The Case for Dr. Henry Jekyll or Miss Emily Hyde
“Perplexing.”
That was the lone word young Dr. Henry Jekyll, a chemist and apothecary, could consider describing the bewildering sense of control and satisfaction he observed when he first assumed the role of the beautiful and enchanting young socialite he had christened “Miss Emily Hyde.”
The phenomenal physical transformation was summoned by injecting himself with a serum he had concocted to become his alluring alter ego. His sexual proclivity, whether he understood himself better as a man or a woman, had left him in a quandary since childhood.
The practice of unbreeching, where boys wore dresses until they could learn to undo the complicated fastening on a pair of breeches, confused him when he switched to his first pair of breeches. His hair was kept as long as his sister Edith’s until he wore his first pair of breeches. Why did his older sister Edith continue to wear long hair and dresses? Until then, they played together, and Edith even shared her dolls with him.
Was there a conscious decision to change him from a girl to a boy?
***
His associations with his closest friends, Gabriel Enfield and Gabriel’s cousin, Richard Enfield, triggered his scrutiny of this question. They attended the Huntington Boys Academy in London, but their association preceded that because all three fathers worked at the same solicitors.
Gabriel was very reserved and suspicious of everyone he associated with. Cautious initially, he eventually warmed up to Henry because of Henry’s amiable and empathetic nature. Richard was the antithesis of Gabriel; he was outgoing and charming, and he knew what he wanted and how to get it. Henry noticed that the two cousins were, at best, only cordial to each other. It saddened Henry to see his best friends at odds with each other. He did not learn about the background of their relationship until much later when each confided in him on separate occasions.
Gabriel and Richard were born three days apart and in a rivalry between their two fathers, brothers Danvers and Lanyon, both solicitors. The fathers became rivals when vying for the hand of Anne Rutledge, the beautiful and youngest daughter of a prominent member of Parliament.
The gentle young woman was distressed that she had become the object of contention between the two brothers and opted to have her parents select between the two suitors. Anne agonized that she was ultimately going to disappoint one of them. Gabriel’s father, Danvers, was a quiet, reserved young man, unlike his brother, Lanyon, who was bold, aggressive, and decisive about achieving any goal. Although Anne was attracted to Gabriel, whose personality better matched hers, Anne’s parents determined Lanyon to be the superior prospect as her future husband.
To settle the bad blood between the two brothers, their father arranged for Danvers to marry a colleague's daughter at the firm where he was a partner.
The rivalry continued when both wives were with child. The brothers celebrated the births of sons within three days of each other. Sadly, Gabriel’s mother suffered from a postpartum hemorrhage and passed away two days later.
Danvers, who failed to establish an emotional bond with his wife, regarded her loss more as an inconvenience and saw Gabriel's sudden presence as a burden. Ann magnanimously suggested taking him and raising the two boys together, but Danvers stubbornly refused. Instead, he chose to have Gabriel raised by his grandparents, with minimal contact with his uncle’s family.
Gabriel interacted little with his father; his only male model was his grandfather, who was as emotionally distant as Danvers. His grandmother offered little comfort or support, warned by her husband and son that he would grow up soft under a woman’s influence.
Despite lacking parental nurturing, Gabriel matured into a reserved and morally upright solicitor who worked at his father’s firm.
Richard was privileged to at least have access to both parents, particularly his mother. His mother's sensitivity and availability to answer questions about women gave him a significant advantage in behaving comfortably around them. Lanyon passed his drive to succeed and acquire everything he required, no matter the cost. Richard also became a solicitor and was known as a lighthearted, popular man-about-town, particularly with the young women. He could also be ruthless and was a skilled tactician at manipulating people to suit his own needs. Lanyon predicted Richard would someday be appointed a barrister.
***
The boys’ early interactions with the fairer sex were limited to the occasional party or ball, which were closely chaperoned. When they reached puberty, the opportunity to dance a waltz with a pretty girl in their arms was marked as a highlight of the season. Gabriel wasn’t enthused, but Henry and Richard appeared eager to interact with the young ladies and developed into sought-after dance partners. Some of the more forward girls approached them to have their dance cards signed.
Richard seemed to attract more flirtatious partners, but many young women discerned and found a sensitive and relatable companion in Henry, leading to several close friendships. The implicit sense that their friendship with Henry would never evolve beyond friendship to romance provided comfort and security in interactions that could not be realized with other young men and most young women. Many turned to Henry as their confidante when they felt no one else could be as patient and empathetic a listener as required. Besides his two boyhood friends, Henry grew to feel more comfortable in the company of women.
Henry also noticed Edith's popularity among the young men as she blossomed into a beautiful young woman. They rushed to sign her dance card. Henry commented on his observation to Edith. She feigned indifference, but her flushed cheeks betrayed how much she relished the attention. The two had always enjoyed a close relationship, and she confided in him which dance partners she found attractive. Edith’s friends welcomed Henry and shared their most private thoughts and conversations. He would ask them to reveal their candid thoughts about young women maturing in Late Victorian England and what they sought in a prospective suitor. Henry imagined what it was like to be the subject of admiration and attention from young men.
***
Henry studied his two friends as they matured into young men and made mental notes about their similarities, differences, and behaviors.
Richard was attractive to men and women. People were naturally drawn to him because of his physical beauty and charm. Everyone would elect to befriend him.
Gabriel was what Henry would describe as an innocent introvert. He was a dark, brooding, and awkward fellow who did not know better. He was poorly equipped in the social graces. If incentivized to leave his den, he could experience the warmth and joy of social interaction, particularly with women.
Henry was determined to help his friend Gabriel to leave his lonely den. His years of experimentation as an apothecary and his contacts at the medical school enabled him to realize his long-sought personal desires and address his friend's plight.
While he was in medical school, he had sought, without success, the secret of what determined one’s sexual perceptions and urges other than the attributes God had granted each person at birth. Henry understood he was male, but that maleness had not impacted his psyche.
***
He once accompanied Richard on one of his frequent visits to a brothel. When asked what he attributed to his self-confidence with women, Richard claimed that his mother and the young women there could take all the credit for that. When asked if he had ever taken Gabriel to a brothel, Richard only shook his head and rolled his eyes.
The young women at the brothel seemed as eager to be selected by Richard as the young women at the dances were to have him sign their dance cards. Before he left with his partner, Richard chose a partner for Henry. Miss Mabel was a more mature, sensual, and worldly woman. Richard whispered to her, “Be gentle,” gave her a wink, and pressed some notes into her hand.
Henry followed Miss Mabel down a narrow hallway to a room at the end, lit by three oil lamps. It was crowded with richly burnished dark furniture and velvet curtains covering the windows. Wedgewood, Spode, and Derby pottery brimming with jewelry and stacks of first-edition books were arranged on sturdy tables. The bed was an Empire-style with a canopy. The bedding was soft and inviting, covered with silk sheets, and the pillows were puffy and filled with fluffy down feathers. The room was scented with a faint, sweet perfume. He was instructed to sit on the side of the bed as she methodically disrobed him.
Midway through unbuttoning his shirt, Henry asked Miss Mabel in the most earnest tone, “Miss Mabel, what do women expect from a man and men from a woman?”
Mabel stopped unbuttoning his shirt, thought momentarily, smiled, and then asked just as earnestly, “Young Dr. Jekyll, what were you taught in medical school?”
“Nothing about this.”
Miss Mabel appeared amused. “Well, this will be a very brief survey course!” She finished disrobing Henry and herself. She patiently demonstrated and described stimulation techniques on herself and then on him. When Henry did not respond to the stimuli, she asked him, “Do you prefer men or women or possibly neither?”
“I don’t know. I am physically a male, but I’ve long wondered if I was a girl at one time; my parents raised me as a boy. My best friend suffers from a deep melancholy that I wish to relieve him from. I don’t know how I can accomplish that as a man. But can I succeed as a woman?”
***
After this experience, he questioned if he desired to become a woman or merely adopt a woman's features and mannerisms. When he decided on the former, his research began in earnest.
He investigated a method of extracting the “essence of womanhood.” He contacted birthing rooms to gather placenta and umbilical cords and the morgue to extract ovaries from young women who had recently died either during childbirth or naturally. Eyebrows were raised regarding his activities, but sufficient compensation always persuaded those with scruples to acquiesce quietly. The organs were wrapped in butcher block paper to prevent them from drying out. These packages were kept cool to preserve them in refrigerated iceboxes he had purchased earlier.
Through countless trials, he devised a technique of extracting fluid from the organs with hypodermic needles and refining it through coagulation with 95 percent alcohol to remove the proteins and fats. The solution was then boiled to evaporate the alcohol. He believed the resulting solution was the answer to his quest. He christened it his “Truth Serum,” hoping it would lead to the truth about himself.
Henry assumed that the serum had a shelf life. He initially manufactured small batches to avoid possible spoilage. Rather than testing the serum on male rats, he elected to test it on himself. After all, what would be the indicators for a rat if the serum had taken effect?
He injected himself with the serum before retiring for the night, foregoing his ritual evening glass of sherry to avoid any possible interactions. Henry was anxious but convinced himself there would be a significant change in the morning. He was met with disappointment. For months, repeated modifications to the serum, testing, and disappointment became a cycle he strived to break. During the testing, he experienced mild headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. He felt some tenderness in his chest muscles, and his pants felt tighter around his thighs and hips. He attributed it all to his long hours and poor eating habits during the testing.
Then, one auspicious morning, he woke up feeling distinctly different. He viewed himself in the full-length mirror. His reflection transfixed Henry. Was he hallucinating, or had the Devil finally accommodated him in defying God’s mandates for the rules of Nature? He regarded his transformed image and thought himself as beautiful as Edith. His face was soft and smooth, without the morning stubble, and his complexion was flawless. The hair had grown long and voluminous and felt full and luxurious. The eyelashes were long and coquettish. The lips were full and inviting. He reached for his chest and noted the lovely, soft curves of his firm breasts, squeezing them in disbelief. A lingering and leisurely check below confirmed what he had imagined: women were more aware of their bodies than men could ever hope to be. He smiled to himself as he finished and reflected on the wisdom of Miss Mabel.
Henry surmised that the transformation was enabled by the accumulation of injections he had taken. There had to be a threshold of dosages to reach before the serum realized its objective. The question was whether the effects were permanent or temporary. If temporary, how long would that be? Would he require periodic injections to maintain the transformation? He also had his own identity to support; how often should or could he appear, and for what periods? Once he had answered those questions, Emily would be prepared to meet Gabriel.
He purchased his costumes earlier to complement his transformation, including dresses, wigs if necessary, and makeup. Edith was enlisted as a reluctant accomplice in arranging his purchases, but he assured her it was all part of an elaborate hoax he was playing on Gabriel and Richard. Although she knew of his playful nature, she thought it was a little extreme even for Henry.
On the eve of Emily’s debut, Henry stood in front of the hall mirror to admire Emily. He wondered if Gabriel would appreciate her as well. Edith was contacted by messenger to assist Henry in preparing for a gathering at Gabriel’s home that evening and to join him early.
Edith was taken aback when a beautiful young stranger greeted her at the door, introducing herself only as “Emily.” There was a glint of mischief in the young woman’s alluring eyes. Edith asked for Henry. When Henry revealed himself to her, she felt light-headed and fainted. He caught her before she collapsed to the floor. When Edith recovered, with the help of some smelling salt and a couple of glasses of sherry, she demanded to learn what Henry thought he was doing. Edith wept after Henry revealed that he had never felt so happy and relieved after he had assumed Emily's identity in the last four hours. He felt anxious to learn if Gabriel would feel just a fraction of the happiness he had.
Edith could not possibly understand what Henry was undergoing, but she understood his good intentions and heart. As his sister, and out of her love for him, she helped Henry dress, styled her hair, and applied makeup. The transformation was complete
***
Emily arrived at Gabriel's home accompanied by Edith. Gabriel appeared dazed as he gazed at the stunning young woman at his door. Edith introduced Emily as one of Henry's close friends. Emily relayed his message, apologizing for feeling suddenly ill; he insisted that at least she and Edith appear in his absence.
Gabriel formally introduced himself to Emily. He had become a dour, emotionless bachelor who “dampened his taste for the finer items of life.” He surmised that Henry, like his cousin, lived life as he wished and indulged in the companionship of beautiful women. It was evident that Emily’s beauty took Gabriel by surprise. His eyes were unable to leave her lovely countenance. He smiled awkwardly. Emily could not recall the last time she had seen him smile and could barely suppress a giggle at the thought that her beauty and charm could have penetrated his somber demeanor. She was so delighted to see that smile on her friend’s face.
Richard also noticed Emily. He was bewildered that he had not met her before, and this new, mysterious beauty materializing within their social circle aroused his curiosity. Flashing his ever-so-charming smile, he approached Emily to introduce himself. Gabriel did not mask his annoyance at the intrusion.
“Good evening! I’m Richard Enfield, Gabriel’s cousin. Gabriel, please introduce the young lady to me?”
“Yes, of course. This is Miss Emily Hyde, a friend of Henry’s. Henry took ill but insisted that Miss Hyde appear in his stead.”
Emily offered her right hand. Richard took her fingers lightly, bowed slightly, and gently brushed his lips on the back of her fingers. They exchanged a smile. Gabriel bristled at the sight. He tried to reengage with Emily in conversation, but Richard only pulled her away to continue his conversation with her instead. Gabriel sulked and slunk away.
Emily attempted to escape Richard by excusing herself. Richard proved a persistent nuisance for the women he was pursuing, which Henry would never have noticed. She waved at Edith to rescue her. Edith wrestled him away by asking if he would get some wine for Emily and her. Emily searched for Gabriel and found him sulking in a corner, nursing a glass of wine.
***
Emily asked him directly what was bothering him. He was surprisingly candid with her, revealing his annoyance with Richard for interrupting them and attempting to monopolize the conversation with her. He digressed to relate their entire relationship since they were children. Richard always received preferential treatment, even from his father. Danvers constantly compared him to Richard and asked why he could not be more like Richard. Comparison subjects included scores on exams, papers, oratory, performance on the football field, and personal grooming and comportment.
Comparing the accomplishments among the sons of prideful fathers has been the bane of boys from time immemorial. Gabriel could not have known that his father and aunt kept a dark family secret, further instigating his woes. Unknowingly, Gabriel was being compared to his stepbrother. Danvers considered Richard his superior progeny, birthed by the woman he had desired.
Since the fathers were not on speaking terms, Danvers maintained his association with Anne under the pretext that he wanted to remain in contact with the family without interacting with his brother. Lanyon tolerated his presence for the sake of appearances and was never present. That only made it convenient for Danvers to prey on Anne's accommodating temperament. She believed she had offended him by marrying his brother instead. The hostility for his brother drove him to seek revenge by callously seducing Anne. After relishing his conquest of Anne, Danvers forced himself on his reluctant wife the following evening to finalize their loveless union. Two months later, both women announced they were with children. After the arrival of the sons, he never engaged romantically with Anne again. She attributed the abandonment of his affection and passion for her as an act of retribution and was justified. Anne, the perpetual victim, magnanimously maintained a cordial interaction with Danvers and Gabriel. Gabriel often wished his father had allowed his aunt to adopt him into her family. Anne provided the sparse familial affection he craved during the infrequent gatherings he enjoyed when he was allowed to visit them.
***
Gabriel apologized for his rambling and asked about Henry. Although he hadn’t seen Henry recently, he remarked that he could not imagine having a kinder and more compassionate friend than Henry. He considered Emily very fortunate to have met him and to regard Henry as her friend.
Emily assured Gabriel that Henry spoke of him often and regarded him as his best friend. As they talked, Gabriel noted how comfortable he felt conversing with her. Although they had only met, he thought he had known her since his boyhood. He understood why she and Henry were such close friends; they were so much alike.
***
On separate occasions, Gabriel and Richard had asked Henry if his relationship with Emily was romantic. When he confirmed they were not romantically linked, both stated they had planned to pursue her actively. Henry grew concerned that Richard could botch his attempts to join Emily and Gabriel. He had to devise some strategy to dissuade Richard from pursuing Emily without devolving into the same rivalry as their fathers’ pursuit of Anne.
Henry approached Richard and attempted to appeal to his benevolence as a decent man, which he suspected Richard had none. Henry argued that Richard should behave as a gentleman and allow his cousin to find happiness with a woman he believed he was in love with. He reminded Richard that he could choose any woman he desired – recalling the attention he received from the young women at all the social gatherings, including the brothel they had visited. Why would he persist in pursuing Emily as well?
Richard smugly replied, “Because I can!”
The audacity to make such a claim infuriated Henry. He had no other option than to evade Richard. “Richard, you are despicable! Emily is a dear friend of mine, like a sister! I could not in good conscience allow her to be courted by an odious creature like you!”
Richard sneered at Henry. “We’ll see! I always suspected you and Gabriel were a couple of queers. All those young women you befriend and surround yourself with. You may as well have been another of their female friends to gossip with! Now that Emily is available, she is a convenient disguise for your relationship with Gabriel! You are not the noble character you portray yourself as, … Dr. Henry Jekyll!” Richard spat out Henry’s name with disgust.
Henry ordered Richard to leave.
As for Emily, the plan was to interact cordially with Gabriel and Richard but less so with Richard. Richard would only intensify his unctuous charm, assuming she might respond to him more favorably, but invariably led Emily to cut their outings short. She sometimes claimed she felt too poorly to meet him and canceled.
Richard had been catered to his entire life. Whatever he desired was provided to him. Emily, not as accommodating as he wished, only aggravated him, and his childish tantrums led Emily to minimize their social interactions. She had never considered when women had to field unwanted suitors and remain as diplomatic as possible to avoid the wrath of a slighted male ego. Out of spite, they could quickly spread lies about a woman’s virtue and soil her reputation forever. All it took was a shred of doubt, and a virtuous woman could be condemned to spinsterhood. A woman without resources would be, at best, the kept mistress of a philandering husband or, at worst, a boarder at a bordello earning her keep. Henry did not envy a woman’s lot.
Richard began to leave angry notes for Emily, later followed by apologies. This was a side of Richard that Henry could never have imagined. His growing obsession with her frightened her and distracted her from her primary objective of aiding Gabriel.
***
Emily tried to schedule brief outings with Gabriel: a walk, tea, lunch, a bookstore, a lecture, and even an occasional excursion in a rowboat captained by Gabriel. Emily treated the outings as dosages of medication, administered judiciously. She could better observe his reactions to her and his progress. Every outing with Gabriel seemed to put him at greater ease with her, and he appeared notably happier. Emily was delighted with the success of each meeting. She could feel the joy within herself, which was equally as new as it must have been for him. Still, Emily hesitated to declare herself happy.
Henry, the physician, questioned what both of them, seen as patients, were experiencing. He was not yet confident that either of them had the emotional maturity to temper their budding passion for each other. They were no more than inexperienced adolescents navigating first love and were vulnerable to the emotional fluctuations that quickly thwart a relationship. Some other external elements and forces could hinder it as well. Richard was among them.
***
Richard appeared at the door, asking to speak with Henry. Emily only told him he was not available. Richard pushed her aside and entered.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I am not avoiding you. I only wish to limit my interaction with you.”
“Do you prefer Gabriel over me?”
“I wish to maintain a relationship with both of you.”
“Absolute rubbish!”
Richard grabbed Emily and pulled her towards him, kissing her hard on the lips. Emily struggled and pushed him away and then slapped him. He only laughed and forced himself on her again for a second kiss. She bit his lips and pushed him away again, but this time followed with a kick delivered to his groin. He backed away, gasping and groaning. When he caught his breath, he nodded to her, “You’re a spirited wench, Miss Emily Hyde! I like that!”
“Get out!” Emily screamed. “Henry will hear about this!”
Richard guffawed, “I hope so!”
Emily flung her arm towards the door, “Get out! Now!”
Richard bowed mockingly, “I’ll see myself out! But know this: I will have you in the end! Good night!”
Emily was shaking, not from fright, but anger and hate, and worry about what could go wrong. She felt helpless. She could not report the assault to the bobbies. She could not reveal any of this to Gabriel. The only person she could turn to was Edith. Richard could undo everything that Henry had worked towards. Murderous thoughts flashed through her head. Panic overtook her. Searching for a weapon, she wandered to the kitchen and found a small paring knife in the drawer that could fit in her purse. Richard had threatened her, and she would not be caught without some protection.
***
Gabriel scheduled a gathering at his home, inviting everyone in his social circle, including Richard and Henry. Without consulting her, he was planning to ask Emily for her hand in marriage, and if she agreed, he would announce it before everyone, particularly Richard.
Emily arrived with Edith, and Henry sent his apologies again. Gabriel immediately took her aside and told her he needed to ask her something important. He wondered if anyone else had approached her to consider marriage. Emily shook her head nervously, fearing what he was about to ask. Gabriel caught his breath and cautiously inquired, “Will you … have me?”
The declaration of love was premature and not what Emily wanted to hear. Gabriel sensed Emily’s hesitation in answering, and rather than listen to her refuse him, he apologized and offered to fetch a glass of wine for her.
Emily found Edith and told her she needed to leave immediately. Edith accompanied her. Unable to speak while in the carriage, Emily disclosed Gabriel’s sudden outburst of declaring his love for her as soon as they arrived at Henry’s home.
“How long do you think you can prolong this charade? It’s cruel and a perversion of nature!”
“I don’t know! I’ve never felt this way before! There is this sense of completeness I can’t describe! As Henry, I have always cared greatly for Gabriel’s welfare, my best friend. But as Emily, I think it’s out of passion! But I fear where this might lead us after we are joined!”
“This has gotten more complicated! If you choose to wed, will you be injecting yourself daily for the rest of your life? How long will you be allowed to continue acquiring your ingredients?”
These were critical questions that needed to be answered quickly. Henry poured two glasses of sherry to help calm their nerves.
“I need to review my notes.”
“I will visit you in the morning. I better return to check on Gabriel. Good night, Henry!”
***
Henry could not sleep. He had spent the early morning reviewing the literature and his notes and could not decide what to do. Someone was banging on the main door. It was Edith.
“Richard goaded Gabriel into revealing that he was planning to announce your engagement to him if you had answered him last night. The two began to argue and exchanged blows with each other! They stopped after someone threatened to call the bobbies.”
No sooner had Edith finished making that announcement than there was more banging on the main door. Edith opened it, and Gabriel and Richard stood before her; each displayed a black eye.
“Where is Henry?” they demanded. “Is he well enough to speak to us?”
Edith only motioned them in. As they stepped in, they noticed Emily.
“Where is Henry?” Gabriel asked Emily.
“Henry is away.”
Gabriel appeared surprised, “Away? He never mentioned anything about going away! That is so unlike him! But we are here to speak with you! You’ve cast a spell on us! We’ve been bewitched! We cannot explain it! We are both hopelessly in love with you! Behaving as gentlemen – now – we’ve come to ask you to decide which of us you will consider as your future husband. If neither, please tell us! Edith will serve as our witness.”
Emily hesitated for a moment and then stammered, “Gabriel.”
“What! Why Gabriel?” Richard was outraged. “I certainly am the more obvious choice! You have been avoiding me! Is it because of what Henry told you? Any woman would have me!”
“Then propose to one of those other women!” Gabriel argued. “Please grant me this! Leave me with Emily! She knows and understands me better than you or Henry! How could our meeting be possible unless ordained by Heaven? I have met my soul mate!
Richard turned to Emily, “So, that is your decision?”
Emily gazed at Gabriel and nodded, “I only wish to make Gabriel happy!”
Richard glared at all of them menacingly and announced, “Then neither of us will have you!” He reached inside his jacket, producing a single-shot derringer. Aiming it point-blank at Emily’s heart, he pulled the trigger.
Emily fell back onto the floor, her eyes wide open in disbelief, staring at the ceiling. Her mouth was opened as if surprised and disappointed by the outcome of her well-intentioned efforts that had gone awry.
Edith screamed and dropped beside Emily and felt her neck for a pulse. There was none.
Gabriel wrestled Richard to the floor and pounded his head against the floor repeatedly, screaming, “Emily!” as if he could recall her from the Dead. He did not stop until he was certain Richard had joined her.
Edith sobbed as she gently cradled Emily’s head in her arms. “Gabriel, she only wanted to make you happy! Emily loved you as only a true friend could!”
As Edith gently stroked Emily’s forehead, they both witnessed in disbelief the slow restoration of her delicate facial features to the sharp-featured young man they knew as Henry Jekyll.
Gabriel drew back in horror, “What work of the Devil is this?”
Edith glared back angrily at Gabriel. She composed herself before she spoke, “Why my brother chose to befriend you was beyond anyone’s comprehension. I assume it was out of the compassion he felt for you because of the familial neglect you experienced your entire life. Henry was such a kind soul. He wanted so much to remove your pain and loneliness. It became an obsession for him. It evolved into what he believed was his love for you. His interpretation of expressing love for you was as a woman who loves a man. He was able to transform himself into a woman, a very desirable woman, one who would draw you out of your unhappiness and provide you with a bit of joy.
His well-meaning intentions may have succeeded had Richard not appeared in the equation and scrambled his plans' machinations.
Much evidence must be destroyed to avoid a scandal that will ruin our lives. We have so very little time. You will need to become the man Henry sacrificed himself for you to become. His research, the basement laboratory, and the bodies must be destroyed. We will start a fire in the basement. But first, help me change Henry into a nightshirt.”
Edith retrieved a nightshirt from his dresser drawer. They removed the bloodied clothing from Henry’s body and then slipped on the nightshirt. They would burn his clothes downstairs in the basement.
“One last thing, Edith.” Gabriel knelt beside Henry and lowered his face to Henry’s. He kissed Henry gently on his lips. “Thank you, my friend, for showing me what love could be! I will look for you to know it again!”
***
The London Times reported an early morning fire at the home of Dr. Henry Jekyll. Authorities found the badly burnt bodies of Dr. Henry Jekyll and his friend Mr. Richard Enfield. They suspected the two men were involved in an altercation, and Mr. Enfield shot Dr. Jekyll in the heart. The source of the fire began in the basement where Dr. Jekyll housed his laboratory as an Apothecary.
Dr. Jekyll’s sister, Edith Jekyll, and Mr. Enfield’s cousin, Mr. Gabriel Enfield, were notified of the fire and their deaths. The latter was last seen as a guest at Mr. Enfield’s home the previous evening. Neither could provide information as to what could have led to their fatal and fiery confrontation.
***
END