Chapter 123:
To Blazes
“Give that baby to me.” Punch said to Finlay in his own voice—firmly and gruffly.
“Of course, Your Grace.”’ Finlay smiled, handing the child over to his father.
“What in Hell do you think you’re doin’, you oily beggar?” Punch growled.
“Pardon me, Sir?” Finlay asked with mock innocence.
“What are you doin’ with my child?” Punch asked again.
“I don’t understand, Your Grace?” Finlay shook his head, making the glittery faux horns of his devil costume shake.
“Bugger, you don’t know.” Punch snapped.
“Finlay,” Robert interrupted. “I believe that when you were caught in Colin’s nursery the other night that you were told not to come near the baby unless one of us was present.”
“Mrs. North had me bring him back up while she prepared his milk. The lad seemed like he was a little cold in the kitchens, so she wanted me to bring him here where it was warm. She asked me to wait with him until she returned.” Finlay lied.
“Is that so?” Robert asked.
“Go and ask her, Sir. She’ll tell you.” Finlay smiled.
“Jus’ what were you doin’ in the kitchens anyway?” Punch asked, hugging the child close to his chest. “Why wasn’t you at the party?”
“I’d gone downstairs to see if the wine was holdin’ out, Sir. Thought I’d be a help to the men you hired. It’s my job as footman to see to the runnin’ of the household, Sir.”
“Is it also your job to go into my jewel casket and help yourself?” Punch hissed.
“Sir?”
Punch’s eyes widened with anger and his face turned red.
“Are you quite well, Sir?” Finlay asked obsequiously. “You don’t seem yourself.”
Mr. Punch took a deep breath and turned to Robert. “Deal with him.”
Robert nodded.
“I’m going to inspect my son. If there’s on scratch on him, Finlay, so help me, I’ll bash your head in and paint your epitaph with your brains.” Punch added before turning around and walking into his chamber.
“Dr. Halifax,” Finlay began. “I’m worried for His Grace. He’s speaking so queerly.”
“Come into the passage.” Robert grunted, pushing Finlay out of his way. He shut the door behind them.
“You know every well,” Robert continued. “That it’s not your place to be watching the child.”
“What was I to do, Sir?” Finlay asked. “Mrs. North gave me an order. I had to do as she instructed.”
“If she did, then, she was wrong. I shall speak with her about that.”
“Yes, Sir.” Finlay nodded.
“When you were coming up here from the kitchens, did you pass Gerard?”
“Sir?”
“Gerard.” Robert repeated. “We’d sent him down to look for the baby. You must have passed him on the stairs or in the passage.”
“No, Sir.” Finlay shook his head. “But, you know Gerard, he probably took the longest route. Probably paused for a drink on the way.”
Robert clenched his hands into fists. “You’d do well to get out of my sight.”
“Sir?”
“Get out of my sight!” Robert shouted.
“Where do I go, Sir?”
“Go to your room. Go to the ball. Go to Blazes for all I care!” Robert shouted. “You’re dressed for it!”
“Yes, Sir.” Finlay whispered.
“Just don’t leave the house.” Robert added. “There’s been a robbery—in addition to this mess with Colin.”
“You don’t think that I…” Finlay began.
“I don’t know what to think.” Robert snapped. “All I know is that you’ve proven to be a most disagreeable member of the household and, frankly, despite your tenure here, your longevity is compromised.”
Finlay smiled. “Sir, you don’t want to sack me.”
“Don’t I?”
“No.” Finlay shook his head. “I can help you. I know just what to do to help a man relax and feel comfortable.”
“You sicken me.” Robert spat. “Go!”
“What of the theft, Sir? Shall I warn the others?”
“No.” Robert snarled. “Say nothing. Presently, I’m most concerned that my son is unharmed.”
“Your son?” Finlay winked.
“Leave my sight, Finlay.” Robert sniffed. “Or the Duke won’t have the pleasure of killing you first.”
With that, Finlay hurried down the corridor. Robert sighed and opened the door to the Duke’s bed chamber, closing it behind him. There, he found Punch seated on the bed—cross-legged in the center, with Colin laid out in front of him.
The baby was now awake and gurgling contentedly as Punch examined him.
“How is he?” Robert asked softly.
“Seems fine.” Punch smiled.
“Thank goodness.” Robert exhaled.
“I don’t understand it.” Punch shook his head. “I’m shocked that Mrs. North would let Finlay take the child.”
“I don’t believe him, dear Punch.” Robert replied. “Something else is afoot.”
“What should we do now?” Punch asked.
“I’m going to go find Mrs. North, and, on the way, let Gerard and Gamilla know that Colin is safe.”
Punch nodded.
“I’ll tell Gamilla to come here so that you can return to the guests.”
“No.” Punch objected. “I ain’t leavin’ Colin.”
“We’ve a house full of people.”
“One or more of whom stole from me.” Punch added. “I ain’t leavin’ our son in the very room what someone just robbed.”
“You’re right.” Robert nodded, running his fingers through his dark hair. His light blue eyes glinted with frustration. He pressed his lips together. “I’ll ask Speaight to act as temporary host until we figure out what to do. Meanwhile, I’ll inform Charles of the theft and have him question the hired staff.”
“Good.” Punch nodded. He sighed. “I just hope Mrs. North can explain herself.”
“So do I.” Robert answered. He bent down to kiss Punch on the top of his head. “I’ll be back shortly.”
As Robert descended the grand staircase, he had no way of knowing what was happening I nthe bowels of the great house.
Down in the silver vaults, Gerard searched for Mrs. North, but he didn’t expect to discover her in the condition which he did. There, in the dim light of the vault, he saw a lumpy blanket stretched across the floor. Expecting to find some misplaced foodstuffs there, he lifted the blanket is disgust.
When he saw what was beneath the blanket, he yelped in horror.
Mrs. North lay dead on the floor of the vaults—her face fixed in an expression of fright, her eyes wide-open, her mouth agape.
Gagging, Gerard stumbled backward.
Did you miss Chapters 1-122? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday for Chapter 124 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
“Give that baby to me.” Punch said to Finlay in his own voice—firmly and gruffly.
“Of course, Your Grace.”’ Finlay smiled, handing the child over to his father.
“What in Hell do you think you’re doin’, you oily beggar?” Punch growled.
“Pardon me, Sir?” Finlay asked with mock innocence.
“What are you doin’ with my child?” Punch asked again.
“I don’t understand, Your Grace?” Finlay shook his head, making the glittery faux horns of his devil costume shake.
“Bugger, you don’t know.” Punch snapped.
“Finlay,” Robert interrupted. “I believe that when you were caught in Colin’s nursery the other night that you were told not to come near the baby unless one of us was present.”
“Mrs. North had me bring him back up while she prepared his milk. The lad seemed like he was a little cold in the kitchens, so she wanted me to bring him here where it was warm. She asked me to wait with him until she returned.” Finlay lied.
“Is that so?” Robert asked.
“Go and ask her, Sir. She’ll tell you.” Finlay smiled.
“Jus’ what were you doin’ in the kitchens anyway?” Punch asked, hugging the child close to his chest. “Why wasn’t you at the party?”
“I’d gone downstairs to see if the wine was holdin’ out, Sir. Thought I’d be a help to the men you hired. It’s my job as footman to see to the runnin’ of the household, Sir.”
“Is it also your job to go into my jewel casket and help yourself?” Punch hissed.
“Sir?”
Punch’s eyes widened with anger and his face turned red.
“Are you quite well, Sir?” Finlay asked obsequiously. “You don’t seem yourself.”
Mr. Punch took a deep breath and turned to Robert. “Deal with him.”
Robert nodded.
“I’m going to inspect my son. If there’s on scratch on him, Finlay, so help me, I’ll bash your head in and paint your epitaph with your brains.” Punch added before turning around and walking into his chamber.
“Dr. Halifax,” Finlay began. “I’m worried for His Grace. He’s speaking so queerly.”
“Come into the passage.” Robert grunted, pushing Finlay out of his way. He shut the door behind them.
“You know every well,” Robert continued. “That it’s not your place to be watching the child.”
“What was I to do, Sir?” Finlay asked. “Mrs. North gave me an order. I had to do as she instructed.”
“If she did, then, she was wrong. I shall speak with her about that.”
“Yes, Sir.” Finlay nodded.
“When you were coming up here from the kitchens, did you pass Gerard?”
“Sir?”
“Gerard.” Robert repeated. “We’d sent him down to look for the baby. You must have passed him on the stairs or in the passage.”
“No, Sir.” Finlay shook his head. “But, you know Gerard, he probably took the longest route. Probably paused for a drink on the way.”
Robert clenched his hands into fists. “You’d do well to get out of my sight.”
“Sir?”
“Get out of my sight!” Robert shouted.
“Where do I go, Sir?”
“Go to your room. Go to the ball. Go to Blazes for all I care!” Robert shouted. “You’re dressed for it!”
“Yes, Sir.” Finlay whispered.
“Just don’t leave the house.” Robert added. “There’s been a robbery—in addition to this mess with Colin.”
“You don’t think that I…” Finlay began.
“I don’t know what to think.” Robert snapped. “All I know is that you’ve proven to be a most disagreeable member of the household and, frankly, despite your tenure here, your longevity is compromised.”
Finlay smiled. “Sir, you don’t want to sack me.”
“Don’t I?”
“No.” Finlay shook his head. “I can help you. I know just what to do to help a man relax and feel comfortable.”
“You sicken me.” Robert spat. “Go!”
“What of the theft, Sir? Shall I warn the others?”
“No.” Robert snarled. “Say nothing. Presently, I’m most concerned that my son is unharmed.”
“Your son?” Finlay winked.
“Leave my sight, Finlay.” Robert sniffed. “Or the Duke won’t have the pleasure of killing you first.”
With that, Finlay hurried down the corridor. Robert sighed and opened the door to the Duke’s bed chamber, closing it behind him. There, he found Punch seated on the bed—cross-legged in the center, with Colin laid out in front of him.
The baby was now awake and gurgling contentedly as Punch examined him.
“How is he?” Robert asked softly.
“Seems fine.” Punch smiled.
“Thank goodness.” Robert exhaled.
“I don’t understand it.” Punch shook his head. “I’m shocked that Mrs. North would let Finlay take the child.”
“I don’t believe him, dear Punch.” Robert replied. “Something else is afoot.”
“What should we do now?” Punch asked.
“I’m going to go find Mrs. North, and, on the way, let Gerard and Gamilla know that Colin is safe.”
Punch nodded.
“I’ll tell Gamilla to come here so that you can return to the guests.”
“No.” Punch objected. “I ain’t leavin’ Colin.”
“We’ve a house full of people.”
“One or more of whom stole from me.” Punch added. “I ain’t leavin’ our son in the very room what someone just robbed.”
“You’re right.” Robert nodded, running his fingers through his dark hair. His light blue eyes glinted with frustration. He pressed his lips together. “I’ll ask Speaight to act as temporary host until we figure out what to do. Meanwhile, I’ll inform Charles of the theft and have him question the hired staff.”
“Good.” Punch nodded. He sighed. “I just hope Mrs. North can explain herself.”
“So do I.” Robert answered. He bent down to kiss Punch on the top of his head. “I’ll be back shortly.”
As Robert descended the grand staircase, he had no way of knowing what was happening I nthe bowels of the great house.
Down in the silver vaults, Gerard searched for Mrs. North, but he didn’t expect to discover her in the condition which he did. There, in the dim light of the vault, he saw a lumpy blanket stretched across the floor. Expecting to find some misplaced foodstuffs there, he lifted the blanket is disgust.
When he saw what was beneath the blanket, he yelped in horror.
Mrs. North lay dead on the floor of the vaults—her face fixed in an expression of fright, her eyes wide-open, her mouth agape.
Gagging, Gerard stumbled backward.
Did you miss Chapters 1-122? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Monday for Chapter 124 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
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