Chapter 318
Twins
“Oh, oh, oh.” Ulrika chirped as she came down the stairs. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Fern turned around, red-faced, and pressed her back against the tall front door of Hamish House. “Nowhere.”
“Just polishing the doorknob, are you?” Ulrika grinned.
“I…”
“Really, Fern.” Ulrika chortled. “I know you think you’re clever, but, really, there’s nothing you can do that I’ve not already done—and much better. We told you that we weren’t going to lock you up, but if you’re going to be a little imp, well…”
“Please…” Fern pleaded. “Please, just let me go.”
“Go?” Ulrika howled. “Go where?”
“I’d like to go back to the Duke of Fallbridge.”
“Really?” Ulrika laughed. “If I recall correctly, dear, didn’t I open the door last night to find you running from there?”
“I was wrong.” Fern said.
“Oh, poor dear.” Ulrika feigned a pout. “Don’t you like it here?”
“No.”
“What can we do to make you more comfortable?” Ulrika winked. “Would you like me to talk like a servant? Shall I fancy that I’m a puppet? Maybe I’ll be Judy. Yes, you can call me Judy. Then, perhaps you’ll feel at home.”
Fern whimpered.
“Really, Fern. You have no reason to complain. This is the very house in which you lived with your mother.”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, either way. You’re familiar with the place. We’ve even given you your old room. And, I’m sure the house is filled with memories.”
“It is.”
“Were you here when your mother hanged herself?” Ulrika grinned. She pointed above herself. “I didn’t get to see it. But, the noose was still here. Hanging from that pillar…just there. She must have tied it around and jumped from the balcony. Now, that, Fern, is true cleverness.”
Fern began to sob.
“And, just think, dear. Both of your parents died in this house.” She sighed. “Ah…well, not everyone can be as fortunate.” Her eyes brightened. “Speaking of your father, Giovanni spent most of the night reassembling him. You did a fine, fine job collecting his pieces. Have you seen him yet? He’s almost whole. Go and look. He’s in the dining room.”
“No!” Fern shouted.
“Really, nothing is good enough for you, is it?” Ulrika inhaled.
“If you let me go,” Fern sobbed, “the Duke will give you anything you want. He’s very, very wealthy.”
“I know.” Ulrika nodded. “One of the wealthiest men in your country.”
“He’ll give you anything. Just let me go.”
“Will he?” Ulrika laughed. “First of all, your puppet Duke mandrake hates me. And, then, there’s another problem. Why would he want you back? It’s not as if you’re a relative of his. You were just some orphan who was given to him. He already has one orphan. And, that one has his own blood in him. He’s got a son and heir because of it. What good is some weasel of a girl to him?”
“He wants me.”
“Does he? Really? Is it because you were so kind and sweet while you were there? Were you helpful and gentile? Did you make everyone love you with your charm?”
Fern was silent.
“I didn’t think so.” Ulrika laughed. “Now, if you don’t want to visit with your father, you’d best go see Marduk. He’s waiting for you with your Auntie Orpha. You know…you look a bit like her. If you had one hand, you’d look even more like her.”
Fern gasped and pressed her hands together.
“I should like you to look more like your Auntie.” Ulrika grinned. “And, if I ever see you touching the knob of that front door again, well…let’s just say you’ll be twins.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-317 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 319.
“Oh, oh, oh.” Ulrika chirped as she came down the stairs. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Fern turned around, red-faced, and pressed her back against the tall front door of Hamish House. “Nowhere.”
“Just polishing the doorknob, are you?” Ulrika grinned.
“I…”
“Really, Fern.” Ulrika chortled. “I know you think you’re clever, but, really, there’s nothing you can do that I’ve not already done—and much better. We told you that we weren’t going to lock you up, but if you’re going to be a little imp, well…”
“Please…” Fern pleaded. “Please, just let me go.”
“Go?” Ulrika howled. “Go where?”
“I’d like to go back to the Duke of Fallbridge.”
“Really?” Ulrika laughed. “If I recall correctly, dear, didn’t I open the door last night to find you running from there?”
“I was wrong.” Fern said.
“Oh, poor dear.” Ulrika feigned a pout. “Don’t you like it here?”
“No.”
“What can we do to make you more comfortable?” Ulrika winked. “Would you like me to talk like a servant? Shall I fancy that I’m a puppet? Maybe I’ll be Judy. Yes, you can call me Judy. Then, perhaps you’ll feel at home.”
Fern whimpered.
“Really, Fern. You have no reason to complain. This is the very house in which you lived with your mother.”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, either way. You’re familiar with the place. We’ve even given you your old room. And, I’m sure the house is filled with memories.”
“It is.”
“Were you here when your mother hanged herself?” Ulrika grinned. She pointed above herself. “I didn’t get to see it. But, the noose was still here. Hanging from that pillar…just there. She must have tied it around and jumped from the balcony. Now, that, Fern, is true cleverness.”
Fern began to sob.
“And, just think, dear. Both of your parents died in this house.” She sighed. “Ah…well, not everyone can be as fortunate.” Her eyes brightened. “Speaking of your father, Giovanni spent most of the night reassembling him. You did a fine, fine job collecting his pieces. Have you seen him yet? He’s almost whole. Go and look. He’s in the dining room.”
“No!” Fern shouted.
“Really, nothing is good enough for you, is it?” Ulrika inhaled.
“If you let me go,” Fern sobbed, “the Duke will give you anything you want. He’s very, very wealthy.”
“I know.” Ulrika nodded. “One of the wealthiest men in your country.”
“He’ll give you anything. Just let me go.”
“Will he?” Ulrika laughed. “First of all, your puppet Duke mandrake hates me. And, then, there’s another problem. Why would he want you back? It’s not as if you’re a relative of his. You were just some orphan who was given to him. He already has one orphan. And, that one has his own blood in him. He’s got a son and heir because of it. What good is some weasel of a girl to him?”
“He wants me.”
“Does he? Really? Is it because you were so kind and sweet while you were there? Were you helpful and gentile? Did you make everyone love you with your charm?”
Fern was silent.
“I didn’t think so.” Ulrika laughed. “Now, if you don’t want to visit with your father, you’d best go see Marduk. He’s waiting for you with your Auntie Orpha. You know…you look a bit like her. If you had one hand, you’d look even more like her.”
Fern gasped and pressed her hands together.
“I should like you to look more like your Auntie.” Ulrika grinned. “And, if I ever see you touching the knob of that front door again, well…let’s just say you’ll be twins.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-317 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 319.
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