Chapter 272
Who Will See
“Good evening, Miss Fern,” Gamilla smiled as she entered the day nursery. “I see Charles done brought some o’ your things in here.”
Fern nodded.
“Now, I know most of Master Colin’s toys ain’t fittin’ a girl your age, but, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind ya playin’ with anythin’ you like.” Gamilla continued. She chuckled. “Silly, I reckon, me sayin’ he’d mind or not mind somethin’. Him bein’ a baby and all…”
“You would be surprised.” Fern sighed. “Babies often know more than they let on.”
Gamilla shook her head, recalling what the Duke had told her of Fern’s experiences. She quickly changed the subject. “Would you like to play with anything?”
“I don’t play.” Fern shook her head.
“Oh. Well, it’s time for me to give Master Colin his bath. Maybe you’d like to help me. Have you seen Master Colin yet?”
“Yes.” Fern replied.
“Ain’t he a fine lookin’ baby?” Gamilla grinned.
“He looks like the Duke.” Fern replied stiffly. “He is the Duke’s charge, yes? Not His Grace’s real son.”
“His Grace considers himself to be the boy’s father even though he ain’t actually.” Gamilla answered.
“How is it, then, that they resemble one another so?” Fern asked.
“They’re related.” Gamilla answered honestly.
“I thought they might be.” Fern replied. “Did the boy have no father? Was he a bastard? Like me.”
“You shouldn’t say such a thing ‘bout yourself, Miss Fern. And, that ain’t a word a lady should use.”
“But, it’s true. Isn’t it? That’s what I am. Is that what the boy is?”
“He was born to an unmarried woman. The Duke’s sister.” Gamilla replied, knowing that Punch would wish her to be honest with the girl.
“Miss Lennie?” Fern asked.
“No.” Gamilla shook her head. “His Grace had another sister. She’s gone now.”
“Oh.” Fern smirked. “Gone like my mother?”
“Not ‘xactly.”
“Still, she left behind a child.”
“Fern,” Gamilla began. “There’s lots of boys and girls in the world what were born to folk what wasn’t married. Miss Lennie was one such person. I was, too. Don’t mean nothin’ ‘bout us. Don’t mean we’re any less than anyone else. Ya hear?”
“You were, too?” Fern asked.
“My mama and papa weren’t married in the sense what people think of here, no.”
“And, Miss Lennie?” Fern squinted. “How can that be? She’s the Duke’s sister.”
“She is.” Gamilla nodded. “She was born to the Duke’s mama. Her father was a man who wasn’t the Duchess’ husband. That don’t speak well of the Duchess. But, it don’t say nothin’ ‘bout Miss Lennie for it weren’t her doin’ no more than it were your doin’ nor mine nor Colin’s.”
“Yet, His Grace doesn’t mind? He takes all these people in and calls them his family. Even you.”
“His Grace is very kind. He don’t judge folk. He loves and allows people to love him. Don’t matter who Colin’s real papa was. As far as His Grace is concerned, Colin’s his son. Don’t matter how Miss Lennie came to be. The Duke still loves her as his sister. And, he done took you in so you could have a home, too. He likes to give to folk.”
“Is it because he’s mad?”
“No.” Gamilla frowned slightly. “The Duke ain’t mad.” She shook her head. “He’s different from others, but he ain’t mad.”
“Then, why does he call himself Mr. Punch?”
“Why shouldn’t he?” Gamilla smiled. “Just as you and me and everyone else in this house is different, so is the Duke. But, you see yourself how kind and generous he is. Dr. Halifax is the same way. He done gave you his name and all. Both of the masters want to think of you as their niece.”
“Why am I said to be a niece when Colin is thought of as a son?”
Gamilla narrowed her eyes and thought about it for a moment. “Well, I reckon cuz Colin’s a baby. The Duke and Dr. Halifax…they’re gonna raise him like their own son. You’re already part grown. Do I make sense?”
“Some.” Fern replied coolly.
“They just want us all to feel safe…like a family, even though we ain’t all related by blood.”
“I should say not.” Fern answered. She finally looked directly at Gamilla. “I’ve never seen anyone of your sort before.”
“Not many have in these parts.” Gamilla nodded.
“You’re not from here?”
“No. The Duke and Dr. Halifax found me in America where I was workin’ for Dr. Halifax’s brother.”
“His Grace and Dr. Halifax aren’t related?”
“Not by blood.”
“Yet, everyone refers to them as ‘the masters’ as if they’re equal.”
“They are, to us.” Gamilla replied. “Some households got a Lord and a Lady. Some got a Duke and a Duchess. We got a Duke and a Doctor.”
“They’re not married?”
Gamilla raised an eyebrow. “How do ya mean, Miss Fern?”
“They don’t have wives?”
“Uhhhh…no, Miss Fern. They don’t. They got one another.”
“Is anyone here married?” Fern asked.
“Well, Miss. Not yet. But, in three weeks time I will be.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I’m goin’ to marry the doctor’s valet.”
“Is he like you?”
“No, Miss.” Gamilla answered. “You saw him earlier at tea. He’s the blond fella who limps a little.”
“Will you have babies?”
“Maybe so.”
“What color will they be?”
“Don’t know, Miss. Whatever they’ll be, if they’ll be, we’ll love them.”
“You would love your child, whatever it was?” Fern furrowed her brow.
‘I would.”
“What if it was a monster?”
“Even then.”
“I see.” Fern nodded. “I don’t think I shall be as generous as all that.”
“Don’t you?”
“No.”
“I think you’ll learn a lot from the Duke and Dr. Halifax. I know I done learned more than I ever thought. Even learned things about my own self, Miss Fern. I thought and seen and done things I never knew I could. You’ll see. It’ll be the same for you.”
“I’ve already thought and seen and done everything.” Fern shook her head. “There’s nothing left. Not for me.”
“That ain’t so, Miss.” Gamilla replied. “You’ll see.”
“No.” Fern smiled. “I think it is you who will see.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-271? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 273 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.
