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“Capital time?” Mandy seethed. “Here I am forever stuck in the wilds, while you go about gallivanting and having a capital time?” She stamped her foot at him. “Off I went to Witch’s Elbow…all alone, while you…”
“Witch’s Elbow?” her brother interjected with horror. “Blister it, sis, why would you do that?”
“I needed to get out, you horrid boy!” she snapped.
“Indeed, Mandy,” the duke interrupted, “It seems both Ned and Chauncey have something to say. Shall we allow them a word?”
Mandy directed what she hoped was her worst evil eye at both her brother and Chauncey, “Go ahead then.”
Ned beamed like a young boy and announced, “Won a bundle tonight.”
“Won a bundle? Gambling. You were gambling?” Mandy was beyond enraged as she found her brother’s hat and began to beat him with it.
The duke put out a hand and caught Mandy’s arm, firmly but gently steering her away and calling an end to her savagery. “Heigh-ho, gamine. Let the lad explain.”
“He has been gambling—gambling, Brock, and you want him to explain?” Mandy returned in outraged accents.
The duke chuckled and said, “I rather think he should—don’t you?”
Ned agreed with this logic and eyed his sister warily as he took a step out of her range. Chauncey grinned and waited.
“Right then, explain,” Mandy demanded.
“Would have if I had but been given a chance,” Ned grumbled. However, he recalled the fat wad of ready in his pocket and immediately grinned like an idiot and offered “Mandy, Lordy, never saw one before, you know. Heard of ‘em, but not been to any of ‘em. Grandpapa always insisted that they were for cits and laborers though I half suspect he attended a few in his day.” He shook his head with a great show of pleasure and continued, “At any rate, it was famous good sport, and so I would have told Grandpapa if he were here…” his voice trailed off for a moment and he added, “Miss him.”
Mandy softened at once and went and put a hand to his arm and rubbed, “Yes, as do I.”
“Right, it was called The Rat Pit. Course you wouldn’t know about it, being a female and all and don’t think you would have liked it either—not that I’m saying that you are missish, for you are not, anyone could see that, but still…you wouldn’t have liked it. I daresay you would have felt sorry for the horrid little beasts. Didn’t think I’d like it either, but, there you are.”
“Rat Pit?” Mandy repeated this in astounded accents.
“Your brother is referring to a rather questionable sport, wherein they set a dog loose in a pit some six feet in diameter with an assortment of rats. He is expected to kill any number of these within a given space of time. It is on this particular point that bets are placed and money exchanged,” the duke explained helpfully.
Mandy’s jaw dropped and once again with the hat she still held, she went after him. However, this time Ned ducked and dodged until the duke again took hold of her. She looked up at the duke and said, “How could he? ‘Tis awful.”
“He is cutting his eye teeth,” the duke said softly.
“Yes, but he enjoyed it!”
“I think he enjoyed winning and the excitement of it all. No need to worry…”
“No, Mandy, don’t mean to attend that sort of thing again. It was bang up good fun, but truth be told, don’t like the dog being used quite like that…”
“And the poor rats,” Mandy said.
“Poor rats? Well, that is doing it a bit strong,” returned her brother with a snort.
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The men exchanged glances before they burst out laughing and she cast them all a challenging look and brought them back to the subject of hand. “Well, this has been entertaining for you, but brings us no closer to Elly Bonner or Hawkins, does it?”
* * *
Elly Bonner was a tall thin girl, with a neat figure. Her light brown curls were pulled back into a bun. Her face was bright, with a well scrubbed look.
The man sitting across the small table from her was a huge creature, well above the average height and stocky. His brown hair curled around his heavy face. His eyes were dark and hard with the experiences of his life. He wore a peasant’s shirt and loose trousers.
As he stared at the woman he had taken to his heart and considered his attachment, he sighed and reached for her hand. “It won’t always be like this darlin’.” She was a good woman, was his Elly. Lord knew he didn’t deserve her, but he had every intention of keeping her, no matter what the guv’ said. He would have a job of it though, and they’d have to move on soon.
