Even escaping to Grange Molliner wasn’t enough to bring peace to Mr. Punch and Robert. Of course, it didn’t help that they brought Ellen Barrett with them. Unknown to the Duke and the Doctor, their governess is actually Punch’s illegitimate half-sister and is working with her half-brother, Finlay, to bring the Duke down. But, the joke’s on Ellen. Finlay is also working with her former lover (and his), the Baron Lensdown to defeat Ellen. Oh…and Ellen is also working with the baron to fool Finlay. So, they’ve got their own kerfuffle going on.
Finlay convinced the baron to sneak into the castle in order to do something to frighten the residents. So, as the Duke and Robert were busy greeting the remaining servants from Belgrave Square (those who Punch kindly brought all the way to Scotland for the ball), Lensdown had donned a disguise, pretending to be the legendary ghost of Lucas Molliner. But, afterwards, instead of meeting Finlay—the baron met Ellen and the two plotted together. Furthermore, the baron continues to mention some mysterious secret from his past which he things caused Julian’s “madness.”
It seems, as a boy, Julian was told by his nanny that little boys who kept secrets would be murdered by the ghost of Lucas Molliner. Was this a family legend? Or was it a lie the nanny concocted after a young Lensdown begged for her help upon realizing that Julian knew his secret?
After the servants had been sent to bed, Punch and Robert heard a strange cry from upstairs and hurried to check on Colin. They found Gamilla, clearly upset, after seeing “The Ghost.” Punch and Robert searched the castle, but found nothing. Still nervous, Punch asked Robert to bring Colin to their room to sleep.
The following morning, as Robert worked on his book, Punch helped the staff design their costumes for the ball. He was annoyed by the arrival of Baron Lensdown who informed the Duke that his wife’s friends had come from London, asking if they could also attend the ball. The Duke/Mr. Punch agreed before realizing that the guests were actually the Countess Hamish and her hatchet-faced daughter, Lady Constance, with whom they had argued in London. Punch graciously stuck by his decision, but afterwards was rattled and decided to hide under a table and talk with a porcelain figure.
During his chat with the figure, Punch recalled a startling even from his past—witnessing the murder of a young man. Hitting his head, Punch accidentally broke the figure, becoming even more upset. He went out to find Robert and told his companion about the murder. Robert was concerned and unsure what to do, but Punch insisted they not let it spoil their holiday. As they walked on the estate, a shadowy figure watched from the tower.
This coming week, as we reach 100 chapters, will be filled with even more twists and turns as the Servants’ Ball begins. With a house full of people, will Mr. Punch suffer the recollection of more of his and Julian’s past? What will happen when Ellen appears at the ball? Will the oddly incestuous relationships between Ellen, Finlay and the baron be revealed? Look for some bizarre developments arising from the Countess and Lady Constance as well as the baron’s wife, Gertrude. Charles, Gerard and Gamilla will find themselves in the middle of a growing nightmare. And, someone will die. If you’ve missed a chapter of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, all are accessible in the Chapter Archive with a nifty little summary of each. Thanks for reading!
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