Cuthbert dreamed he was kissing Anya, but awoke to find one of the hounds licking his face. Sputtering & flinging the covers, he leaped to his feet still fighting with a blanket, which had entangled him. When he was, at last free from it he looked to find her laughing knee-slapping silly at him. Anya half bent at the waist was just chuckling away, with a playful fire dancing in her eyes.

Anya had awoke first & thought that doing for him for a spell might soften him just enough…. She had nearly finished breakfast & was toying with ideas as how best to wake him. Then the racket started & she saw a comic figure leaping from his sleep. It was just too funny not to laugh, & a bit of sweet revenge from the night before.

Cuthbert’s head hurt. Anya was now in his service as a hireling & his since of duty would not allow him to use her to his advantage. He knew that others would have no trouble about it at all but he loathed them as unprincipled swine. He would not do what he detested others for doing, no matter how much it may play upon his mind nor ever so much he may wish to do so.

Immediately he begin to rationalize the situation, after all was not it her who wanted him, could any man be held responsible if so confronted. Oh! It just was not working. He thought to simply dismiss her & tell her to go, for she was pagan & could not be brought alone in public should it be known. “Ah! Should it be known,” Cuthbert muttered aloud.

“What are you muttering about,” asked Anya. She gave him a quizzical look thinking he may have lost his mind from it all, if he had ever had possession of it to begin with. He was so strong & self-assured this whole time, & then she had managed to turn him into some timed creature blushing like a young maiden. What ever was she to think?

Cuthbert had struck upon an idea. Her being a pagan was the obstacle all along & he had not seen it quite that way before. Why if she professed to believe in God she might even be marriageable, he thought. Cuthbert turned his glance toward Anya with a glint in his eye. “Anya what do you know of Christians & the Christ,” he inquired.