#mummy?

“Oh dear, Miss Blake, look at this,” Miss Velma Dinkley said as she passed the newspaper across the breakfast table to Miss Daphne Blake. Miss Blake looked down at the paper in her hands for quite some moments before prying her gaze away to look once more at Miss Dinkley.

“I don’t believe I understand what I’m meant to be looking at,” She said, setting the paper back in front of her breakfasting companion. Miss Blake took up her tea once more as she awaited an explanation of whatever it may be in the paper that elicited such a reaction from Miss Dinkley.

“Here,” Miss Dinkley opened the newspaper again and skimmed the page for the article she had previously been reading. Holding a finger to a headline that Miss Blake could not see from her vantage point, Miss Dinkley began, “Stable boy in East End disappears,” Velma glanced once more to Miss Blake, seemingly awaiting a reaction that wasn’t coming.

“So?” Miss Blake asked, her thin brows pinched together and her head tilting up in a way that told of her disinterest. “Servants disappear all the time, usually found in a poor house or pub in a few days,” She said, picking up her floral patterned teacup and taking a sip.

“So,” Velma started, slightly mocking Miss Blake’s apparent lack of compassion. “I happen to know this one,” She said, bringing herself around the breakfast table to show Miss Blake the drawing in the paper, “See?” Velma said as she pointed down at the picture below the bolded headline.

“He does look a bit familiar, though I don’t believe I’ve ever known him personally,” Miss Blake conceded slowly as she continued further studying the picture.

“Well, if you knew that young man better,” Velma began as she dropped the paper on the table, “You would know him to be a very responsible man, he’s not one for drink and takes his duties rather quite seriously,” Miss Dinkley lectured. She sighed, taking her spectacles in hand and rubbing where her spectacles had sat previously. “Charles, he just wouldn’t be in a poor house, he’s far too proud for that sort of place,” Velma said.

“I’m sure he’s around somewhere,” Miss Blake stood, putting a hand on Velma’s shoulder to assure her. “And if by some chance Charles happens not to be around, I know this rather sharp, bespectacled, young lady who will find him before the police will even have a lead,” Miss Blake smiled down at Velma.

“I’m sure you’re right, he’s quite probably fine,” Velma admitted, “But I still think we should call on Norville and Frederick, just to see what we do or do not find,” She said, turning back round to face Miss Blake, hoping to convince Miss Blake to indulge her concerns.

“I suppose we could nip round to see them, and I’m sure Scooby could use the walk that our meetings usually entail,” Miss Blake reasoned as she walked off to gather her hat and gloves. “Though you know we’ll have to walk, Fred will want to show off Brandy and Dolly, as though we haven’t seen them draw the carriage a thousand times or more,” Miss Blake shouted from the drawing room as she fastened her hat and put on her gloves.

“Yes, I suppose we will be walking,” Velma agreed as she pulled on her own, wrist length gloves. Though neither lady was really quite so concerned about the walk as Frederick and Norville could quite regularly be found on Fred’s estate, just some way a few streets down.

Velma and Miss Blake met in the foyer and walked out into the street as Miss Blake readjusted her gloves one last time, tucking the hems over her elbows.

Frederick lay on the ground, pale yellow waistcoat discarded and draped over the veranda railing some yards away. Fred leaned up on an elbow, “Hand me that lynch pin, would you?” he called out to Norville as he pulled a kerchief out of his pocket to wipe perspiration from his brow.

Shaggy stood from his seat on the veranda and looked to the table full of various tools and pieces. “Lynch pin?” He muttered himself as he picked up a piece from the table and carried it away to Fred.

Frederick held out a hand as he heard Norville’s footsteps approaching the propped up hansom. What fell into his hand was substantially heavier than he expected. Looking down into his hand Frederick saw quite a different piece than he thought for. He looked up to Norville, one brow raised and a teasing smile had befallen his face, “Shaggy, this is the hub,” Frederick said as he waved the piece around,

Norville reached to take the piece back, “Oh no, I’ll need this too, but would you bring me a small metal peg on a metal loop,” Frederick explained, this time being sure Norville knew what to look for.

“Erm, right then,” Norville said, running back to the veranda to fetch the correct piece, a slight blush rushing to his face.

Scooby sat up on the step, the aforementioned lynch pin hanging from his mouth. “Rhis run?” Scooby asked, the piece nearly falling out of his mouth in the process.

“That looks right,” Norville said, thanking Scooby as he gingerly took the piece from between Scooby’s teeth.

Behind Norville, came the pattering of feet. He turned to hand Frederick the lynch pin, “Here y-” He froze for a moment, hand mid way through the transaction.

Miss Blake smiled at him, “Hello, Shaggy,” she greeted. Velma looked down at the pin in Norville’s hand. And took it away to where she assumed it belonged.

“Ehm, hello, Miss Blake,” Norville said, his hand finally dropping to his side as he realised he was no longer holding anything.

“How are you this morning?” Miss Blake asked as she looked back at Velma’s retreating figure.

Norville scratched the back of his neck, “Fred’s been puttering about with the hansom this morning. I’ve simply tried not to hinder the process,” He said awkwardly.

“Yes, I think that’s something of a regular occurrence for Fred,” Miss Blake commiserated as she walked up to the veranda and sat by Scooby on the steps. She scratched his ear, “I’ve brought you something,” Miss Blake said, reaching into a hidden pocket of her dress skirts with her available hand. She pulled out a treat and held it out for Scooby who promptly took it.

Scooby crunched the treat, spilling crumbs down the stairs and all into Miss Blake’s skirts. “Oh dear, Scooby, please do try to compose yourself,” She warned as she shook out her skirts.

Out by the hansom Velma was talking to Frederick, who was very nearly done working the wheel back onto the carriage. “Did you read the paper this morning?” Velma asked as Frederick finished putting the lynch pin into place.

“No, I don’t recall having read it, though I think Shaggy did. Why do you ask?” Came Frederick’s response as he stood up and dusted himself off.

“Charles 'disappeared’ recently,” Velma said with a certain emphasis on disappeared. 

“I can’t imagine that the Clarke family would ever get rid of him,” Frederick said, trying to remember anything at all distasteful about the man in question.

“Neither can I,” Velma agreed, “I thought we might visit the neighbourhood and… investigate,” She said, almost conspiratorially.

“Alright then, just let me get the carriage off the block and we’ll have a look,” Frederick turned toward the veranda to call for Norville.

“Shaggy, come and help me lift this!” Frederick shouted,  bending down to find a good grip on the underside of the carriage. Norville was with them shortly, catching the carriage’s edge on the other side.

“When we lift the hansom, grab the block, Velma,” Frederick instructed as he prepared to lift the end of the carriage. “Ready,” Fred and Shaggy braced themselves, and Velma was kneeling in front of the block. “Lift!” Frederick exclaimed. In a rush the carriage’s front end was elevated and Velma was pulling the block away.

“Let’s not do that again,” Norville panted as they put down the carriage. Fred and Norville wiped up their hands as they all walked back to the veranda.

“It’s not my intention to have to do it again any time soon,” Frederick stated as he grabbed his waistcoat from the railing.

“If you ladies will wait here a moment, I’ll bring Dolly and Brandy around for the hansom,” He said as he did up the buttons and walked off to the stables.

“He really won’t let anyone else handle those horses will he?” Miss Blake commented as they all watched him trot off into the distance the estate.

“No, I don’t think he would,” Shaggy said, grabbing his overcoat from one of the chairs.

Frederick came back, leading Dolly and Brandy to the carriage, “There you are girls,” He cooed as he began setting them up with the carriage, making sure everything was properly fastened. After double checking everything and patting the horses as praise for cooperating so well, Frederick turned once more to the veranda. “Come along then my dear Chuckaboos!” He called as he hopped into the box seat and took up the reins.