Chapter 9 – Secrets
Bet followed him into his room and sat on the bed. She smiled up at him, but Jekyll's eyes were avoiding hers.
"What do I 'ave to do then?" She asked. Jekyll put the potions down on his desk. He turned to face her, but still didn't look at her.
"I was talking to Skinner this morning." He told her. She nodded at him. He continued. "He was telling me about the little arrangement you had come to."
"What do you mean?" She asked, innocently. Jekyll fidgeted, nervously.
"About how you've been earning money off him." Her smile dropped.
"Oh, I see." She lowered her voice. "And do you have a problem with that?"
"Yes!" Jekyll cried. "No, I don't know." He sat down next to her. "Why didn't you tell me you were a…" Jekyll faded.
"A prostitute, you mean?" She finished his sentence. Jekyll dropped his head. "You can say it, you know." Jekyll put his head in his hands. "'Ow was I supposed to tell you? It not something you tell someone when you wanna impress 'em."
"I thought you were a thief, like the others…" Jekyll started.
"Yeah, I am a thief." She interrupted. "But that wasn't enough to get by on. Most girls I knew did it too. I'm not the only one, you know!" She sighed. "I wanted to impress you. I didn't want you to think I was just some silly little girl who could only earn money by sleeping with complete strangers." She looked at Jekyll. "You liked me; I didn't wanna risk that!" He shook his head.
"Don't you think I'd have liked it more if you had told me yourself?" He stood up and paced across the room. "Instead of finding out from that sleaze bag Skinner!"
"Don't be too 'ard on 'im, will you?" She stood up. "You've gotta think 'bout 'im. 'E ain't never 'ad someone to love. Who would fall in love with someone they couldn't see? 'E was just needing the company that all fellas do."
"I need company too, you know." Jekyll replied, fiercely. "But I don't go out using young women. It's disgraceful!" Bet looked hurt. Jekyll calmed down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It ain't my fault!" she cried. "You think I wanna go about, reeling in rich sleazes and giving 'em everything? I wish some o' them had been like Skinner. At least I wouldn't 'ave 'ad to look at 'em." They both stood there in silence for a moment, staring each other out. Jekyll was the first to break away. Shaking slightly, he turned and sat at his desk.
"I'm sorry." He apologised. "I shouldn't be so hard on you. I really care about you; I don't want you to get hurt. Please don't let Skinner use you again." Jekyll thought for a moment. "You're not in love with him are you?"
"With Skinner?" She replied. "O' course not. It's just work ain't it?" She walked over and sat on the desk in front of Jekyll. "I'm sorry too." Jekyll looked up at her.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I should a told you from the start." She touched his cheek with her hand. "No more secrets, eh?" Jekyll put his hand on hers. He couldn't tell her about Mr Hyde. She wouldn't find out. She though he was a separate entity.
"No more secrets." Jekyll promised. She smiled at him. She looked really relieved, Jekyll thought. That must have been really worrying her. She bent across and kissed him softly on the forehead, before leaning into him and giving Jekyll a hug.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're alright. I don't wanna do it anymore. I didn't ever wanna do it." She sat back up again. "Would I be able to stay with you after this 'as all finished? I really don't wanna go back there again." Jekyll smiled.
"You are more than welcome to stay." He said. Jekyll saw Bet beam briefly before he was smothered by another hug.
"Thank you! I promise you, I'll be so good!" Jekyll stood up and put his arms around her. She was warm and soft. He stepped back.
"Right then," He spoke. "Let's see if this works then." Bet sat back on the bed. "Are you ready?"
"I'd better be." She replied. "What do I 'ave to do?" Jekyll turned to the desk and picked up the invisibility potion.
"First of all you need to become invisible." He passed her the vial. She took it looked at the contents and laughed.
"It's blue!" Bet giggled.
"Well observed." Jekyll replied.
"But I though it would be invisible!"
"If it were invisible you wouldn't be able to tell if there was the right amount there," Jekyll explained. "So we dye it." Bet's face lit up.
"That's so clever! I never would 'ave thought of that!" She looked at it closer. "Do I drink it then?"
"Whenever your ready." He sat down at his desk again and watched Bet. She carefully took the cork out of the top and looked at the contents again. Was she getting cold feet, Jekyll though? He wouldn't blame her if she was, but whom else would he get to test it?
"Well," Bet murmured. "Cheers." She tipped her head back and poured the blue liquid down her throat. She put the vial on the bed and stood up. Nothing was happening.
"Oh!" Bet cried. She held up her hands and noticed that the tips of her fingers had disappeared. Slowly, her hands started to vanish, followed by her arms and flowing down the rest of her body.
After a minute or so, Bet was completely invisible.
Bet followed him into his room and sat on the bed. She smiled up at him, but Jekyll's eyes were avoiding hers.
"What do I 'ave to do then?" She asked. Jekyll put the potions down on his desk. He turned to face her, but still didn't look at her.
"I was talking to Skinner this morning." He told her. She nodded at him. He continued. "He was telling me about the little arrangement you had come to."
"What do you mean?" She asked, innocently. Jekyll fidgeted, nervously.
"About how you've been earning money off him." Her smile dropped.
"Oh, I see." She lowered her voice. "And do you have a problem with that?"
"Yes!" Jekyll cried. "No, I don't know." He sat down next to her. "Why didn't you tell me you were a…" Jekyll faded.
"A prostitute, you mean?" She finished his sentence. Jekyll dropped his head. "You can say it, you know." Jekyll put his head in his hands. "'Ow was I supposed to tell you? It not something you tell someone when you wanna impress 'em."
"I thought you were a thief, like the others…" Jekyll started.
"Yeah, I am a thief." She interrupted. "But that wasn't enough to get by on. Most girls I knew did it too. I'm not the only one, you know!" She sighed. "I wanted to impress you. I didn't want you to think I was just some silly little girl who could only earn money by sleeping with complete strangers." She looked at Jekyll. "You liked me; I didn't wanna risk that!" He shook his head.
"Don't you think I'd have liked it more if you had told me yourself?" He stood up and paced across the room. "Instead of finding out from that sleaze bag Skinner!"
"Don't be too 'ard on 'im, will you?" She stood up. "You've gotta think 'bout 'im. 'E ain't never 'ad someone to love. Who would fall in love with someone they couldn't see? 'E was just needing the company that all fellas do."
"I need company too, you know." Jekyll replied, fiercely. "But I don't go out using young women. It's disgraceful!" Bet looked hurt. Jekyll calmed down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"It ain't my fault!" she cried. "You think I wanna go about, reeling in rich sleazes and giving 'em everything? I wish some o' them had been like Skinner. At least I wouldn't 'ave 'ad to look at 'em." They both stood there in silence for a moment, staring each other out. Jekyll was the first to break away. Shaking slightly, he turned and sat at his desk.
"I'm sorry." He apologised. "I shouldn't be so hard on you. I really care about you; I don't want you to get hurt. Please don't let Skinner use you again." Jekyll thought for a moment. "You're not in love with him are you?"
"With Skinner?" She replied. "O' course not. It's just work ain't it?" She walked over and sat on the desk in front of Jekyll. "I'm sorry too." Jekyll looked up at her.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I should a told you from the start." She touched his cheek with her hand. "No more secrets, eh?" Jekyll put his hand on hers. He couldn't tell her about Mr Hyde. She wouldn't find out. She though he was a separate entity.
"No more secrets." Jekyll promised. She smiled at him. She looked really relieved, Jekyll thought. That must have been really worrying her. She bent across and kissed him softly on the forehead, before leaning into him and giving Jekyll a hug.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm so glad you're alright. I don't wanna do it anymore. I didn't ever wanna do it." She sat back up again. "Would I be able to stay with you after this 'as all finished? I really don't wanna go back there again." Jekyll smiled.
"You are more than welcome to stay." He said. Jekyll saw Bet beam briefly before he was smothered by another hug.
"Thank you! I promise you, I'll be so good!" Jekyll stood up and put his arms around her. She was warm and soft. He stepped back.
"Right then," He spoke. "Let's see if this works then." Bet sat back on the bed. "Are you ready?"
"I'd better be." She replied. "What do I 'ave to do?" Jekyll turned to the desk and picked up the invisibility potion.
"First of all you need to become invisible." He passed her the vial. She took it looked at the contents and laughed.
"It's blue!" Bet giggled.
"Well observed." Jekyll replied.
"But I though it would be invisible!"
"If it were invisible you wouldn't be able to tell if there was the right amount there," Jekyll explained. "So we dye it." Bet's face lit up.
"That's so clever! I never would 'ave thought of that!" She looked at it closer. "Do I drink it then?"
"Whenever your ready." He sat down at his desk again and watched Bet. She carefully took the cork out of the top and looked at the contents again. Was she getting cold feet, Jekyll though? He wouldn't blame her if she was, but whom else would he get to test it?
"Well," Bet murmured. "Cheers." She tipped her head back and poured the blue liquid down her throat. She put the vial on the bed and stood up. Nothing was happening.
"Oh!" Bet cried. She held up her hands and noticed that the tips of her fingers had disappeared. Slowly, her hands started to vanish, followed by her arms and flowing down the rest of her body.
After a minute or so, Bet was completely invisible.