Chapter One
Lucy shivered, having been lying on the cold, hard ground for nearly an hour. She moaned softly, half-hoping that the November cold would take her from this cruel world, but seeing Dr. Jekyll's kind face in her mind, she closed her eyes to the pain, took a deep breath, and struggled to her feet.
Searching the pockets in her dirty, torn dress, she pulled out a business card and ran her fingers over the letters, as if somehow it would give her contact with the man who had given it to her. Sighing, she placed it back in her pocket, and took a few stumbling steps, wondering where to go next. Back to the Red Rat seemed the most likely choice, but in her current state she knew that Gwinny and Spider would be awfully upset with her, even though it was her supposed 'day off'.
Instead, she headed towards Harley Street.
Upon arriving at Jekyll's regal looking home, she tilted her head up and saw the faint light of a candle glimmering through a second floor window.
"What am I doing here?" She whispered to herself, brushing a lock of auburn hair from her eyes.
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Groaning in exasperation, Henry threw his quill pen down on the desk in front of him, turning his thoughts to things beyond the disturbing writings on the page of his journal.
He knew little about Hyde's rampages, but he knew that they were occurring more and more often as the weeks passed, and he also knew that Lucy was not spared Hyde's ever-growing lust and violence. He felt a deep affection for the young woman who, despite her unfortunate lifestyle, had given him a strange hope in the depths of his despair. Sighing, he stood up and walked to the window.
Standing there, under the full moon, he saw a vision. A tall woman stood, staring off down the street, lighting up the dismal surroundings with her beauty. The moon cast silvery webs of light down on her head, making the long, curly strands of red hair glow. The soft light accentuated her elegant features, and he wondered what such a fine being was doing out on her own so late at night. Slowly, she lifted her head, casting her gaze up at the window once more.
"Lucy!" Henry exclaimed, though he knew she couldn't hear him. Throwing on his overcoat, he ran down the stairs and outside, yelling to Poole to light a fire in his study as he went.
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Startled from seeing Jekyll's equally surprised face peering through the window, Lucy sighed and decided she should be on her way before he ran out to see what was wrong. She turned from the comforting glow that emanated from the window and began walking down the street, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill over.
"Miss Harris!"
Lucy glanced over her shoulder, but continued walking, half hoping that he would walk back into the house and out of her life, half hoping that he would rush to her and comfort her, like he had before.
Her legs slowed of their own volition and she felt an incredible weariness wash over her. Dragging her feet slightly, she tripped on a stone and fell to her knees, bruising a few more areas of her body as she did so. Resignedly, she dragged herself to the curb and sat on it, burying her face in her hands.
It wasn't a particularly bad night, no worse than usual, but it had taken its toll, and she began to weep softly. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up to find Henry Jekyll's gentle face right in front of her own. A look of surprise flickered in his eyes, then concern, and then anger.
"Who did this to you, Lucy?" He whispered fiercely, though he knew full well who her abuser was.
She stared at him for several moments, then stammered, "I... just... a customer, sir. It ain't an uncommon thing, nothin’ to worry about..." Her voice trailed off into silence, and Jekyll sighed.
"Come inside, you can clean up and put on some fresh clothes, then we’ll decide what to do next."
He gently offered her a hand, but she hesitated.
"Dr. Jekyll, it don’t seem right, me enterin’ your house at such a late hour."
Her concern for propriety stunned her even as she spoke the words. She’d never given a single thought to what was proper or improper, and she’d come to him before, but this time, something nagged at the back of her mind and she was loathe to ask any more of this man.
"Nonsense, Lucy," He said gently, and swept her up in his arms, carrying her inside.
Email: littllucy@collegeclub.com
