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Sir Danvers watched his future son-in-law as he perused the vast library
shelves of Crew Manor. If there was one thing to be sure of, it was
that Emma could not have chosen a more educated man for marriage. Constantly
reading and taking in new things, he always paused-even tonight, on
the eve of his wedding day-to see if there was a novel that peaked
his interest. Even as he stood with his back to the aging Governor, Dr.
Jekyll was
visibly healthier than he had been a few short weeks ago, at the culmination
if his consuming experiments. Sir Danvers knew so little of his work .
. .
yet he fully realized the toll it had taken on Henry's well being.
His pale and drawn complexion was now a much healthier shade of peach,
and his
cheeks had regained their rosy hue. Even his tired and over-worked
posture had vanished, and was replaced by the tall, proud stance Emma had
come
to adore. Surely his hardships had ended, and the wedding would not
be clouded by distant memories. And rightly so, at the cost of the festivities!
Marrying his daughter had not seemed
a costly thing until the planning was underway . . . her dress, the flowers,
and the reception! Of course
price was no object when his daughter's happiness was involved, and
with the comfortable existence he maintained, he had no need to be stingy.
And
so the plans were made! Emma had planned the finishing touches in such
minute detail-the sprig of parsley on the guest's dinner plates, fresh
bouquets
for the bridesmaids, the lace trimming for her gloves. She had gone
so far as to coordinate the flower on Jekyll's lapel, so it would complement
the
fixture on his watch fob! Henry simply laughed away, enjoying the sight
of fianc*e in such dizzying organization. He had commented on this at a
luncheon that the three had shared-along with Jekyll's assistant Helena
St. Just--some three weeks ago. Saying, with his newly regained sense of
humor, "I have been instructed by Ms. Carew to arrive at the chapel
in my proper dress--chosen for me down to the undergarments, I might add-and
recite the words 'I do'. The rest of the details will be handled by
my wonderful, and utterly meticulous, bride-to-be ... And may God help
anyone that
stands in her way!" The look on her face as he took her hands in his
own spoke volumes of her true feelings. All thoughts he had entertained
about
discouraging the marriage faded when he saw he face light up like that,
and it had not failed to do so since the first meeting of the betrothed.
They had been a time when he had
pressed her relationship with Simon Stride, thinking Henry too radical
and driven for his tender daughter.
She, perhaps, did not fully understand the stipulations of marriage
to a man impassioned by his work. But Jekyll's determination filled Emma
with
such love and support, while Stride's pompous attitude grew more and
more dislikable. When it had become obvious which of the two Emma trusted
with her heart, Sir Danvers had taken Jekyll into this very library
to discuss the future of the relationship.
"How do you wish to involve yourself with my daughter, Dr. Jekyll?" He had asked.
"I wish to make her my wife, Sir."
He had replied frankly. Sir Danvers had never met a man so sure of himself,
and this became a deciding
factor in his approval of the engagement.
"You realize I will not have my daughter wed to a gentleman who holds his work in higher esteem than his wife."
"Than I suggest you give us your
blessing, because in my life there is only Emma, and my future with her
and the family we will create." His
forthright and curt attitude was much contributed to the discrepancies
between the Board of Governors and the doctor, for the engagement had
coincided quite closely with the cancellation of Jekyll's grant. The
two had been both enemies and friends at the same time; a relationship
that was very
different from the mutual understanding they now shared. As he watched
the young doctor reach up to remove a volume from the shelf, Sir Danvers
was filled with admiration and love.
"I trust a good book is just the
thing for wedding night nerves." Jekyll carefully examined the binding
of the leather-bound edition, turning it
over in his hands rather anxiously. "How will I ever sleep tonight?
With visions of your darling daughter galloping through my mind like untamed
horses!"
"Most likely the same way you were
able to dine with me, still maintaining the pre-marital traditions, Henry."
He smiled, crossing the room to
pour himself and Henry a drink.
"How true! To dine in my fiancee's
house without seeing her, surely you wished to torture me a final time
before I become family, Sir
Danvers!" He chided, accepting the glass of Bourbon graciously.
"Emma is grateful that you were
able to supply her with the company of Ms. St. Just, for she was quite
angry at my request she dine alone in
the kitchen! Still she understood the urgency of the matter at hand,
and was excited that you should receive such good news from the Board.
I could
not wait another moment to tell you of the reinstatement, no matter
the time nor the day."
"And I am grateful for this, truly
I am. I trust the reversal of the Board's decision to terminate my funding
has much to do with your
opinions-does it not?"
"I have said my share, you can
be certain, but the entire board was willing to give you another chance
. . . considering the success you had in
advancing your formula, the one they rather close-mindedly refused
to let you test." He looked at the young doctor as his features clouded
over.
"I must tell you, Sir Danvers,
in the strictest of confidence . . . the refusal of the board regarding
this matter was the best solution for all parties
involved."
"Dr. Jekyll! I'm shocked to hear
you say this, what with the personal nature of your experiments-and your
utmost commitment to your work."
He took a sip of his drink, gesturing towards the doctor to continue
his explanation. Henry took a deep breath, and began.
"I tested the formula on several
subjects in my own laboratory-animals of course-and the results were disastrous.
Not incorrect, mind you-it
seemed the formula worked too well. The Board's termination of my funds
gave me a chance to realize my errors in perusing a solution to the problem
in the first place." Now it was Henry's turn to take a sip.
"Cigar?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Surely you can't mean what you say, you spent nearly two months locked in your laboratory, seeking the completion of your experiments-"
"--Seeking the reversal of the
formula I had already developed." He said gravely, his voice giving Sir
Danvers a glimpse of the trials he had
endured. "My overzealous heart caused me to act too quickly, I nearly
threw it all away. Everything."
"I had no idea it was that serious,
Henry. I would have liked to help you, but your scarcity negated my attempts
at understanding your
dilemma. I was very concerned for your safety . . . and for my darling
Emma's as well." He lit the cigars, and the two men paused, each lost in
his
own thoughts.
"Understand that she was on my
mind the every moment of my struggle, driving me forward like the voice
of a siren. Had it not been for her
letters, her love and understanding . . . I doubt I would have survived."
He shuddered at the literal truth in this seemingly fantastic statement.
"To think
I nearly frightened her away with my seclusion! I do not exaggerate
when I say my scarcity was of the utmost importance, Sir Danvers."
"I understand this Henry, which
is why I convinced the board to let you continue you work. I should think
you will be anxious to get back to
work on this mystery formula . . . I don't seem to be able to recall
its function . . . " Henry slowly exhaled, watching the smoke spiral to
the ceiling.
His mind searched for the proper way to "explain" his formula . . .
without prompting any more questions. This was his past, and his future
. . . she
was dining in the kitchen with Helena, no doubt furious at her father
for having the audacity to invite her fiancee to dine with him privately
on the eve
of their nuptials! Catching his thoughts, yet again, as they strayed
to his beautiful bride, Henry decided to describe his experiment as vaguely
as
possible.
"I sought to . . . separate the
two halves of man, to alleviate the constant struggle between them. I felt
this division would explain the enigmatic
aspects of mental illness, and provide me with a cure. I regretfully
discovered there is no cure."
"Perhaps with the funding of the Board to aid in your research, you'll be able to continue your inquiry for a remedy."
"I no longer need one, Sir Danvers."
He said ruefully. He realized the implements of this sentence made him
seem both selfish and ungrateful,
but could not very well explain things any further.
"I should think the death of your
father would only strengthen your need to find the truth." He gave the
young doctor a casual glance, yet he
knew that Jekyll's abandonment of his work was not simply due to his
father's untimely death. Surely there was something troubling him, something
so powerful that it had stolen the man's will. Whatever answers he
had encountered, in the weeks he spent alone with his work, had frightened
him
away.
"I know the truth, Sir Danvers,
and it is something that should not be tampered with. All I wish to investigate
in the future is the limit of
happiness, which I suspect I will never find, being wed to the woman
I love in a few short hours!" Henry thought this was an excellent segway
on his
part, and that Danvers wouldn't dare to reopen the conversation he
had just put to rest. He was wrong.
"If you know the truth, than why
abandon your work? Why settle for someone else's truth when you can create
you own? Surely you can't
stay away, Henry-I know you too well."
"There are so many more important
things in life, things so much more worth exploring!" He stood from the
comfortable leather chair,
walking to the blazing fireplace. He caught a glimpse of himself in
the mirror above the hearth, and quickly glanced away, frightened by the
look angst
lingering in his own eyes. He wanted to tell Sir Danvers the truth,
to make his story known. Even more importantly he wanted to dispel any
thoughts
the man had about his mysterious seclusion. The old man had been very
close to breaking the engagement, for the sake of his daughter. Jekyll
knew
this, although Sir Danvers had attempted to hide it from him. He wished
he could set things straight once and for all, but no one could ever know
what
had happened. Henry would take his horrible secrets with him to the
grave.
He turned towards Sir Danvers,
smiling faintly at his own inability to express the thoughts he wished
to convey. Finally the words came to
him: "One cannot investigate the inner demons of man without discovering
a few of his own."