It was at that point Elspeth hurried back into the room with a frustrated look on her face.
"Drat! Just as I had begun to make a bit of progress with the antidote too ....James, Nicola I'm very sorry but you will have to excuse me." She spoke with an uncharacteristic sense of ugency "There's been a bit of an emergency at work. I'll be gone for a few hours, possibly overnight. Silas, you'll be coming with me."
"Aww, but Elspeth I...." the cat began to protest before being cut short by a fierce glare from the witch.
"Just come along will you?" She snapped "It's happened again, somehow."
The feline seemed to immediately understand the importance of whatever it was Elspeth was referring to.
"But how did...?" Silas wasn't his usual relaxed self all of a sudden "Never mind, I'm coming!"
"I'm sorry, I would rather not leave you two here unattended" the witch apologised to her new pets "but this is the safest option. Don't touch anything and if anyone knocks at the door ignore them. Understood?"
"Yes Mistress Elspeth!" The cat and mouse answered in unison.
"Very well. I shall be back!"
"What do you think that was about?" James asked Nicola as soon as the witch and her familiar had vanished from the room "It sounded serious."
"No idea" his friend replied "but this could be our chance to escape. I'm going to have a proper explore of the house, see what I can find. You wait here, not that you have much choice."
The cat jumped off the table and bounded up the stairs before James had the chance to tell her to be careful. He hoped she didn't do anything reckless and make things worse for both of them.