“
Just how is goin’ to some fool party gonna help us with what we need to do?” Mr. Punch frowned. “’Sides, ain’t like it’s tomorrow. Not even Christmas yet for a week. Don’t fancy numbers, I don’t, but I can tell ya that the changin’ of the year happens well after Christmas. Are you sayin,’ we’re gonna stay here all that long?”
“I am.” Robert coughed. “It’s not as if we can simply depart for England whenever we wish. We wouldn’t be able to sail for the continent for at least a fortnight anyway.”
“Don’t need to go to some ball!” Punch grumbled. “Got Barbara right here in this house. I say we snatch her up, make her tell us where the diamond is, hit her with a stick, put her in a sack and drag her hulk onto a ship. See, that solves the problem, right there.”
“Does it?” Robert smiled.
“Sorta.” Mr. Punch grunted.
“How do you think Iolanthe Evageline will react when we put Barbara in a sack and take her to England? Have you forgotten that the ‘ogress’ fairly well owns Lady Barbara? We’ve seen that Miss Evangeline doesn’t care to have her possessions taken from her. We know what she tried to do to poor Naasir. She has at her disposal an army of people.”
“As the legend goes, so it is.” Naasir whispered.
“Oh,” Punch sighed. “There he goes again ‘bout the legend.”
“It’s true, Mr. Punch,” Naasir said politely.
Punch walked over the mantelpiece and leaned on it, putting Julian’s head in his hands. He began to mutter to himself as he often did. “Don’t know what’s goin’ on, I don’t. Chum wants to go to some ball. Gotta get all dressed in some bleedin’ uncomfortable thing what’s gonna pinch me neck. Got the girl right here, we do. Hit her with a stick. That’s the way to do it. Gotta stick somewhere I do. Easy to do. But, no, we gotta wait cuz we don’t want to make the ogress thing angry, we don’t. The other one’s talkin’ ‘bout stories what don’t make no sense. Oughta just hit her with a stick, bring her back to England.”
Robert sighed roughly and gestured to Naasir. “I think we’ve upset him.”
Naasir widened his eyes and looked helpless.
“Would you bring him back over here?” Robert smiled.
Naasir nodded.
“Mr. Punch, Sir?” Naasir whispered. “Dr. Halifax wants you to come to him.”
Mr. Punch grumbled, but did as requested. He flopped onto the bed next to Robert.
“Sometimes, me Chum, you’re not any fun at all. Listen, we could be doin’ all sorts o’ things. I got legs, see. Not puppet legs neither, but man legs what can do things. When you get better, you and I can live at me master’s big house in Belgravia, we could. We could walk ‘round Covent Garden and eat sweeties and see me kin what still work in the tent. Oh, and we could sing—loud like, mind. It’d be a lark! Why make ourselves wait? I got me master in here and all. He’ll come, too. All three of us could be nice and content-like.”
Robert tilted his head to one side and thought about what Punch had said. He hadn’t really considered going forward as “three of us.” He’d rather counted on just having Julian at his side. The idea of Mr. Punch also being a part of it was appealing in its way, but also more complicated than Robert had imagined. Interesting, but complicated.
Robert smiled. “Dear Punch, you know that I want to go back to London as much as you do. I’ve enjoyed being near Cecil and Adrienne, but our home is elsewhere. And, I would like very much to have that life in Belgrave Square. I’d like to see Julian return to his trade and regain the success and reputation that are so rightfully his. I want a peaceful life.”
“The three of us?” Mr. Punch asked softly.
“Inasmuch as you and Julian are individuals, yes, the three of us.” Robert nodded. “However, we won’t have the peaceful life you speak of if Iolanthe Evangeline remains a threat. Consider your plan. If we just take Barbara back to Her Grace, the ‘ogress’ will become enraged. She’ll set her henchmen on Cecil and Adrienne. She’ll stop at nothing to exact her revenge. We can’t let that happen. We can’t, in good conscience, leave for England knowing that we’ve left our family in peril.”
Julian’s eyes became moist as Mr. Punch choked back a sob. “And the little man, Fuller.”
“Correct.” Robert nodded.
“So, how’s goin’ to a ball gonna protect ‘em?”
“It’s my understanding that the elite of New Orleans will all be in attendance—as they always are—at Edward Cage’s ball. With the Rittenhouses, The Cages, The Fontanals, and all of the other wealthy, powerful people of New Orleans and its surrounding towns in one place, you can be sure that Iolanthe Evangeline will be present. It’s a masque, you know. Everyone will be in fancy dress. I’m certain she will slip in to make conquests and further line her pockets. That will be our opportunity to confront her publicly and bring her to some sort of justice in a situation where we will be protected. With Iolanthe out of the way, her influence on Barbara may fade and we can bring her back to England willingly—possibly with the Molliner Blue.”
“Without havin’ to hit her with a stick?”
“Precisely.” Robert coughed.
“Here, what ‘bout her baby what she sold?” Mr. Punch asked.
“That, dear Punch, I cannot answer.” Robert sighed.
Meanwhile, Adrienne climbed the wide stone steps to the grand front door of the Cage’s mansion. Cecil followed closely behind her.
“Darling,” Cecil whispered. “Are you quite sure you want to do this?”
“Quite.” Adrienne grinned. She caressed the small package she held in her hands. “Quite.” She repeated. She knocked on the thick door.
“We can turn back.” Cecil whispered quickly.
A liveried man with intelligent eyes opened the door.
“We’ve come to visit with Mrs. Cage.” Adrienne said. “We’ve brought a gift for the new baby.”
The man looked nervous.
“Will you announce us?” Adrienne said as she swept into the foyer. Cecil smiled anxiously and followed his wife.
“Please, wait here.” The man said formally in a voice that clearly was not his usual way of speaking, but rather one that had been trained into him.
“Of course.” Adrienne said, taking a seat on a silk-covered chair beneath the winding staircase.
Cecil shifted his weight uncomfortably while they waited.
Corliss Cage timidly emerged from an archway at the rear of the hall. She looked frail and each step she took seemed to cause her great pain.
“Mr. and Mrs. Halifax,” She said in a voice so faint, they could barely hear her. “How kind of you to come.”
“Mrs. Cage,” Adrienne began. “Carling Rittenhouse told us of your joyous news. We were so pleased. And, what a surprise; we had no idea you were expecting a blessed event.”
Corliss stiffened, her hands shook. “We did not make the news widely known.”
“A fine baby boy,” Adrienne smiled. “So, I’m told.”
“Yes.” Corliss nodded. “We thought that young Orman should have a brother. He’s too much with his cousin, Edolie, you know. We thought that having a male companion would be good for him.”
“How fortunate that you were blessed with a son, then.” Adrienne said gently.
“Yes.” Corliss whispered. “Edward is quite beside himself with happiness.”
“We’ve brought a small token to mark the arrival of your son.” Adrienne smiled, handing the package to Corliss. “It’s a silver cup. We could have it engraved for you if you like. We didn’t, however, know the child’s full name.”
“Holt.” Mrs. Cage said weakly. “Edward has called him Holt. Holt Barden Cage.”
“A fine name. Tell me, does he favor you or Mr. Cage?” Cecil asked.
“Pardon?” Corliss shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s too soon to say. He looks like himself. His eyes…such bright eyes.”
“May we see him?” Adrienne asked.
“Now?” Mrs. Cage looked startled.
“If it’s convenient.” Cecil answered quickly.
“He’s…sleeping.” Corliss said.
“We won’t disturb him.” Adrienne said. “They’re so darling when they’re asleep, aren’t they?”
“Orman wasn’t.” Corliss frowned. “He was fitful even when in slumber. This one seems calm enough.”
An awkward silence filled the hall.
“I do love babies.” Adrienne said, finally. “Their smell, their sweet softness.”
“Yes, what a delight.” Mrs. Cage responded flatly.
“Do you think we could see him?” Adrienne asked again. “We’ll be very quiet. Believe me, I know how to not wake a baby.”
Mrs. Cage looked blankly at the wall between Cecil and Adrienne. She paused there for several seconds before vacantly answering, “I don’t see any harm in it.”
Another awkward pause crept up on them.
“Shall we, then?” Cecil said.
“Allow me a moment to check on it…him, first.” Corliss whispered.
“We shall wait here.” Cecil nodded.
Corliss tentatively made her way up the steep spiral of the grand staircase, clutching the banister as she went.
Adrienne sighed once the woman was out of sight.
“My dear,” Cecil said softly to his wife. “We don’t have to do this.”
“You would leave a child with that woman?” Adrienne asked innocently. “You saw her. She’s drained of all life.”
“There are other ways.” Cecil said.
“We don’t have time for other ways.” Adrienne argued gently. “Darling, we have to take action.”
“For what, exactly?” A man’s voice boomed from the front door as Edward Cage swaggered into the house. “For what do you need to take action, my pretty, little French woman?”
Did you miss Chapters 1-70? If so, you can read them here.
