“I was raised with two brothers until I was nine. Not much would be too much. I also box regularly.”
“Why only until you were nine?” Alex asked Gray.
“My brothers needed to learn to be lords. I didn’t.”
“Nobility can be real widgeons,” Leo said. “Thankfully, that no longer affects us.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ellen said. “You can be a widgeon still.”
“Harsh but true,” Alex said.
Before Leo could retaliate, Gray intervened. “That will do, children.” Surprisingly, they fell silent. Bram was just in front of them and turned to nod at him. He wasn’t sure what that was for but returned the gesture.
“Detective Fletcher!” Constable Plummy boomed. “We are honored here in Crabbett Close to have you take part in our games. I am, of course, bereft that my dear Miss Bud could not make it.”
“I did not realize you were romantically involved, Plummy,” Gray said.
The man’s face flushed with color. “Well, we are not romantically involved, but I have hopes that will one day happen. In my position, I must ask permission for such a thing, but it’s my wish that soon I will have to.”
“Well, best of luck then,” Gray said. The man’s jaw dropped open with shock, and yet again he was presented with the fact that he was a cold, unfeeling man.
“Now, Mrs. Greedy will select the teams as she can remember all your names, unlike me,” Mr. Greedy said, drawing their attention once more. “Are there any new people here?”
Gray looked over heads and saw a grizzled old man with a cane talking. With him was an equally grizzled old woman. He’d already met the Greedys, and they had shut the door in his face.
“We have a guest, Mr. Greedy,” Ivy Nightingale called. “Detective Fletcher is here.”
“Is he now.”
There were a few murmurings after that, and Gray wondered if they would ask him to leave, which he thought would be a good thing.
“As he helped get Mr. Douglas’s granddaughter back from that scoundrel Barney Forge with our very own Notorious Nightingales, we’ll allow him to stay,” Mr. Greedy said.
All heads then turned, and Gray was suddenly the object of several pairs of eyes. Most were friendly today, unlike when last he’d met them.
“Detective Fletcher is our friend and has just taken tea with us,” Bram said.
Bramstone Nightingale had just told these people his family had accepted Gray, so they should too. It was humbling.
“Well then, he’s welcome, and there will be a piece of taffy cake just for him at the Douglas home, I’m sure,” Mr. Greedy called, and everyone agreed.
Gray received the nods of acceptance with discomfort but returned them. He was experiencing so many different emotions, and none of them were comfortable. Like everything that had changed in his life since Ellen had stormed into it, he blamed the Nightingales.
“My hero,” Leo taunted.
“Why do they call you that? The Notorious Nightingales and do I want to know?”
“Likely not,” Alex said.
“No idea,” Ellen added.
“I have thoughts on the matter, considering what I found you all doing the other night. You’re some kind of vigilante group, which doesn’t sit well with me,” Gray said.
“Haha,” Ellen said, not sounding at all amused. “We would never take the law into our hands, which by the way, there are not enough people upholding to ensure it is safe on the streets of London.”
“Vigilante,” Leo scoffed. “As if we, fine, upstanding members of society, would do such a thing.”
Gray studied the three Nightingales. Not one of them was looking at him.
