good a cook as my granny was!" she teased, laughing at the huffy look on his face before she dissolved into another fit of sneezing.