Chapter 151:
Welcome to the Family
Mr. Punch’s eyes narrowed and his face hardened. “Get up off the floor.”
“Mercy, Your Grace.” Ellen lowered her head.
“I’m tellin’ ya,” Mr. Punch repeated slowly. “You’d best get up off the floor.”
Ellen did as instructed.
“How can you stand there before me, before Dr. Halifax and Charles and say what you’re sayin’?”
“I’m trying to protect you—you, my brother.” Ellen whispered.
“You lie.” Mr. Punch snapped. “You’re a liar. You always been a liar. Ever since the first day we saw ya. You came into me house and tricked me. You came to my family with this scheme in mind. You let me leave you alone with our child! He’s just a baby! What’d he ever do to deserve such a thing?”
“I never harmed my nephew.”
“He ain’t your nephew!”
“He is, Your Grace. I’m your sister. Just as much as Lady Barbara. And, if I’m not mistaken, Colin is her son. Yes? You, Barbara, me—we all have the same mother.”
Punch curled his hands into fists. “Don’t speak of him. Don’t speak of my son. He’s my son. Mine and Robert’s.”
Ellen looked with mock innocence to Dr. Halifax. “Doctor, he doesn’t really believe that you and he sired the boy together. If he does, perhaps he’s more ill than ever we thought.”
“How dare you?” Robert growled.
“You…you…” Punch muttered. “You’re just horrible. I know Colin ain’t really me son. But, he is in my heart. And though you may be my sister, in my heart you’re nothin’. Do ya hear? Nothin’. Nothin’ good, at any rate.”
“Your Grace,” Ellen began.
“You came to my home and plotted against me. Why…why the whole reason I’m here in the first place is because of you, ain’t it? You…you poisoned me! Didn’t ya? You tried to make me sick—just sick enough so I’d have to get away to rest. You knew we wasn’t goin’ to come here ‘til after Colin’s christenin’. But, you couldn’t wait. So, you make it go faster. Didn’t ya?”
“Sir…” Ellen sighed.
“Answer me!” Punch yelled.
“Yes.” Ellen frowned. “I did.”
“And, then you acted like you was ill so you could sneak ‘round.”
“Yes.” Ellen nodded. “Your doctor isn’t very good if he can’t recognize a real fever from a hot water bottle.”
“I suspected you were faking it.” Robert muttered.
“Of course—the great doctor.” Ellen replied.
“Enough!” Punch spat. “All the woes we had these past weeks is cuz of you. You fooled Gamilla and tried to do the same to Charles—but, but he didn’t believe ya. He hated ya all along. He tried to tell me. And…”
Punch began to tremble.
“Do calm yourself, my dear.” Robert whispered.
“You…” Punch continued. “You let me pay to support the man you said was your brother. How did you repay me? You killed a poor old woman what never done nothin’ to ya. Why? Did she figure ya out.”
“Finlay did that.” Ellen replied.
“On his own?” Robert snarled.
Ellen shrugged.
“And you stabbed Gerard.” Charles barked.
“He’s not going to die.” Ellen replied plainly. “Charles, don’t you worry. Your little friend will be just fine. I didn’t know you cared so much for him. Perhaps all those nights in close quarters have made you like my brother…well, both of my brothers.”
Charles swallowed and pressed his hands together. “If I were, I would not mind. But, all I know is that I have a heart which can feel affection where clearly yours cannot.”
Robert glanced at Mr. Punch who could immediately tell that something had occurred to him.
“What is it, Chum?”
“Stover.” Robert mumbled. He looked to Ellen. “You took advantage of the strife with William Stover and killed him in order to have me accused of the murder. You wanted to separate me from the Duke.”
Ellen smiled. “Family should be close.”
“Why did you kill the Countess?” Robert asked.
“That wasn’t me.” Ellen answered casually.
“Of course it was.” Charles shouted.
“No. Really.” Ellen nodded. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“We don’t believe a word you say.” Robert scowled.
“I don’t much care.” Ellen chuckled.
“You should.” Mr. Punch snapped.
“No.” Ellen shook her head. “You see, what you think of me doesn’t matter.”
“You’ll soon see how wrong that statement is.” Robert stepped forward.
“I don’t think so.” Ellen replied. “You see, I’m in control of this.”
“You are?” Punch scoffed.
“Yes.” Ellen nodded.
“Without your assistant?” Charles asked. “You say Finlay is dead.”
“Of course he’s not dead.” Ellen laughed. “I was stalling for time, as they say. By now, he’s likely on his way to London.”
“Here, what for?” Punch asked.
“With a message for the Queen, of course. You remember the Queen, Your Grace? She’s so very fond of you.”
“What are you saying?” Robert demanded.
“I’m saying that if anything happens to me, Finlay is prepared to tell Their Majesties just how mad their little favorite is and, furthermore, all about the scandalous illegitimate daughter of the late Duchess of Fallbridge. Not only the Queen, but, also the newspapers. They’ll relish a story like that.”
“Bring her in the room.” Mr. Punch said in a low, deep, angry voice.
Charles reached forward and grabbed Ellen by her hands, pulling her into the room.
“Now, leave us.” Mr. Punch ordered.
“My dear…” Robert began.
“Chum, go into my chamber, please.” Punch said quickly. “Charles, wait outside the door to the nursery. I’ll call for you both when I’ve finished.”
“What will you do, Sir?” Charles asked.
“You shall see.” Mr. Punch smiled. “I just want to welcome my sister to the family.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-150 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 152.
“Mercy, Your Grace.” Ellen lowered her head.
“I’m tellin’ ya,” Mr. Punch repeated slowly. “You’d best get up off the floor.”
Ellen did as instructed.
“How can you stand there before me, before Dr. Halifax and Charles and say what you’re sayin’?”
“I’m trying to protect you—you, my brother.” Ellen whispered.
“You lie.” Mr. Punch snapped. “You’re a liar. You always been a liar. Ever since the first day we saw ya. You came into me house and tricked me. You came to my family with this scheme in mind. You let me leave you alone with our child! He’s just a baby! What’d he ever do to deserve such a thing?”
“I never harmed my nephew.”
“He ain’t your nephew!”
“He is, Your Grace. I’m your sister. Just as much as Lady Barbara. And, if I’m not mistaken, Colin is her son. Yes? You, Barbara, me—we all have the same mother.”
Punch curled his hands into fists. “Don’t speak of him. Don’t speak of my son. He’s my son. Mine and Robert’s.”
Ellen looked with mock innocence to Dr. Halifax. “Doctor, he doesn’t really believe that you and he sired the boy together. If he does, perhaps he’s more ill than ever we thought.”
“How dare you?” Robert growled.
“You…you…” Punch muttered. “You’re just horrible. I know Colin ain’t really me son. But, he is in my heart. And though you may be my sister, in my heart you’re nothin’. Do ya hear? Nothin’. Nothin’ good, at any rate.”
“Your Grace,” Ellen began.
“You came to my home and plotted against me. Why…why the whole reason I’m here in the first place is because of you, ain’t it? You…you poisoned me! Didn’t ya? You tried to make me sick—just sick enough so I’d have to get away to rest. You knew we wasn’t goin’ to come here ‘til after Colin’s christenin’. But, you couldn’t wait. So, you make it go faster. Didn’t ya?”
“Sir…” Ellen sighed.
“Answer me!” Punch yelled.
“Yes.” Ellen frowned. “I did.”
“And, then you acted like you was ill so you could sneak ‘round.”
“Yes.” Ellen nodded. “Your doctor isn’t very good if he can’t recognize a real fever from a hot water bottle.”
“I suspected you were faking it.” Robert muttered.
“Of course—the great doctor.” Ellen replied.
“Enough!” Punch spat. “All the woes we had these past weeks is cuz of you. You fooled Gamilla and tried to do the same to Charles—but, but he didn’t believe ya. He hated ya all along. He tried to tell me. And…”
Punch began to tremble.
“Do calm yourself, my dear.” Robert whispered.
“You…” Punch continued. “You let me pay to support the man you said was your brother. How did you repay me? You killed a poor old woman what never done nothin’ to ya. Why? Did she figure ya out.”
“Finlay did that.” Ellen replied.
“On his own?” Robert snarled.
Ellen shrugged.
“And you stabbed Gerard.” Charles barked.
“He’s not going to die.” Ellen replied plainly. “Charles, don’t you worry. Your little friend will be just fine. I didn’t know you cared so much for him. Perhaps all those nights in close quarters have made you like my brother…well, both of my brothers.”
Charles swallowed and pressed his hands together. “If I were, I would not mind. But, all I know is that I have a heart which can feel affection where clearly yours cannot.”
Robert glanced at Mr. Punch who could immediately tell that something had occurred to him.
“What is it, Chum?”
“Stover.” Robert mumbled. He looked to Ellen. “You took advantage of the strife with William Stover and killed him in order to have me accused of the murder. You wanted to separate me from the Duke.”
Ellen smiled. “Family should be close.”
“Why did you kill the Countess?” Robert asked.
“That wasn’t me.” Ellen answered casually.
“Of course it was.” Charles shouted.
“No. Really.” Ellen nodded. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“We don’t believe a word you say.” Robert scowled.
“I don’t much care.” Ellen chuckled.
“You should.” Mr. Punch snapped.
“No.” Ellen shook her head. “You see, what you think of me doesn’t matter.”
“You’ll soon see how wrong that statement is.” Robert stepped forward.
“I don’t think so.” Ellen replied. “You see, I’m in control of this.”
“You are?” Punch scoffed.
“Yes.” Ellen nodded.
“Without your assistant?” Charles asked. “You say Finlay is dead.”
“Of course he’s not dead.” Ellen laughed. “I was stalling for time, as they say. By now, he’s likely on his way to London.”
“Here, what for?” Punch asked.
“With a message for the Queen, of course. You remember the Queen, Your Grace? She’s so very fond of you.”
“What are you saying?” Robert demanded.
“I’m saying that if anything happens to me, Finlay is prepared to tell Their Majesties just how mad their little favorite is and, furthermore, all about the scandalous illegitimate daughter of the late Duchess of Fallbridge. Not only the Queen, but, also the newspapers. They’ll relish a story like that.”
“Bring her in the room.” Mr. Punch said in a low, deep, angry voice.
Charles reached forward and grabbed Ellen by her hands, pulling her into the room.
“Now, leave us.” Mr. Punch ordered.
“My dear…” Robert began.
“Chum, go into my chamber, please.” Punch said quickly. “Charles, wait outside the door to the nursery. I’ll call for you both when I’ve finished.”
“What will you do, Sir?” Charles asked.
“You shall see.” Mr. Punch smiled. “I just want to welcome my sister to the family.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-150 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 152.
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