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After pulling myself together as best I could, I'd finished dressing for the gathering in a spare room. And though I tried to accomplish this with some speed, I was...less than prompt in arriving...
"My dear boy," Sir Danvers greeted me with that familiar sarcastic grin, "I was not serious about inviting the guests the day after the wedding, you know. You neednít practice your tardiness!"
"I apologize, sir," I winced, "...A second time...but I can assure you it will not happen again!"
Before he could say another word, Emma had spotted me, and rushing across the room, took me by the arm and began to lead me across the room to a group of her companions, discussing some subject and chortling merrily. I glanced helplessly over my shoulder at Sir Danvers, and gestured towards my love. He merely laughed.
"Henry, this is Marianne Nellsworth. Marianne, Dr. Henry Jekyll."
"Oh, Dr. Jekyll!" exclaimed the tawny-haired girl, carrying a toddler. She extended a hand, which I wordlessly brought to my lips, "I have heard so much of you!"
"I hope that you will not hold it against me, then!" I replied, straightening.
She laughed, pulling her hand back to support her child. "No, Doctor, I can assure you that if you indeed have any vices, Emma has not mentioned them. Beyond that, I am certain their number cannot exceed that of your qualities and achievements. It is truly an honor to meet you."
"I am...most flattered, Mrs. Nellsworth...I have many vices, however, and as I am sure you now know, one of them is my lack of punctuality. Forgive me."
She smiled warmly. "Of course."
"May I?" Questioned Emma, motioning in the direction of the baby.
"By all means!"
Emma slowly took the child in her arms, gasping exaggeratedly. "Hello!" She raised her voice to a coo, "Hello, Oliver! How are you? How are you?!" Tickling its nose, the infant seemed to giggle. What a wonderful mother she would make one day...
"Dr. Jekyll!" I heard a very familiar voice behind my back, and footsteps approaching me...and against my better judgement, I turned around.
"Mr. Stride."
"So nice to see you. I was afraid you werenít going to show up, but I reminded myself whom I was waiting for."
I chuckled, a little too loudly.
"It has been some time since I last saw you, I'm sure you'll have much to tell us all at supper..."
"Mr. Stride, I assure you, there isn't much to --"
"Supper is served!" Sir Danvers called. Chatter spread across the assemblage of guests in the room.
"Well, it looks as though that time has come!" Stride sneered.
Thereupon, Emma stepped in between us, bless her... "Shall we, Henry?"
"I would love to."
We strolled to the dining room arm in arm, without another word, leaving Stride to himself.
"Well, Jekyll, how have you been?" Sir Archibald Proops shoved a bit of beef into his mouth and swallowed. "Haven't seen you since you gave us that proposal of yours...What are you up to now?"
"I've been trying to keep out of trouble." I replied with a smug grin, "Nice, simple theories. What makes sugar sweet, and related items."
"Better simple than sacrilegious!" grunted the Bishop, waving his fork.
"Sir--" I began.
"Please!" Sir Danvers broke in, "This is a meal, not a meeting."
"Forgive me, Sir Danvers, but I was merely responding to Sir Archibaldís query of...what I was 'up to'... "
"...But we needn't discuss that here." he said with a warning glance.
'Yes, not here, Henry, we can settle it...later...'
I gasped, dropping my knife, sending it clattering against my plate. No, I thought, not now...We had finished that conversation...
"Henry...?" Emma said, concerned, touching my arm.
"If you would all excuse me for a moment..." I rushed out of the room.
I took a seat on the marble ledge before the fireplace, breathing deeply. After a few minutes, it seemed as though he;d departed...but I wanted to be sure...
I saw a shadow in the doorway.
"Mrs. Nellsworth...!" I began to stand as she entered.
"No, please, itís completely all right."
I sat once more.
"Oliver is sleeping," she whispered as she placed him in a crib she had brought, "He will be fine here."
I nodded, and she exited quietly.
Should I return to the dining room? I thought...Not yet, perhaps he'd be stirred again...I did not want Emma or her father to think my behavior rude, but I could not allow myself to become upset with them...They did upset me, though! How could I not be agitated, when those charlatans began their marching again, one after the other, to the same insipid and ceaseless beat, beat, beat... of the same old drummer...And, not only that...
Another insipid noise, this one perceivable to the average human ear, pierced the air...It was none other than the barking of the beloved Bartholomew James...
"James, do shut up." I spoke aloud to the dog. He glanced at me. I believe he was as surprised at my presence as I was at his. He paused his barking.
I closed my eyes...Was my entire situation beginning to spin out of my control? What would become of...
The yipping resumed. "You know, that really isn't what I am in need of, dog..." I said rising and walking toward him.
And the little beast, would you believe, actually had the impertinence not only to approach me, but bite my pant leg, and growling, tug at it. I tried to shake the mutt off, but he would not release the fabric...until he decided to bite my ankle.
In a sudden fit of rage, I kicked the dog, sending it into the ledge. The dog yelped, and I heard the sickening crack as its bones smacked into the marble...It lay on the floor, a whimpering mass of dark fur.
My next thought was to silence the animal as quickly as possible. I dove to my knees, and with a snap, broke its spine.
There was absolute quiet for a moment. Then Oliver began to wail, as a result of the movement.
I stared at the mangled terrier before me...and was struck with the horror of what I had done...This was not possible...
"James!" Emma exclaimed, rushing down to her pet. I observed tears already forming in her eyes. "Henry, what happened?"
"James..You see..." I fumbled for an instant, as Oliver's cries grew louder....Oliver!
"James..." I told her with the most composed attitude I could muster, "Was going to attack little Oliver..."
"Surely, he wouldn't!" she said, shocked.
"I am afraid to say that is the truth. I had to stop him, as anyone would value a human life over an animal..."
"He couldnít have hurt him! He was such a small dog..."
"A small dog, yes, but large incisors," I informed her, motioning to my forearm, where I was once bitten, "I happen to know."
It did not seem feasible. I was lying to my dearest, and every fabrication seemed to roll off my tongue more easily than the last...
"Of course..." she choked between sobs...All of the guests were now in the room, and the child had been quieted and removed from the room by its mother. Emma had also left. A servant came to collect the deceased creature.
"If you saved that baby, Henry," Sir Danvers said quietly after I'd risen, "You are a bit of a hero."
"I...No, I am hardly that..."
"Yes," chimed in a friend Emma had introduced me to, but whose name escapes me at the moment, "Splendid work, old chap!"
The guilt grew with each look of approval and appreciation I received. I pushed my way out of the room.
Standing in the hallway, I took one of my shaking hands in the other...What was I capable of?
'Splendid work, old chap! Well done!'
He burst into a fit of wild laughter that I soon found I could not shut
out of my mind for some time.
Part Six