“Returning a greeting is a sign of acknowledgment that you heard the one delivered to you, Mr. Mungo,” Eliza said, dragging her eyes from him and back to the top of Mr. Greedy’s head, as he was now bent over her hand and inspecting it closely. “It is not necessary to be rude just because it is expected of you,” she added in her teaching voice.
This man had kissed her this morning and put his hands on her body. She’d risen on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her uncle had called her wanton once, and worse, he’d been right, but what he hadn’t realized was why she’d done what she had.
“I’m not one of your students, Miss Downing,” the deep grumpy voice said from behind her.
“Well, at least that is one thing that I can be grateful for today.” She looked at Bud, and the woman had a strange expression in her eyes as they moved from Eliza to Mungo.
“It’s not often you hear someone taking our Mungo to task, and that’s possibly because none of us are brave enough to besides a Nightingale,” Mr. Greedy said.
“The Crabbett Close locals are not scared of him,” Benjamin scoffed. He then dropped his eyes after looking at Mungo. The man was probably glaring at him.
Without another word, the Scotsman stomped back out of the kitchen, leaving them in silence.
“Well, I never,” Mr. Dumple said.
“It’s not every day, that’s for sure,” Mr. Greedy added.
“I’ve never seen it,” Bud said.
“What?” Eliza demanded.
“Our Mungo unsettled, and he was definitely that. I wonder why?” Bud said, giving Eliza another one of those looks that made the hair on the back of her neck rise.
“Right then.” Mr. Greedy released her. “You’ll remember to put the salve on and rub it in morning and night now, Eliza.”
He then went on to show her some simple exercises.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Greedy. It feels so much better already,” she said when he was finished.
She left the kitchen to find her charges. It was lesson time, and they could put it off no longer. If they did, she’d have to find some chores to do for Bud because Eliza was not sitting about the place, doing nothing and being paid for it.
As she reached the stairs, she heard raised voices, which made her pause.
Do not involve yourself in business affairs that do not directly concern you.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
For all that people thought him an angry man, Mungo was even-tempered on the inside. It took a lot to rile him to the point of really losing control. But he’d been on the edge of doing just that ever since Calder had walked back into his life.
It was her too. Eliza Downing. He wanted her with a desperation that he usually reserved for…. Actually, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this desperate for something or someone.
The woman had rebuked him in that bloody snippy tone in the kitchen, and he’d been aroused instead of angry. This yearning ache was unpleasant, and he wanted it to stop. He may have to tell Bram to dismiss her, which was beneath him, but the desperation was building, and something was going to have to give.
He needed to ensure he was never alone with her again because that was when he put his hands and mouth on her, and the real hell was, she’d enjoyed it too.
“As we are not known to Mrs. Holton, Ellen and I will be the ones to interview the woman,” Gray said.
“I’m coming in with you,” Mungo added.
They were all standing outside on the doorstep for no reason that he could think of other than that he’d been going for a walk, and Gray and Ellen had been arriving with Calder just behind him.
“And what is your reason for being there?” Ellen demanded.
“Inside, Mama,” Olivia said tugging on her mother’s hand.
“Off you go, then, darling. I will follow shortly after ramming some sense into Uncle Mungo’s head.”
Olivia smiled at Mungo and patted the hand that was clenched at his side before running inside to find Lottie, who she adored, along with the others.
