“What?” Mungo barked.
“Stop at the bakery!”
“You can walk back.”
“It’s frigid out there. Don’t be mean, Mungo.” The hatch snapped shut.
He’d played a hand in who these Nightingales had become. He knew what they were and could do and was proud of each of them. Not that he’d ever tell them that. Butno one could annoy him quite like Alex, unless it was Ram, who also had the knack.
Sighing, he pulled the horses to a halt in front of Appleblossoms Bakers ten minutes later. The carriage door opened, and out stepped Alex, Ram, and Leo.
“I’ve half a mind not to get you anything,” Alex fired up at him. “Not you of course, Benjamin, but that grumpy Scottish behemoth at your side.”
Benjamin fought his laugh by coughing into his hand.
“Get on with you,” Mungo said. “The horses will get a chill.”
Leo moved closer to look up at him. “You’re frozen through, aren’t you? And yet, Benjamin is wrapped in the blanket. I wonder at your stupidity sometimes, Mungo.” Shaking his head, the man then walked inside the bakery.
“I often wonder if he sleeps on a bed of nails just to prove how unbreakable he is,” Mungo heard Ram say as they headed into the bakery.
“Not a single word,” Mungo said to Benjamin. Wisely, the man kept his thoughts to himself.
After the brothers had gone inside and shut the door, it burst open again, and out ran Tabitha Varney.
“And this is all I need to improve my day,” Mungo muttered.
“I could?—”
“Move an inch, and I’ll have you fired,” he said softly to Benjamin. The lad wisely sat still, eyes forward.
“Oh, Mungo! I heard you were taken away by that horrible constable. Are you well?” Tabitha cried as she reached the carriage.
She wore a dress that was low-cut and showed off her breasts, which most of the people in the street were already well acquainted with.
“It’s cold out, Tabitha. I’m well. Go back into the bakery,” Mungo said.
She clasped her hands together, eyes damp. The woman should be treading the boards, as she was an excellent actress.
“Would you like to come for tea? I’ll bring some cakes home from the bakery. Mrs. Peeky is helping me to perfect a ginger cake that I know you’ll love.”
“I can get tea at 11 Crabbett Close. Now go on with you.” Mungo hadn’t outright insulted the woman, but he’d shown her in every way possible that he had no interest in any liaison or future marriage with her, but as yet, he’d not managed to dissuade her.
Looking behind him, he wondered what conversation was going on inside between Bram and Miss Downing.
“Tabitha! Get back here! We’ve two batches of scones needed for the afternoon rush!” Mrs. Douglas called from the doorway. “Good to see you home safe, Mungo!”
Tabitha sent him a saucy wink and hurried back inside.
He was exhausted, and the day still had many hours left in it. Plus, he had to come to terms with the fact that Miss Downing had saved him as he’d saved her, and not only that, but she was now living in the Nightingale household. But there was more to it than that.
Eliza Downing had something about her that touched him. Her beauty, yes, but there was something more, and he had no time in his life to be noticing the governess who he’d have to see every day for however long it took to get the children ready to enter society.
Knowing them as he did, he thought it would be many months.
CHAPTER NINE
The carriage journey back to Crabbett Close had a very different atmosphere to the one to the watchhouse, Eliza thought as they waited for the men to return from the bakery.
