Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 395

Chapter 395
To Be Home Again



"Have you settled into your new home upstairs?"  Lennie asked as she joined her brother and Robert who were chatting with Gerard and Gamilla in the library.

"Oh, yes, Your Ladyship."  Gamilla beamed.  "I already done made room for all Gerard's things."

"I still can't believe I'll be in such a handsome suite of rooms."  Gerard shook his head.

"We may have to find a way to make more space for you,"  Punch smiled.  "Won't be long before you got to have a nursery o' your own."

"Oh, there's plenty of time to worry 'bout that, Your Grace.  We won't need no more room.  I just want you to know that my havin' a baby o' our own won't take way from my time with Colin.  I'll still be able to attend to my own duties."  Gamilla said quickly.

"No one doubts that,"  Robert protested.

"Not at all,"  Punch shook his head.  "Only, we gotta be fair.  You'll need time with your own baby, too.  We want you to know that your family's always got a place with us.  I'm pleased as...well, pleased as me-self to know that our Colin'll have a friend what he can grow up with right in the house--wherever we are."

"Most gentlemen wouldn't be as generous as that, Your Grace."  Gerard said sincerely.

"We ain't most gentlemen."  Punch grinned.

"Gamilla,"  Robert began.  "I don't know if you've planned on a physician."

"Oh, not yet, Your Lordship.  I only just realized, well...only a few days ago."  Gamilla blushed.

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to act as your physician."  Robert offered.

"But, Sir, you're takin' time away from your practice while we're in Yorkshire."  Gamilla shook her head.

"Except for members of the family."  Robert insisted.  "I do understand that perhaps you wouldn't be comfortable having someone you know so well attend to you."

"There's no one I'd rather have."  Gamilla said quickly.

"Well, then, it's settled."  Robert replied.

"I just hope that the journey north won't upset you too much,"  Lennie spoke up thoughtfully.

"Oh, no, Miss.  I'm a strong girl."

"She is."  Gerard boasted.  "I spent most o' me life on ships.  Even I got a wee sick on our way back, but not my 'Milla.  She loved it.  A carriage journey'll be nothin' for her."

Gamilla giggled.

"Seems a shame to uproot you so soon after your return home."  Lennie said. 

"We're excited 'bout it."  Gamilla replied.

"It's a good thing as we're leavin' in a week."  Punch said.

"I suppose we should let you go upstairs and rest.  You've had a long journey."  Robert smiled.

"I'm ready to spend some time with Master Colin."  Gamilla shook her head.  "Besides that, Ethel's earned herself a break."

"And, I'd really like to get to your wardrobe, Your Lordship."  Gerard said. 

"There's no one like you--either of you."  Punch laughed.

"And,"  Gerard began sheepishly.  "There's no one like any of you.  I want to thank you again for all you did for our wedding, and the wedding trip."

"It was our pleasure."  Punch nodded.

"We do appreciate it."  Gamilla smiled.  "So much."  She reached down to retrieve the gifts she'd tucked under her chair.  "We brought you back some things to thank you.  They ain't much, but they're from the heart."

Gerard stood and took the presents, handing one to each Lennie, Punch and Robert.

"Thank you so much,"  Robert nodded.

"Oh, don't open them with us here."  Gamilla shook her head.  "We'll...we'll get all misty-eyed."

"We'd best get to our duties anyway,"  Gerard added.

"You know, you don't have to.  Not this evening."  Lennie argued.

"There's nothin' we'd like better though, Your Ladyship."  Gamilla grinned.  "It's our way of showin' how glad we are to be home."


Come back tomorrow for Chapter 396 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.

Punch’s Cousin, Chapter 395

“Let me go!” Barbara screamed as Charles led her back to Julian’s borrowed mansion on Royal Street.


“No,” Charles shook his head. “Look at you. Cuts and bruises. You need tending to.”

“I need to make the people who’ve hurt me pay for their sins!” Barbara growled. “This should interest you, too, Charles.”

Charles smiled sweetly at Barbara.

“Why are you grinning at me?” Barbara hissed.

“You know me.” Charles sighed. “I thought that…”

“That you’d lost me. So you’ve said.” Barbara grumbled bitterly. “You don’t have to lose me, if you don’t want to. But, in order to keep me, you must do everything that I ask. It’s to your benefit, too.”

“How so?” Charles squinted.

“Ulrika—when she thought she’d strangled me, was going to take my son and give him to Edward Cage. I know that I’m no mother. I realize that he’d be better off without me. But, if he’s to be raised by anyone it should be by his own family, even if it is my lunatic brother.”

“Yes,” Charles nodded. “And, as you said, Adrienne has taken the boy, so he has been returned to the Duke.”

“But, what of Adrienne’s son?” Barbara snarled. “I don’t have an compassion for the woman, but her child doesn’t deserve to be in the hands of Ulrika and your brother.”

“My brother?”

“Yes, of course, Giovanni is the next man to be taken in by that red-headed witch. While we fought, she told me—quite proudly—that the two of them were taking Adrienne’s son.”

“Where?”

“My guess—back to Marionneaux.”

“I’m sorry about that. But, it has little do with us.”

“Is that so?” Barbara asked. “After the kindness that family has shown you?”

“I work for the Duke.” Charles shook his head. “Now that he has your boy, we can leave—we can go to England with them. You can return to your family home and forget all about this.”

“You know that I cannot.” Barbara spat.

“Why not?” Charles shouted. “It’s perfect.”

“I’ve too much to do here.” Barbara said softly. “And, you surely must be aware that my brother won’t leave without the doctor and his family. And, the Halifaxes won’t leave without the child, Fuller.”

“I’ll convince him to go—to leave the Halifaxes and take us in their place!” Charles said desperately.

“You know he will not.” Barbara smirked.

Charles threw up his hands, “True. I know.”

“So, we must find Ulrika and your brother.” Barbara smiled.

“And, then, we’ll return the child to Mr. and Mrs. Halifax and we can all depart for England.”

“You really are a simpleton.” Barbara snapped. “I’ll see that Fuller is returned to Mrs. Halifax. But, then, I’ve something far more important to do.”

“Which is?”

“Do to Ulrika what she’d planned to do to me.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-394? If so, you can read them here.