Chapter Five: The Nanny
"Today, if you wish," Haru said, a little disbelieving that he wasn't even asking about her qualifications.
The feline Baron beamed even wider, and pulled his three kittens in front of him. "Then allow me to introduce my children. This is Lillian, my eldest."
The tawny girl curtsied prettily. "I answer to Lily," she said shyly as her father gestured to his tiger-like son.
"Thomas."
He bowed respectfully, with blue eyes that shone every bit as bright as his father's and elder sister's.
"And you've met Eleanor," the Baron said dryly as his tinier daughter also curtsied prettily.
"I like Elly," she said softly, her alabaster cheeks still tinged a slight pink from embarrassment.
Haru looked over the children carefully as she bowed back.
Yes. She should be able to get along just fine with these three. After all, their very meeting was proof enough that she had a soft spot for kittens. "Nice to meet you." Suddenly remembering, the brunette gestured to her shorter companion. "This is my brother, Hashi. Will there be a problem if he-"
"None at all," the feline lord hastily assured her, his smile still dazzling. "There's plenty of room in the manor house for both of you. I'm certain that we can work out the details later, but I believe we've gained everything we need to, and I'm more than certain you want to take a look at the house."
"If it's not too much trouble, sir," Haru answered politely, secretly wondering about the kind of house that the Baron had. Could there truly be room for humans in a cat's home?
"If you please, Miss Haru," the lord said carefully as he passed some gold coins to the peddler, and the human in kind place several stalks of fresh rhubarb within the large basket next to the lord's children. "I prefer to be called Baron."
She shrugged a bit while rising to her feet with Hashi's help. "Whatever you say, Baron."
He smiled a bit more, and gestured for his children to take the basket behind them. "Let's show them the manor, children."
Elly giggled a bit, and began pulling on the hem of Haru's long brown skirt. Carefully, the brunette followed, making sure not to accidentally kick the tiny white kitten as her brother walked at her side, smiling a little triumphantly.
Was kitten the correct term? Oh well.
She smiled a bit, and leaned over enough to gently lift the basket from the two kittens when they were struggling to lift it, once more silencing her own pains from the rescue. "Allow me," she said softly, balancing the basket with one hip. Thomas smiled up at her, and bowed once in gratitude.
Baron watched the exchange from the corner of his eye, already pleased. At least he knew that she wouldn't push everything onto the kittens.
Now for the opposite problem…
ooOoo
Haru listened patiently as Baron explained just what would be expected of her while he and his children led them out of the village, and down a dirt path running through a cattail field. She nodded occasionally, memorizing the information on duties, schedules, and homework that he was giving her.
"But wouldn't that change my brother and I into partial cats as well?" she asked when he explained the borderland hazards.
"As long as you take frequent trips to the Human Side, there shouldn't be a problem," Baron assured her as the lovely manor house started coming into view. "It's required of me and my children to spend a significant amount of time on both sides of the border, but there is no need for both of you to physically change if you don't wish to. Speaking of which, I feel that I must warn you to change your grip on that basket," he said rather sharply, as twin pillars came into view, just in front of the house.
Elly pulled a bit sharply on Haru's skirt again, but this time to keep her from marching forward. "After you and Hashi walk between those pillars, you'll shrink," she informed her new nanny.
Haru bit her lip nervously, and set the basket on the soft grass, though it was quickly picked up by the two older kittens, looking a bit anxious. The slim brunette snuck a glance behind her glasses at her brother, who looked a bit grim, as usual.
She sighed, knowing how much he wanted her to get this job. But that didn't stop him from grabbing her hand as they walked between the pillars together.
On the bright side, the bubbling feeling that began at her very core and frothed over until it filled her body distracted her pretty well from the throbbing pain in her back. She and her brother watched with amazement as the world around them seemed to grow, and the tall cattail grass grow alarmingly tall, almost reaching out to the sun.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the feeling vanished. Haru and Hashi looked at each other, not seeing much of a difference in themselves. They looked over at the now-impressively sized manor house in unison, breathing the same sigh of relief.
Hashi had been all but certain that they were going to have to sleep outside on the grass.
Without warning, Elly jumped on Haru again, but now she was easily as tall as the human girl's waist, a fact that caught the bespectacled brunette off-guard.
"Come on, let us show you around!" the white kitten said excitedly as her tawny sister tried to pry her off of their new nanny.
"Let her adjust a bit," Lily scolded as her father and brother manned the large basket, still strangely the same size that it had been in the market place.
"I-I'm good, Lily," Haru said cautiously, holding out one arm to see if the older sibling would come closer for a hug. Lily stiffened, and one of her golden ears flicked nervously. Slowly, she took a step closer, but then chose to turn and help her brother and father with the groceries.
The bespectacled brunette sighed a bit, adjusted the bag on her shoulder, and also walked forward to help bring in the groceries.
There would be time enough to earn all of the kittens' trust.
A cawing sound came from overhead, making Hashi cry out in surprise and cling to his sister. Haru wrapped one arm around her smaller brother, and also looked up. A small gasp escaped her throat.
Crows by themselves were ordinary enough, but they tended to attract attention when they're significantly bigger than you. The large bird helped remind the human girl of her new, and possibly vulnerable, height.
The crow landed on the soft earth next to the tawny baron, although he was looking at the two humans with undisguised interest. "Looks like that shopping trip was a bit more profitable than you were hoping for, Baron."
The tallest half-cat chuckled as he and his son set the basket right in front of the door so they could start unloading. "Indeed it was. That would be my new housekeeper, Haru Yoshioka, and her little brother Hashi. Haru, Hashi, this is Toto, my best friend and traveling companion."
Like the words had turned a lock inside her, the slim brunette bowed politely with one hand behind her brother's back, so he wouldn't forget to bow as well.
Apparently, there would be a lot to get used to, while working for the Baron von Gikkingen.
"Nice to meet you, Toto."
The black bird seemed to smile around his beak, and bow back before turning to the feline lord once more. "Sorry to run out again, but it's dinner time. I'll talk with you tomorrow?"
"Of course, Toto. There's plenty of work to be done."
The crow bowed once more before taking to the skies.
Baron turned, a large stalk of rhubarb in his arms. "Can you make rhubarb pie, Miss Haru?"
The brunette knocked on her chest with one fist to help her start breathing again. "Rhubarb pie, cake, pancakes. You name it, I make it."
Baron cocked his head at her as she and her brother came forward to help carry the purchases inside the house. "I wasn't aware that rhubarb could be made into a cake, is it any good?"
Hashi jerked around, his eyes horrified. "You've never had it? It's only the best dessert in the world!"
As the orange and cream feline carefully studied the young human, the boy flushed and looked downward, gripping the can of milk that he had been carrying to the front door with both hands.
"Sorry, sir. I've got a big mouth."
"That's quite all right, Hashi," Baron said, slightly amused. "I like it when people tell me what they think. It saves so much trouble." He turned to look at the elder sister, who looked more than a little shocked, though whether it was over her brother's behavior or his casual reaction to it, he couldn't say. "I think the children and I would like to try the cake, if you would be so good as to make it."
Haru snapped back to reality, and bowed respectfully over the rhubarb stalk in her arms. "As you wish."