to

Spike Brewer:

Miss Scruples awoke from her afternoon nap.
She stretched her entire full length. It was
so nice to have a sunny day to warm her pillow.
Such a luxury during the cold winter months.
She glanced out the window at the snow as
pristine white as she was. Such beauty!
She began to groom herself. Grooming was one
of her favorite hobbies. There was so much of
her to groom. All the white stuff had to be
just perfect. Not a hair out of place.

While she was finishing up her tail she began
to wonder, not for the first time, if she was
missing something in her life. True, she had
doting humans to wait on her every whim. She
ate the best food, had comfortable cushions to
lay on and every luxury a cat could want. Yet,
there was always this empty spot in her life.
Maybe she was just hungry. Pounce would be good.

Scruppie jumped down from her perch and went in
search of her humans. There they were nestled
together on the sofa mewing softly to each other.
Pounce could wait. She would join them and make
a threesome. Poised for the jump into Meowmie's lap,
she stopped. Why didn't she have another kitty to
cuddle up with. A nice big tom to protect her and
tell her how lovely she was. Now that was a thought,
but how? Who? Where? Scruppie had been highly
sought after when she was a young lady, but she
had spurned all offers. Now ...

Lloyd:

... she never received phone calls or invitations. All
of the cats who courted her in her younger days had
found new wink winks and had settled down with them.
All of her cat lady friends were married and had no
time to ask Scruppie out to lunch or shopping. They
were too busy with their families. Scruppie just had
too many scruples about how she wanted to spend her
time when she was younger. Her Meowmie and Deowdie
had even named her Miss Scruples. Maybe she should
not have been so high and mighty. She had been too
fussy about her taste in male cats. She wanted a very
catsome gentleman but had never met any. With
her beauty she felt that she deserved to have a catsome
gentleman who would spoil her. True, Meowmie and
Deowdie spoiled her, but she was still lonely for company.

She had received a wedding invitation from her friend
Polly who was widowed again. Polly was to have a
fourth wedding and it was to be on Valentine's Day,
of all things. The wedding was her only chance to
go out and meet some other cats, so she had accepted
Polly's invitation. Scruppie looked at herself in
the mirror and said ...

Mayo:

... "That's it! I am going out there and be my best!"
Scruppie bathed herself and made her fur all up.
She was looking her furry best. Alas, it was time
for the wedding. She sat in the back and looked
around at all the other kitties and saw how happy
they were. She longed for the same happiness. A
tear glistened in her eye and streamed down her face.

She was startled by the paw she felt as she caught her
tear before it hit the ground. "Miss, why are you
crying? The wedwink has not started yet." Scruppie
tried not to look at the stranger but when she looked
up his eye caught hers. She was mesmerized by how
gentle he was and how concerned for her he was. She
tried to speak, but nothing came out. He passed her
a tissue. After wiping her tears she looked up and
the gentle stranger had disappeared. She was determined
to find out who he was ...

Annie:

... Days passed and all Scruppie could think of was the
handsome stranger she met at the wedwink. She would
sit in the back garden in the sunshine and think of
him, sleep in the sunny window and dreamed of him.
Would she ever know who he was and meet him again?
Then, one day as she was walking down the High Street
she heard a soft mew and looked up...It was he! Did
her face betray her? Could he hear the beat of her heart? ...

Conor:

... "Ah, dear madame," he said. "It's lovely running into
you like this. Do let me introduce myself properly.
I am Lord Conor MacNessa, late of Dublin. I've just
moved to this fair city."

"A Lord," she thought to herself..."could this be the
catsome one she'd awaited all her life?"

"Lovely to meet you, Sir. Did you come for the wedwink?"

"Originally I did. But, I found this place so congenial
I decided to stay. By the way, I passed this delightful cafe earlier
would you like to take tea with me this afternoon?" ...

Gigi:

... Scruppie paused a minute and thought to herself,
"Well, I don't want to appear too anxious." But then,
she remembered how lonely she was. Years of playing hard
to get had gotten her nowhere but alone. So,she brushed
the fur from her eyes and said, ...

Lloyd:

... "Why, your Lordship, that would be delightful. I just
finished doing some errands and I could use a cup of tea."
His Lordship took Scruppie's arm in his and lead her to
a lovely tearoom. There he took her bags from her and
deposited them at the hostess' desk and ordered a table
for two. Scruppie was very impressed by his Lordship's
demeanor. He had such good manners and breeding. A
magnificent cat he was, she thought to herself. This is
the start of a delightful afternoon. How wonderful to be
pampered as a beautiful cat. Scruppie thought to herself
"I wonder if he ...

Conor:

... would like to come to dinner one evening. I am such
a lovely cook and have had no one to appreciate my
talent in such a long time." "But I mustn't appear too
anxious," she thought. "My dear Lord Conor, this has been
such a delightful afternoon,the honey sun through the window,
the delightful tea, the absolutely delicious crumpets...
thank you so much for inviting me." "My dear Miss Scruples,
your company has made it all the more delightful.
Do let me see you home." As they walked through the soft
afternoon, Scruppie daydreamed of many things. ...

Annie:

... As they reached the door, Scruppie took her heart in
her hands and asked, "My dear Lord Conor, would you honor
my house with your presence for dinner on the Saturday?"
She held her breath, waiting for his answer. "My dear
Miss Scruples, I should be delighted." "Shall we say
eight of the clock, then sir?" "That would be most
delightful, Miss Scruples." Scruppie's heart beat faster
as she watched him walk away down the High Street,
already planning what she would serve. ...

Shibui:

... Visions of Lobster a la Mewnay, minted mice souffle and
other delicacies flashed through Scruppie's mind. She
would use only the freshest ingredients to prepare this
meal. No expense would be spared to impress Lord Conor,
who was certainly accustomed to the finer things in life.
First thing tomorrow morning, she would make a trip to
Sylvester's Super Market and place an order for seafood
and vegetables. Then, she would visit her friend Catilda,
who lived on a nearby farm. In the past, Scruppie always
counted on "Cattie" to supply her with the fresh cream,
eggs, herbs and mice with which she prepared her specialties.
But, it had been a long time since Scruppie had called on
Cattie for help. What if she didn't remember her? ...

Annie:

... Saturday morning Miss Scruples got up early to go to
Sylvester's. She picked out the best lobster and
the freshest vegetables. This dinner had to be absolutely
perfect! From Sylvester's she went right to Cattie's.
Cattie came out to meet her in the yard. "Oh, Cattie!
It's so good to see you again!" "And you too, Miss. It's
been awhile. Come in for a cup of tea!" Cattie and Scruppie
sat down at the comfortable old wooden table in the kitchen
and Scruppie poured out her heart.She told Cattie all about her meeting
with Lord Conor and the dinner she'd planned ...

... Cattie was enthralled by the tale! "Now, don't you worry, Miss." "I have plenty of the freshest eggs and cream for your Lobster and I'll just get some lovely flowers from my indoor garden for your table!" Scruppie exclaimed, "Oh, thank you so much Cattie!" "Well, now, Miss," Cattie replied, "we must do our best to give the best impression." Arriving home with a happy heart, Miss Scruples set about making sure the house was at it's cleanest, the silver it's shiniest and the china, her very best...the lovely bone china set that belonged to her Great Grandmother. She then began preparation of the feast! ...

Shibui:

... Scruppie excitedly assembled everything she needed to
make this dinner a success. Then, she washed all the
vegetables and placed them in a stainless steel colander.
While they drained, she chopped the herbs from Cattie's
garden. The room was soon filled with the fragrance
of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Next, she
began to prepare dough for the catmint pie crust. As she
was measuring flour into her large yellow bowl, she heard
the doorbell ring. "I wonder who that could be?" Scruppie
said to herself. She wiped her paws on her apron and ...

Lloyd:

... there standing on the threshold was a delivery cat
from the local greenhouse with a large box in his kitty
paws. "Miss Scruples, said the delivery cat, please
sign for this."

Scruppie's heart was all a flutter and her paws shook
as she signed. "Thank you", she said and took her box inside.

Nervously, Scruppie opened the box. Inside were green
carnations and a single yellow rose with baby breath and
a card from Lord Conor stating that he looked forward to
a delightful meal with her that evening. A yellow rose means
friendship, Scruppie thought to herself. What a wonderful
beginning to a lovely friendship. Quickly Scruppie found
a beautiful green porcelain vase and put her bouquet into it.
Then she went back into the kitchen to finish making the pie. ...

Conor:

... "Ah, that's done, Scruppie said as she took her pie out of
the oven and the delicious aroma of catmint wafted through
the house. Scruppie then set about setting her table.
Remembering her Grandmameow, she set the table with the
lovely bone china with roses and her best silver and
crystal. She took the lovely bouquet and placed it in the
foyer on the piecrust table her Grandmameow had left her.
"He must see it first thing", she thought. "A yellow rose,
a beginning or an end in itself?" ...

Annie:

... Scruppie mused on this thought as she went upstairs to dress.
"Either way, she thought, he's a wonderful cat!" As her maid
dressed her fur, she looked at herself in the mirror. "Not
a bad image", she thought. "A little plump, but many cats
like a slightly plump lady...more to hold onto on cold
winter nights" Scruppie giggled softly. Then she put on her
best dinner dress, a lovely forest green, to set off her
sparkling white fur and deep green eyes, and a headpiece of
small, green, fluffy feathers. "Oh, was that the doorbell?"
Her heart fluttered beneath her bodice as she ...

    

Lloyd:

... went to answer the door.  Lord Conor greeted her
with, "My dear Miss Scruples, how beautiful you are. I
love the color green that you are wearing. It is almost a
shamrock green." "Why, thank you, your Lordship," said
Scruppie. "You are also very catsome in your Irish plaid.
Please come in. Dinner is ready."

The two cats proceeded to the dining room. "How beautiful
the table looks," said Lord Conor. "It is set as though you
are expecting a very special guest for dinner!" "You are a
very important guest," said Scruppie. "May I say from the
moment that we met, I found you to be a very special
person? You seemed to care that I was sad at the wedding."

"My dear Miss Scruples. I did not feel that you were crying
for joy for your friend. I knew that you were lonely that
day and sad. Why were you sad?" asked Lord Conor. ...

Mayo:

... "Oh, Lord Conor. It has been a furry emotional time for me
the past few days. I have realized that I have missed out
on so much in life." Scruppie had realized that life is just
too short. She had many regrets in her past that she could not
change. "Lord Conor, I just do not want to have any more
regrets. I made the decision to start anew and was hoping
that it could start tonight." Scruppie held her breath
while she waited for Lord Conor to answer. She knew she was
taking a giant step, but she knew that life was too short to
let a wonderfur kitty like this to pass by like she had so
many times in the past. It seemed like an eternity before
she got an answer ...

Shibui:

... Lord Conor looked directly into Scruppie's eyes as he began
to speak. "I must confess that I share your feelings. I
have always hoped to find the perfect mate, but the right
kitty never came along. My family said that I was too
particular, but I could not settle for less than my ideal."
He gently took her right paw in his, as he continued ...

Lloyd:

... speaking. "Attending that wedding was the best thing that I
ever did. I noticed you right away sitting by yourself. It was
my best friend Tom's wedding, otherwise I would not have
come from Ireland to attend it. You looked so sad and
lonely that I recognized myself in you. I too am sad and
lonely. You are the reason that I moved here for awhile.
Plus, my friend and I are business partners in his company
here. I have been to this delightful town before and I
have a second home here at Forest Acres. I want you to come
to dinner there tomorrow evening. I sent you a yellow rose
to signify a start of a delightful friendship. A yellow rose
also means joy. You have given me joy with your company."
Scruppie's heart was overcome and she began to cry. ...

Annie:

... Lord Conor took her gently in his arms and said, "There,
there, dear one...no tears." Scruppie said, "They are
tears of happiness!" It was late and time for Conor to
leave. As she slowly walked with him to the door,
Scruppie could barely contain her joy.
"Until tomorrow then, my dear one", he whispered.
"Until tomorrow," she answered. As she floated up the
stairway on clouds of joy, Scruppie thought about her
plans for the morrow...she wondered if Roseannemarie
could fit her in for a hairstyle and manicure and she
wondered if she needed more of her favorite scent...
"Taboo Feline"...and was her crimson dress presentable?
She must have Meowminne, her maid, make sure. ...

Conor:

... The day dawned clear and bright and Scruppie matched the
brightness of the day and sparkled at the thought of the
dinner tonight. First, Roseannemarie's...should she try
something new? No, he found her attractive as she was.

"Oh, Meowminne, is my crimson dress ready to wear?"
"Ah, Madame," her maid asked, "is this a special occasion?"
Oh yes, Minnie, oh yes, oh yes!" exclaimed Scruppie.
"Well, then, I shall be sure it is at its best and your
crimson slippers as well," answered Minnie.

"Oh, Minnie, you are so good to me!" said Scruppie.

After her appointment at Roseannemarie's Scruppie could
barely contain her impatience as she readied herself for
the evening ahead. ...

Lloyd:

... Just then, Scruppie's doorbell rang and she answered it.
Standing outside was a messenger cat with a card which she
read saying that she would be picked up by Lord Conor's
chauffeur at 6:00 P.M. "Imagine a chauffeur!" Scruppie said
to herself. Scruppie thanked the messenger and just about
floated upstairs to dress for the evening ahead. "I have
never been courted in such a manner as this," Scruppie said
to no one in particular. She wished to share her joy
with her humans but they had been away on a trip since
Valentine's Day, leaving the maid to take care of her. ...

Lloyd:

... The doorbell rang promptly at 6:00 P.M. and Scruppie was
ready. After she put on her coat and scarf, the chauffeur
escorted her to the limousine that he had driven in. It was
a large silver Cadillac. On her seat was a florist box,
which the limousine driver told her to hold and Lord Conor
would be pinning it on her when she arrived at his home
in Forest Acres. And what a grand home it was. It was a
large Victorian Empire style home with a large garage and
barn with separate horse kennels. Scruppie also saw a
swimming pool and tennis courts. "Hmmm, thought Scruppie
to herself, I wonder if the inside of his Lordship's home
is as grand as it's exterior." The chauffeur escorted
her to the front door and rang the bell. Presently a butler
answered the door and let her in. Standing in the large
hallway was a smiling Lord Conor who came to greet her.

"Ah, my dear Miss Scruples, how beautiful you look tonight,
Conor said. Hold still while I take your corsage from the
box and pin it on you." With expertise, Lord Conor pinned a
single red rose with baby breath and fern to Scruppie's red
dress. "Do come into the drawing room, Scruppie and seat
yourself. We will be having a little talk while
the meal is prepared by my chef Louis. The maid Hazel is
now preparing the dining room for dinner. Will you have
some catnip wine with me?"

Scruppie sat down on one of the chairs but Lord Conor asked
her to please sit on the love seat with him instead. Then
he asked her, "My dearest Scruppie, I gave you a red rose to tell you that
I love and respect you. Do you feel the same about me?"
Scruppie blushed deeply and replied ...

Spike:

... "Oh, mews, Conor. In just a few short days you have become
the love of my life. Until the wedwinking I never even
realized that my life had a void in it. There you were at
the ceremony, so tender, charming and catsome. You made my
heart flitter. The last few days my heart has not settled
and all my thoughts have been of you."

Dropping to his paws, Conor looked at Scruppie with his eyes
filled with adoration. "Please Miss Scruples, will you be
my wedwink? We are mature kitties and know ourselves well.
You are the most perfect cat in the entire world. I do not
wish to live another day without your abiding love
surrounding me and without you being a part of my life."

Tears of joy filled Scruppie's eyes this time. She flung
her paws around Conor's neck and purred with delight.
"Oh, mew, Conor. Yes. Yes. Yes!"

The MIDI playing is "My Love" composed by and © Bruce DeBoer.
It was included in his Collection By Candlelight.

 

© Older Cats Society