Only in America: Skinner's Story

A TPDoEQ special edition

by Lady Norbert

9 May 1900?

I don't know how long I've been in here. Don't know what time it is. Not entirely certain what day it is - is it still today? Or is it tomorrow?

When they had me in that jail in Washington, I thought there was no way it could be any worse. Shows what I know. At least there, I had three hots and a cot, and a window that let in some sunlight, and the occasional visit. In here, it's just...black. There's a little shaft of light where the exit is, and I can hear voices outside now and then; of course I'm being guarded.

I admit I'm curious to know how my absence is being explained. I might not be the most valued member of the team, but there's no way in hell the League won't notice I'm gone. Everett's going to have to come up with a beauty of an excuse for why I'm not around...unless he just pretends he doesn't know either. Probably the smarter plan, that.

If I ever get out of here, he is so dead.

Later

Keep thinking about stuff. Mostly remembering things, like I did when I was in jail, but I also keep thinking about this whole wedding scenario.

So Everett doesn't love her. The way he said it, doesn't even sound like he likes her all that much. Idiot. But what about Bess? Does she know he doesn't love her? And if she does know, why's she marrying him?

More than that, what's this "bigger fish" he's after that he can only get by marrying her? Does she know about that, too? I wonder if it's her money. Maybe he thinks she has more than she really does. For all I know, maybe he wants the Nautilus. Maybe he thinks that, since Nemo sort of regards her like his daughter, she'll inherit everything of his - which it's possible she will. But if that's so, then why would they be staying here in St. Petersburg instead of coming with us on the ship? So that can't be what he's after. But then...what does he want?

Since, by his own admission, it isn't her.

Though he plans to take the blush off the English rose...oh, I'd love to rip him to pieces for saying that. Even if I didn't feel about her like I do, I'd still want to kill him for that just because - well, you don't say that about a lady. Especially a lady in the League. I'd be angry if he'd said something like that about Mina's honour too.

Maybe not as angry, but still angry.

But I can't help wondering...how does she really feel about him?

Later still

Bugger.

I still never go anywhere without one of Bess's handkerchiefs in my pocket. Don't remember which one this is; obviously, I can't see the colour of the stitching. I can feel the thread under my fingers, though.

R. S.

I'm sorry, Bessie, love. Your invisible shield let you down this time.

10 May 1900

Hell of a day.

I fell asleep at some point, not that I could tell time in the mine. The only clue I had was the light coming through the mine entrance, which got weaker as the sun went down and stronger as it came back up. I woke up to hear...gunshots.

There was some kind of scuffle going on outside, I could hear it, though I couldn't understand words. Strangest thing, I thought I heard Hyde's voice, and Sawyer's. Started to think maybe being alone in the dark so long had addled my brains.

'Course, that wasn't the case at all. It really was Eds and Tom, come to get me out. No time to spare, either, because the blasted wedding was underway. "You know Everett's forcing her?" Tom asked me once we were outside.

Well, I didn't, not really, but I wasn't too surprised, either. "Yeah, I figured as much," I fibbed. Explained a lot, actually.

Then he dropped the bomb. "Basically, if she didn't marry him, he was gonna kill you." He added that he didn't know too many details, but there was no time to think about them anyway.

"I'll kill the bastard," I growled, following him and Hyde. So that was the game plan - force her to marry him by threatening me, her best friend. He was as good as dead. You just don't do something like that, not to my Bess. Not if you enjoy breathing.

We galloped back to town full-tilt, though we had to stop at one point when Eds changed back into Henry and climbed up on Tom's horse. I didn't want to be cruel to the mounts, but I was panicked that we wouldn't get there in time. The name "Elizabeth Everett" was stuck in my head, and for all I knew, it had become a reality. Not soon enough for my liking, we burst out of the tree line and dashed toward the hotel, where Tom slowed to a halt to let Jeks dismount; guess he wanted to go put on clothes again before going into the church.

I couldn't wait for them. I kept on going, and finally I reached the door of the church. I all but jumped off the horse and ran up the stairs, but before I could go in, I heard Tom ride up behind me. "Wait!"

He ran up to join me. "Let me go in first," he said quietly. "They think I'm sick; I'll find out how far along the ceremony's gotten. You come in when you think it's best." I didn't care too much for the plan, but I let him go. He left the door open so I could stand outside and listen as he apologised for breaking in, and asked the preacher to repeat the part he'd just said.

The voice came echoing from the front of the church. "If there be anyone here who has just cause why these two should not be joined, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."

Ah. Perfect timing. I stepped into the doorway.

"I believe that's my cue," I called out. "I've got a few objections!"

Everyone in the bloody place was staring at me. The minister's jaw was on the floor; Everett looked ready to kill; the townspeople started whispering to each other in shock. Only Mina, Tom, and Nemo looked calm. As for me, I was heading up the aisle toward the altar, where a girl in a white dress looked like Christmas had come early.

"Rodney!" she cried, and - cleverly sidestepping Everett's attempt to grab her - she ran down to meet me. I put my hands on her shoulders to sort of stop her before we collided.

"You all right, Bessie?"

"I am now," she said breathlessly. She pulled off the weird hat she was wearing with a veil attached to it, ignoring the way people around us were murmuring. Behind her, Tom had stood up.

"Benjamin Everett," he said, the satisfaction evident in his voice, "you're under arrest." Everett tried to back away, but a few of Nemo's men had come from somewhere - they do that - and kept him from escaping while Sawyer cuffed him.

Bess gave kind of a little moan, and tilted her head forward so her forehead rested on my chest. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I'm so sorry." She sounded like she was starting to cry. I looked over her head at Everett, who was glowering at the pair of us, then back down at her. Much as I wanted to kill him, she had to take priority.

"Easy, love, easy," I said, patting her on the back. "It's all right. It's over."

11 May 1900

Things are starting to get back to normal. Everett and his flunkies were convicted in court, and they're getting sent to state prison. The magistrate and the minister have both assured Bess that she's not married, either in the eyes of the law or the eyes of the church, and I don't know who's more relieved - her or me. She took the engagement and wedding rings he bought her and sold them back to the jeweller, and donated the money to the church because she's so happy not to be married.

Or so she says, anyway. I have to wonder. I mean, I know he was forcing her; she finally told us everything that's been going on, and in a nutshell, Everett was going to murder Sawyer and frame me for it unless she agreed to marry him. Turns out that what he wanted was Allan's old papers about Solomon's mine. He wanted to go and get some of those diamonds for himself, the sleaze. So I'm sure she is happy that he won't be getting what he wanted.

But she liked the guy. And I wonder if she had been starting to fall in love with him before all this happened. I mean, he was nice to her, in his sickening sort of way. He's smart. He's goodlooking. From what Mrs. Singer told Mina when she found out the whole story, half the girls in town were in love with the guy; why wouldn't she have started to fall for him? He's...everything I'm not, really.

Which means that if she was falling for him, she'd never fall for me. I can't very well go to her now and say, "So...Bess...want to marry me instead?"

Doesn't change much on my end. I'll still be her invisible shield until I get killed in the process. I'll still make her laugh and beat her at backgammon. And I'll still live in dread of the day when she finally lights on a bloke who deserves her.