Chapter 155:
Any Other Choice
“How could she be gone?” Mr. Punch said from beneath the table. “I killed her dead.”
“Looks like she were dragged, Your Grace.” Georgie said.
“There’s a trail of blood leading out of the door. Much of it is smeared as if the body had been dragged.” Robert nodded.
“But, the door were locked, it was!” Punch said—still under the table with Dog Toby.
“No.” Robert shook his head. “It wasn’t. When we allowed Miss Barrett to enter, we didn’t lock the door behind her.”
“Oh.” Punch frowned.
“Who’d have taken her, Sir?” Mrs. Pepper asked. “Finlay’s here—still…what’s the word?”
“Unconscious.” Robert nodded.
“Do you think it were her pa?” Punch wondered. “Or maybe that shifty baron?”
“Could have been either or both. Perhaps, even, someone else with whom they’ve been laboring. We can’t be sure until Finlay awakens.”
Mr. Punch scowled. “Well, I s’pose I wanted her body taken from the nursery. Got me wish, I did. Not as if she can do any harm now.”
“Is it possible, Sir,” Ethel spoke up cautiously, “that she ain’t dead?”
“Nah…” Mr. Punch scoffed. “I hit her good, I did.”
“No disrespect, Your Grace, but you also struck Finlay and he wasn’t killed. Maybe you just knocked out Miss Barrett.”
“Thought I killed her.” Punch said softly.
“I seen her, Your Grace.” Gamilla said. “She sure looked dead to me.”
“I ain’t sayin’ she wasn’t.” Ethel replied. “It’s just…”
“I know.” Robert nodded. “You’re just thinking of all of the possibilities. That’s very clever of you, Ethel.”
“Cor.” Ethel blushed.
Robert walked across the room and sat on the floor beside the table under which Punch was curled up.
“Dear Punch,” he said softly. “Do you suppose that Miss Barrett continued her association with the Baron Lensdown.”
“Possible,” Punch replied. “Don’t know why she would though.”
“Why not?”
“Well, see, I remembered earlier—actually, I was made to remember—that many years ago when Julian were a boy, he saw the baron—then Victor Geddes—push a young man off the turret here at the Grange. The man were called Roger.”
“Not the same Roger?”
“One in the same. Roger Barrett.” Punch nodded.
“The man that Miss Barrett called her brother.”
“Really her cousin, I reckon.” Punch sighed.
“So, it’s possible that Ellen was trying to punish the baron somehow.”
“Seems to be the sort of thing she’d do.”
Robert sighed.
“You’re wonderin’ what we should do now.”
“I am.” Robert nodded. “We’ve still a house full of guests.”
“And the corpses of three people. If you count Miss Barrett.” Punch added. “We can’t all just stay in here.”
“I think we should find Johnny Donnan.” Robert suggested. “To see what he knows.”
“What of Charles and Vi?” Punch asked. “We don’t know where they went. We need Finlay to wake up to tell us what he done with them.”
“Finlay couldn’t have dispatched both Charles and Violet alone, especially while poisoning Speight and taunting us.”
“You think his pa were involved?”
“I can’t think of anyone else.”
“Then, I reckon we should find ol’ Johnny, then. But, with Charles gone and Gerard in the shape what he’s in, I don’t like leavin’ the girls in here with Finlay—tied up though he be.”
“I’m here, Sir.” Georgie spoke up.
“Yes, and we appreciate it.” Robert looked up. “However…”
“I know you think I’m just a boy, Sir, but I’m strong and I’ll protect these folks if need be.”
“I have no doubt of your bravery.” Robert smiled.
“Sir,” Mrs. Pepper rose from her chair. “You’d best go with the Duke to find Donnan. We’ll be all right here.”
“I wish I could be sure.” Robert sighed.
“Doctor,” Ethel smiled. “I fought off that Miss Barrett all be me-self. I can handle Finlay when he’s tied up.”
“Very well.” Robert nodded. “Lock the doors behind us and don’t open them for anyone but us. Gamilla, I trust you’ll continue to look after Gerard and Mr. Speaight.”
“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla nodded.
Robert extended a hand to Mr. Punch who took it and rolled out from under the table.
Robert helped Punch to his feet.
“I hope we’re doin’ the right thing.” Punch whispered.
“I don’t see that we have any other choice, my dear.” Robert answered.
“How could she be gone?” Mr. Punch said from beneath the table. “I killed her dead.”
“Looks like she were dragged, Your Grace.” Georgie said.
“There’s a trail of blood leading out of the door. Much of it is smeared as if the body had been dragged.” Robert nodded.
“But, the door were locked, it was!” Punch said—still under the table with Dog Toby.
“No.” Robert shook his head. “It wasn’t. When we allowed Miss Barrett to enter, we didn’t lock the door behind her.”
“Oh.” Punch frowned.
“Who’d have taken her, Sir?” Mrs. Pepper asked. “Finlay’s here—still…what’s the word?”
“Unconscious.” Robert nodded.
“Do you think it were her pa?” Punch wondered. “Or maybe that shifty baron?”
“Could have been either or both. Perhaps, even, someone else with whom they’ve been laboring. We can’t be sure until Finlay awakens.”
Mr. Punch scowled. “Well, I s’pose I wanted her body taken from the nursery. Got me wish, I did. Not as if she can do any harm now.”
“Is it possible, Sir,” Ethel spoke up cautiously, “that she ain’t dead?”
“Nah…” Mr. Punch scoffed. “I hit her good, I did.”
“No disrespect, Your Grace, but you also struck Finlay and he wasn’t killed. Maybe you just knocked out Miss Barrett.”
“Thought I killed her.” Punch said softly.
“I seen her, Your Grace.” Gamilla said. “She sure looked dead to me.”
“I ain’t sayin’ she wasn’t.” Ethel replied. “It’s just…”
“I know.” Robert nodded. “You’re just thinking of all of the possibilities. That’s very clever of you, Ethel.”
“Cor.” Ethel blushed.
Robert walked across the room and sat on the floor beside the table under which Punch was curled up.
“Dear Punch,” he said softly. “Do you suppose that Miss Barrett continued her association with the Baron Lensdown.”
“Possible,” Punch replied. “Don’t know why she would though.”
“Why not?”
“Well, see, I remembered earlier—actually, I was made to remember—that many years ago when Julian were a boy, he saw the baron—then Victor Geddes—push a young man off the turret here at the Grange. The man were called Roger.”
“Not the same Roger?”
“One in the same. Roger Barrett.” Punch nodded.
“The man that Miss Barrett called her brother.”
“Really her cousin, I reckon.” Punch sighed.
“So, it’s possible that Ellen was trying to punish the baron somehow.”
“Seems to be the sort of thing she’d do.”
Robert sighed.
“You’re wonderin’ what we should do now.”
“I am.” Robert nodded. “We’ve still a house full of guests.”
“And the corpses of three people. If you count Miss Barrett.” Punch added. “We can’t all just stay in here.”
“I think we should find Johnny Donnan.” Robert suggested. “To see what he knows.”
“What of Charles and Vi?” Punch asked. “We don’t know where they went. We need Finlay to wake up to tell us what he done with them.”
“Finlay couldn’t have dispatched both Charles and Violet alone, especially while poisoning Speight and taunting us.”
“You think his pa were involved?”
“I can’t think of anyone else.”
“Then, I reckon we should find ol’ Johnny, then. But, with Charles gone and Gerard in the shape what he’s in, I don’t like leavin’ the girls in here with Finlay—tied up though he be.”
“I’m here, Sir.” Georgie spoke up.
“Yes, and we appreciate it.” Robert looked up. “However…”
“I know you think I’m just a boy, Sir, but I’m strong and I’ll protect these folks if need be.”
“I have no doubt of your bravery.” Robert smiled.
“Sir,” Mrs. Pepper rose from her chair. “You’d best go with the Duke to find Donnan. We’ll be all right here.”
“I wish I could be sure.” Robert sighed.
“Doctor,” Ethel smiled. “I fought off that Miss Barrett all be me-self. I can handle Finlay when he’s tied up.”
“Very well.” Robert nodded. “Lock the doors behind us and don’t open them for anyone but us. Gamilla, I trust you’ll continue to look after Gerard and Mr. Speaight.”
“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla nodded.
Robert extended a hand to Mr. Punch who took it and rolled out from under the table.
Robert helped Punch to his feet.
“I hope we’re doin’ the right thing.” Punch whispered.
“I don’t see that we have any other choice, my dear.” Robert answered.
Did you miss
Chapters 1-154? If so, you can read them
here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 156
of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
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