Chapter 233
All of us Combined
“Hullo, Gamilla,” Mr. Punch said softly as he and Robert entered the nursery. “How’s our boy?”
“Very good, Your Grace.” Gamilla smiled. “He done played with his Auntie Lennie before tea and laughed and laughed. And, then he had a nap with Dog Toby, and now, he’s jus’ waitin’ for his papas.”
“There’s my Colin.” Punch cooed, reaching down to pick up the child who gurgled gleefully.
“Punch!” Colin chirped.
“That’s it, I’m your Punch. But, I’m also your pa. Can you say, ‘Pa’?”
“Punch!” Colin repeated.
Robert and Gamilla laughed.
“We been to see the Queen, we have, Colin.” Punch chattered to the child as they settled onto the settee by the nursery fire. He gestured for Robert to join them.
“At what did you play, Colin?” Robert asked.
“Punch!” Colin said again.
“It’s true, Your Grace.” Gamilla nodded. “Miss Lennie showed him your puppets and he jus’ giggled and grinned. She’s quite good with them puppets.”
“Runs in the family.” Punch giggled.
“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla smiled.
“Gamilla, if you’d like a bit of a respite, we’ll be in here with Colin until the dressing gong.” Robert said.
“Well, Sir, if you don’t mind, I might jus’ see how Gerard is.”
“Please do, and tell him that we’ll go up to his room for a visit after dinner.”
“He’ll like that, Sir.” Gamilla grinned. She turned to the baby. “Now, Master Colin, you be a good boy for your papas.”
“He’s always good.” Punch cooed.
“Mostly.” Gamilla winked as she exited.
“Hullo, my Colin.” Punch said brightly as he hugged the baby. “We spoke of you today. The Queen knows your name, she does.”
“Her Majesty sends her warmest regards.” Robert smiled as he ran his finger across the baby’s soft curls.
“And, that’s not all.” Mr. Punch added. “Here, Chum, will ya take ‘im?”
“With pleasure.” Robert reached for the baby.
There was a soft knock on the nursery door as it opened slowly. Lennie poked her head into the room. “Oh! I didn’t know you had returned.”
“Just got back.” Punch nodded.
“I just wanted to check on Colin.” Lennie began. “But, I won’t intrude.”
“You’re not.” Robert shook his head.
“No, he loves his auntie. Don’t ya, Colin?”
Lennie smiled contentedly.
“Besides,” Punch continued. “We’re ‘bout to give Colin the present what the Queen sent for ‘im.”
“Oh?” Lennie asked, sitting in a rocking chair across from them.
Punch reached into his breast pocket and removed the dark red leather box.
“Colin,” Punch began. “You know you’re named for your grandfather who was a very good man. He was a smart man what traveled all over the world findin’ pretty old things and sparkling things and lookin’ at big stone man-made mountains called pyramids. He’d ‘ave loved ya, Colin, he would. And, he’d ‘ave told ya all ‘bout the many interestin’ things he’d seen and done and found. One o’ them things was this…”
With that, Punch opened the box to reveal the enormous, sparkling blue diamond.
Lennie gasped.
Colin reached for the diamond, but, Punch pulled the box out of his reach. “When ya get older, you can hold it, but for now, it’s just the right size to go in your mouth, and I doubt that’d do anyone any good. Let me show it to ya.”
Punch held up the egg-shaped diamond, about the size of a large walnut. Carefully positioning the stone between his thumb and forefinger, Punch held the gem so it would capture the light of the fire—sending sparks of azure and amethyst onto the child’s face.
Colin sat mesmerized by the stone.
“This is what’s called a diamond. You seen me workin’ with many of ‘em, but this is the biggest one you’ve seen. Your grandfather found this diamond long ago and put it in a special place.” Punch sniffed. “He gave it to me to keep it safe. It was kept inside the head of a puppet…”
“Punch!” Colin gurgled.
“Yes, inside Mr. Punch’s head.” Punch nodded. “And, your Papa Robert and me thought it was lost for a long time. See, it were taken by…by a…by a lady. And, Papa Robert and me went far away to find it…all the way to America. You was there, too, my love. Only…only I hope you don’t remember any of it. Truly, I hope you don’t. But, we found the diamond and we found you. And because of this diamond, we was able to take you home with us. It was the finest thing I ever done and I know that your grandfather would have approved of his diamond bein’ used to bring you home.”
“He would have.” Robert nodded.
“Seems that this diamond has been in many hands since we brought ya home, and, one o’ them pairs of hands wanted to sell it. Well, ain’t many folk what can buy such a diamond, so our friend Her Majesty, the Queen, she bought it. And, she sent it home with us to give to you so you’d have your grandpapa’s diamond, the very thing which let you come home with us.”
“How kind…” Lennie wiped her eyes.
Punch smiled at his sister. “Prince Albert were none too thrilled ‘bout it neither. The whole time we was talkin’ ‘bout the South Kensington Museum, well…if his eyes’d been daggers, we’d be fill ‘o holes.”
He turned back to Colin. “But, we don’t really care what that German prince thinks. What’s important is that the Queen wanted our Colin to know she cares ‘bout ‘im and that she respected your grandpapa.”
“I wish I’d known him.” Lennie said softly.
“He’d a liked you.” Punch nodded.
“Really…even considering…”
“Oh…he’d not hold that ‘gainst ya. Weren’t your doin’. After all, it were Sir Colin what made sure you went with the Barretts.”
“True.” Lennie nodded. “Pity he wasn’t my father, too.”
“Well…” Punch smiled. “You couldn’t be more my sister even if he were your pa. None o’ that matters. You’re part of this family now. Ain’t no getting’ outta it.”
“I’m glad.” Lennie chuckled.
Punch returned the diamond to the box. Colin watched every move of Punch’s hands.
“See, my Colin, this diamond’s been called many things. Your grandmother, the Duchess—you’ll learn more ‘bout her when you’re older…much older…she wanted to call it ‘The Fallbridge Blue’ after her family’s duchy. She figured since she were a Duchess and grandpapa were only knighted, it were only right that the stone have her name. Somethin’ ‘bout morganatic marriages and such. But, I always preferred to call it the ‘Molliner Blue’ after your grandpapa. I think that’s only right. Still, when you’re a grown man, you can call it what you want. Like me, you’re both…” Punch paused for a moment, noticing how the division between himself and Julian grew slighter each day. He could feel Julian’s approval from within, and, so, he continued.
“And, just like me, one day,” Punch went on, “you’ll be the Duke of Fallbridge. But, never forget that your surname is Molliner. That’s somethin’ what we can be proud of. And, when you’re finally christened Lord Colin Robert Julian Dearpunch Molliner, future tenth Duke of Fallbridge, you’ll know that you got all the names of the folk what loved ya. Even your Auntie Lennie’s a Molliner now. And, Papa Robert’s name will be right after your own. Perhaps, one day, when you’re as old as I am, you’ll look at this diamond and remember all the folk what loved ya and fought for ya and you’ll know you’re as strong as all of us combined.”
“Punch!” Colin repeated.
“That’s right.” Robert nodded.
Colin snuggled into Robert’s lap, growing drowsy. “Papa.” He said softly.
“Yes.” Punch smiled.
“Did he mean me?” Robert said, flushed.
“I believe he did, Robert.” Lennie grinned.
“Oh, well…” Robert smiled.
They all sat in silence for awhile, watching Colin fall asleep. And, then, the dressing gong sounded.
Punch frowned slightly. “Much as I love dinner, I really don’t wanna go down there and…”
“Both ladies are waiting for you, I’m afraid…” Lennie said softly.
“I figured.” Punch shrugged. “Here, Lennie, go fetch Dog Toby from my room and we’ll just lock ourselves in here.”
Lennie laughed quietly.
“I know.” Punch mumbled. “Can’t do it.”
“Not yet,” Robert replied, “but soon.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-232 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 234.
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