Chapter 121:
Sure
“Colin,” Mr. Punch yelped like a wounded animal. He staggered around the nursery, whimpering and looked up at Gamilla who stood helplessly at the door. “He ain’t here!”
“They gotta be somewhere.” Gamilla said quickly. “Maybe Mrs. North took him to her room. Or maybe she done took him for his bath.”
“He already had his bath!” Mr. Punch replied desperately. “Before the ball.”
“Maybe he needed cleanin’.” Gamilla suggested.
“No.” Punch shook his head. “Somethin’s wrong, it is. You know it as well as I do. Mrs. North were told to take Colin here and stay with him, not to go off anywhere else.”
“Could be he was hungry and Mrs. North took him to the kitchens.”
Punch, with trembling hands, pulled on his cravat to loosen it. “No.” He gulped. “Please, Gamilla, do as I said. Go get Dr. Halifax.”
“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla nodded.
“But, don’t rush down the stairs or look like somethin’s afoot. I don’t want to upset the guests.”
Gamilla nodded again and hurried off.
Alone in the nursery, Mr. Punch moaned and looked about the room. He went to Colin’s cradle and felt the blankets. They were cool to the touch. “He ain’t even been in here.” Punch took a deep breath and, then, decided that he’d best check his own chamber.
Walking briskly to the door which separated the two rooms, Punch flung open the door and went inside. Dog Toby, who had been sleeping on the bed, awoke with a start and looked with confusion at his master.
“Oh, Toby, Toby.” Punch wailed. “Where’s Colin?”
The dog stood up and walked across the bed—his ears alert and his eyes eager to understand.
“Thought maybe Mrs. North brung him in here, I did.” Punch confided in the terrier who, as Punch reached forward, licked his master’s hand.
“Here, I gotta calm me-self. Sure Colin’s safe, he is. He’s with Mrs. North. Many’s a time when she would look after Julian when her were Colin’s age, and he never suffered for it—least not from her.”
“Damn it!” Punch scowled. “Where’s Robert?” He looked at the dog. “Stay here, Dog Toby. Ain’t nothin’ to worry ‘bout. Sure our boy is safe. Sure it’s just what Gamilla said. Mrs. North probably took her to the kitchens for some milk or a biscuit. Sure.”
He sat down on the bed beside the dog. “Robert’ll be here in a tick and we’ll be jus’ fine.”
Dog Toby settled in next to Punch and put his head on Punch’s knee.
“Sure, it’ll be just fine.” Punch muttered. “Just fine. Just fine. He’s with Mrs. North, and Robert’ll be here just now.”
Of course, we know that Colin was not with Mrs. North. Mrs. North was quite dead—left in the silver vault under a stiff, itchy blanket. Colin was still with Ellen who, upon hearing Gamilla and Punch approach had hidden in the wardrobe at the farthest end of the nursery. When Punch left the nursery, Ellen had slipped out—baby in her arms—and hurried down the corridor.
Ellen Barrett—dressed as Mrs. North—was not eager to be caught with the child, certainly. However, she was even less eager to be spotted with handfuls of the Duke’s jewelry stuffed into the front of her bodice.
Suddenly, she regretted sending the Baron Lensdown away on his errand to lure Finlay to the top of the tower. Frankly, she thought, she could have used the assistance of either or both of her mistrusted accomplices.
She cursed quietly under her breath as she turned into an unused passage. She should have known that the Duke would have wanted to check on the baby. Still, she’d thought her task would have been completed by then.
Now what was she to do? When the doctor arrived, he’d surely embark on a quiet search of the castle. What if he found Mrs. North’s body too soon?
“I have no choice.” Ellen sighed in irritation as she turned around and headed for the narrow, stone staircase which led to the roof of the central tower.
Did you miss Chapters 1-120? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 122.
“Colin,” Mr. Punch yelped like a wounded animal. He staggered around the nursery, whimpering and looked up at Gamilla who stood helplessly at the door. “He ain’t here!”
“They gotta be somewhere.” Gamilla said quickly. “Maybe Mrs. North took him to her room. Or maybe she done took him for his bath.”
“He already had his bath!” Mr. Punch replied desperately. “Before the ball.”
“Maybe he needed cleanin’.” Gamilla suggested.
“No.” Punch shook his head. “Somethin’s wrong, it is. You know it as well as I do. Mrs. North were told to take Colin here and stay with him, not to go off anywhere else.”
“Could be he was hungry and Mrs. North took him to the kitchens.”
Punch, with trembling hands, pulled on his cravat to loosen it. “No.” He gulped. “Please, Gamilla, do as I said. Go get Dr. Halifax.”
“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla nodded.
“But, don’t rush down the stairs or look like somethin’s afoot. I don’t want to upset the guests.”
Gamilla nodded again and hurried off.
Alone in the nursery, Mr. Punch moaned and looked about the room. He went to Colin’s cradle and felt the blankets. They were cool to the touch. “He ain’t even been in here.” Punch took a deep breath and, then, decided that he’d best check his own chamber.
Walking briskly to the door which separated the two rooms, Punch flung open the door and went inside. Dog Toby, who had been sleeping on the bed, awoke with a start and looked with confusion at his master.
“Oh, Toby, Toby.” Punch wailed. “Where’s Colin?”
The dog stood up and walked across the bed—his ears alert and his eyes eager to understand.
“Thought maybe Mrs. North brung him in here, I did.” Punch confided in the terrier who, as Punch reached forward, licked his master’s hand.
“Here, I gotta calm me-self. Sure Colin’s safe, he is. He’s with Mrs. North. Many’s a time when she would look after Julian when her were Colin’s age, and he never suffered for it—least not from her.”
“Damn it!” Punch scowled. “Where’s Robert?” He looked at the dog. “Stay here, Dog Toby. Ain’t nothin’ to worry ‘bout. Sure our boy is safe. Sure it’s just what Gamilla said. Mrs. North probably took her to the kitchens for some milk or a biscuit. Sure.”
He sat down on the bed beside the dog. “Robert’ll be here in a tick and we’ll be jus’ fine.”
Dog Toby settled in next to Punch and put his head on Punch’s knee.
“Sure, it’ll be just fine.” Punch muttered. “Just fine. Just fine. He’s with Mrs. North, and Robert’ll be here just now.”
Of course, we know that Colin was not with Mrs. North. Mrs. North was quite dead—left in the silver vault under a stiff, itchy blanket. Colin was still with Ellen who, upon hearing Gamilla and Punch approach had hidden in the wardrobe at the farthest end of the nursery. When Punch left the nursery, Ellen had slipped out—baby in her arms—and hurried down the corridor.
Ellen Barrett—dressed as Mrs. North—was not eager to be caught with the child, certainly. However, she was even less eager to be spotted with handfuls of the Duke’s jewelry stuffed into the front of her bodice.
Suddenly, she regretted sending the Baron Lensdown away on his errand to lure Finlay to the top of the tower. Frankly, she thought, she could have used the assistance of either or both of her mistrusted accomplices.
She cursed quietly under her breath as she turned into an unused passage. She should have known that the Duke would have wanted to check on the baby. Still, she’d thought her task would have been completed by then.
Now what was she to do? When the doctor arrived, he’d surely embark on a quiet search of the castle. What if he found Mrs. North’s body too soon?
“I have no choice.” Ellen sighed in irritation as she turned around and headed for the narrow, stone staircase which led to the roof of the central tower.
Did you miss Chapters 1-120? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 122.
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