Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 210

Chapter 210
A New Place 


“Now, Violet,” Mr. Punch began.

“Your Grace, I know what you’re gonna say. Don’t think me rude, Sir, only…”

“No. You don’t know what I’m gonna say, Vi.” Punch shook his head.

Violet widened her eyes.

“If you want to leave here, you certainly can. Dr. Halifax and I ain’t gonna stop ya. Are we, Chum?”

Robert shook his head, wondering what Punch was up to.

“You won’t?”

“No.” Mr. Punch replied. “Here, I understand. You been hurt by Mr. Hutchinson. Think it’s safe to say we all been disappointed by ‘im.”

“He treated Your Grace terrible bad.” Violet said emotionally.

“He done you wrong, too, Violet. Now, I dunno if he made any promises to ya, but seemed to us that you two had some sort of understandin’.”

“So I thought.” Violet sighed, wiping her eyes.

“Gotta be hard for ya, and we—Dr. Halifax and me—feel awful ‘bout that. We don’t want ya to be sad. And, if bein’ here makes ya sad, you ought to leave. We’ll do whatever we can to help ya. We can ask Mr. Speaight to help find ya a new place and everythin’. Ain’t no good you stayin’ here, bein’ downstairs where he was, where he sat and where he ate. Seein’ all them things what remind ya o’ ‘im.”

“That’s just it, Your Grace.” Violet nodded. “Everything reminds me…”

“Sure, it does.” Mr. Punch said gently. “We gotta get ya ‘way from all that.” He looked at Robert. “Don’t we, Chum?”

“Uhh…” Robert squinted. “Yes.”

“See?” Mr. Punch smiled. “We understand.” He stood up. “You’ll excuse me, then?”

“Sir?” Violet looked nervous.

“I’m just gonna pop up to me room and get your wages for ya. I think we’ll give ya an extra two months. Is that fair?”

“Your Grace?” Violet shook her head. “It’s more than fair…but,”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“Well, I…did you want me to leave now?”

“We don’t want ya to leave at all. But, we want what’s best for ya. It’d be better, if you’re gonna leave, to do it now.”

“I…I see.” Violet nodded. “I’ll just go down and say goodbye, then.”

“No, no. Mustn’t do that.” Punch shook his head.

“Why not, Your Grace?”

“Well, it’d just be too hard. How does a girl leave her family in any easy kind of way? Better just to leave.”

“Leave my family?”

“Sure. Ain’t that what everyone here is, in a queer kind of way. All them folk downstairs, they’re your family. Up here, too. Look how comfortable Dr. Halifax and I are with ya. Why, I’m even speakin’ in me own voice just like I do with Dr. Halifax. Any other gentleman would have to be careful with the servants. But, see, we trust all of ya so much, I don’t gotta worry that none of ya are gonna speak gossip ‘bout the mad Duke of Fallbridge. Sad enough for Dr. Halifax and me to see ya go. If we didn’t know it was what you really wanted, we’d be beside ourselves. Think how Jenny and Ethel will feel. And Georgie, he likes ya so. And, Charles is fond of ya. Oh, and poor Gamilla. We seen how you two been talkin’ more lately. Specially with Gerard down like he is, the girl’s really been helped by your friendship. Nah, it’ll be too hard for all of ‘em. Goodbyes hurt. Best if ya just leave.”

“Where will I go?” Violet asked softly.

“I’m sure that Miss Molliner can suggest a good women’s hotel.” Robert spoke up, finally aware of Punch’s clever scheme to make the girl stay.

“She’s just upstairs. I’ll ask her when I go fetch your wages.” Punch suggested. “We’d be happy to put you up somewhere ‘til we get ya a new place.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to bother Miss Lennie.” Violet shook her head.

“Don’t be silly. She likes ya an awful lot, Miss Lennie does.” Mr. Punch smiled. “Remember, it was you and Charles what rescued her in Scotland. You got a history together. There’s nothin’ more special than that. I’m sure she’d want to help ya, too.”

“Your Grace,” Violet began slowly, “do you really think that this would be the best for me?”

“It’s what you want, ain’t it?” Mr. Punch smiled.

“But, Sir, do you think…”

“What I think is that you been hurt. When a body is hurt, she wants her family ‘round her to help her through it and see the good times. That’s what I think.”

“I agree.” Robert nodded.

“But, if leavin’ is what you want…” Mr. Punch shrugged.

Violet smiled. “I’m bein’ foolish.”

“Nah.” Mr. Punch shook his head. “You’re bein’ people.”

“Thank you, Your Grace…Dr. Halifax.”

Robert nodded again.

“Your Grace, can we just forget about all of this?”

“I think I already forgot.” Mr. Punch smiled. “Now, Miss Molliner’s gown for dinner wants layin’ out, and, I think my sister has decided she wants to try a new coiffure this evening. She’d said that only you could help her with it.”

“I’ll go up right now, Your Grace.” Violet rose from her chair. Hurrying to the door, she paused and turned around. “I truly am grateful.”

“What for?” Punch smiled. “All we done is talk ‘bout getting’ ready for dinner.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-209 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 211.