You hurry back through the garden, your pace measured but urgent, careful not to track dew onto the polished marble floors. The portraits of feline ancestors seem to watch you with knowing eyes as you pass. When you reach Lady Whiskerton's chambers, you find her precisely where you left her, though now she's grooming one delicate silver paw with fastidious care.

'Your Ladyship,' you announce with a slight tremor in your voice, 'I regret to report signs of an intruder in the garden.' Her ears twitch, but she doesn't pause her grooming. You describe the oversized paw prints, the claw mark on the fence, and the glowing eyes in the hydrangeas. At this, she finally looks up, her tail giving a single sharp flick.

The silence stretches as she considers this news. Then, with surprising agility for such a regal creature, she springs from her cushion and lands gracefully at your feet. 'Show me,' she commands. Together, you return to the garden, where the morning mist has begun to burn away under the strengthening sun. Lady Whiskerton sniffs delicately at the claw mark, her whiskers quivering with concentration.

Suddenly, her posture stiffens. 'This scent...' she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. Before she can continue, a rustling comes from the rose bushes nearest the mansion. Both of you turn just in time to see a shadowy figure dart behind the garden shed, its movements quick and silent.