Chapter 125:
Downfall
“Where have you been?” Lady Constance asked Baron Lensdown when he appeared again in the Great Hall.
“I didn’t realize, Constance, that you were so interested in my comings and goings.” The baron replied.
“Victor, I don’t have the patience for your usual verbal sparring.” Constance sighed. “Nor do we have the time. Gertrude has been looking for you quite intently. She’s ready to leave.”
“Always in such a rush.” Victor sniffed. “Does she really suppose that we’ll be departing any time soon?”
“She’s developed a headache.” Constance sighed.
“How surprising.” Victor answered dryly. “I’m afraid she’ll have to suffer with it here.”
“Why?” Constance asked. “Victor, you can’t continue to put me off. I’ve been trying to speak with you since Mother and I arrived. You promised me that we could discuss our…situation…tonight when we returned to your property.”
“And, we will speak.” Victor nodded. “However, we’ll have to do it here.”
“Gertrude wants to leave.” Lady Constance snapped. “And, Mother has had her fill now that the Duke and his companion have disappeared. Mother has told me in no uncertain terms that she also wishes to go, and you know what a bore she can be if she doesn’t get her way.”
The Baron shook his head.
“Victor.” Constance spat.
“It’s not up to me.” The baron responded. “I’m accustomed to the fact that you’re always out of step with everyone, Constance, however, I’d like to think that in a group of people this size, you might be aware of the current situation. Do you not know that we’ve all been forbidden to leave?”
“I don’t understand.”
“The Duke’s butler has informed everyone that no one is to leave. Haven’t you heard?”
“No, I was in the parlor with Gertrude, helping her to find a cool, dark spot where she could rest her eyes. Why can’t we depart?”
“Their man only said that the Duke wishes for everyone to stay a bit longer and that there’s to be some sort of surprise.” The baron shrugged.
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Constance frowned.
“There’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Well, I’m not interested in His Grace’s surprise. And, I can tell you quite confidently that Mother will feel the same—quite loudly, I may add. Let’s just get Gertrude and leave.”
Victor showed signs of possibly smiling, but, aborted the attempt halfway through. He pointed to the three Tudor-arches which were the only exits from the Hall. Speaight had posted men from the estate at each exit. Furthermore, the pocket doors had been pulled closed over each arch.
Constance narrowed her eyes.
“You see.” The baron shrugged. “We’re here to stay.”
“Then, you shall speak with me now, Victor.” Lady Constance said firmly.
“Here?”
“Why not?”
“You wish to stand here in the center of all of these people and speak to me of our illegitimate progeny?”
“Keep your voice down.” Constance hissed.
“Don’t press me, Lady Constance.” The baron growled. “I can be your downfall.”
“You already have.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I must find my dear wife and see about her sick head.”
Constance sighed. “At least you shall reunite to cause with the illness.”
At that very moment, upstairs in the nursery, Gamilla sat nervously with the Duke of Fallbridge and Colin. Mr. Punch would not let the child out of his arms and Colin—who was wide awake at that point—seemed to relish in the attention.
In between making cooing noises at the baby, Punch glanced up occasionally at Gamilla.
“Gamilla,” he began finally. “Ain’t no reason to look so worried. Colin’s safe, he is and whoever the bloke is what stole me gems, ain’t gonna come back and bother us. You’re safe, too.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Gamilla nodded.
Mr. Punch smiled gently. “You might as well tell me.”
“Pardon, Sir?”
“You might as well tell me what’s troublin’ ya.” Punch continued. “I’ll find out soon ‘nough, you know. I always do.”
“This costume is a bit tight, Sir. I’m just a bit uncomfortable is all.”
Mr. Punch shook his head. “That ain’t it. You been troubled since this mornin’. Is it your argument with Gerry? You seem to have made up just fine.”
“No, Sir. That ain’t it.”
“Is someone botherin’ ya?” Mr. Punch asked. “I know that sometimes folk can be cruel when a body’s different. Believe you me—both me and Julian been the target o’ much cruelty.”
Gamilla hands began to tremble.
“Go on.” Mr. Punch said softly. “You can tell ol’ Mr. Punch. I’m always gonna help ya.”
“Your Grace,” Gamilla began.
She was not, however, able to finish her confession. Just as Gamilla was about to speak, Robert entered the nursery.
The doctor looked directly into Punch’s eyes.
“Oh no.” Punch yelped.
“Your Grace?” Gamilla stood up. “Dr. Halifax, what is it?”
“Someone’s dead.” Punch moaned.
Robert nodded.
“Ain’t Mrs. North, is it?” Mr. Punch asked.
“I’m afraid that it is.”
“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…” Mr. Punch sobbed.
Gamilla watched as Robert comforted Mr. Punch, and knew, at that moment, that she must never reveal Ellen’s treachery or Finlay’s threats lest more people about whom she cared meet the same fate as Mrs. North.
Did you miss Chapters 1-124? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 126.
“Where have you been?” Lady Constance asked Baron Lensdown when he appeared again in the Great Hall.
“I didn’t realize, Constance, that you were so interested in my comings and goings.” The baron replied.
“Victor, I don’t have the patience for your usual verbal sparring.” Constance sighed. “Nor do we have the time. Gertrude has been looking for you quite intently. She’s ready to leave.”
“Always in such a rush.” Victor sniffed. “Does she really suppose that we’ll be departing any time soon?”
“She’s developed a headache.” Constance sighed.
“How surprising.” Victor answered dryly. “I’m afraid she’ll have to suffer with it here.”
“Why?” Constance asked. “Victor, you can’t continue to put me off. I’ve been trying to speak with you since Mother and I arrived. You promised me that we could discuss our…situation…tonight when we returned to your property.”
“And, we will speak.” Victor nodded. “However, we’ll have to do it here.”
“Gertrude wants to leave.” Lady Constance snapped. “And, Mother has had her fill now that the Duke and his companion have disappeared. Mother has told me in no uncertain terms that she also wishes to go, and you know what a bore she can be if she doesn’t get her way.”
The Baron shook his head.
“Victor.” Constance spat.
“It’s not up to me.” The baron responded. “I’m accustomed to the fact that you’re always out of step with everyone, Constance, however, I’d like to think that in a group of people this size, you might be aware of the current situation. Do you not know that we’ve all been forbidden to leave?”
“I don’t understand.”
“The Duke’s butler has informed everyone that no one is to leave. Haven’t you heard?”
“No, I was in the parlor with Gertrude, helping her to find a cool, dark spot where she could rest her eyes. Why can’t we depart?”
“Their man only said that the Duke wishes for everyone to stay a bit longer and that there’s to be some sort of surprise.” The baron shrugged.
“I don’t like the sound of that.” Constance frowned.
“There’s nothing to be done about it.”
“Well, I’m not interested in His Grace’s surprise. And, I can tell you quite confidently that Mother will feel the same—quite loudly, I may add. Let’s just get Gertrude and leave.”
Victor showed signs of possibly smiling, but, aborted the attempt halfway through. He pointed to the three Tudor-arches which were the only exits from the Hall. Speaight had posted men from the estate at each exit. Furthermore, the pocket doors had been pulled closed over each arch.
Constance narrowed her eyes.
“You see.” The baron shrugged. “We’re here to stay.”
“Then, you shall speak with me now, Victor.” Lady Constance said firmly.
“Here?”
“Why not?”
“You wish to stand here in the center of all of these people and speak to me of our illegitimate progeny?”
“Keep your voice down.” Constance hissed.
“Don’t press me, Lady Constance.” The baron growled. “I can be your downfall.”
“You already have.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I must find my dear wife and see about her sick head.”
Constance sighed. “At least you shall reunite to cause with the illness.”
At that very moment, upstairs in the nursery, Gamilla sat nervously with the Duke of Fallbridge and Colin. Mr. Punch would not let the child out of his arms and Colin—who was wide awake at that point—seemed to relish in the attention.
In between making cooing noises at the baby, Punch glanced up occasionally at Gamilla.
“Gamilla,” he began finally. “Ain’t no reason to look so worried. Colin’s safe, he is and whoever the bloke is what stole me gems, ain’t gonna come back and bother us. You’re safe, too.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Gamilla nodded.
Mr. Punch smiled gently. “You might as well tell me.”
“Pardon, Sir?”
“You might as well tell me what’s troublin’ ya.” Punch continued. “I’ll find out soon ‘nough, you know. I always do.”
“This costume is a bit tight, Sir. I’m just a bit uncomfortable is all.”
Mr. Punch shook his head. “That ain’t it. You been troubled since this mornin’. Is it your argument with Gerry? You seem to have made up just fine.”
“No, Sir. That ain’t it.”
“Is someone botherin’ ya?” Mr. Punch asked. “I know that sometimes folk can be cruel when a body’s different. Believe you me—both me and Julian been the target o’ much cruelty.”
Gamilla hands began to tremble.
“Go on.” Mr. Punch said softly. “You can tell ol’ Mr. Punch. I’m always gonna help ya.”
“Your Grace,” Gamilla began.
She was not, however, able to finish her confession. Just as Gamilla was about to speak, Robert entered the nursery.
The doctor looked directly into Punch’s eyes.
“Oh no.” Punch yelped.
“Your Grace?” Gamilla stood up. “Dr. Halifax, what is it?”
“Someone’s dead.” Punch moaned.
Robert nodded.
“Ain’t Mrs. North, is it?” Mr. Punch asked.
“I’m afraid that it is.”
“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…” Mr. Punch sobbed.
Gamilla watched as Robert comforted Mr. Punch, and knew, at that moment, that she must never reveal Ellen’s treachery or Finlay’s threats lest more people about whom she cared meet the same fate as Mrs. North.
Did you miss Chapters 1-124? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 126.
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