Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

They danced twice more together in the course of the evening; James told her secretly that he wanted to dance with her all night, but social conventions wouldn’t allow it. Jessamina, on the other had, was flattered that anyone would want to dance with her at all, let alone the one of the richest bachelors in London. Anytime she wasn’t dancing, she simply stood at the refreshment table, listening to all the whispers about how much James seemed to fancy her. She was used to being talked about, but never in a good way. Normally, their whispers were filled with “poor dears” and “bless her hearts” and other phrases that made Jessamina’s hair stand on end. She wasn’t anyone’s little pet, and she wasn’t someone that needed to be pitied. She was not a hopeless creature waiting for some prince to rescue her; she was strong woman who had managed to kill some of London’s worst criminals. And what’s more, she killed them all without being caught.

But this time, the whispers didn’t make her cringe. Instead the things she heard sounded strangely like compliments.
“Isn’t that Jessamina Delaney dancing with James! Look how beautiful she looks.”
“I love her gown! Look how it brings out her eyes.”
“Don’t they make a handsome couple? He’s danced with her several times this evening.”
“I’m so jealous I could cry! How lucky is she?”

For once, Jessamina’s situation was envied, and she could hardly believe it herself. Jessamina was never one for petty childish games, but she felt a kind of thrill at everyone’s jealousy.

Especially Alexis Dubose’s.

The moment James started speaking to Jessamina, Alexis left in a huff to gossip with her girlfriends. But the moment she realized that she was the only one who was truly angry at Jessamina’s good fortune, she slipped away to a corner and stared haughtily at the chandeliers.

Jessamina smiled and sipped her champagne when all of a sudden, there was a loud shriek behind her. She turned around in fright, only to see that it was her mother, bobbing up and down in delight!

“Oh, Jessamina! My darling, darling girl! My little precious!”
“Mother?”
“You’ve done it! You’ve gone and made a splash! Why, you’re the only topic of interest at anyone’s conversation. Granted, I’ve been starting all those conversations, but still! I’m very impressed, Jessamina1 You’ve not only caught the eye of any gentleman (and I would have been happy if even one the stable boys had taken a liking to you), you’ve caught the eye of the most important one.”
“He’s merely being polite, Mother.” Jessamina said in as calm a voice as she could muster. Jessamina didn’t want her mother’s new mission to be arranging wedding plans.
“Nonsense, dear! He likes you! I happen to know from a very close source that her never dances with any girl more than once. He says he loves all the ladies equally, and therefore doesn’t think it fair to favor any particular one of them.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions yet, Mother. You know that I’m only here to please you. None of this amuses me in the slightest.”
“Yes, well, you say that now, dear.”
“I do. And that’s the end of this discussion for now.”
“Yes, yes” her mother patted her on the arm and gave her a big wink. “I’ll let you get back to your mission.”

Mission. Jessamina had, for an hour or so, been distracted from her main objective. She cursed herself for letting some petty dance get in the way of her finding out as much information as possible on Mr. Blackhorne. She decided to approach one of the kindlier-looking women and ask where Mr. Blackhorne was.
“Oh, you mean James,” they giggled in recognition.”
“No, ma’am, I mean his father, Mr. Vincent Blackhorne. I just wanted to personally thank him for the invitation here tonight. My mother and I are truly honored to be here, and I just wanted to make sure I had a word with him.”
“What a polite young thing you are! Unfortunately, I have no idea where he might be. He likes to move around a lot during his balls, to make sure everyone’s enjoying themselves. You could try asking some of the servants, though.”
“I think I will. That you very much for your help.”
“You’re very welcome, my dear.”

Jessamina wandered around the large ballroom for hours, looking for glimpse of him. Unfortunately there were so many people everywhere, that anytime she saw what could be confused for a silver handle of a cane, she panicked. Even the servants were of no help; they kept pointing in different directions, as if Mr. Blackhorne had given them specific instructions to confuse her. On top of all that, when Jessamina tried to pull them aside to ask them if Mr. Blackhorne was a bad employer, they were all quick to defend him. Not a single one of them had anything but kind words to say, which disrupted her plans to bribe one of them into letting her into the house alone. It was starting to look hopeless; Mr. Blackhorne was simply too good of a hired assassin to be found. She knew that this would be difficult, but she expected she would have made some progress by now. Instead, she seemed even more confused about why she even agreed to this plan in the first place.

During a break in between songs, she did manage to find James a few times, and she avoided him as much as she could. She couldn’t afford to be distracted anymore, she had already let her foolishness prevail, and she would not let that happen again. Unfortunately, James found her.

“Jessamina!”
“James! I was actually just looking for you.”
“Strange, as I feel as if I’ve been looking for you a great deal longer than you have for me. And what do you need from me, Miss Jessamina?”
“Could you tell me where your father is?”
“My father?” he frowned. “What do you want with him?”
“I just wanted to personally thank him for inviting my mother and me. I’m having such a lovely time, and I just wanted to make sure he knew.”
“How very kind of you, Jessamina. You are certainly one of the politest young ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure of dancing with. Unfortunately, my father has a terrible habit of retiring to bed early during these events. He spends so much effort organizing these things, and then he doesn’t even bother enjoying them.” he shook his head. “One of the many things about my father that aggravates me.”
“Oh really? Everyone here has been nothing but complementary about your father. But I suppose that a man acts very differently towards his guests than he does in private.”
“Indeed. But, that’s a serious conversation, Jessamina! And tonight is for lighthearted, gleeful celebration! I’m afraid you’ll have to meet him some other time.”
“Yes, I suppose I will.”
“Say, I have a quick announcement to make to the party, but promise me you’ll stay right here?”
“I promise.”
“Wonderful. Don’t move a muscle.” He grinned at her before dashing off into the crowd again. Within moments he had managed to make his way onto the stage where the orchestra was playing. He whispered something into the conductor’s ear. The conductor nodded in response, and gracefully made the music come to a standstill. Once the music had died, James gave a loud shout and stood on top of the first violinist’s chair. There were cheers and applause from the guests, which he managed to control by a simple wave of hands.

“May I have your attention please! Can everyone hear me?”
“We can certainly see you,” a young lady behind Jessamina giggled.
“I just wanted to thank every one of you for coming here tonight, to celebrate this ocasion with me. My father, as you very well know, is not much of a night owl”, this ellicited some knowing laughs from the audience, “but he wanted me to tell you that he was very grateful as well. This morning, I turned a ripe twenty-one years of age. I have lived a healthy and incredibly fortunate life, and I thank god every day for what I’ve been given. I owe my upbrining to my beautiful and charming mother, may she rest in peace, who taught me the importance of eloquence and grace. I also owe tremendous thank to my father, who gave me practical knowledge that will help guide me in all my future endeavors.
“But I also want to thank all of you, for teaching me the value of friendship. I truly think of each and every one of you is a friend of mine. It humbles me to know that I have such wonderful people in my life. To all the gentlemen out there, thank you for being lovely old chaps, and to all the ladies, I thank you for adding some much needed beauty to this event.
“The purpose of life, I think, is to celebrate each and every moment as if it were the only memory you would have for the rest of your life. And if this evening is the only one I’ll remember for the rest of my life” he locked eyes with Jessamina at this point. “Then I will die a very happy man.
“So, with that being said, I have a very special surprise for you tonight. My father has recently purchased some fireworks from China, and I’ve been anxious to see them in action. So, if you would all make your way to the balconies, we can begin the show!”

With that, every balcony door was opened by a servant, and the guests began to leave in droves. Jessamina, however, stayed in her spot, not wanting to betray a promise.

“You’re still here,” he said breathlessly.
“Of course. Are you surprised?”
“A little. You don’t seem to be the kind of woman who likes to follow orders.”
Jessamina started to protest, but realized he was absolutely right.
“You know, I normally don’t.”
“Well, I’m glad. Please, follow me.”
“He led her to a separate balcony on the top floor of the hall, allowing them to have a much better view.

Normally, this action would have Jessamina’s hand poised and ready on the cameo brooch. But she felt strangely safe with him; and besides, if she needed help, everyone would be right below them to hear her scream.

“Are you ready for some splendid theatrics, Jessamina?” James asked.

“I’ve never seen fireworks before, “ Jessamina admitted.

“Then prepare to be amazed.”

A loud boom, loud enough to shake the tress caused Jessamina to shriek in fright.
“Jessamina! Don’t worry.” he laughed. “This is just the beginning.”

He was right. The fireworks were incredibly loud. Jessamina thought she would go deaf just from the sheer shock to her eardrums. And strangely enough, her body just couldn’t get used to it; even though she new it was coming every time, she would jump a little at every explosion. And every time she jumped, James would chuckle, until finally Jessamina shot him a dirty look, and he stayed silent.

But she was incredibly impressed. The fireworks were a kaleidoscope of different colors; red, yellow, white, blue, and all coming together to illuminate the moonless night sky. They sparkled like a million little diamonds.

After it was over, Jessamina and James stood and enjoyed the silence.

“Well?” James asked anxiously. “Did you like them?”
“Like them? James, they were beautiful! They were magnificent.”
“Not as beautiful as you, Jessamina. And certainly not as magnificent.”

Jessamina blushed and moved away from him, letting her hands rest on the rail of the balcony. He moved to stand behind her.

“Jessamina, I hope you don’t find this too forward of me, but I feel a rather strange connection to you. I’ve only known you for these past few hours, and yet I feel as if I’ve known you my entire life. Has that ever happened to you before?”

**************************
Jessamina is eleven years old, and her father unexpectedly brings home a young boy from work. Mrs. Delaney wants to know whether he is the new manservant she wanted for her birthday, but Mr. Delaney says he’s no such thing.

The young boy’s name is Edmund, and he’s only fifteen at the time. Jessamina peers down at him from the top of the staircase and isn’t impressed with his appearance. He a scrawny looking ginger, with a smattering of freckles and horrible posture. In fact, she notices that Edmund stares at his feet the entire time, without once looking up, even when talked to. Jessamina finds him to be incredibly rude, and immediately takes a disliking to him.

Nevertheless, Jessamina is forced to have dinner with him. She tries to make polite conversation like she has been taught to do all her life, but she finds it difficult to speak to a boy who refuses to look up from his plate. By the end of the first course, Jessamina is so frustrated, that she asks to be excused.

“But Jessamina, we have guests!”

“Mother, he hasn’t said a single word since he’s arrived in this house! Am I the only one who finds that a bit strange?”
“Jessamina! Behave yourself!” Mr. Delaney scolded.
“Who is he anyway? Some orphan you’re taking in for the holidays?”
“Jessamina, how dare you speak in that tone! Edmund is my new apprentice. An incredibly brilliant young mind. You should be ashamed of your behavior tonight. Apologize to him at once!”
“No, no, it’s alright. Please don’t be upset.” Edmund mumbled into his lap. “She’s right. I’m sorry. I’ve just... I’m quite nervous. I’ve never been in a house this nice before.”

Jessamina’s parents look at her with shame in their eyes for making this boy feel so inferior. She sat back down at the table, promising not to speak for the rest of the evening.

“So, Edmund, where are you from again?” Mrs. Delaney asked, trying to bring the conversation back to life.

“Glasren, Ma’am.” He cleared his throat, this time managing to raise his voice to above a whisper. “In the county of West Sussex.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Yes, well, it’s a very small town you see. Only a few thousand people.”
“And do you like it there?”
“Oh, ma’am it’s the most beautiful town in the entire world. I can’t imagine really settling down anywhere else. When I do settle down, I mean. The water is so clear-- well, you see, it’s called Glasren because the water there is so clear and still, you can see your complete unbroken reflection in it. It’s beautiful, really, there’s no place else like it. And there’s no factories for miles and miles, so the air is fresh and lovely. No one is unkind to each other, because every family in Glasren has lived there for centuries -- everyone knows each other.”
“Then why did you leave?”

At this, he fell silent again: it was clear he felt uncomfortable talking about this part of his past. Mr. Delaney was about to change the subject, when Edmund held up his hand, as if to indicate his desire to finish.

“No, it’s alright. I should talk about it.” Edmund took a deep breath, and began his story.

“You see, my dad left my mum when I was only three years old. He just took off, claiming he could do better somewhere else. In Glasren, there really isn’t much work that a woman can do by herself. But instead of my mum giving me up for adoption, or marrying some other man for financial security, she raised me all by herself. She became a washerwoman for a few neighboring towns, and took in all the work she could find. She was, my mum, the most inspiring woman I’ve ever met. She did everything she could to make sure that I could have a comfortable life, even if meant that she couldn’t. She raised enough money to send me off to a boarding school nearby, because to her, nothing was more important than a good education. But a few months ago... a few months ago she became very ill with something no one could treat. You see, there aren’t any apothecaries or physicians within a two days journey; only some midwifes from the nearby towns. And they all tried their best, but their knowledge of the medicinal world is limited to what modest education has been passed down to them from their predecessors. It was hopeless, and my mother knew it. She died a few days ago without any help at all. And even though she did so much to help the people in my town, no one even bothered to try and discover what she died from. She’s the only one who’s ever cared for me, and society let her down. I let her down. So I decided that enough was enough. I wanted to make sure that my town, nor any other town nearby, ever has to go through that again. So I hitchhiked rides all the way here. And as soon as I arrived, I asked who the best doctor in the city was, and Mr. Delaney was the first one recommended to me. So here I am. I know I have no prior experience in the medicinal arts, and I don’t have a university education. But I am truly motivated. I want to learn everything I can, and go back to my town, and saves lives. Because if I don’t, no one else will.”

The room was silent. No one said a word. Jessamina felt horrible that she had been so cruel to a boy that cared so much for his town.

“I think what you’re doing is incredibly noble, Edmund.” she said kindly to him. “Truly, I can’t imagine having gone through what you’ve gone through. And like to sincerely apologize for my behavior previously. It was stupid and selfish of me, and I--”

He looked up for the first time. Their eyes locked. Time stopped.

He had the most kind and loving eyes that she had ever seen. They were a beautiful hazel with gold flecks in them, and Jessamina, despite her familiar surrounding, felt completely and utterly lost. She couldn’t possibly understand the pain and suffering he had gone through all his life, and yet at that moment they were completely connected. Between their eyes was strange and magical bond that kept them from noticing that the world was in fact continuing around them. This was different than anything either of them had ever experience before, and though neither of them knew it, this one moment would change the course of their futures forever.

Edmund looked away shyly, breaking the electricity between. She blushed and finally managed to look away from him. The conversation moved to other topics throughout the evening, but Jessamina could only think about how what she felt with Edmund, at that moment, was love.

**********************************************************

“Yes.” she whispered, her eyes glassy from the cold. “I have.”

“I’m glad. I’d like to call on you, if that’s alright with you, Jessamina.”

She thought about it. Since she didn’t get any of the information she wanted about Vincent, it made sense for her to establish a connection with James. This way, she could perhaps procure another invitation to the house.

“Yes. That would be lovely.” Jessamina replied.
“May I have your card?”
“My card?”
“Certainly you have a calling card, Jessamina?” he looked amused.
“Oh! Yes, of course. It’s just that my mother has them. Could you wait one moment, please?”
“I’ll wait for as long as you want me to, Jessamina. I’ll be right here where you return.”

She ran down the grand staircase, hoping that she wouldn’t have to wade through the crowds of people in order to find her mother. Luckily, her mother had been watching her like a hawk, and was hiding behind a greek statue, waiting for her daughter.

“Jessamina!” she shouted, as she popped out from behind a David replica.

“Mother! Goodness, you scared me!”
“Well, how did everything go? What did he say? What did you say? How close did he stand next to you. Did you wave your fan at all? How often would you say he--”
“Mother, he needs my calling card. Can you please just give me one so we can leave? I’m exhausted.”
Mrs. Delaney was huffy that her daughter was pointedly refusing to answer her questions, but she took out an ivory case from her purse, opened it, and produced a calling card.
“Thank you, Mother. I’ll be right back. In fact, why don’t you call the carriage? I’m sure I’ll be down shortly.”
“But Jessamina--”
“Please, Mother. No more questions. Perhaps we can discuss this tomorrow.” And with that, she hurried back up the stairs and onto the upper balcony, where James was patiently waiting for her. “Here you are.”
“Excellent.” he placed the card into his suit jacket pocket. “Well, Jessamina. It was certainly a pleasure to meet you.”
“And I you. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” And with another kiss to her gloved hand, he left the balcony, allowing her to enjoy the coolness of the night breeze without any distractions.

When she finally cleared her head, she headed downstairs, entered her carriage, and maintained her silence all the way home.