Chapter Twenty:

Jekyll…

It had been three weeks since he and Kathryn had found the Elixir of Life. Everyday, Mrs. Harker had been working to discover the secrets of the Elixir since Kathryn failed to return with the documents on it. She had failed to return at all. For all Jekyll knew, she was dead. Or she could be staggering down the dirt streets of the Welsh countryside, trying to get to England. Or she could be in the custody of Scotland Yard.

Truth to tell, Jekyll was feeling slightly guilty about following her orders and leaving her in Sir Lucas' manor. He knew he saw Sir Lucas drink something, but he wasn't positive if it was really a poison. Kathryn didn't seem to sure about it, but he never had a chance to ask her. So he had left her in the uncertain conditions she was in. If she was dead, Jekyll was going to take full responsibility and hold her blood on his hands.

"Dr. Jekyll," Mrs. Harker said from the door of his quarters. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," he said, turning to her. "Just tired. Have you finished with the Elixir?"

She sighed and looked down, her hands in the pockets of her coat. "No, actually," she admitted. "I cannot understand it. I've never seen anything like it." She looked at him. "Like Kathryn said, it's Alchemy. And I'm a Chemist. If there was anyone who could unlock its mysteries, it would be her. She at least understood some Alchemy."

"How do you know?"

Mrs. Harker leaned against the doorframe. "I know it didn't seem it, but she and I had a few discussions on our subject," she replied. "She told me that had studied Alchemy for a few months before deciding it was a useless trade. Then she took the poisons from Alchemy and combined them with the poisons of Chemistry and created her own subject."

Jekyll nodded. "That sounds like Kathryn," he said. "What did she call it?"

She hesitated in answering. "A Study of Peculiar Murder," she said softly. "She claimed to be writing a book on it. But she said it's in the form of a fantasy novel so as to disguise its true purpose."

"I see," he said. "She was always a different girl."

"Did you know her before she joined the League?" Mrs. Harker asked. "The way you two got on seemed to suggest it."

"Yes," he finally admitted. "But our parting was rather bitter… She's changed so much since then. She's cold, bitter, harsh. Not the girl I met on Baker Street in '81."

"That long ago?" she asked. "Well, I assume if she's been in practice for at least that long, it would have an effect on her. Good or bad, it would affect her."

He nodded. "You're right," he muttered. Then he stood and walked over to her. "Do you need any assistance with the Elixir?"

"If you're willing to follow my directions," she replied, smiling. "Then, of course."