Chapter 228
As it Should Be
“Dear Punch,” Robert said nervously, “can you…my hair, I can’t get this bit in the back to stay flat…”
“Steady on, Chum.” Punch smiled, walked to stand behind Robert who sat anxiously at his desk in his study. He held a small hand-mirror and was studying his appearance.
Punch deftly ran his fingers through Robert’s dark hair, and as he did, each gentle wave fell neatly into place, framing the doctor’s face—a pleasing mosaic of smooth planes set at appealing angles and punctuated with sapphire eyes.
“Sometimes…” Punch said softly, looking over Robert’s shoulder at the reflection in the mirror. “Sometimes, I simply can’t understand how any one man can be as thoroughly beautiful as you are.”
Robert blushed. “I could say the same of you.”
“Eh…” Punch shrugged. “It’s only now I begun to recognize me-self in the mirror. I only just started to think of Julian’s body and face as me own. But, still, in my thoughts, I’m Mr. Punch--hunchback and red nose and all. Even when I do accept Julian's face as me own, I still know it's borrowed, even if he doesn't want it back. I ain't a handsome Duke, just a Punchinello.”
“Well, you’re not. But, even if you didn’t possess those big brown eyes and the soft flips of your auburn hair and that straight nose…even if you were a Punchinello is physical form with a hump and rigid, hooked chin, I’d still love every bit of you and think you most attractive.”
“I…umm…” Punch stammered. “Thank you.”
“I only speak the truth.”
“Chum…” Punch began. “When all this foolishness is done, can we lock out the world for awhile?”
“The entire world?” Robert smiled.
“Well, not Colin and Dog Toby. And…the staff. Just other folk. No other folk. Not a one.”
“I think we should, dear Punch. You and I haven’t had any time alone in too long.” Robert replied.
“No.” Mr. Punch shook his head. “We haven’t. Here, I know you gotta go back to doctorin’ soon, but, maybe we could take just a few days.”
“We can take as long as you want. Dear Punch, you’re…you and Colin…are the only things that really matter to me. Of course, I value my profession, as you do yours, but…”
“Say no more,” Punch grinned. “That were perfect.” He sighed. “Speaking of me profession, we’d best get downstairs. Blake’s waitin’ with the carriage.”
“How do I look?”
“Like perfection.”
“No, really.” Robert shook his head.
“Really.” Punch smiled.
“Because I couldn’t get my hair to stay right and…”
“Chum…” Punch began. “You look very handsome.”
“You think I’m being silly.” Robert chuckled. “Nervous as I am. It’s just so…unreal to me.”
“Oh, well, I understand that, I do. Everythin’s unreal to me.” Punch teased.
“I’m serious.”
“So’m I.”
“Cecil and I ate in the streets. We…we had nothing.”
“And you made yourself into somethin’, both of ya. How many boys like you and Cecil would’ve just given up? We see ‘em on the streets. Boys who got nothin’ and no one. They turn to stealin’ and worse. And…I ‘ate to say it, they meet sad ends. But, you and Cecil, you learned. You taught yourselves and you worked to pay for more education. Now, look at ya. He’s an artist with sculptures in fine museums and you’re the favored physician of Belgravia—a man what helped bring a Royal babe into the world. You deserve all the good in the world.”
“I’m so grateful that you think so.”
“You ain’t no poor, lost boy no more. You’re Dr. Robert Halifax who’s goin’ to see the Queen and Prince Consort because they like ‘im.”
“They like you.” Robert shook his head. “I’m merely your companion.”
“No. They like you as you are. Me notwithstanding. Queen Victoria likes you so much she preferred you to her regular surgeon. Yes? And, the Prince, I know, prefers you to me. You know, you worry that I’m the Duke of Fallbridge and you’re a doctor and that I belong at the palace and you don’t. But, don’t forget, Chum, I ain’t been a Duke long. I been a wild puppet man longer. It were Julian what were born to palaces. Not me. But, now I’m in the body, I gotta be, too. And, it’s ‘cause of you that I seen it’s possible for me to do all them things what Julian did. I want you to see that you can, too.” Punch said firmly. “You don’t gotta be anxious. You’re intelligent and handsome and well-liked. You belong at the side of the Crown just as much as I…maybe more.”
“I needed to hear that.” Robert said. “Thank you.”
“Well, it’s true. Besides, what’s to be nervous for, Chum? You seen the Queen without her clothes on, ain’t ya?”
“In part.” Robert furrowed his brow.
“Well, then, you know as well as anyone that she’s just a person like the rest of us.”
“True.”
“Now, if you’re gonna worry ‘bout anythin’, worry that Lady Constance and Lady Lensdown are gonna kill one ‘nother while we’re gone.”
“I do hope they keep away from one another. I’m sure Gertrude will be patient, but I fear that Constance will act rashly.”
“See, you got ‘nough to worry ‘bout without spendin’ thoughts on frettin’ that your handsome face ain’t handsome enough.”
“How did I ever function before knowing you?”
“Quite well, I’d reckon. But, I’m glad you don’t gotta no more.”
“You have no idea how glad I am.” Robert answered.
“Now, come on, Chum. Their Majesties may like us, but we saw what happened last time we were late. Ain’t no sense settin’ off Prince Albert ‘gain.”
“No.”
“And, when we get back, we’ll work on seein’ those poor little ones returned to their mamas.”
“And, then we’ll lock the door behind them all.”
“Right.” Punch winked. “And, it’ll be just you and me and our boy.”
“As it should be.” Robert replied. “That and nothing more.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-227? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 229 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
“Dear Punch,” Robert said nervously, “can you…my hair, I can’t get this bit in the back to stay flat…”
“Steady on, Chum.” Punch smiled, walked to stand behind Robert who sat anxiously at his desk in his study. He held a small hand-mirror and was studying his appearance.
Punch deftly ran his fingers through Robert’s dark hair, and as he did, each gentle wave fell neatly into place, framing the doctor’s face—a pleasing mosaic of smooth planes set at appealing angles and punctuated with sapphire eyes.
“Sometimes…” Punch said softly, looking over Robert’s shoulder at the reflection in the mirror. “Sometimes, I simply can’t understand how any one man can be as thoroughly beautiful as you are.”
Robert blushed. “I could say the same of you.”
“Eh…” Punch shrugged. “It’s only now I begun to recognize me-self in the mirror. I only just started to think of Julian’s body and face as me own. But, still, in my thoughts, I’m Mr. Punch--hunchback and red nose and all. Even when I do accept Julian's face as me own, I still know it's borrowed, even if he doesn't want it back. I ain't a handsome Duke, just a Punchinello.”
“Well, you’re not. But, even if you didn’t possess those big brown eyes and the soft flips of your auburn hair and that straight nose…even if you were a Punchinello is physical form with a hump and rigid, hooked chin, I’d still love every bit of you and think you most attractive.”
“I…umm…” Punch stammered. “Thank you.”
“I only speak the truth.”
“Chum…” Punch began. “When all this foolishness is done, can we lock out the world for awhile?”
“The entire world?” Robert smiled.
“Well, not Colin and Dog Toby. And…the staff. Just other folk. No other folk. Not a one.”
“I think we should, dear Punch. You and I haven’t had any time alone in too long.” Robert replied.
“No.” Mr. Punch shook his head. “We haven’t. Here, I know you gotta go back to doctorin’ soon, but, maybe we could take just a few days.”
“We can take as long as you want. Dear Punch, you’re…you and Colin…are the only things that really matter to me. Of course, I value my profession, as you do yours, but…”
“Say no more,” Punch grinned. “That were perfect.” He sighed. “Speaking of me profession, we’d best get downstairs. Blake’s waitin’ with the carriage.”
“How do I look?”
“Like perfection.”
“No, really.” Robert shook his head.
“Really.” Punch smiled.
“Because I couldn’t get my hair to stay right and…”
“Chum…” Punch began. “You look very handsome.”
“You think I’m being silly.” Robert chuckled. “Nervous as I am. It’s just so…unreal to me.”
“Oh, well, I understand that, I do. Everythin’s unreal to me.” Punch teased.
“I’m serious.”
“So’m I.”
“Cecil and I ate in the streets. We…we had nothing.”
“And you made yourself into somethin’, both of ya. How many boys like you and Cecil would’ve just given up? We see ‘em on the streets. Boys who got nothin’ and no one. They turn to stealin’ and worse. And…I ‘ate to say it, they meet sad ends. But, you and Cecil, you learned. You taught yourselves and you worked to pay for more education. Now, look at ya. He’s an artist with sculptures in fine museums and you’re the favored physician of Belgravia—a man what helped bring a Royal babe into the world. You deserve all the good in the world.”
“I’m so grateful that you think so.”
“You ain’t no poor, lost boy no more. You’re Dr. Robert Halifax who’s goin’ to see the Queen and Prince Consort because they like ‘im.”
“They like you.” Robert shook his head. “I’m merely your companion.”
“No. They like you as you are. Me notwithstanding. Queen Victoria likes you so much she preferred you to her regular surgeon. Yes? And, the Prince, I know, prefers you to me. You know, you worry that I’m the Duke of Fallbridge and you’re a doctor and that I belong at the palace and you don’t. But, don’t forget, Chum, I ain’t been a Duke long. I been a wild puppet man longer. It were Julian what were born to palaces. Not me. But, now I’m in the body, I gotta be, too. And, it’s ‘cause of you that I seen it’s possible for me to do all them things what Julian did. I want you to see that you can, too.” Punch said firmly. “You don’t gotta be anxious. You’re intelligent and handsome and well-liked. You belong at the side of the Crown just as much as I…maybe more.”
“I needed to hear that.” Robert said. “Thank you.”
“Well, it’s true. Besides, what’s to be nervous for, Chum? You seen the Queen without her clothes on, ain’t ya?”
“In part.” Robert furrowed his brow.
“Well, then, you know as well as anyone that she’s just a person like the rest of us.”
“True.”
“Now, if you’re gonna worry ‘bout anythin’, worry that Lady Constance and Lady Lensdown are gonna kill one ‘nother while we’re gone.”
“I do hope they keep away from one another. I’m sure Gertrude will be patient, but I fear that Constance will act rashly.”
“See, you got ‘nough to worry ‘bout without spendin’ thoughts on frettin’ that your handsome face ain’t handsome enough.”
“How did I ever function before knowing you?”
“Quite well, I’d reckon. But, I’m glad you don’t gotta no more.”
“You have no idea how glad I am.” Robert answered.
“Now, come on, Chum. Their Majesties may like us, but we saw what happened last time we were late. Ain’t no sense settin’ off Prince Albert ‘gain.”
“No.”
“And, when we get back, we’ll work on seein’ those poor little ones returned to their mamas.”
“And, then we’ll lock the door behind them all.”
“Right.” Punch winked. “And, it’ll be just you and me and our boy.”
“As it should be.” Robert replied. “That and nothing more.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-227? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 229 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
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