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As Emma sat expecting her guest, she had let the moment slip right by her. As Isabel walked into the room, she was still trying to busy herself by knitting and did not hear Poole's announcement as they came silently into the parlor.
"Miss Carew?" her guest began hesitantly, "I'm Isabel, Isabel Durum. I received your request to see me...here I am."
Emma looked up, and with an expression of pleasure on her drawn face, she rose to her feet and embraced her. This warm greeting surprised Isabel, but it was most welcome and she returned the affection. "I'm so glad to meet you, Miss Duram."
"Likewise, Miss Carew. You may call me Isabel if you wish. It is has been a long time since I was in London, but it does not look like it has changed a great deal. I see it still rains quite a bit."
Emma agreed with her. "No, London is not a very dry place to live sometimes. Did you have a pleasant trip here?"
"It was interesting to say the least and everyone I met seemed to be very polite and considerate of me." Isabel said, remembering the people she met in the cab ride. "Some were more friendly than others; but, yes, I had a nice trip."
"I was wondering if you were going to stay in town for a while or perhaps you are only here for a short visit?"
"Well, I had planned on getting a hotel and maybe going on a sight-seeing tour. A few weeks at the most, I image. I really have not decided anything define yet, Miss Carew."
"Please, you may call me Emma. Henry had only mentioned you on one or two occasions. I had to seek help from Mr. Utterson, our lawyer. He told me you live somewhere in Devonshire, and are a governess. But that's not much, is it? Please, do tell me about yourself." she said, as she lead Isabel towards the couch and they were seated.
"There is not that much to tell. I do live in Devonshire. I am the only child of James and Amy Durum; they've both since passed on. In their will, I was to be sent to a boarding school and my inheritance was to be given to me after my education there. Once my schooling was complete, a Mrs. Ames employed me as a governess for her three daughters. I do rather well for myself." she answered. "If you don't mind my asking, what did Henry say? When he first spoke of me, that is."
"It was while we were making up the list for our wedding guests." Emma began to explain. "Henry and I had written down the names of all whom we wished to attend, and were just about ready to send out the invitations..." She remember it even as told Isabel. Henry had remarked that she had invited too many people. She had told him:
"Well, I come from a large family, and they all should be there."
"Like your father's sister who said I was too adorable to be a doctor."
"I found that rather funny. Yes, especially Auntie Elinor. She likes you. She told me you were quite a catch."
"Emma, dearest, must all of your relatives come? I believe two hundred is all the church can hold."
"Yes, we must. If we don't, someone will have their feelings hurt. And since we're on the subject, are there any family members of yours we shouldbe including?"
"All my close relatives are long departed. I am the last of the Jekylls. But, of course, we will be fixing that little problem in enough time, won't we, my dear?" he replied, smiling mischieviously. She blushed, and then quickly tried to change the tone of the conversation back to what it had been.
"So, are you sure there is not even one person? Even a distant cousin or someone." He grew silent for a moment.
"Now that you mention it, I do have a third cousin somewhere in Deavonshire. She had come to stay with my family when we were children."
"Then we will invite her--"
"Emma, I haven't seen her in such a long time. She may have married by now and moved away for all we know..."
"I had insisted that we try to locate you. Mr. Utterson found out where you've been living and then I sent you the invitation." Emma finished and then added. "Henry did say he would like to see you again."
"Henry and I are related, indeed; his mother and mine were cousins," Isabel said. "And I did say with the Jekylls for about a year or two as a child. It's been about twenty years since I've stepped foot in this house." She looked around the room curiously and pointed to the portrait hanging on the wall. "That's Henry's father, Albert, isn't it? I hardly remember his face..."
"Yes, it is. Sadly, he passed away last month." Emma replied. "You're Henry's last surviving relative."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Although she knew of his father illness, she was unaware of how serious it had been. "I suppose you're right then; there's no one else left in the family."
"I would like to think that will not be true for much longer," Emma smiled with some sadness. "But now I'm not so sure anymore. I hope you can help me, Isabel. Do you have any idea of his whereabouts? Where could he have gone?"
"We were friends, Emma, but I haven't seen him since I was up at Oxford, and that was several years ago." she replied. "I know that he had disappeared, someone was kind enough to inform me."
"I'm not surprised that you knew," Emma sighed wearily, "Everyone in town seems to know these days. The police have done all they can. They've searched the entire area, and even outside of London. They questioned all of Henry's acquaintances over and over and still, they found absolutely nothing."
She paused and took a breath, "It's as though he's vanished into thin air. I don't know what to do, Isabel. All I do is worry for him, day and night. I wish that he would just..." she stopped and could not go on because of the overwhelming emotions she felt. Wiping her tears away with her handkerchief, she tried to regain composure again, "You must think me such a crybaby."
"No, it's alright. You have every right to be upset." she replied with sympathy. She began to understand why she was there. "And then you sent for me, thinking that I might have some idea of where he may have gone." She was silent for a moment, "I can't think of anywhere, I'm afraid. I am more than willing to help anyway I can; however, I do not want to raise your expectations with misinformation, dear." Isabel reached out and took a hold of Emma's hand with her own. "I am so sorry for you, sorry from my very soul, Emma."
Emma saw real compassion in her eyes, and there was something else as well. A gentle warmth and kindness that looked very comforting to her. "Thank you for coming here, Isabel. You have already given me hope against hope." She already felt a bond growing between them. "Come with me to the dining room. The cook has made something special for us. We have the whole day to talk."
"That sounds wonderful to me," Isabel said. The rose from the couch and started walking into the other room. "Let me hear all your troubles. That's why I am here. Oh, by the way...do you know a Lady Beconsfield?"
"Oh, have you met her?" Emma asked and Isabel stated that she had met her in the cab. "You have my deepest apologies." They sat down to lunch and Emma began to tell her all about the doctor and herself.