Ellen battled the flush of color filling her cheeks.
“You’re blushing?” Alex smirked. “Care to share why?”
“He was turned away, so I only saw him from behind,” she said, giving him a look.
“Ah, all of him from behind do you mean?”
She nodded.
“And the rest of him?” Leo asked. He was laughing now but trying to hide it. He was exhausting, one minute wanting to kill someone and the next smiling.
“Only the rear. I saw a mark on his forearm as he had his arm raised in the air,” she gritted out. Her eyes shot to Fred and Matilda, but they were arguing around Detective Fletcher and paying her no attention.
Leo snorted, so she elbowed him. Lottie then held out her arms, so she took the little bundle of sweetness. They all loved this sweet girl.
“Aunty Ellen,” Lottie said. She then reached up and kissed her with jam-coated lips.
“Thank you, darling, that was just what I needed.”
“Continue with the description of the mark, Ellen,” Uncle Bram said.
“It wasn’t like the birthmark on Teddy’s thigh. This was black, I think, a circle, but then I’m not totally sure. But it appeared familiar to me.”
“A tattoo?” Leo asked. He then held out half of his coconut biscuit for Lottie, which she took with a smile.
“Say thank you,” Ellen told her.
“Thank you,” Lottie lisped.
“I think I’ve seen the tattoo before in one of your books, Uncle Bram.”
“Ellen, he has hundreds of books,” Alex said.
“The red book,” Ellen added.
“Teddy. Go to my office and get that book, the one with the red binding and gold writing you love,” Uncle Bram said.
“The Celtic one?” His uncle nodded, and he ran from the room.
“More treacle cake, Gray?” Ivy pointed to Alex, who reluctantly nudged the plate closer to the detective that he’d stationed before him on the table.
“No, thank you,” he said.
“Have you shot anyone?”
The entire table stared at Matilda, who asked the question. She had a sweet round face and soft, pale skin and a thirst for knowledge that was hard to quench.
“That’s entirely too bloodthirsty, sweetheart,” Alex said.
She shrugged and looked at Gray.
“I try to never shoot people where it can be helped.” The detective adjusted his necktie. Clearly, uncomfortable.
“Do you use handcuffs?” Matilda asked.
“If I need them.”
“Have you chased many criminals through London?” Fred asked next, not to be outdone by her little sister.
