Saturday, July 14, 2012

Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 87



Chapter 87: 
My Favorite Story 



Robert slipped into Mr. Punch’s room to find his companion curled up in bed, his arms around Dog Toby.

Grinning for a moment, Robert cleared his throat. “Am I interrupting?”

“Huh?” Punch looked up. “No. Hullo, Chum, when’d you come in?”

“Just now,” Robert smiled, removing his dressing gown and climbing under the covers. “You’ll have to move over a bit, Toby.”

The dog, however, did not move.

“He’s got himself nice and wedged in here.” Punch grinned. “Don’t think he’s movin’ any time soon.”

“Did I wake you?” Robert asked. He reached over and scratched the dog’s belly in an attempt to get him to move. Dog Toby still wouldn’t budge.

“Me or Toby?”

“You.”

“Nah. I weren’t asleep. I was just thinkin’, I was.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.” Punch nodded.

“Well, I mean, ‘about what were you thinking?’ Dear Punch.”

“Oh, all sorts of things.” Punch mumbled.

“Are you feeling well, my dear?”

“Sure, Chum.” Punch replied.

“I don’t know about you, but all our hiking the last two days has made me quite weary. It’s nice to be tired from doing something enjoyable instead of being fatigued from tragedy.”

“I should say so.” Punch answered. “I tol’ ya. Somethin’ ‘bout the air here makes ya sleep better. Colin fell right asleep, he did. And, he didn’t do all the walkin’ what we did.”

“It’s grueling work being pushed in a pram all day. It’s quite taxing.” Robert joked.

“I ‘magine it is.” Punch smiled. “Here,” he sat up slightly—causing Dog Toby to roll over a bit—“I think Gerry and Gamilla enjoyed their outing today.”

“I’m sure of it.” Robert nodded. “They are rather sweet together, aren’t they?”

Punch grinned.

“We must make a point of asking Charles to come with us tomorrow.” Robert continued.

“That’d be good.” Punch responded. “And, then, we should do somethin’ for Speaight and Mrs. Pepper. Oh, I know!” He chirped. “We can ask Speaight and Mrs. Pepper to take tea with us in the garden to discuss the further plans for the Servants’ Ball. Course, we’d have to ask Mrs. North, too, but I think she’d like it. The Grange has been without a master for so long, I s’pect she’ll like to be included.”

“A good idea,” Robert agreed. “However, I have a feeling that Mrs. North will fancy us quite uncouth for socializing with the staff as we do.”

“She’ll get used to it.” Punch sighed. He rolled over and began to hug the dog again.

“Dear Punch,” Robert said softly. “Something is troubling you.”

“Not really.” Punch shook his head. “Not really troublin’ me. Like I said, I’m jus’ thinkin’, I am. Ain’t nothin’ to bother you ‘bout.”

“Very well,” Robert sighed. He changed the subject. “How do you think Finlay did at tea?”

“He was fine.” Punch muttered. “I prefer when Gerard and Charles do it.”

“I was surprised that Speaight let him serve alone.” Robert continued.

“Me, too, Chum.” Punch sat up again. “He did well ‘nough.”

“You make a good point about the household having been without a master for so long.” Robert began. “I imagine the staff is so accustomed to being on their own, they’ve forgotten what it’s like to actually serve someone. I think Finlay is relaxing a bit.”

“It’ll take some time.” Punch replied. “After all, it’s been, well…” he thought for a moment. “The last our pa was here was before his first expedition to Egypt. And, I hadn’t come for a couple years before that. I s’pect they was worried when pa was killed in France—thinkin’ maybe I’d close the house all up. But, I hope that they realize that they’re all gonna be here for a long time to come.”

“I think that your idea for the Servants’ Ball has shown them that.”

“Hope so.” Punch sighed. He looked over at Robert. “Chum?”

“Yes.”

“’Member when we was talkin’ today with Gamilla and Gerard?”

“I do.”

“You said that I always try to find the good in people. Like what I do with Miss Barrett.”

“You do.”

“But, so do you.” Punch responded thoughtfully.

“Not really, my dear.” Robert chuckled. “I’m much quicker to make up my mind than you are. I’m more prone to react and to hold a grudge.”

“Don’t you recall when we was on the ship?”

“I recall both times we were on a ship together. Well, all three if you count the time we boarded a ship only to have it burn around our heads.”

“Coo!” Punch put his hand over his face. “That were terrible. But, I mean when we was goin’ to ‘Merica.”

“Of course.”

“You remember the day you told Julian ‘bout, well…’bout me and how he was two men in one.”

“I do.” Robert nodded.

“He’d just learned that our pa was killed. It were too much for ‘im, poor bloke and he went inside our body and, frankly, never came out ‘gain. Not for long anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“Well, Chum, I weren’t the man what I am today. I was all puppet then—wantin’ to hit folks with sticks and throw bodies into the sea. I was always yellin’ or scrappin’ or fussin’.”

“Or singing.” Robert chuckled. “One of the first things you ever said to me was “Want to sing with me?’”

“Sure was.” Punch smiled. “But, you didn’t judge me for it. You found the good in me and, cuz ya did, I’m what I am today. More man than puppet. A father, a companion, a friend, a master. A jeweler for the Queen and Prince Consort, even. Most folk would’ve let me die, but you stuck by me. Remember? You said you was me ‘champion.’ And, you were. You are and have been.”

“And always will be.” Robert said softly. “Just as you’re mine.”

“So, it ain’t true what you said. You, too, find the good in folk.”

Robert shook his head. “I’m learning to, yes. But, Dear Punch, you can’t really compare my reaction to you to my opinion of, say, Miss Barrett.”

“Why not?”

“The major difference being that I was in love with you, even then.”

“You were in love with Julian.”

“At first.” Robert sighed. “I thought so. But, I soon realized that it was you with whom I’d fallen in love. Julian’s looks, yes, but your spirit.” He patted Punch’s hand. “So, you see, you can’t compare the two situations. I only love you. And, furthermore, you acted as you did because that’s all you knew. You had no other experience. You were, in some ways, like a child. But, as you developed, you learned different ways to cope.” He sighed. “Miss Barrett is a grown woman and should know better than to act as she does sometimes.”

“I guess.” Punch nodded.

“Did it bother you when I said that I thought you were quick to find the good in people?”

“Dunno.” Punch shrugged. “I guess I was worried because it made me think that you don’t know how kind and generous what you are your own self.”

Robert smiled. “Whatever good there is in me, my dear, is only because I have you in my life.” He chuckled. “Even if Dog Toby won’t get out of my way and let me near you.”

Punch giggled, but his smile quickly faded.

“Something else has been bothering you.” Robert whispered. “Tell me.”

“I can’t, Chum.” Punch replied softly. “Cuz I truly don’t know what it is me-self. I just get a funny feelin’ sometimes like maybe…” he shook his head. “Like maybe there’s somethin’ what’s waitin’ to do us harm.”

“I think it’s natural you should feel that way after what we just left behind in London. Let’s not forget, it’s not been so very long since you were poisoned. We’ve only just begun to recover from finding Mr. Stover’s corpse at our front door. I think that anyone would be rattled by that. I know I have been. You know I’ve been having awful dreams.”

“I know, Chum.” Punch answered compassionately. “Tell you what. You sleep now and I’ll watch ya. I’ll make sure nothin’ comes near ya.”

“You need to sleep, too.”

“Not so much as you do.” Punch shook his head.

“How about we both sleep? Dog Toby will protect us.”

They both looked at the slumbering terrier and chuckled.

“Or not.” Robert smiled.

“I’ll try to sleep.” Punch said after awhile. He glanced at the nursery door which was slightly ajar. “Maybe I should look in on Colin.”

“I’m sure he’s sound asleep, Dear Punch. If he were awake, we’d hear him.”

“I s’pose.” Punch shrugged.

“How about I tell you a story,” Robert suggested.

“I like when you do that.” Punch grinned.

“I know.” Robert settled back onto his pillow. “Now, once upon a time, there were two men. Together, they sailed on a huge ship to a strange place. They knew each other, but they didn’t. But, they both knew that they were all they had in the world…”

“This is my favorite story.” Punch sighed.

“Mine, too, dear Punch.” Robert grinned. “Mine, too.”

Little did they know, but on the other side of the nursery door, Finlay stood very still—listening to their every word as Ellen loomed over Colin’s crib. She looked first at the sleeping baby and then up at her half-brother. She grinned and nodded as Finlay approached the crib.



Did you miss Chapters 1-86 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday for Chapter 88.

2 comments:

Darcy said...

Those two evil ones better not hurt little Collin or I think our Mr. Punch will turn back into his more puppet self and start smacking heads with a big stick.

Joseph Crisalli said...

You can count on that being his reaction should any harm come to Colin. Robert would become a puppet man, too, I think.