A Recipe for Punch, Chapter 54

Chapter 54
Not with Metal


"Your Grace, this door ain't locked."  Gamilla shook her head.  "Not with metal, it ain't."

"I don't understand."  Punch squinted.

"I done tried the key you gave me.  It don't work."  Gamilla answered.

"Only that's the master key.  It oughta open all the doors in the house."

"Don't open this one."  Gamilla replied.

Punch stepped back.  "Come away from the door, Gamilla."

"Yes, Your Grace."

"I'm going to try the door in your sitting room again, Auntie Morgana."  Punch said as calmly as he could.

"It will not bu...budge, Punch."  Morgana shook her head.  

"Miss Morgana is right, Your Grace."  Gamilla nodded.

"Only we gotta get outta here.  I gotta see 'bout Colin!"  Punch exclaimed nervously.

Gamilla closed her eyes.  "Master Colin is safe."

"Are you sure?"  Punch asked.

"I am."  Gamilla replied.  "It ain't young Colin she wants."

"She?"  Punch placed his hand over his mouth.  "Not?"

"Your...your mother."  Morgana whispered.

"Yes, Your Grace."  Gamilla nodded.  "Her spirit is angry."

"She oughta be pleased.  She's been taken out o' that cupboard in put in the crypt, nice 'n' proper as she shoulda been from the start.  She should be at peace.  Before she was hangin' there like bacon."

"No.  She considered it a reliquary--a place to be revered, and a place where..."  Gamilla stopped.

"Where?"  Punch asked.

"It can't be so."  Gamilla shook her head.

"Go on, Gamilla."  Punch urged.

"Where she could wait to live again.  Now, she's with the dead, and she's angry."

"Folk don't get to come back once they been dead."  Punch spat.  "That isn't the way it works."  He looked around the room.  "And, lockin' livin' folk in rooms isn't gonna change that none, it isn't!"

"She ain't here, Your Grace."  Gamilla responded.

"Where is she?"  Punch asked.

"She's gone to the crypt."  Gamilla answered, shutting her eyes again.

"Robert!"  Punch exclaimed.  "And, Gerry and Charles."

"They're trapped, too."  Gamilla nodded.

Punch hurried to the windows of Morgana's room.

"Punch, what are you thinking?"  Morgana went to her nephew's side.  "The fall would...kill you."

"I dunno."  Punch sniffed.  "Gamilla, try the bell again.  See if we can't get someone to come up here."

"Yes, Your Grace."  Gamilla answered.  She tried the bell-pull again, but it still wouldn't move.

"Is there nothing we can do?"  Punch moaned.  "Aside from banging on the door?"

"There is something."  Gamilla replied.  "If you're willing to risk it."



Did you miss Chapters 1-53 of A Recipe for Punch?  If so, you can read them here.  Come back tomorrow for Chapter 55.