Chapter 122:
The Duke’s Coffers
“What’s happened?” Robert panted as he bounded into the nursery, followed by Gamilla and Gerard. “Where’s Colin?”
“Dunno!” Punch wailed as he came out from his bedchamber, Dog Toby trotting behind him. “Dunno!”
Robert put his arms around his companion. “Don’t fret, dear Punch. We’ll find him.”
“But…” Punch yelped. “He’s s’posed to be here. And…and…he ain’t. He ain’t here.”
“I’m sure he’s with Mrs. North—probably in the kitchens.” Robert replied, withdrawing his embrace.
“I…” Punch gulped. “That’s what Gamilla said, but I gotta bad feelin’, I do. Like…like when our ma came to New Orleans and…”
“Shhhh, my dear.” Robert said gently. He looked over his shoulder. “Gerard, will you run down to the kitchens and see if Mrs. North and Colin are there?”
“Yes, Sir.” Gerard nodded.
“Gamilla, will you, please, go to Mrs. North’s room upstairs and knock. It’s possible that she’s taken him up there where she’s more comfortable. Perhaps she wanted to change from her fancy dress and into her uniform and took Colin with her.” Robert continued.
“Of course.” Gamilla said.
Gamilla and Gerard hurried to their tasks.
“Chum.” Punch began breathlessly. “I knew we shouldn’t have let him out of our sight. We got this house fulla people—we don’t know none o’ them folk what’s servin’. Anyone coulda just come up here and…”
“And gotten past Mrs. North?” Robert smiled. “I hardly think so. I doubt she’d let anyone come near Colin.”
“Maybe so, but she’s an old woman, and she coulda easily been taken over by someone stronger…”
“There are few stronger than Mrs. North.” Robert said.
“The son of a Duke…” Punch moaned. “Everybody knows that the Duke of Fallbridge has almost as much in his coffers as the Crown itself. Don’t you think some unsavory bloke would try to take the son of the Duke of Fallbridge?”
“For ransom?”
“Of course!” Punch snapped.
“Darling,” Robert said softly. “Please, try to…”
“I won’t, Chum. I love ya, but I won’t calm down—not ‘til Colin’s in me arms.”
“All right,” Robert said, putting his arm around Punch’s waist.
“Anybody coulda come in here.” Punch continued. “I…I…” He sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes. “I wanna sit under the table.”
“Let’s wait until we get Colin back in his cradle.” Robert whispered gently.
“I…I wanna get in the cupboard.”
“That won’t help anything.”
“I shoulda made Colin stay in the cupboard.”
“I don’t think he’d like that very much. You know he doesn’t care for the dark.”
“But, but he’s in the dark right now!” Punch answered. “At least, he’d be safe in the cupboard. Or the wardrobe. We’ll put him in the wardrobe.”
“That’s no way for a little boy to live.” Robert replied. “We can’t keep him locked away to keep him safe.”
“Still,” Punch said, his voice cracking. “Them’s all kinda folk what want to hurt little boys. Don’t tell me otherwise—cuz I know. I know, Chum. I know all ‘bout it.”
“I know you do.” Robert squeezed Punch.
Punch’s eyes widened. “The wardrobe…”
He broke away from Robert and ran through the connecting door to his bedchamber.
“Punch!” Robert called after him. “Don’t get into the wardrobe.”
“I ain’t gonna.” Punch shouted back.
Robert came into the Duke’s room and saw Punch opening the wardrobe doors. He removed his jewelry case from the wardrobe and set it down on the bed. Opening the case, he yelped. “I knew it!”
“What?” Robert rushed to his side.
“All gone—all of it. All me fobs and stickpins and studs and cuff buttons. Me watches and all. Even the ring with the piece of the Molliner Blue!”
Robert looked at the empty jewel box and his face fell.
“Now do ya see?” Punch groaned. “Someone took Collin. Someone came in here and took me jewels and our son!”
“No.” Robert shook his head. “We’ll find him.”
Taking Punch by the arm, Robert led him to the door and opened it.
Both of them yelped as they saw Finlay—still dressed as the devil—holding Colin on the other side of the door.
Did you miss Chapters 1-121 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 123.
“What’s happened?” Robert panted as he bounded into the nursery, followed by Gamilla and Gerard. “Where’s Colin?”
“Dunno!” Punch wailed as he came out from his bedchamber, Dog Toby trotting behind him. “Dunno!”
Robert put his arms around his companion. “Don’t fret, dear Punch. We’ll find him.”
“But…” Punch yelped. “He’s s’posed to be here. And…and…he ain’t. He ain’t here.”
“I’m sure he’s with Mrs. North—probably in the kitchens.” Robert replied, withdrawing his embrace.
“I…” Punch gulped. “That’s what Gamilla said, but I gotta bad feelin’, I do. Like…like when our ma came to New Orleans and…”
“Shhhh, my dear.” Robert said gently. He looked over his shoulder. “Gerard, will you run down to the kitchens and see if Mrs. North and Colin are there?”
“Yes, Sir.” Gerard nodded.
“Gamilla, will you, please, go to Mrs. North’s room upstairs and knock. It’s possible that she’s taken him up there where she’s more comfortable. Perhaps she wanted to change from her fancy dress and into her uniform and took Colin with her.” Robert continued.
“Of course.” Gamilla said.
Gamilla and Gerard hurried to their tasks.
“Chum.” Punch began breathlessly. “I knew we shouldn’t have let him out of our sight. We got this house fulla people—we don’t know none o’ them folk what’s servin’. Anyone coulda just come up here and…”
“And gotten past Mrs. North?” Robert smiled. “I hardly think so. I doubt she’d let anyone come near Colin.”
“Maybe so, but she’s an old woman, and she coulda easily been taken over by someone stronger…”
“There are few stronger than Mrs. North.” Robert said.
“The son of a Duke…” Punch moaned. “Everybody knows that the Duke of Fallbridge has almost as much in his coffers as the Crown itself. Don’t you think some unsavory bloke would try to take the son of the Duke of Fallbridge?”
“For ransom?”
“Of course!” Punch snapped.
“Darling,” Robert said softly. “Please, try to…”
“I won’t, Chum. I love ya, but I won’t calm down—not ‘til Colin’s in me arms.”
“All right,” Robert said, putting his arm around Punch’s waist.
“Anybody coulda come in here.” Punch continued. “I…I…” He sniffed as tears welled up in his eyes. “I wanna sit under the table.”
“Let’s wait until we get Colin back in his cradle.” Robert whispered gently.
“I…I wanna get in the cupboard.”
“That won’t help anything.”
“I shoulda made Colin stay in the cupboard.”
“I don’t think he’d like that very much. You know he doesn’t care for the dark.”
“But, but he’s in the dark right now!” Punch answered. “At least, he’d be safe in the cupboard. Or the wardrobe. We’ll put him in the wardrobe.”
“That’s no way for a little boy to live.” Robert replied. “We can’t keep him locked away to keep him safe.”
“Still,” Punch said, his voice cracking. “Them’s all kinda folk what want to hurt little boys. Don’t tell me otherwise—cuz I know. I know, Chum. I know all ‘bout it.”
“I know you do.” Robert squeezed Punch.
Punch’s eyes widened. “The wardrobe…”
He broke away from Robert and ran through the connecting door to his bedchamber.
“Punch!” Robert called after him. “Don’t get into the wardrobe.”
“I ain’t gonna.” Punch shouted back.
Robert came into the Duke’s room and saw Punch opening the wardrobe doors. He removed his jewelry case from the wardrobe and set it down on the bed. Opening the case, he yelped. “I knew it!”
“What?” Robert rushed to his side.
“All gone—all of it. All me fobs and stickpins and studs and cuff buttons. Me watches and all. Even the ring with the piece of the Molliner Blue!”
Robert looked at the empty jewel box and his face fell.
“Now do ya see?” Punch groaned. “Someone took Collin. Someone came in here and took me jewels and our son!”
“No.” Robert shook his head. “We’ll find him.”
Taking Punch by the arm, Robert led him to the door and opened it.
Both of them yelped as they saw Finlay—still dressed as the devil—holding Colin on the other side of the door.
Did you miss Chapters 1-121 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 123.
6 comments:
Very gripping chapter.
I was so worried about little Colin and can feel the terror Mr. Punch is going through.
Finlay better not have hurt that child.
Thank you, Darcy. Finlay has a lot of explaining to do.
I can't imagine what Punch is feeling. I'd go nuts.
I think most parents would.
I was worried too! I hope Colin is ok.
You'll see tomorrow, Marsha.
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