Punch's Cousin, Chapter 274

“Barbara?” Mr. Punch asked as he cut through the mist, “these men botherin’ you?” He glowered at Arthur and Gerard.


“I…” Barbara stammered.

“Well, then?” Punch puffed impatiently.

Barbara took a deep breath.

Punch shrugged in frustration, turning his attention to the two men. “Where you two been, then? Here, you bring us a hunk of blue glass and then leave the house with me…” He sighed. “Me master’s sister. What are you about, then?”

“I didn’t know anything about it, Julian. Truly, I didn’t.” Barbara began to weep.

“’Bout what?” Punch narrowed his eyes.

“Honestly, I didn’t.” Barbara continued.

“’Bout what?” Punch demanded, this time more forcefully.

“Go on, Pet,” Arthur grinned. “Tell your lunatic brother about our son.”

Further up the road, Robert and Marjani continued to try to rid themselves of Iolanthe and Ulrika, with little success.

“Isn’t it interesting, really?” Ulrika mumbled. She was still suffering from the effects of the herb that Arthur had given her and her speech had not yet returned to her usual purr. “Here we four stand. In our short acquaintance, we have permanently changed the courses of one another’s lives.”

“Irreparably damaged, you mean,” Robert snorted.

“Some have been damaged more than others,” Iolanthe smirked.

“Ain’t that true?” Marjani frowned. “And for what? Miss Rittenhouse, what are you after? Riches? Ain’t you got riches aplenty of your own? And, you, Iolanthe? What you want? Huh? Are you just wicked fo’ the sake of wickedness or are you in such pain your own self that you want everyone to suffer? You say you want to heal your baby, but, Woman, that baby is all alone at some stranger’s house, missing his mama? Maybe you could heal him if you offered him a mother’s love. For me, I don’t care so much. I got Columbia and that’s it. I been blessed by the kindness of folk who love me, and I think—and I can say this without soundin’ too full of myself, I think—I got that cuz that’s what I give them, too. Why you so bent on revenge? Let these folk be. Missus Adrienne, what’s her crime ‘gainst ya? Sure, she went off on her own—away from your house of sin and sweat, but ain’t that her right. Woman, you’re an Octoroon! You got some of my own blood in ya! Don’t you realize how precious freedom is? Would you take that from another person? Would you think you could possibly own someone else? It ain’t fittin’! And, what’s your argument with His Grace and Dr. Halifax? Ya done nothin’ but torture them, and all them folk they care ‘bout. But, what’s that gonna get ya? So, you had an arrangement with Miss Allen’s child. Sure, you did. It was a wicked scheme in the first. Sellin’ a baby! Takin’ advantage of a confused young woman!”

“Barbara Allen didn’t protest.” Iolanthe interrupted.

“So, ya got your money!” Marjani snapped. “Good for you, then. Let it go! If Edward Cage wants another baby, then his wife can have one! And, if not, there’s babies all over New Orleans that want a home like that one! Let these folk—these two men who got love in their hearts—keep the baby that’s got their blood in it. Let those two men give it some kind of happy life and the legacy he deserves! What else ya want from them? The Duke’s gold? I know the Duke of Fallbridge. I know him in all is many forms, and I gotta tell ya, he’d give you all the gold he has just so his family would be safe! Can you say the same, Woman? I don’t think you can? And what’s the doctor ever done to ya? You want him to help your boy? He’ll do his damnedest to try to do so? Just ask him! Stop messin’ him ‘round and maybe you’d actually get somethin’ done!”

“You do you think you are talking to me that way?” Iolanthe growled.

“I’m Marjani!” Marjani answered. “And, I’m a woman who knows what family means! Who are you?”

Iolanthe stepped forward and craned her neck so that she was almost nose-to-nose with Marjani.

“How delicious,” Ulrika slurred.

“Iolanthe,” Robert interrupted. “You may not care about the welfare of your own child, let alone anyone else’s, but we do. Somewhere in this mist, my brother’s wife and my dearest friend’s nephew are waiting for us to bring them home. And, now,” he took Marjani gently by the arm and pulled her away from Iolanthe, “we will take our leave.”

At that very moment, Charles rushed to Adrienne’s side. She seemed almost like one of the figures in Edward Cage’s wax museum—beautiful, with smooth, pale skin. She showed no signs of life, no breath in her bosom. Her hair had come loose and flowed over Mama Routhe’s lap as the woman held Adrienne in the pose of some Roman marble Pieta.

“Dear God, she’s not…”

“No.” Mama Routhe choked. “But, it ain’t good.”

“Who did this?” Charles asked.

“Two men in masks and some white woman who the missus seemed to know. Called her ‘Nellie,’ She’s the one that took the baby from my arms while the men shoved the missus.”

“Where’d they go?” Charles asked.

“Out the back.” Mama Routhe sobbed.

Charles began to panic. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to do, Mr. Charles.” Mama Routhe wept. “Nothin’ at all.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-273? If so, you can read them here.