Abigail was standing at the foot of Captain Gibbons’s bed, the candlelight shining through her gauzy shift, showing the outline of her lithe, curvy body. He held his breath as she sauntered towards him, finger pressed to her lips; he fought the urge to bolt out of the bed and embrace her and devour her with kisses. The corner of her mouth was turned up in a seductive half smile as she leaned over him, her beautiful, flowing hair tickling his face, neck, and chest, causing him to draw in a quick, shuddering breath. Abigail reached out her hand and began lightly drumming all over his body with her fingers. He thought it a very odd thing to do, and wasn’t quite sure what to do about this unexpected turn of effort. Ow! She pinched his big toe hard enough to draw blood. He abruptly sat up—his room was dark, save the purple velvet pre-dawn sky through the window. It was a dream…but, he still felt the touch…

Henry bolted out of bed with a panicked yelp, looking for the muse of his fantasy turned nightmare. He felt the skitter of small claws across his feet, inducing another alarmed squalk as he felt for his candlestick and flint to search for the rodent loose in his room.

“Captain? Captain are you alright?” Abigail queried from the other side of his door. “What’s amiss?”

“Please! Bring light! There is a wild animal in my chamber!” He felt his papers scatter as he groped blindly for his flint. The rank smell of animal musk piqued his disgust. He kicked the chamber pot with a disconcerting slosh as he sprung upon the bed.

Abigail cautiously opened the door, candelstick in hand, Grace and Betsey close behind with a broom, cast iron pan, and basket to apprehend the intruder. Grace stifled a giggle at the ridiculous scene.

“Where is it?” asked Abigail. “And…what is it?”

“If I knew the answer to either of those questions, madam, I would not be standing upon the bed!”

“All right, now, don’t get your breeches in a bunch,” said Grace, reproachfully. “Um, ‘cept you ain’t wearing any breeches, now, are ye?” Grace tried unsuccessfully to stifle another snigger as Captain Gibbons, wearing only his night shirt, flushed dark red.

“Charles, get down on the floor and see if you can spot the, um, creature under the furniture. Captain, you take that corner with the wash basin. Grace, you shoo it out with the broom. I shall cover the area of the desk and chair. Betsey, you be ready to capture it.”

Whatever it was proved to be a worthy adversary of seek-and-find; those items the creature didn’t up-end, its erstwhile captors managed to topple. By the time Betsey managed to clap it under the basket, the room looked as though a hurricane had swept through. The ridiculousness of the whole situation caused them all to grin and snort with laughter. The trapped assailant, however, was voicing his dispeasure with angry, high pitched growls and rustling about.

“Do any of you know what type of beast it is?” queried Captain Gibbons.

“I…I think I know,” Charles interjected, meekly. “’Tis a weasel. I thought it could live in my…”

“Charles…you wicked boy! Take this wild animal outside this instant! If it bites you, you deserve it!

“Oh, Captain Gibbons, my sincerest apologies. Here, let us tidy up. Grace, will you fetch the mop? Betsey, can you gather up the broken crockery? I’ll see to the desk,” said Abigail as they endeavored to set everything to rights. Captain Gibbons stepped into the hallway to modestly don his breeches outside of the women’s sight. When he came back, Abigail was neatly stacking his correspondence back upon the desk.

“Miss Campbell, please do not trouble yourself with that!” Henry blurted out, louder than he meant, as he snatched the stack of foolscap out of her hands. “I mean, forgive me, I was about to put these away. Thank you for, um, coming to my rescue.” He cringed inside as he considered his lack of bravery in the matter.

“Oh! Not at all. I am profoundly sorry for the trouble we have caused you…”

“Please think nothing of it. No harm done. Please do not be hard on the boy; I remember what it is like to be nine. I was fond of letting toads loose in the nursery when I was his age.”

“Very well, then. We shall take our leave.”

“How’d I do, Abbie?” whispered Charles.

“Very well, my love. Most convincing. Remember, it is our secret.”