“It’s all very odd,” he heard Miss Downing say as she swiveled on one foot, looking around at the chaos.
Mungo righted her this time as she pitched forward. Clearly she wasn’t much of a drinker. She looked up at him, cheeks flushed, eyes a little dazed, and he could do nothing to look away.
“I’m not sure I’m going to get that riddle, Mr. Peeky,” Ivy said.
The words snapped him out of whatever spell this woman had cast over him, and he released her.
“The future,” she then said, turning away from him.
“Well. I’m pleased you are the governess, as clearly you are a great deal smarter than all of us,” Bram said.
Mungo did not like the look in his friend’s eyes as he studied first Miss Downing and then him.
“Amen!” the Nightingales roared.
“Devilishly clever, but logical, now that you’ve given us the answer, Miss Downing,” Cambridge said, smiling. “Lovely to meet you. Quite the job Charles told me you’ve taken on, taming this lot.”
Mungo threw back Mr. Peeky’s spiced rum, the best drink of the games, and then nudged his team on to the next, now with Cam keeping pace with them, still eating.
The winds swirled, and laughter rang out around Crabbett Close. He might appear as if he thought this was a chore, but he understood the benefits of the games as much as the others. Unity and a place to have fun, when beyond this street, there was often hardship. Not here, however. The residents in this street looked out for one another, and the Pavlov fortune had helped with that, as it had helped many charities, from orphanages to the families of fallen soldiers.
“This is the last table, Miss Downing, and you are doing very well!” Anna cried. She was running beside them, holding Lottie’s hand.
Looking over his shoulder, Mungo noted Gray advancing. He gave Leo a look, and he stepped left as Mungo stepped right. The detective ran into them with a loud “Oomph.” Leo and Mungo ran on.
The Douglas table was a treat for the residents because it held the legendary treacle cake.
“I’m Mrs. Douglas, and this is Mr. Douglas. Welcome to our table.”
“This could be the last time we eat treacle cake,” Theo said, pouncing on the delicious treat at the same time as Cam.
“You can’t both eat it!” Mungo roared.
Cam crammed it into his mouth. Theo sighed and replaced his piece on the plate.
“I’ll leave the recipe with Bud,” Mrs. Douglas said.
“I don’t think Cam should come anymore. He’s not very good at teamwork,” Ivy said.
“Large family. I’ve had to learn to fight for every crumb,” Cam said with his mouth full.
“I’ve just today learned that you are leaving,” Mungo said to the Douglases as he reached for the mug, but Eliza beat him to it. “You’ll get a sore head,” he cautioned her.
“I don’t need your advice,” she snapped back.
“It’s the truth. I’ll miss you all, but we also miss our grandchildren,” Mr. Douglas said. “You’ll be comfortable in our home, Mungo.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s the perfect place for you. Your own home, but close to those you love.”
“I, ah, I don’t think?—”
“Brilliant idea,” Bram said, clapping him on the back. “You don’t have to move in, but if you own it, you can when you’re ready.”
“You want me to move out?” It hurt him to think his friend did.
“You know better than that. I want you to always be close to us. You are part of this family, but I sometimes think you’d like your own place, Mungo.”
