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For the first week or so, Isabel was enjoying her stay in London and was able to do many of things the she had not the time to do when she was working as a governess. She began feel very much as though she had returned to the house were belonged. She moved into one of the guestrooms and settled herself comfortably once her trunk had finally arrived from the train station, from where she took the cab to Dr. Jekyll's house.
Emma started to plan where they would go, and whom they would meet at certain social events. Isabel would familiarize herself with all the wealthy and famous people Emma knew; and thus, Emma would show Isabel to the better part of society. It has be noted Isabel that went because she was asked to go and did not wish to hurt Emma's feelings. Upon attending one of these functions, Isabel began to see why her cousin Henry had mentioned that he did not care for these sort of people.
Lady Beaconsfield organized an event in honor of a great Lord, her long dead husband. This would have been their twenty year of marriage had he lived, Emma informed Isabel, and her ladyship always celebrated it in a grand, extravagant party.
Sir Danvers had an appointment at a business meeting in town and could not visit this particular event held for the St. Jude's hospital staff and friends. He asked her ladyship to please excuse himself. His daughter would attend. Emma was in need of a little diversion being quite melancholy in her beloved doctor's absence and if she might introduce to them Dr. Jekyll's cousin, Miss Isabel Durum, who was newly come up from the county after hearing of his departure. Lady Beaconsfield's reply was brief, but civil enough to say she would be more than welcome to appear.
It had only just begun when Emma and Isabel entered the ballroom. Emma looked very sweet and demure in her gown of blue with lace trim. She pointed out all the people there to Isabel, giving her a brief description of each, as well as took the time to show her the lavish furnishings and paintings. Isabel's own dress was rich green velvet and she carried it with natural pose and grace.
Mr. Simon Stride was there, giving his best attention to them both. He wished to apologize for his behavior if he had offended them the previous week. Emma accepted his apology. Isabel did not.
"Mr. Stride," Isabel gave him a condescending smile. "First, you must acknowledge where you were in error and then I will forgive you."
"I have not done anything wrong," Simon replied. "But I know how these things may upset delicate ladies."
"I think your pride is upset," Isabel told Simon. "If that was the case, you need not bother with an apology as far as I am concerned."
Before he could make a sharp reply, Lady Beaconsfield appeared. The older woman had thick brown hair and was of heavier build, but she was extremely comely in an embroidered gown of the latest fashion. Isabel thought her ladyship a very lonely, if somewhat bitter widow.
"Ah, Mr. Stride, do be a dear and refill my cup." She handed him her glass and dismissed him by turning her back to him. Simon looked puzzled at the glass for a moment, then headed for the waiter, knowing Lady Beaconsfield would ignore him if he tried to mix in her conversation.
Her ladyship turned toward Emma, "Miss Carew, how agreeable of you to come. It is good to see you out and about now, back in proper society. I see you found a new friend in Miss Durum."
"Miss Durum and I have been getting better acquainted." Emma lightly put her arm on Isabel's shoulder for a moment.
"How do you do, Lady Beaconsfield. I am pleased to formally meet you." Isabel said courteously. "It was most kind of you to invite me."
Lady Beaconsfield was assessing Isabel by her dress, its newness and cost, but also by her seemly innate breeding. The gown was certainly not secondhand, nor of the latest fashion, but lovely and very suitable for a young women recently come up from the country. Her Ladyship was satisfied that it communicated that her initial judgement of Isabel was correct; she was a woman somewhat withdrawn from society, but of good family with more than adequate means. "I wish to officially received you into our humble circle, Miss Durum. Though Dr. Jekyll, your cousin I presume, is still not with us; I trust you have found London to your liking."
"Yes, I have; thank you for asking." Isabel was sure, thanks to Mr. Simon Stride, practically everyone in town knew of her kinship to the doctor.
"There will be much here to divert your attention, but do take care. There is also company you would not wish to keep for it is not hard to find yourself in a disagreeable situations."
"I know you do not give advice freely, Lady Beaconsfield." Isabel said with a light mocking tone. "I will bear your words in mind. A woman's reputation can be ruined so quickly."
"Ah, that is why a women must find a true gentleman and husband to make her happy. Lord Beaconsfield, God rest his soul, always made sure I had not only the best manners, but made the best choices for me."
"That's what a woman needs," Simon returned with her ladyship's glass and one for himself as well. "A firm, but gentle hand of a man to keep her safe and guide her." He gave Emma slight glance.
Emma looked at him with her steady blue eyes. "I know I have found the man to guide me in life, and no one else will do."
"Miss Carew, I cannot understand what is special about Dr. Jekyll to you," Lady Beaconsfield sighed. "Young people are so headstrong about choosing their partners. We did it better in the old days; my family knew Lord Beaconsfield would make the best man for me."
Emma preferred not to reply to this. It was just as well; her ladyship continued her tirade, this time at Isabel. "And you, Miss Durum? Do you have a gentleman to lead you in life? Someone who is fond of you?"
"Several that I am fond of, Lady Beaconsfield, but they do not_ have_ me."
"I see you are not romantic, Miss Durum. That is a real pity...You will discover a woman needs to be loved, and the need to give love in return is above all things. You will want to have a man of your own. "
"Someday, maybe I shall." Isabel said quietly. Her ladyship did not see that Isabel and she were at cross-purposes, have different conversations.
Emma sensed her friend's uneasiness. Isabel was almost smiling, but
there was coolness in her that was unmistakable. Something hard inside
that was unresolved. Perhaps it was an old pain that had nothing to do
with this. Emma would try to speak to her went they were alone sometime;
it might
explain what she could only guess at now.
"Madam, you have a unique way of making everyone feel comfortable." She changed the subject to what her ladyship was wearing. "That is a lovely scarf you have on. Is this a new fashion trend that I am unaware?"
"Well, Miss Carew, yes, there are all vogue in France." Lady Beaconsfield said, agitated. "Now, you will please excuse me, there are many important people who need to see me here." With that, she stalked away.
They watched her leave and then Emma turned to Isabel, "Would you walk with me in the hall? I want to show you a painting by Renoir."
"Of course, Please excuse us, Simon."
"Certainly, dear ladies." He said graciously enough.
"What was that about?" Isabel asked Emma when they were in the hallway. "Your comment about her scarf to her Ladyship? You certainly seemed to upset her."
Emma was absentmindedly readjusting her hair, but at Isabel question she stopped, "There a rumor going around that some months ago, her ladyship was attacked by a thief and left for dead."
"That's terrible. How did it happen?"
"As I understand the story, she and her friends were leaving a charity auction when some madman came up to them, and, according to her Ladyship, tried to steal the money they raised for the poor. The two gentlemen had tried to defend themselves, but the thief overpowered them. He stabbed one gentleman to death and poor Lady Beaconsfield was strangled with her own diamond necklace when she refused to give it to him."
Isabel thought the story was unfortunate, but a bit too melodramatic. "This sounds like a tragic incident that someone has rather exaggerated."
"Perhaps," Emma shrugged. "But there is always some truth to every rumor," and Isabel agreed with her.
"Lady Beaconsfield goes a speech therapist," Emma said reflectively. "I think her neck has a scar for life, which is why she always wears a scarf now. It is a wonder she can speak at all. As a member of the board of Governors, she says it is her sacred duty to give a weekly conferences to the nurses in the hospital on better safety and care, as well as general morality and sobriety."
"I pity those people, as if they had not enough to do. It's too bad her ladyship can still can talk...They may have been spared all her lecturing." They both laughed softly.
Coming back to the ballroom, Emma noticed someone else she knew. She motioned him to come over and introduced him as Mr. John Utterson, Henry's closest friend and lawyer. He was a pleasant looking man with soft eyes. He was relieved to see a friendly face in the crowd.
Although he wished they all met under better circumstances, he was especially glad to finally met Isabel. He had hoped that detective force on the case would have been more of a help their continue search for Henry Jekyll.
"Scotland Yard has been on the case for a while now. They told us they have done all they could and do not seem to be willing to pursue it any further. Next week, I was going there to see if they have found any new leads. Would you either of you ladies care to come with me?"
Emma shook her head, "I do not think I could stand another visit to that dreadful police station. It makes me nervous just being there...Isabel, do you wish to go?"
"I suppose it could not hurt to try. I can ask them what were the official reports of Henry's last know whereabouts. We can start searching for him in a different area."
"In a different area?" Emma echoed her.
"It seems to me he wish to go away and not be found. He would not be in a place that is familiar to him; therefore, he is probably not where you may think of first looking."
John Utterson stared at Isabel, "You believe Dr. Jekyll to be alive and well somewhere?"
"I don't believe it, Mr. Utterson. I know it."
"What did I tell you?" Emma said to John, "I knew she would bring Henry back home to us."