Chapter 70:
All the Truth
“Ach,” Mrs. North sputtered in her thick brogue as she studied Colin, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say the poor orphan child was a Molliner. Aye, but he looks just as His Grace done when he were a wee bern.”
“Well…” Gamilla said quickly, hoping to change the subject away from Colin’s parentage, “he ain’t an orphan no more. He’s got two daddies now.”
“Two daddies?” Mrs. North narrowed her eyes. “What a thing to say!”
Gamilla looked across the table at Gerard and Charles, hoping for some help with Mrs. North. But, the two men were engaged in a conversation with Finlay. Gamilla sniffed loudly, hoping to attract their attention, however, they were so absorbed in Finlay’s loud tales of his life at Grange Molliner that she knew there was no hope in getting them to break away.
Gamilla looked around the servants’ hall, wishing that she’s stayed in the nursery. She thought perhaps that the Duke might like some privacy while he prepared for his hike, and since the nursery was just off of his bedchamber, she decided that she’d take Colin to see Finlay, Mrs. North and the others who lived at the grange—with the Duke’s permission of course.
Mr. Speaight was not in the servants’ hall, but had taken to his room with a sick headache after already having a rather heated argument with Mrs. North about who would be planning the details of the next day’s picnic luncheon. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pepper was in the kitchen, slamming pots and pans about in an effort to prepare dinner. All the while, she complained bitterly about the lack of a decent kitchen maid, moaning that she missed Ethel and Jenny (a shock in and of itself) and passionately saying that the permanent cook at the grange—who resolutely refused to be of any service to this interloper—must, indeed, be completely mad or daft or both.
Gamilla’s only hope for a distraction from Mrs. North’s relentless gaze was to get the attention of the boys. She sniffed again.
“Aye, girl…” Mrs. North narrowed her eyes at a helpless Gamilla. “You’re not sick, then, are ya?”
“No.” Gamilla shook her head.
“Why, then, do you keep sniffin’?” Mrs. North continued.
“I’m just getting’ used to the air here, Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled.
Mrs. North continued to stare. “Ain’t ne’er seen the likes of you before.”
Gamilla nodded.
“What’s your skin feel like?”
Gamilla widened her eyes in amazement at the question. “Like yours, I’d guess.” She answered, wishing she could add, “except younger and firmer.”
“But, it’s so dark.” Mrs. North squinted.
“I’m African.” Gamilla replied. She could see the old woman’s fingers twitch and feared that Mrs. North would begin to paw at her face.
Mrs. North nodded.
“The young master seems to like you.” Mrs. North smirked.
“Colin and I have known one another since he was first born.” Gamilla grinned. “We’re good friends.”
“Only, then, you’re not the governess?”
“No.” Gamilla answered. “You met Miss Barrett. She’s the young woman who…”
“I know.” Mrs. North snapped. “Somethin’ about that one…”
“She’s a very kind woman…” Gamilla continued.
“Why’s she not with the babe, then?” Mrs. North asked. “It’s her place. Isn’t it? Not yours. Yet, since you been here, I seen you with Master Colin more than I seen her.”
“Miss Barrett has just been getting settled. You know, she’s Scots? You like her, I’m sure.”
“Don’t you be tellin’ me what to think.” Mrs. North snapped. “So, Camilla…”
“Gamilla. With a ‘G,” Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled.
“What sort of name is that?”
“African, Mrs. North.”
“Aye…” the woman shook her head. “I’ll never get used to it.” She grunted. “Whatever your name is, then. Tell me, His Grace—his letter said he’s been ill. He don’t look ill. Looks quite well, in fact.”
“His Grace done gotten much better over the last few days.” Gamilla explained. “We’re all very thankful.”
“Why, then, does he travel with his physician?” Mrs. North asked.
“Oh, it’s not because he’s ill, Mrs. North.”
“Why, then?”
“His Grace and Dr. Halifax always travel together. Ummm…” Gamilla paused.
“Why?”
“Dr. Halifax lives with His Grace.”
“Pardon?”
“Dr. Halifax lives at the townhouse in Belgrave Square.”
“Why?” Mrs. North squinted. “Is His Grace often that ill?”
“No.” Gamilla squirmed. “They’re friends, Mrs. North.”
The housekeeper was silent for a moment. Gamilla could tell that she was thinking. Finally, she sighed. “So, that’s how it is?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled politely.
“His Grace isn’t likely to take a wife, then?”
“Ah…no.” Gamilla shook her head. “He done got the family he wants already.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Ain’t our place to say how a man should be happy, Mrs. North.” Gamilla said firmly.
“Aye—you’re a shrewd one.” Mrs. North grinned. “I like ya. You got fire in yer blood!”
Gamilla nodded. “Oh…” She responded with slight confusion. “Good.”
“So, you speak of happiness? His Grace seems happier than I remember him.” Mrs. North muttered. “I’m glad of it. Even if it weren’t what I expected.”
“I believe he is a very happy gentleman.” Gamilla replied. “You…you’ve known him a long time, then.”
“Sure, but I have.” Mrs. North chuckled. “Since he was no bigger than this one here.” She looked at Colin again. “Are ya sure he ain’t really His Grace’s son? But, how could he be? Not with what you jus’ told me. You know…”
“He is adopted, Mrs. North.”
Mrs. North’s eyes widened. “Dear God in Heaven. He’s the child of Lady Barbara.”
Gamilla coughed nervously.
Finally, Gerard and Charles looked up from their conversation with Finlay.
“Everything all right there, Gamilla?” Charles asked.
“I…I…I’m jus’ talkin’ with Mrs. North, Charlie.” Gamilla snorted.
“Look at Colin,” Gerard smiled. “I think he likes it here.”
“Of course, he does!” Mrs. North sputtered.
Gamilla looked pleadingly at Mrs. North.
“Aye, but do the men know?” Mrs. North squinted.
“Know what, ma’am?” Charles asked politely.
“’Bout the parentage of the child?”
Finlay interjected. “Mrs. North—we shouldn’t be talkin’ ‘bout the masters.”
“Sure, but we should, Finlay Donnan! It’s ours to know what goes on in the main house so that we can protect the master from harm. If we don’t know all the truth, how are we to shield the master from what might come?”
“Gamilla,” Charles barked. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothin’!” Gamilla shook her head.
“Ah, the girl didn’t have to tell me nothin’! I can look at a babe and see if he’s a Molliner or not. I was in this house when the old master, bless his soul, was a boy. Don’t ya think I can see a Molliner face when it’s in front of me? Even if it is clouded with Fallbridge blood. Now, you tell me, Girl. Is this the child of Lady Barbara?”
All eyes turned to Gamilla.
She took a deep breath. “Mrs. North.”
“Gamilla.” Charles warned.
“I…”
“Come on, then, Girl!” Mrs. North snarled.
Did you miss Chapters 1-69 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday for Chapter 71.
“Ach,” Mrs. North sputtered in her thick brogue as she studied Colin, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say the poor orphan child was a Molliner. Aye, but he looks just as His Grace done when he were a wee bern.”
“Well…” Gamilla said quickly, hoping to change the subject away from Colin’s parentage, “he ain’t an orphan no more. He’s got two daddies now.”
“Two daddies?” Mrs. North narrowed her eyes. “What a thing to say!”
Gamilla looked across the table at Gerard and Charles, hoping for some help with Mrs. North. But, the two men were engaged in a conversation with Finlay. Gamilla sniffed loudly, hoping to attract their attention, however, they were so absorbed in Finlay’s loud tales of his life at Grange Molliner that she knew there was no hope in getting them to break away.
Gamilla looked around the servants’ hall, wishing that she’s stayed in the nursery. She thought perhaps that the Duke might like some privacy while he prepared for his hike, and since the nursery was just off of his bedchamber, she decided that she’d take Colin to see Finlay, Mrs. North and the others who lived at the grange—with the Duke’s permission of course.
Mr. Speaight was not in the servants’ hall, but had taken to his room with a sick headache after already having a rather heated argument with Mrs. North about who would be planning the details of the next day’s picnic luncheon. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pepper was in the kitchen, slamming pots and pans about in an effort to prepare dinner. All the while, she complained bitterly about the lack of a decent kitchen maid, moaning that she missed Ethel and Jenny (a shock in and of itself) and passionately saying that the permanent cook at the grange—who resolutely refused to be of any service to this interloper—must, indeed, be completely mad or daft or both.
Gamilla’s only hope for a distraction from Mrs. North’s relentless gaze was to get the attention of the boys. She sniffed again.
“Aye, girl…” Mrs. North narrowed her eyes at a helpless Gamilla. “You’re not sick, then, are ya?”
“No.” Gamilla shook her head.
“Why, then, do you keep sniffin’?” Mrs. North continued.
“I’m just getting’ used to the air here, Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled.
Mrs. North continued to stare. “Ain’t ne’er seen the likes of you before.”
Gamilla nodded.
“What’s your skin feel like?”
Gamilla widened her eyes in amazement at the question. “Like yours, I’d guess.” She answered, wishing she could add, “except younger and firmer.”
“But, it’s so dark.” Mrs. North squinted.
“I’m African.” Gamilla replied. She could see the old woman’s fingers twitch and feared that Mrs. North would begin to paw at her face.
Mrs. North nodded.
“The young master seems to like you.” Mrs. North smirked.
“Colin and I have known one another since he was first born.” Gamilla grinned. “We’re good friends.”
“Only, then, you’re not the governess?”
“No.” Gamilla answered. “You met Miss Barrett. She’s the young woman who…”
“I know.” Mrs. North snapped. “Somethin’ about that one…”
“She’s a very kind woman…” Gamilla continued.
“Why’s she not with the babe, then?” Mrs. North asked. “It’s her place. Isn’t it? Not yours. Yet, since you been here, I seen you with Master Colin more than I seen her.”
“Miss Barrett has just been getting settled. You know, she’s Scots? You like her, I’m sure.”
“Don’t you be tellin’ me what to think.” Mrs. North snapped. “So, Camilla…”
“Gamilla. With a ‘G,” Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled.
“What sort of name is that?”
“African, Mrs. North.”
“Aye…” the woman shook her head. “I’ll never get used to it.” She grunted. “Whatever your name is, then. Tell me, His Grace—his letter said he’s been ill. He don’t look ill. Looks quite well, in fact.”
“His Grace done gotten much better over the last few days.” Gamilla explained. “We’re all very thankful.”
“Why, then, does he travel with his physician?” Mrs. North asked.
“Oh, it’s not because he’s ill, Mrs. North.”
“Why, then?”
“His Grace and Dr. Halifax always travel together. Ummm…” Gamilla paused.
“Why?”
“Dr. Halifax lives with His Grace.”
“Pardon?”
“Dr. Halifax lives at the townhouse in Belgrave Square.”
“Why?” Mrs. North squinted. “Is His Grace often that ill?”
“No.” Gamilla squirmed. “They’re friends, Mrs. North.”
The housekeeper was silent for a moment. Gamilla could tell that she was thinking. Finally, she sighed. “So, that’s how it is?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Mrs. North.” Gamilla smiled politely.
“His Grace isn’t likely to take a wife, then?”
“Ah…no.” Gamilla shook her head. “He done got the family he wants already.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Ain’t our place to say how a man should be happy, Mrs. North.” Gamilla said firmly.
“Aye—you’re a shrewd one.” Mrs. North grinned. “I like ya. You got fire in yer blood!”
Gamilla nodded. “Oh…” She responded with slight confusion. “Good.”
“So, you speak of happiness? His Grace seems happier than I remember him.” Mrs. North muttered. “I’m glad of it. Even if it weren’t what I expected.”
“I believe he is a very happy gentleman.” Gamilla replied. “You…you’ve known him a long time, then.”
“Sure, but I have.” Mrs. North chuckled. “Since he was no bigger than this one here.” She looked at Colin again. “Are ya sure he ain’t really His Grace’s son? But, how could he be? Not with what you jus’ told me. You know…”
“He is adopted, Mrs. North.”
Mrs. North’s eyes widened. “Dear God in Heaven. He’s the child of Lady Barbara.”
Gamilla coughed nervously.
Finally, Gerard and Charles looked up from their conversation with Finlay.
“Everything all right there, Gamilla?” Charles asked.
“I…I…I’m jus’ talkin’ with Mrs. North, Charlie.” Gamilla snorted.
“Look at Colin,” Gerard smiled. “I think he likes it here.”
“Of course, he does!” Mrs. North sputtered.
Gamilla looked pleadingly at Mrs. North.
“Aye, but do the men know?” Mrs. North squinted.
“Know what, ma’am?” Charles asked politely.
“’Bout the parentage of the child?”
Finlay interjected. “Mrs. North—we shouldn’t be talkin’ ‘bout the masters.”
“Sure, but we should, Finlay Donnan! It’s ours to know what goes on in the main house so that we can protect the master from harm. If we don’t know all the truth, how are we to shield the master from what might come?”
“Gamilla,” Charles barked. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothin’!” Gamilla shook her head.
“Ah, the girl didn’t have to tell me nothin’! I can look at a babe and see if he’s a Molliner or not. I was in this house when the old master, bless his soul, was a boy. Don’t ya think I can see a Molliner face when it’s in front of me? Even if it is clouded with Fallbridge blood. Now, you tell me, Girl. Is this the child of Lady Barbara?”
All eyes turned to Gamilla.
She took a deep breath. “Mrs. North.”
“Gamilla.” Charles warned.
“I…”
“Come on, then, Girl!” Mrs. North snarled.
Did you miss Chapters 1-69 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday for Chapter 71.
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