SOLVED. 3 kids spent part of day in the Slough, so that people wouldn't know that there weren't any parental figures around to take care of them. Their parents were possibly in Duluth, but one or more of them was convinced that Duluth didn't exist [s]

[Diane]

I remember reading a book when I was a child about 3 kids (orphans?) who spent part of their day in the Slough, so that people wouldn't know that there weren't any parental figures around to take care of them. Their parents were possibly in Duluth, but one or more of them was convinced that Duluth didn't actually exist. The only other salient point was the youngest child's cat, a rare female calico. He was pressured to sell her, but he refused and in the end she had kittens (or maybe in a sequel? Was there a sequel?)

[CLM]

The Slough doesn't sound familiar but the three children and rare cat makes it sound like one of the Mrs. Coverlet books by Mary Nash, possibly While Mrs. Coverlet was Away. If I remember correctly, the children's names are Malcolm, Molly and The Toad. There were two sequels: Mrs. Coverlet's Magicians and Mrs. Coverlet's Dectectives. These should not be hard to find online or at the library.

[Diane]

I think that's it ... I'm still trying to find stuff on the internet (my local library doesn't have it), but the stuff I'm finding sounds very familiar. Thank you!!

[Rainbowheart]

While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away, Mrs. Coverlet's Magicians, and Mrs. Coverlet's Detectives for the trackable links.