“Well?” she demanded.
“Some hatched-faced man left me sitting in a hard chair for too long. He then returned to inform me in a snooty tone that Detective Fletcher was not in the building,” Alex said.
Ellen’s heart sank.Where was Gray?She knew he was in danger. Knew he needed their help.
“I asked where Gray had gone and when he left, and the man said he could not disclose that information. I was close to telling him he needed to work on his manners, as they were below acceptable standards.”
“There is a standard?” Leo asked. He then winced as he moved to find a more comfortable position. His body was still bruised and sore like Ellen’s.
“Of course there is,” Alex snapped. “Without manners, what are we?”
“Indeed,” Leo muttered.
“Is he with Ramsey, do you think?” Ellen asked. “We need to find him.”
“I know that we do, sister, and we will,” Alex said.
The carriage door opened, and Uncle Bram filled the space.
“Hello, family. I’m glad I found you.” He stepped inside the carriage. “Have you located Gray?”
“No, and I fear for him, Uncle Bram. Mr. Brownly is the naked man I saw with the tattoo, and Gray’s aunt showed Alex a grave with his name on it.” She tried to force down the panic.
“All right, love. Take a breath now.” Uncle Bram sat beside her. He then put an arm around her and held her close. “We will find your man, my sweet.”
“Where does Ramsey live?” Leo asked.
“I know.” Alex rose and gave Mungo the address through the door above him. They were moving in seconds.
“Now, I am going to be your stern uncle,” he said, looking from her to Leo. “We will find Gray, but neither of you will do anything to strain your injuries,” Uncle Bram said. “I mean it.”
She and Leo nodded.
Her body hurt, and her jaw was sore from the fist she’d taken there, but none of that mattered. All she could think about was Gray and her belief something was very wrong.
“Why can’t I see anything else?” Ellen asked.
“Even Aunt Tilda is quiet, which is odd, because the woman has been in and out my head since Gray entered our lives,” Alex added.
“You will see when you need to,” Uncle Bram said in his steady way.
When Mungo pulled the carriage to a stop, Uncle Bram got out first and then helped Ellen down.
“I heard that hiss,” he said. “I am not pleased you and your brother have left your beds, niece, even as I understand why.”
The door opened as they were about to knock on it, and there stood Ramsey, as usual, immaculately dressed.
“Nightingales, how lovely. But should you two be out of bed?” He shot Leo and Ellen a look.
“It’s Gray, Ramsey. He is in trouble. I feel it,” Ellen said.
“Feel it?”
“It’s too hard to explain, and I’m not sure you’d believe it anyway. But what we need from you is something of his,” Alex said.
“I was with him earlier. We took tea at Miss Patty’s Tea Shop.”
Gray rarely went out for tea. He’d told her that, but he had today with his cousin. Was she the reason he’d gone there?
