Mandy

He yelped, “Are you daft, girl…that hurt!” he returned but he was as usual grinning.

“Oh…oh, my Ned…you looked so funny. Don’t ever grow one of those, and it is a dark mustache…it doesn’t match your blond hair!” This made her peel off laughing once more.

“Are ye two finished with yer prattle and giggles?” Chauncey asked on a long and weary sigh. “Because if ye are, mayhap we can tell the duke what Ned and I have discovered.”

All eyes turned to Chauncey while Ned rubbed the red raw spot the mustache pulling had left over his upper lip.

“As it happens, we owe the duke a measure of gratitude, we do, coz if we hadn’t piked over to Teeside, we wouldn’t a learnt about Hawkins!”

Mandy and the duke said as one voice, “Hawkins?” And Mandy added, “Who the deuce is Hawkins?”

“If you would but be quiet missy, I will tell ye,” Chauncey said eyeing her dampeningly.

Mandy sat on a large flat rock and folded her arms across her middle. She was surrounded by men who were as far as she was concerned, lording it over her. Her question was reasonable. What was wrong with her question?

“As you were saying,” encouraged the duke. “You discovered something about Hawkins?”

“Aye, and a thousand pities we couldn’t a stayed a mite longer and prigged this ‘ere Hawkins’ direction, Yer Grace. But had this need to shake our shambles out of the Red Hart Inn…real sudden-like.”

“Something in the Red Hart make you fidgety?” the duke encouraged, one brow arched.

Ned laughed out loud and slapped Chauncey on the back. “Lord, no, duke, don’t let Chauncey bamboozle you. He enjoyed every minute of it. Certes…” he turned to his sister, “Mandy, wait till you hear.”

“Oh, am I allowed in all this male togetherness, then?” she asked still miffed with them.

He ignored her and said, “We hobnobbed with a redbreast,” Ned declared, grinning broadly. “A Bow Street Runner…from London…a runner, Mandy!”

Mandy was not amused. “What?” she shrieked.

“Famous good sport,” added her brother, lest she think he had not enjoyed the encounter.

“Oh no, Neddy, no, but how? Why?” Mandy asked her face and tone full with dismay.

“Indeed, I should like to know that as well,” stuck in the duke solemnly. “But first, shall we return to the beginning. You were about to inform us, who Hawkins may be and what he has to do with Elly Bonner.”

“But a runner? Your Grace…they were stopped by a runner!” Mandy stuck in much disturbed by this.

“No, if you had but listened more closely, you would have heard that they had a conversation with the illustrious fellow. I am quite certain we shall hear all about it in good time, but for now, we shall forego this particular treat and return to the issue at hand—Hawkins if you please.” He eyed both Chauncey and Ned alike.

“Right then, Hawkins,” Ned grinned unabashedly. “As to that, I’m not sure why Chauncey is so dashed pleased about…”

Chauncey gave Ned a scathing look and was about to follow this up with (no one doubted) a scathing remark, but the duke hastily stuck in, “Nevertheless, young man, you will do me the honor of imparting your information to me and then I’ll be the judge as to its value.”

Mandy couldn’t help but smile to see her brother blush, but as she turned she found herself locked in a gaze with the duke.

Once again, she was struck by the depth of expression and intelligence in his deep blues. She couldn’t look away as she tried to fathom his thoughts and couldn’t.

“Yes, gamine?” he said softly. “Is there something you needed to ask me?”

“Me? Ask? No…not at all,” she returned feeling as hot as Ned had looked a moment ago.

“Right, so off we went to find this friend of Chauncey’s at the Red Hart. Turns out that although he doesn’t know Elly, he knows this Hawkins fellow, but he doesn’t know where Hawkins is precisely,” Ned said on a heavy sigh.

Impatiently, the duke dismissed Ned and turned to Chauncey, “Perhaps my man, you may be able to tell me who the devil Hawkins is!”

“Aye, that I can and be glad to do it,” returned Chauncey gruffly. He brushed his hands free of the crumbs of bread left from the last piece he had just devoured and said, “He be Elly Bonner’s man!”

Mandy’s hand went to her mouth. A sudden sure hope filled her. This was more than they had hitherto been able to find out. A sure dawning lit in her brain. This was due to the fact that it was the duke who had helped them by sending them off to Teeside. This was such wondrous news that she clapped her hands together and said, “This is such brilliant good news.”