In The Fog of London

The Letter

The next morning, Kathrine awoke in a cold sweat. She could tell she had a dream, but what it was about evaded her. The sun isn't up again, she thought as she got out of bed tiredly, a strange night followed by a strange morning. Typical. She followed her normal morning routine, going through the motions methodically. As she prepped her shop to open, she noticed something at her door. An envelope. It appeared to have been slid under the door sometime in the night. The sight of it sent a chill down Kathrine's spine. She hadn't a clue who had slipped it under the door or where it had come from, but her mind came up with plenty of frightful scenarios. That was, until she saw who it was from. Upon lifting the letter and flipping it over, she found her name scrawled in elegant, swooping letters hand written above her address. In the top corner was the address of the sender. She looked at the wax seal, which was a clean stamp in deep red ink and had the initials "H.J." In the center. This piqued her interest, and upon popping open the letter, she read what was written.

Leicester Square, London, August 21, 1884.
Ms. Kathrine Hughes.

Dear Madam,
Upon our first meeting at Lanyon's estate last evening, I have taken an interest in getting to know you. Considering we have common friends in Gabriel Utterson, I'm sure he would help facilitate our correspondence, however, I'd much rather speak with you in-person. As such, I would like to formally invite you to tea this afternoon. I am hoping this letter will be delivered on time, but I'm quite certain it will, as the postman has not failed me as of yet. I will accept your arrival as an affirmative response and a letter will suffice if you wish to decline. I do hope to speak with you again.

Yours respectfully,
Dr. Henry Jekyll

Kathrine felt her cheeks burning and she knew from the feeling of heat in her ears and butterflies in her stomach that she was blushing. She still didn't understand why the thought of this kind older man made her feel so bemused, yet the invitation to tea thrilled her. Perhaps it was the excitement of gaining new acquaintances, or some nervousness about being invited to the home of such an affluent individual. Either way, she held the letter to her chest and tried to relax. "Why would he want to know me?" She whispered to herself, thoughts of doubt creeping in and spoiling the invitation for her. She shook away the ill feelings and rushed to prepare her breakfast, choosing not to brew any tea. Kathrine changed out of her night shift and into her day clothes, but made sure to wear her nice day clothes, so she could work and then leave for the doctor's without having to change.
She watched the clock with every hour, worrying that she might lose track of time and be late to arrive for tea, but when the time came, she was ready. She collected her things, tied up her hair, and put on her hat before locking up the shop and catching a cab. It was a beautiful day after the fog had cleared. The sun was warm and the air was cut with a cool breeze that blew through the changing leaves of the maples and birches, causing the trees to sound as if they were hushing the birds and any passerby that dare cause a ruckus. Kathrine wished she had walked the few blocks to Leicester Square instead of taking the cab, but decided she would walk back to the shop instead. It wasn't long before she was dropped off in the square and, using the address on the letter, found her way to the doctor's residence. The building was large, had a clear courtyard behind it, and across the courtyard appeared to be an office or theatre building. The front of the main house was grand, yet not as intimidating as the front of Lanyon's abode. There were flower bushes on either side of the front stoop. The breeze carried their rich, sweet scent as far as the sidewalk in front of the steps to the house, and by that smell and the look of the white blooms, Kathrine identified the flowering bushes as August Beauty Gardenias. She wondered if any local shops sold gardenia perfume this time of year, as she enjoyed the warm vanilla-like scent they gave off in full bloom. She broke away from her daydreaming and approached the front door, giving it a small knock. In just a few seconds, an older gentleman opened the door. He was obviously a head butler and looked a bit older than the doctor she was there to see. "Miss Hughes, I presume?" He asked, his expression flat and his eyes almost critical of the small woman that stood on the front step. "Yes, sir. The doctor sent for me?" Kathrine replied, fiddling with her hands for a moment before the voice of Utterson interrupted her thoughts to say, Don't fidget. You look nervous when you fidget. She then stopped. "Yes, madam. You may enter. I will take you to the drawing room. He will see you there shortly." The butler led her inside, letting another servant close the door behind them as she was taken to the drawing room he spoke of. The inside of the doctor's home was open and lavish, but not in a standoffish way. It was elegant, yet modest, as if Dr. Jekyll took pride in his lifestyle, but did not wish to brag about it. Kathrine was instructed to take a seat and was reassured once more by the butler, that "The doctor will meet with you shortly." She took her seat in front of a small table that stood in between two facing chairs. She assumed Dr. Jekyll would take up the seat across from her and, thinking about him once more, she began to feel nervous. What if I don't look proper enough? What if I find that there was something in my teeth? Or that I smelled of lamp oil and book binding glue? Good God, imagine! She thought in a panic before taking a deep breath and exhaling in an attempt to calm herself. She took out her handkerchief and pocket mirror, checking her face, hair, and teeth. She dabbed her forehead, as she had noticed some sweat forming at her hairline, but that was the only problem she could find. With a sigh of relief, she closed the mirror, tucked away her handkerchief, and waited only a minute longer before Dr. Henry Jekyll strode in, sounding slightly out of breath. "Please, do excuse my tardiness," he began with a half-smile, "I do hope you haven't been waiting long." He took up his seat across from her and she smiled at him. "Oh, not at all, sir. You needn't worry." She responded kindly. "You may call me Henry, if it suits you." He responded softly with a clear look of relief about him. Kathrine nodded, "And you may call me Kathrine, or Lynn, if it suits you as well." She murmured, straightening. He smiled warmly, that wide, handsome grin that she recognized from the night they'd met, "Very well, Miss Kathrine... So, I suspect you must be rather curious about this little meeting, hm?" He spoke freely, as if her presence hardly bothered him at all. "I will admit, I was surprised to find your letter at my door this morning. It isn't every day that I'm invited to tea by such a reputable gentleman as yourself." She commented as she removed her hat and placed it in her lap. Henry cast his eyes down at the table bashfully, chuckling slightly at her comment. "Ah, Miss Kathrine, you mustn't... I simply wish to know more about you, considering you and Utterson practically grew up together, so I have heard." The butler from before walked into the drawing room with a maid trailing at his heels. He was carrying a tray with the tea set and accoutrements in a pleasant spread across its silvery surface. The maid tended to the fireplace, lighting a small fire that warmed the room to a comfortable degree. After the two servants had done their duty, Henry thanked them and sent them off. Kathrine continued their conversation then, having been enchanted by the concept of being waited on, having never experienced such a luxury. "Wh-what you heard was true. He was, and is still, a close friend of my father's side. He's been somewhat of a brother to me ever since I was a child. Even now, he looks after me. Especially since I moved into London." She explained, watching the doctor take up the ornate teapot on the tray and pour both himself and Kathrine a cup of fine tea. "He's of the fine sort, I must say. Such a good friend, Utterson. I hope he's been well. I haven't the time to speak with him much due to my working all of the time." He blathered freely as his hands moved about the tray. Kathrine watched them fiddle with the spoons and cups and dishes. His hands were large, much like his stature, but not disproportionately so. His fingers were long and slender. Almost dainty, in a way. His nails were trimmed short and looked healthy. His knuckles were somewhat pronounced and had a soft blush to them that stood out against his smooth, porcelain skin. He certainly had the hands of a doctor. Someone who could work with delicate tools and instruments, with those fingers that moved so precisely and delicately around the fine china and little silver spoons. Not a hint of clumsiness in his movements, and not a ring on his finger. Kathrine thought, chiding herself for thinking about such an observation. "Sugar, miss Kathrine?" Henry asked, breaking her from her musings. "Oh, yes please." She replied with a small start, shifting in her seat. "Are you married, doctor - excuse me - Henry?" She asked, causing his eyes to quickly flicker up to her from the tray, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small smile. "No," he stated coolly, "I have yet to find a woman who can tolerate my propensity for lateness and hardly ever leaving my cabinet. You see, my work takes up much of my time. So much that I, at times, have worked myself into illness." He chortled breathily, in an almost nervous manner before he cleared his throat. "Goodness me," Kathrine murmured, "I could make the assumption that your staff is quite through with worrying about you?" She joked, causing Henry to laugh wholly, a wonderfully joyful expression of his amusement that rose from his chest and emitted such a sound as to bring warmth to her cheeks. "Ahah, oh, dear madam! I, regrettably, feel as thought I must confirm your suspicions." He sighed in return, bringing a hand to his brow and another to his chest as he caught his breath. "You are a most extraordinary guest, miss Kathrine," he added just a moment after, "I can certainly see why Utterson takes such a liking to you. You're so... Exuberant." She smiled shyly in response to the compliment, glancing down into her cup of tea. She could feel her face reddening further, and looked away for a moment in an effort to hide her blush. "I can tell we'll make great acquaintances, sir." She said softly, looking up at him. He'd picked up his cup and saucer and smiled, nodding. "Indeed."