"Adrien, what are you doing?"
The boy, soaking wet from the rain, looked at her innocently, a poorly-hidden bundle in his arms.
"Uh, nothing," he said unconvincingly.
Nathalie came closer. "What's in the blanket?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
A muffled meow made Adrien sigh in defeat. "Fine, it's a kitten I found outside. I couldn't leave her out there, she was freezing!"
She observed the kitten, who had poked her head above the blanket. She was white, with piercing blue eyes and a black patch on one of her ears. "In our yard?"
"Please don't tell my father."
Nathalie looked at the office door from the corner of her eye. It was unlikely that he would be coming out any time soon.
"Let's get her to your room."
Adrien's face brightened. "Thank you, Nathalie!" He skipped up the stairs and she followed, casting one more glance at Gabriel's office.
As he sat with the kitten on his bed, she entered the bathroom to retrieve a few towels. She sat beside Adrien and helped him dry off the kitten, using the second towel to dry the boy's hair.
"You should change before you go back downstairs," she told him. "Otherwise your father will know you've been outside."
"Good idea. Thank you again!" He went into the bathroom and she kept watch over the kitten.
She ran a hand over the kitten's head, smiling at the purr.
"What should we name her?" came Adrien's muffled voice through the door.
"She probably already belongs to someone, Adrien," Nathalie replied.
He came back into the room, wearing dry clothes. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that."
"And even if she didn't, you know your father would never allow you to keep her."
He sighed. "You're right . . . It's not like I could keep her a secret anyway."
Nathalie observed the kitten. "You should look online for any missing pet reports to see whether or not she's a stray." She stood. "I'm sorry, Adrien. If I had my way, I'd allow you to keep her."
He smiled. "Thank you for that."