The Quiet One

by Anni Gossmann

went back to Avery. He was nonchalantly reading a newspaper. She became very quizzical but disregarded her thought and turned back to the windows. She heard it again but before it could get close to finishing the phrase she turned around and found the source. “Why you!” Sassy instantaneously crouched and was ready for the attack. “You knew I was trying to find it! You let me go and search for it yesterday and today!”

  Avery regally stood up and came toward Anne but stopped half-way when Sassy warned him not to proceed one step closer. It was good to know that she would defend her new mistress so well but, for god’s sake, not from Avery! “Sass, DOWN!” He could see her struggle with what to do and she did decide to do the right thing but stayed alert and ready. “Anne, I often whistle when I’m wandering the grounds. I just happened to whistle this little ditty apparently when I left you because I heard you try to repeat it. After that I always used it when I came to the meadow or left it.” He saw her quizzical look. “Alright, I also used it at the ball. I saw you go out to the garden and knew I could lure you to me by whistling it.”

  She glared at him, “but not telling me—“

  He had positioned himself next to her, and stopped the sentence with a kiss. “Do you think me too old to have fan?” She grinned and shook her head as she pulled him down by his lapel to kiss him.