Chapter 17 – Farewells
There was a brisk breeze that blew through the London docks. A crowd of people had gathered around the Nautilus, each admiring the strange contraption. Dr Jekyll strode onto the top deck and viewed the people below. There was a great range of different classes, right from the upper class in their neat, expensive clothes to the lowest street peasants, not dissimilar to Bet. He couldn't let her go back to that life, but there was really no other choice. She couldn't stay with him on the Nautilus.
Bet wandered onto the deck. She had changed into one of Mina's old dresses and held a large suitcase at her side. Jekyll smiled at her and walked towards her. Bet looked up at him.
"I see you've decided to take my advice and borrow some clothes from Mina." Jekyll pointed to the suitcase at her side. She blushed and stepped towards him. "Oh, that reminds me!" He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a large envelope and he passed to Bet.
"Thank you," she remarked as he gave it to her.
"That's three times the money I owe you for your work." Bet started to object, but Jekyll put a finger to her lips. "There's also another little present for you in there." Bet looked confused.
Placing her suitcase on the ground, she carefully opened the envelope and placed her hand inside. Slowly, Bet pulled out a large, silver key.
"What's this?" She asked, curiously studying it.
"That's the key to my property." Bet opened her mouth to speak, but realised that she had nothing to say. "I have no use for it anymore, and I have no family relations to give it to. It would be a great waste if I just left it unoccupied, and I'm sure your need is greater than mine."
"Dr Jekyll, I…" Bet leapt toward Jekyll and flung her arms around him. Taken by surprise, Jekyll lost his balance slightly and stumbled backwards. Bet giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry." She stepped back.
"Not at all." Jekyll replied, brushing off his jacket. "Now," he took Bet's hand in his own. "I want you to promise me something."
"Anythin' for you, Dr Jekyll."
"I want you to go out into London and find yourself someone to settle down with." Bet's smiled faded. "You needn't go back to your old life. You can be a new person." Bet shook her head.
"But I don't wanna find someone to settle down with. I wanna be with you. I can 'elp you with Mr 'yde!"
"We've been through this, Bet." Jekyll replied, softly. "Your intentions may be good, but you know what happened. I can't risk a repeat performance." Bet didn't reply. She knew he was right. If she stayed with Dr Jekyll is would only infuriate Hyde all the more. Who knows what he would do to her if he could see precisely where she was?
"I suppose you're right." She looked up. "You're always right. You don't want someone like me 'angin' around you anyway." Jekyll frowned, but Bet continued to beam at him. "I'll never find anyone like you though." She brushed some hair out of his eyes. "'Ow can I settle down with someone else, when I know you're still 'ere? You will visit me, in your 'ouse, I mean." Jekyll placed a hand on her cheek.
"Of course I will." Bet smiled sweetly at him. Jekyll leant towards her and gently kissed her.
"I love you, you know." She giggled. "I won't be able to love anyone else!"
"Of course you will!" Jekyll replied. "Give it a week and you'll have forgotten everything about me!" They both laughed. "I do love you, and I'll never forget you. I promise you that. But you're much better off getting married and living a normal life. You'll have no trouble snaring the man you want."
"You've changed my life." Bet gushed. "I'll never be able to repay you."
"Your presence in my life is more than enough to repay me." Jekyll complimented. Bet blushed slightly. "I can stand up to Skinner now!"
"Don't be too 'ard on 'im." Bet looked very serious for a moment. "It's not 'is fault."
"I suppose," Jekyll sighed. "I'm going to have to forgive him eventually." Bet smiled. Jekyll pulled her towards him and hugged her. Bet held tightly to him.
"Please, don't let me go!" She whispered.
"I don't want to," he replied. He loosened his grip on her and stepped back slightly. "But I have to."
Eventually, Bet let go of him. Not looking away from him she picked up her suitcase. Jekyll held out an arm, and she took it. He led her to the top of the stairs leading from the Nautilus. Bet turned to face him once more. She went to speak, but instead bit her lip. There was an awkward silence.
"I suppose I'll see you soon." Jekyll spoke, breaking the silence. Bet nodded, unable to speak. Jekyll lent forwards once more, and they kissed. "Goodbye, Bet."
"Goodbye, Dr Jekyll." She whispered. Slowly, she turned and started to make her way down the steps. At the bottom she turned back and waved to him. Jekyll waved back.
Sighing, Bet turned and started to walk through the crowded streets, off in the direction of Jekyll's old house. Letting out a deep breath, Jekyll turned and walked back into the Nautilus.
There was a brisk breeze that blew through the London docks. A crowd of people had gathered around the Nautilus, each admiring the strange contraption. Dr Jekyll strode onto the top deck and viewed the people below. There was a great range of different classes, right from the upper class in their neat, expensive clothes to the lowest street peasants, not dissimilar to Bet. He couldn't let her go back to that life, but there was really no other choice. She couldn't stay with him on the Nautilus.
Bet wandered onto the deck. She had changed into one of Mina's old dresses and held a large suitcase at her side. Jekyll smiled at her and walked towards her. Bet looked up at him.
"I see you've decided to take my advice and borrow some clothes from Mina." Jekyll pointed to the suitcase at her side. She blushed and stepped towards him. "Oh, that reminds me!" He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a large envelope and he passed to Bet.
"Thank you," she remarked as he gave it to her.
"That's three times the money I owe you for your work." Bet started to object, but Jekyll put a finger to her lips. "There's also another little present for you in there." Bet looked confused.
Placing her suitcase on the ground, she carefully opened the envelope and placed her hand inside. Slowly, Bet pulled out a large, silver key.
"What's this?" She asked, curiously studying it.
"That's the key to my property." Bet opened her mouth to speak, but realised that she had nothing to say. "I have no use for it anymore, and I have no family relations to give it to. It would be a great waste if I just left it unoccupied, and I'm sure your need is greater than mine."
"Dr Jekyll, I…" Bet leapt toward Jekyll and flung her arms around him. Taken by surprise, Jekyll lost his balance slightly and stumbled backwards. Bet giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry." She stepped back.
"Not at all." Jekyll replied, brushing off his jacket. "Now," he took Bet's hand in his own. "I want you to promise me something."
"Anythin' for you, Dr Jekyll."
"I want you to go out into London and find yourself someone to settle down with." Bet's smiled faded. "You needn't go back to your old life. You can be a new person." Bet shook her head.
"But I don't wanna find someone to settle down with. I wanna be with you. I can 'elp you with Mr 'yde!"
"We've been through this, Bet." Jekyll replied, softly. "Your intentions may be good, but you know what happened. I can't risk a repeat performance." Bet didn't reply. She knew he was right. If she stayed with Dr Jekyll is would only infuriate Hyde all the more. Who knows what he would do to her if he could see precisely where she was?
"I suppose you're right." She looked up. "You're always right. You don't want someone like me 'angin' around you anyway." Jekyll frowned, but Bet continued to beam at him. "I'll never find anyone like you though." She brushed some hair out of his eyes. "'Ow can I settle down with someone else, when I know you're still 'ere? You will visit me, in your 'ouse, I mean." Jekyll placed a hand on her cheek.
"Of course I will." Bet smiled sweetly at him. Jekyll leant towards her and gently kissed her.
"I love you, you know." She giggled. "I won't be able to love anyone else!"
"Of course you will!" Jekyll replied. "Give it a week and you'll have forgotten everything about me!" They both laughed. "I do love you, and I'll never forget you. I promise you that. But you're much better off getting married and living a normal life. You'll have no trouble snaring the man you want."
"You've changed my life." Bet gushed. "I'll never be able to repay you."
"Your presence in my life is more than enough to repay me." Jekyll complimented. Bet blushed slightly. "I can stand up to Skinner now!"
"Don't be too 'ard on 'im." Bet looked very serious for a moment. "It's not 'is fault."
"I suppose," Jekyll sighed. "I'm going to have to forgive him eventually." Bet smiled. Jekyll pulled her towards him and hugged her. Bet held tightly to him.
"Please, don't let me go!" She whispered.
"I don't want to," he replied. He loosened his grip on her and stepped back slightly. "But I have to."
Eventually, Bet let go of him. Not looking away from him she picked up her suitcase. Jekyll held out an arm, and she took it. He led her to the top of the stairs leading from the Nautilus. Bet turned to face him once more. She went to speak, but instead bit her lip. There was an awkward silence.
"I suppose I'll see you soon." Jekyll spoke, breaking the silence. Bet nodded, unable to speak. Jekyll lent forwards once more, and they kissed. "Goodbye, Bet."
"Goodbye, Dr Jekyll." She whispered. Slowly, she turned and started to make her way down the steps. At the bottom she turned back and waved to him. Jekyll waved back.
Sighing, Bet turned and started to walk through the crowded streets, off in the direction of Jekyll's old house. Letting out a deep breath, Jekyll turned and walked back into the Nautilus.