cohabiting

Snuggling comfortably in her corner, Beatrix gave her older sister a perplexed glance. __in? You have the oddest look on your face. Is something the matter?_ Win had frozen in the act of lifting a teacup to her lips, her blue eyes round with alarm. Following her sister__ gaze, Amelia saw a small reptilian creature slithering up Beatrix__ shoulder. A sharp cry escaped her lips, and she moved forward with her hands raised. Beatrix glanced at her shoulder. __h, drat. You__e supposed to stay in my pocket._ She plucked the wriggling object from her shoulder and stroked him gently. __ spotted sand lizard,_ she said. __sn__ he adorable? I found him in my room last night._ Amelia lowered her hands and stared dumbly at her youngest sister. __ou__e made a pet of him?_ Win asked weakly. __eatrix, dear, don__ you think he would be happier in the forest where he belongs?_ Beatrix looked indignant. __ith all those predators? Spot wouldn__ last a minute._ Amelia found her voice. __e won__ last a minute with me, either. Get rid of him, Bea, or I__ going to flatten him with the nearest heavy object I can find._ __ou would murder my pet?_ __ne doesn__ murder lizards, Bea. One exterminates them._ Exasperated, Amelia turned to Merripen. __ind some cleaning women in the village, Merripen. God knows how many other unwanted creatures are lurking in the house. Not counting Leo._ Merripen disappeared at once. __pot is the perfect pet,_ Beatrix argued. __e doesn__ bite, and he__ already house-trained._ __ draw the line at pets with scales._ Beatrix stared at her mutinously. __he sand lizard is a native species of Hampshire__hich means Spot has more right to be here than we do._ __evertheless, we will not be cohabiting.