Chapter 114:
Family Traits
Mr. Punch looked over at Robert who stood at his side. “What are you grinnin’ at?” He whispered in his own, comfortable voice.
“Just looking at you and our Colin.”
“It’s his first ball, it is.” Punch said softly, gazing affectionately at the baby who slept in his arms.
“The first of many. Just think, in a few years, he’s going to be the most sought-after man in London Society.”
“I ‘magine so.” Punch nodded.
“After all, we can see that he’s going to look like you. How could he not be the toast of London?”
“Ha.” Mr. Punch chuckled. “To be sure, he’ll look like Julian, not me. Remember, I’m a hunchback with a very large and beautiful nose. You just don’t see it.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken, dear Punch.” Robert shook his head. “I see all of you all the time.”
“That you do.” Punch smiled. “Still,” he replied thoughtfully, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard by the many revelers who danced and chatted in the Great Hall. “Our boy will look like his mother.”
“You and Barbara do resemble one another.”
“Inasmuch as we’re siblings. We both took after our ma in our faces. I ‘magine Colin does, too. That Fallbridge face is hard to mistake. I just got the Molliner hair and build.”
“I think the Molliner appearance has been passed on to Colin.” Robert reached over and stroked the child’s hair. “I see the flecks of auburn in his growing locks.”
“I hope so.” Mr. Punch smiled. “He’s not got me eyes though. He got Barbara’s eyes. Or maybe whoever his father’s are.”
“Are Barbara’s eyes blue? I don’t recall.” Robert sighed. “Whenever she and I were in the same spot, she was too busy loathing me for me to notice the color of her eyes.”
“Coo…she did hate you.” Punch giggled. “But, yep, her eyes is blue. Like ma’s. Don’t know where I got me brown eyes—or where Julian did, I mean. The Molliners typically had green eyes.” Punch paused and grinned.
“What is it?”
“Well…” Punch blushed. “I know it can’t be true, but sometimes, when I look at Colin, I like to think his blue eyes come from you. Course, since neither of us is his real father, we…”
“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but, I disagree. We’re both his real fathers. We love him. He’s our son no matter where he came from.”
“That’s right.” Punch nodded. “Thank you.”
Robert reached over and petted the child again. “He’s so sound asleep. I don’t know how he could be with the pipers and all of the laughter.”
“Sleep of the innocent,” Punch winked. “Maybe he ought to go to bed, then. Do ya think?”
“Sadly, I think that might be best.” Robert nodded. “Shall I fetch Mrs. North?”
“Seems a shame to interrupt her good time.” Punch looked around the hall to try and spot Mrs. North. He saw her in her glittering fairy costume, standing in the spot by the great archway. “She’s havin’ a good time, ain’t she?”
“I suspect so.” Robert chuckled. “I don’t think she’s moved from that spot all evening, but she’s watching everything so intently that I imagine she’s enjoying herself.”
“Why ain’t she talkin’ to no one?” Punch wondered. “I can’t ‘magine she’s shy.”
“No, she’s certainly not shy.” Robert laughed. “I think it’s her natural Scottish reserve which has kept her in her spot.”
“She’s a nice lady though. Kind of her to volunteer to look after Colin for Gamilla and Mrs. Pepper so they could stay at the ball.”
“She’s a lovely person. Very loyal.”
“Well, she has been at the Grange for…coo…five decades or more.” Punch nodded. “I ‘spect she knows the Molliners better than just ‘bout anyone. The Fallbridge’s too.” Mr. Punch pursed his lips, “You know, Chum. I think she knows Colin is blood family.”
“Do you think she fancies that he’s your son?”
“She knows better than that.” Mr. Punch laughed. “I’m sure she’s figured out that he’s Barbara’s son.”
“Probably so. Her discretion, however, is admirable.”
Punch smiled. “She was always good to Julian, too. I remember. She’d speak so kind and gentle to him, knowin’ he was scared of loud talkin’. She’ll be good with Colin tonight, too. Yeah, it sure is nice of Mrs. North to give up her evenin’ so the others can have their holiday.”
“She wouldn’t have to if Miss Barrett…”
“I know.” Punch interrupted. “But, I s’pose the girl can’t help if she’s sick. Did I tell ya that I popped in to see her this mornin’. She don’t look well. Her face is all pinched.”
“Her face is always pinched.”
Punch giggled again. “Well, I mean, it’s drawn like she’s tired. Usually she’s got a glow in her cheeks. Reminds me of…” He stopped.
“Reminds you of whom?” Robert asked.
“Sorta puts me in mind of Barbara.” Punch said slowly.
Robert squinted. “In a way.”
“Always had this brightness to her face, Barbara did. Especially when she was bein’ cruel or naughty.” He shrugged. “Which was always.” He looked up at Robert. “Do ya sometimes wonder if maybe Colin might get more from his ma than her blue eyes?”
“He will be nothing like your sister.” Robert said reassuringly. “He’ll be all you.”
“Hope not.” Punch whooped a little louder than he’d wished to. No one seemed to notice.
“I hope he’s just like you.” Robert winked.
“Well, if he is, he ain’t gonna want to go to bed ‘til after the cake is cut.” Punch smiled.
“This is true.” Robert nodded. “You see? He already takes after you. I’ve seen our boy around a cake.”
Punch hugged the sleeping baby. “Let’s keep him up awhile. He’ll wake up when the cake’s cut. Besides, even if he is asleep, it’s his first ball, and I think he’s havin’ a good time.”
“I know he is.” Robert replied. “Let’s take our Colin and show him off to our guests.”
“Not just him.” Punch nodded.
“Oh?”
“I get to show you off, too.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-113 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 115.
Mr. Punch looked over at Robert who stood at his side. “What are you grinnin’ at?” He whispered in his own, comfortable voice.
“Just looking at you and our Colin.”
“It’s his first ball, it is.” Punch said softly, gazing affectionately at the baby who slept in his arms.
“The first of many. Just think, in a few years, he’s going to be the most sought-after man in London Society.”
“I ‘magine so.” Punch nodded.
“After all, we can see that he’s going to look like you. How could he not be the toast of London?”
“Ha.” Mr. Punch chuckled. “To be sure, he’ll look like Julian, not me. Remember, I’m a hunchback with a very large and beautiful nose. You just don’t see it.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken, dear Punch.” Robert shook his head. “I see all of you all the time.”
“That you do.” Punch smiled. “Still,” he replied thoughtfully, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard by the many revelers who danced and chatted in the Great Hall. “Our boy will look like his mother.”
“You and Barbara do resemble one another.”
“Inasmuch as we’re siblings. We both took after our ma in our faces. I ‘magine Colin does, too. That Fallbridge face is hard to mistake. I just got the Molliner hair and build.”
“I think the Molliner appearance has been passed on to Colin.” Robert reached over and stroked the child’s hair. “I see the flecks of auburn in his growing locks.”
“I hope so.” Mr. Punch smiled. “He’s not got me eyes though. He got Barbara’s eyes. Or maybe whoever his father’s are.”
“Are Barbara’s eyes blue? I don’t recall.” Robert sighed. “Whenever she and I were in the same spot, she was too busy loathing me for me to notice the color of her eyes.”
“Coo…she did hate you.” Punch giggled. “But, yep, her eyes is blue. Like ma’s. Don’t know where I got me brown eyes—or where Julian did, I mean. The Molliners typically had green eyes.” Punch paused and grinned.
“What is it?”
“Well…” Punch blushed. “I know it can’t be true, but sometimes, when I look at Colin, I like to think his blue eyes come from you. Course, since neither of us is his real father, we…”
“I don’t mean to interrupt you, but, I disagree. We’re both his real fathers. We love him. He’s our son no matter where he came from.”
“That’s right.” Punch nodded. “Thank you.”
Robert reached over and petted the child again. “He’s so sound asleep. I don’t know how he could be with the pipers and all of the laughter.”
“Sleep of the innocent,” Punch winked. “Maybe he ought to go to bed, then. Do ya think?”
“Sadly, I think that might be best.” Robert nodded. “Shall I fetch Mrs. North?”
“Seems a shame to interrupt her good time.” Punch looked around the hall to try and spot Mrs. North. He saw her in her glittering fairy costume, standing in the spot by the great archway. “She’s havin’ a good time, ain’t she?”
“I suspect so.” Robert chuckled. “I don’t think she’s moved from that spot all evening, but she’s watching everything so intently that I imagine she’s enjoying herself.”
“Why ain’t she talkin’ to no one?” Punch wondered. “I can’t ‘magine she’s shy.”
“No, she’s certainly not shy.” Robert laughed. “I think it’s her natural Scottish reserve which has kept her in her spot.”
“She’s a nice lady though. Kind of her to volunteer to look after Colin for Gamilla and Mrs. Pepper so they could stay at the ball.”
“She’s a lovely person. Very loyal.”
“Well, she has been at the Grange for…coo…five decades or more.” Punch nodded. “I ‘spect she knows the Molliners better than just ‘bout anyone. The Fallbridge’s too.” Mr. Punch pursed his lips, “You know, Chum. I think she knows Colin is blood family.”
“Do you think she fancies that he’s your son?”
“She knows better than that.” Mr. Punch laughed. “I’m sure she’s figured out that he’s Barbara’s son.”
“Probably so. Her discretion, however, is admirable.”
Punch smiled. “She was always good to Julian, too. I remember. She’d speak so kind and gentle to him, knowin’ he was scared of loud talkin’. She’ll be good with Colin tonight, too. Yeah, it sure is nice of Mrs. North to give up her evenin’ so the others can have their holiday.”
“She wouldn’t have to if Miss Barrett…”
“I know.” Punch interrupted. “But, I s’pose the girl can’t help if she’s sick. Did I tell ya that I popped in to see her this mornin’. She don’t look well. Her face is all pinched.”
“Her face is always pinched.”
Punch giggled again. “Well, I mean, it’s drawn like she’s tired. Usually she’s got a glow in her cheeks. Reminds me of…” He stopped.
“Reminds you of whom?” Robert asked.
“Sorta puts me in mind of Barbara.” Punch said slowly.
Robert squinted. “In a way.”
“Always had this brightness to her face, Barbara did. Especially when she was bein’ cruel or naughty.” He shrugged. “Which was always.” He looked up at Robert. “Do ya sometimes wonder if maybe Colin might get more from his ma than her blue eyes?”
“He will be nothing like your sister.” Robert said reassuringly. “He’ll be all you.”
“Hope not.” Punch whooped a little louder than he’d wished to. No one seemed to notice.
“I hope he’s just like you.” Robert winked.
“Well, if he is, he ain’t gonna want to go to bed ‘til after the cake is cut.” Punch smiled.
“This is true.” Robert nodded. “You see? He already takes after you. I’ve seen our boy around a cake.”
Punch hugged the sleeping baby. “Let’s keep him up awhile. He’ll wake up when the cake’s cut. Besides, even if he is asleep, it’s his first ball, and I think he’s havin’ a good time.”
“I know he is.” Robert replied. “Let’s take our Colin and show him off to our guests.”
“Not just him.” Punch nodded.
“Oh?”
“I get to show you off, too.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-113 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 115.
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