Of Night and Dark Obscurity

“A lady friend?” Val wondered.

“He hasn’t visited anyone before,” Felix remarked.

The horses’ hooves made the familiar clip clop sound as they moved through the streets and the lantern attached to the cab swayed with the movement. Val watched the streets they passed and made a mental note, and then he knew where they were. Limehouse.

Limehouse was a well-established slum with pubs, brothels and the seductive lure of opium dens. A small Chinese community had settled here and they catered to the poorest of the poor.

When the hansom cab they were following stopped, Val was a little surprised. He didn’t take the doctor for an opium addict, but then many influential men and a few women liked to suck on the opium pipe. Odean paid the driver and entered the dark doorway of the opium den.

Felix looked across at Val and Val returned the stare.

“It seems our friend has an addiction,” Val said as he knocked on the roof of the cab for the driver to continue on.

“Seems so,” Felix nodded and when they had gone a little bit more Val knocked on the roof again for the cab to stop.

“Come.” He jerked his head to Felix as he left the cab.

From the outside, the building was nondescript and looked almost abandoned. There was one red lantern hanging outside which Val guessed was what marked it as an opium den.

“Are we going inside?” Felix asked as they watched two nicely dressed gentleman enter the building.

“Not tonight. I don’t know what to expect inside but I want to be prepared. We’ll visit it tomorrow.” Val instructed.

Felix nodded and the two men returned to the hansom cab, leaving the opium den and Odean Barton behind.

???

Caroline could feel the last of the buttons at the back of her neck being done up and she swallowed several times, hating the high neck and the suffocation she felt at it. Her hair was dressed simply with two combs securing it and her jasmine perfume at the wrists.

Coming downstairs she saw her grandmother in the sitting room working on her embroidery.

“Give Lady Lyttleton my best,” Malvina said smiling.

“I will Gran.”

The ride to the Lyttleton’s was short and she was admitted promptly by the footman and admitted into the parlor.

“My dear Caroline,” Lady Lyttleton said kissing her on both cheeks. “You are the first to arrive.”

“There are others?” Caroline asked as the timid maid poured out the tea.

“My daughter Rachel, my sister Beryl,” Victoria told her smiling. “I believe you met my sister at a supper party a year ago,” Victoria recalled.

“That’s right.” Caroline nodded.

“And my darling Charles might join us as well,” Victoria added just as voices were heard in the foyer.

The four women enjoyed a delightful tea and to Caroline’s relief, Charles Lyttleton did not make an appearance. They talked of the latest gossip and Rachel’s upcoming engagement, and Beryl seemed very interested in Caroline’s housing project. By the end of the tea, Caroline had gained another financial backer.

“You seem to be my champion,” Caroline said smiling at Lady Lyttleton.

“It’s because I believe in you my dear. And also, because if I were a little younger, I’d like to think I would be by your side helping those less fortunate.”

“Well you are Lady Lyttleton.”

As they were saying their goodbyes, she saw Charles Lyttleton walking up the street. He looked disheveled and she hoped he wouldn’t see her.

“Caroline!” He called out coming to stand before her.