#anywhere

"That is enough. Go, both of you. I may ask to have your protocol lessons enhanced."

Minerva winces at that, but curtseys to the Baroness, "As you will, Baroness" A concession that the lesson of WHO rules here was paid attention to.

"Thank you, Baroness." Adam marches out.

And out Minerva goes, then she stops "Baroness, if I might, on another matter and... a silly one?"

Coradel is clearly still irked. "Minerva, is this an attempt to curry favor and gain an advantage over Adam? For I'll tell you that I'm not interested in that game at the moment." I have a book to get back to...

"It has nothing to do with Adam," she assures "it's... it's about Whiskers"

A blink, "Whiskers? Indeed?"

"Yes. I don't know whose he is, but I thought maybe it would be okay to let him sleep in my bed? Is there someone I need to ask? "

Minerva asks this as if mildly chagrinned

A larger blink. "This is Whiskers, the....?"

"Whiskers.. " she says "Cat? Lounges in the garden? Quite the cuddle bug and very full of himself"

Coradel presses her lips together and looks very amused for a minute. "I see. And how do you know his name to be Whiskers?"

"It was on his collar" she says "I thought about renaming him in private"

A delicate brow. "Well, Whiskers is my name for him. If he comes to you under another name, that is his choice. That is the way of cats, after all."

"Oh!" She says realizing it's a good thing she didn't give her opinion on the name in detail "I suppose yes. So does he normally sleep with you? I don't want to take him away"

Another amused look. "Well, Whiskers sleeps where he will, and when. I may demand his attention sometimes...but I do not begrudge you his company."

A smile "thank you for sharing him. He's very full of himself but he's good company and cheered me. I do like making him purr" She curtsies "I'll be off. "

"Minerva, I do mean it. I expect you and Adam to behave courteously towards each other." A reminder.

"Yes, Baroness" She says "I maybe unseelie, but I do heed. Not for HIS sake, but because I am grateful and respect you, and.. I will not fail because he provokes" A nod "I shall speak to him without malice, iwill not plot against him. I will put aside ideas of hexing him"

"See that you do." A nod, and Minerva is dismissed.

And she is gone

FINALLY, Coradel has a book waiting

Yes, finally. That entire encounter rather spoiled the mood she'd been inspired to earlier...but certainly the next chapter will bring it right back! She returns to her antechamber to re-indulge.

(Fade to literary titillation)