Quilted Dome Retreat

I slipped through the cat flap to escape the crisp evening lane and trotted straight up to the dining room sideboard. Parked beside a tall, polished brass tea caddy was a thick, quilted linen tea cozy with deep velvet piping. Did you really think I'd bypass a ready-made padded dome? Not on your life. I dragged an old carved wooden butter paddle across the oak with both paws, wedging its flat blade under the thick hem like an arched doorstop. With a hushed chuckle, I wiggled inside on my belly. The dense thermal cotton swallowed the dim ambient murmur instantly, leaving just a narrow crescent of lamplight beaming across the polished wood outside. Snickering softly, I rested my chin on the soft rim.