do think the outing would be good for her,” agreed Ivy beaming at Dawn.
Dawn would have loved to crawl under the table and hide. As she judged her chances, the bell at the door caught them all unaware, and suddenly she had an escape!
“ I’ll get it,” offered Dawn quickly as she started to pass the infant off to Rachel. But there, suddenly, was Gwen! My, she got around. She was almost as sneaky as the twins. Gwen, ever so motherly, accepted the child instead from Dawn, and cradled her lovingly.
Dawn eagerly bounded downstairs to the door. Outside were two adults. She immediately recognized one of them as the Lady Mayor. She didn’t recognize the other, per se , but noticed he wore a sash of the constabulary.
“ Oh, you must be Dawn!” greeted the mayor. “Ivy has spoken so much about you.”
Dawn bobbed politely, “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“ If possible, that is, if he is well enough to take visitors, we’d like to speak with Llewellyn,” the constable said with no small amount of urgency.
“ Yes indeed, please come in to the great room and I’ll fetch him.” Dawn led them into the house and then hurried back upstairs.
Llewellyn was already coming out of his room. He was a bit worse for the wear, but he was walking and wearing what was most likely a forced smile. “I heard them. It’s the Lady Mayor and Owen the Chief Constable, is it?”
Dawn nodded, “The Mayor, yes. It is a constable of some sort, but I don’t who is which.”
Llewellyn smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead before slowly starting downstairs.
“ Dad, do you need help?”
He smiled genuinely back at her, “I do like the sound of that…”
Dawn giggled, “That is what Maria said…”
With mock confusion he fired back, “You called Maria, ‘Dad?’”
Dawn laughed, “I guess you are feeling better.” She followed him into the great hall.
The guests both stood when he entered. This sign of respect surprised Dawn given the stature of the guests. Apparently, her uncle had a reputation beyond this small town.
“ Maggie, Owen, good to see you again. Sorry that it’s not under better circumstances.”
Maggie, the Lady Mayor, nodded back showing obvious concern, “Owen said the kartivalds you killed had collars on them. That means they didn’t just wander five hundred miles up here on their own. Someone brought them.”
“ And the only people who have done something that outrageous before,” interjected Owen, “was the Fechner Gang.”
Dawn hung on every word, both curious and scared. She was at the doorway as she had neither been dismissed nor invited in, so she chose to bide her time and learn what she could!
“ The Kulpgurie were very clear: if the Fechner Gang was ever released from prison for any reason, we were to be told immediately!” The mayor was more than a little excitable.
“ The Kulpgurie are efficient and expedient if nothing else,” her father began. “The problem is, if they were released, or had escaped, the first person that would have been told would have been our late ambassador Helen.”
The mayor grimaced at the obvious break in the information chain, “Ouch! Okay, I’ll have to inquire immediately through our other channels.”
“ Dawn?” called Llewellyn.
Dawn jumped, startled at being called. She had hoped she hadn’t been noticed and could just remain a fly on the wall. “Yes, Dad?”
“ When you were being held, one of them said they had been paid by someone named Eric?”
Dawn suddenly realized she intentionally had not been dismissed, but was a firsthand witness to more than just the animal attack, “‘Eric and his silly gang,’ I do believe were the exact words.”
The Mayor and Owen both visibly cringed; there was more than just a little fear in their eyes.
“ That would be consistent with Eric Fechner and his gang. Out for revenge from fifteen years ago,” began Llewellyn. “I had assumed, or maybe it was just wishful thinking, that when
Dawn would have loved to crawl under the table and hide. As she judged her chances, the bell at the door caught them all unaware, and suddenly she had an escape!
“ I’ll get it,” offered Dawn quickly as she started to pass the infant off to Rachel. But there, suddenly, was Gwen! My, she got around. She was almost as sneaky as the twins. Gwen, ever so motherly, accepted the child instead from Dawn, and cradled her lovingly.
Dawn eagerly bounded downstairs to the door. Outside were two adults. She immediately recognized one of them as the Lady Mayor. She didn’t recognize the other, per se , but noticed he wore a sash of the constabulary.
“ Oh, you must be Dawn!” greeted the mayor. “Ivy has spoken so much about you.”
Dawn bobbed politely, “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“ If possible, that is, if he is well enough to take visitors, we’d like to speak with Llewellyn,” the constable said with no small amount of urgency.
“ Yes indeed, please come in to the great room and I’ll fetch him.” Dawn led them into the house and then hurried back upstairs.
Llewellyn was already coming out of his room. He was a bit worse for the wear, but he was walking and wearing what was most likely a forced smile. “I heard them. It’s the Lady Mayor and Owen the Chief Constable, is it?”
Dawn nodded, “The Mayor, yes. It is a constable of some sort, but I don’t who is which.”
Llewellyn smiled and kissed her gently on the forehead before slowly starting downstairs.
“ Dad, do you need help?”
He smiled genuinely back at her, “I do like the sound of that…”
Dawn giggled, “That is what Maria said…”
With mock confusion he fired back, “You called Maria, ‘Dad?’”
Dawn laughed, “I guess you are feeling better.” She followed him into the great hall.
The guests both stood when he entered. This sign of respect surprised Dawn given the stature of the guests. Apparently, her uncle had a reputation beyond this small town.
“ Maggie, Owen, good to see you again. Sorry that it’s not under better circumstances.”
Maggie, the Lady Mayor, nodded back showing obvious concern, “Owen said the kartivalds you killed had collars on them. That means they didn’t just wander five hundred miles up here on their own. Someone brought them.”
“ And the only people who have done something that outrageous before,” interjected Owen, “was the Fechner Gang.”
Dawn hung on every word, both curious and scared. She was at the doorway as she had neither been dismissed nor invited in, so she chose to bide her time and learn what she could!
“ The Kulpgurie were very clear: if the Fechner Gang was ever released from prison for any reason, we were to be told immediately!” The mayor was more than a little excitable.
“ The Kulpgurie are efficient and expedient if nothing else,” her father began. “The problem is, if they were released, or had escaped, the first person that would have been told would have been our late ambassador Helen.”
The mayor grimaced at the obvious break in the information chain, “Ouch! Okay, I’ll have to inquire immediately through our other channels.”
“ Dawn?” called Llewellyn.
Dawn jumped, startled at being called. She had hoped she hadn’t been noticed and could just remain a fly on the wall. “Yes, Dad?”
“ When you were being held, one of them said they had been paid by someone named Eric?”
Dawn suddenly realized she intentionally had not been dismissed, but was a firsthand witness to more than just the animal attack, “‘Eric and his silly gang,’ I do believe were the exact words.”
The Mayor and Owen both visibly cringed; there was more than just a little fear in their eyes.
“ That would be consistent with Eric Fechner and his gang. Out for revenge from fifteen years ago,” began Llewellyn. “I had assumed, or maybe it was just wishful thinking, that when