Pendragon

Everyone went down in a welter of arms and legs, flying fur and yowls.

Brutus was licking Meggie's face, then barking, then licking some more, then eyeing Miss Crittenden and barking even more loudly, as he tried to get to her.

Madeleine shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth to be heard, "Miss Crittenden is the wi

Thomas managed to pull a very excited Brutus off Meggie, peel Miss Crittenden from beneath Meggie's arm, and helped his laughing wife up, whose face was shiny from Brutus's licking.

Meggie looked around at all the loudly cheering crowd of neighbors and villagers. There were yells and shouts; some people were laughing so hard they were holding their sides.

She hugged Thomas to her. She was gri

He couldn't help himself. He lifted his wife and whirled her around him. Meggie suddenly yowled as loud as any racing cat. Miss Crittenden was climbing her skirt, fast.

"No obstacle is too great," Thomas said as he eased both his wife and Miss Crittenden down, "for a true racing cat to surmount."

Madeleine yelled out, "The soon-to-be legendary prize for the wi

More cheering.

Libby bowed and walked sedately to where Meggie had finally gotten herself together and was holding a more composed Miss Crittenden in her arms.

Je

"Very easy for you to say since you're the wi

Brutus sat on his haunches, his tail a steady metronome, fluffing up dirt, Thomas holding him firmly. He was eyeing the cat collar as Meggie fastened it around Miss Crittenden's neck. There were small emeralds sewn into the collar, as green as Ireland's hills after a summer rain.

It was a beautiful day on the coast of southwestern Ireland, the first day a cat race had ever been run there. It wouldn't be the last.

And luckily, there had actually been a wi

Catherine Coulter

Catherine Coulter is the bestselling author of numerous historical romances as well as several highly acclaimed contemporary novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, Anton, and her cat, Gilley.