Last week, in Punch’s Cousin, our friends arrived in New Orleans after Cecil’s declaration that they’d depart Marionneaux earlier than expected. Their unexpected journey angered Ulrika Rittenhouse who had her own plans. Ulrika blackmailed her mother into letting her leave and with a drugged Arthur and Barbara hidden in her carriage, she hurried off in pursuit of the people she wants to destroy. Meanwhile, Mr. Punch (with puppet and dog…and Julian), Robert, Cecil, Adrienne, Fuller, Gamilla and Naasir arrived at their borrowed mansion on Royal Street and were greeted cheerfully by Meridian, the housekeeper. Robert and Mr. Punch shared their individual concerns and Mr. Punch suddenly became aware of an easily presence in the Crescent City. Mr. Punch’s instincts proved to be correct as Iolanthe Evangeline welcomed a visitor from England—the Duchess of Fallbridge. Iolanthe explained to the Duchess that she knew that Her Grace was the person who ordered the murder of Sir Colin Molliner. Reluctantly returning to Miss Iolanthe’s bawdy house, the Duchess was shocked to hear that her daughter had arrived. What will happen when the woman known as Barbara Allen and her mother are reunited.
Similarly, what awful scheme has Iolanthe Evangeline hatched? But, she’s not the only one who has a scheme. Robert and Cecil intend to dress Adrienne as Iolanthe Evangeline for Edward Cage’s annual masquerade ball. That’s surely not going to go over well with “The Elegant Ogress.” Mr. Punch/Julian will be reunited with the Duchess of Fallbridge. How will her presence affect the already precarious collective sanity of our hero? Meanwhile, Ulrika launches a wicked plan which will endanger the lives of more people than she’d bargained for.
We’ll see all of this in addition to the fate of Marjani and her family as Punch’s Cousin continues with Chapter 108. Don’t forget, you can still preview my novel, The Cages of Marionneaux which chronicles the lives of many of these same characters—twenty years later.
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