She spotted an outbuilding—windows dark like sleeping eyes—and groaned as she went toward it. Ducking behind the building she leaned against the wall and slowly slid toward the wet ground, slumping as she supported the weight of Colin and Fuller on her lap.
“I said to stop crying.” The nanny hissed at the babies. “Boys are such little piggies!”
Placing the boys heavily on the ground she clawed her way back to her feet and peered into one of the windows of the building. It was empty—clearly used as storage. “Stay here,” She spat at the infants as she felt her way around to a rear door. Trying the handle, she was relieved to find it unlocked.
“This will do for now,” Agnes grinned. She looked at the boys. “Yes, it’ll do for now.”
At that very moment, at Dr. Biamenti’s Royal Street mansion, Marjani cringed as she heard Adrienne Halifax’s screams of horror. The clatter of footsteps on the stairs signaled the return of the Halifax’s.
Marjani looked up to see Robert and Cecil carrying Meridian down the stairs. Meridian groggily protested. “I can walk on my own feet. I’m so sorry. So sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Meridian.” Robert said gently—belying the look of agony on his face.
Marjani quickly turned to her granddaughter. “Honey, you stay with Mr. Punch. Ya hear? Grandmama’s gonna go help Meridian.”
“Is she dead like mama?” Columbia gulped.
“No, chil’, you hear her talkin’, don’t ya?” Marjani smiled.
“Yes.”
“Then, she ain’t dead.”
“Good.” Columbia smiled. “But, Missus Adrienne, she’s cryin’.”
“She’s scared, honey.” Marjani said.
“Cuz o’ that ol’ lady?”
“Yes, honey.” Marjani said. “Now, you stay here and keep talkin’ to Mr. Punch. Remember, he can hear ya.”
With that, Marjani rushed toward Robert and Cecil.
“We’ve got her,” Cecil barked. “Try to comfort my wife.”
Marjani put her arms around Adrienne.
“It’ll be all right, Missus.” Marjani whispered.
“My boy!” Adrienne screamed. “This is my fault. My fault!”
“Ain’t no one’s fault. We’ll find your boy. We’ll find both them boys. That old bitch couldn’t have gotten far.”
Cecil emerged from the kitchen where he and Robert had brought Meridian.
“Stay here with my wife.” Cecil commanded. “I’m going to find my son and my…and Colin.”
“I’m coming with you!” Adrienne screamed.
“No.” Cecil shook his head.
“Don’t waste time!” Adrienne bellowed.
“Very well, come on.” Cecil took his wife by the arm.
Marjani took a deep breath and hurried into the kitchen.
“Will Meridian be all right?” Marjani asked.
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Meridian murmured. “I don’t know how she done it. She must have hit me. I tried to stop her.”
“I know you did, Meridian.” Robert said, studying the woman for signs of injury. He looked up. “Any change in His Grace?”
“No.” Marjani shook her head. “I left Columbia with him. She’s talkin’ to him.”
Robert pressed a cool cloth against Meridian’s head. “I don’t know how much more we can endure.”
“You’d be surprised, Doctor.” Marjani said sweetly. “Just when you think your body’s gonna give out is when it’s at its strongest.”
“What about my mind?” Robert sighed.
“That, too.” Marjani replied.
“I only hope that His Grace—in his unconscious state—is somewhere more peaceful than this.”
“I hope so, too, Sir.” Marjani nodded.
Their wishes, however, went unanswered. Trapped in his own body, the Duke of Fallbridge watched as the image of his dead mother turned to face the image of his other personality.
“So, Mr. Punch,” The Duchess of Fallbridge grinned. “You’ve come to rescue my son again, have you?”
“Sure, I have,” Punch nodded. “I always done and so I always will.”
Punch looked up and smiled at Julian. “Hullo, master chum, who’s the gentleman?”
“The Prince Consort.” Julian replied in confusion.
“Coo!” Mr. Punch laughed. “Is he one of us, too?”
“No.” Julian replied. “He’s a hallucination.”
“Here, that’s good.” Punch nodded. He took a step backward and looked around. “Now, what else we got here? We got the crusty Duchess, the damned nanny, and look—little Julian. Here, I remember when you was real. What you doin’ in that bath tub?”
The vision of the child Julian shrugged.
“Well get out of it, then?” Mr. Punch said, walking to the tub and picking the child up.
“What are you doing?” The spectral nanny asked.
“Makin’ this stop once and for all.” Mr. Punch grumbled.
“Put him down!” The Duchess bellowed.
“No.” Punch squinted. “You go away.”
With that, the Duchess disappeared.
“You, too.” Punch spat at the nanny.
And, with that, he image disappeared, too.
Punch wrapped small Julian in a blanket. “There you go, wee master. Nice and cozy.”
Prince Albert laughed.
“What’s so funny, Bertie?” Punch narrowed his eyes.
“I…” The Prince began. “It’s simply that His Grace could have done that himself. This is, after all, his imagination.”
“Not entirely, it ain’t.” Punch shook his head. “It’s mine, too. It is.” Punch sighed. “I don’t know how it all works, I don’t. Only I know how it works better than me master does. See, I been takin’ care of all this for a long, long time.”
“Yes, you have.” Julian nodded.
“Now, listen, I’m gonna send the boy away for now.” Punch said calmly.
“Very well.” Julian nodded.
“And, the Prince, too.” Punch continued.
Julian looked over his shoulder to see that Prince Albert was also gone..
“Now.” Punch said, taking a deep breath and offering his hand to Julian. “Let’s have a chat, you and I.”
Julian took Mr. Punch’s hand. “As you wish.”
“I can ‘preciate what you’re thinkin’. Seems you want to know stuff. Maybe you’re ready. Maybe you ain’t. But, if we do this together, then, I ‘spose we’ll get through it.”
“I imagine we can.” Julian nodded.
“But, if anyone’s gonna lead you through all these memories and whatnot, it’s gonna be me and not some fool Prince what don’t have no idea what nothin’ is.”
Julian smiled.
“Sometimes, master chum, you make things much more complicated than they need to be.”
“I do.”
“Yep.” Punch chuckled. “Now, are you with me?”
“I am.”
“Good, then, let’s go.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-355? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday, October 3, 2011 for Chapter 357 of Punch’s Cousin.
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