To make a plea for Aunt Evie for a moment, she did not possess a particularly closed mind and wasn’t biased towards older women either.
Rather, she was a person who represented the general perception of this era.
“If she can’t meet a decent person by the time she’s old…”
Besides, she was bringing this up because she was really worried about Jane’s future.
If Jane doesn’t get married because of age, she would have to live with serious financial difficulties for the rest of her life.
‘It’s so different from my previous life’s circumstances.
Women at that time also had to fight against the discrimination and prejudice that permeated society, but if they could at least show their abilities and be recognized as a ‘legal subject’.
The only way for women of this age to have a comfortable life was to marry a decent man, otherwise (especially for women) they would be forced into a harsh labor market.
It was for this reason that Aunt Evie felt compelled to marry Miss Jane to any decent man.
While I kept silent while recalling the bitter and uncomfortable truth, Aunt Evie changed the subject.
“By the way, I heard that Miss Jane started working as a medium.”
“…Is she a medium?”
Chris interrupted for the first time, but Aunt Evie didn’t spare her son a glance and continued.
“I’m always in favour of young women studying and having their own specialities, Emily.”
“Yes, Aunt is very liberal in that field.”
“Yeah, some of the ladies around me say that I have ‘unsettling opinions’.”
I recalled the contents of the business card I received yesterday.
“I heard that Miss Jane opened her office in Clap Block on Congress Street.”
As I deliberately leaked information, I saw Chris prick his ears.
However, Aunt Evie didn’t notice and replied in a worried voice.
“Ah, I heard so too. Opening an office is something to be congratulated on, but I’m worried because security is not very good these days.”
Aunt Evie said she was worried about Jane, who was living alone.
“Clap Block, Congress… … .”
I heard Chris muttering in a low voice next to me.
I don’t know how these two knew each other, but even I, with a nonexistent love life, could notice Chris’ interest in Jane.
* * *
When I returned home by the carriage arranged by Mrs Evie, Helena, who was finally free, was waiting for me.
No, to be more precise–
“How did it go, visiting the Lestrades? Wasn’t it uncomfortable?”
…I arrived at Helena’s house, where she greeted me.
I grinned and retorted.
“It was only slightly more uncomfortable than being with you.”
After the Brichester case was solved, I moved into Helena’s house.
It had been less than a month since we’d been living together.
At my words, Helena chuckled and jokingly replied back.
“I’m quite uncomfortable with you as well, don’t you realise?”
“Is that so? But I’m thinking of being here for the rest of my life.” I laughed.
“Does the landlord have no say?”
“That’s the point. It’s like selling a bear’s skin that you haven’t even caught.”
At the end of my witty remark, she laughed out loud.
“I can’t deny it at all.”
Staying with Helena.
Actually, she had suggested that I live with her before, but it was only recently that I decided to accept her offer.
‘Because I thought I shouldn’t depend on Helena anymore.’
However, recently, I changed my mind about a lot of things.
Since I had to seek Helena’s help anyway to carry out the orders of the King in Yellow.
‘And now I have enough money to pay the rent to Helena.’
Now there was no reason to not accept her offer.
I was preparing to shift houses long before going to the Brichester mansion, but since I didn’t have much luggage, the employees who arrived to help me had already left.
‘Emi, why don’t you stay at my house? How long are you going to live in this haunted house?’
Every time Helena visited my house, she complained a lot.
Since I had to be aware of my situation while choosing a house, my only option was to rent an apartment on the second floor of an old, worn-out house.
‘Why are you so stubborn?’
Helena offered to let me stay at her house, saying that I won’t have to pay any rent, but I did not accept the generous offer because of my low self-esteem.
After getting rid of my pride, I felt at ease.
As I slumped into the armchair opposite Helena, I exclaimed excitedly. “Helen, do you know who I met?”
Helena was curious when I spoke with a blush on my face.
“Who?”
“Jane Eyre. That Jane Eyre!”
But her reaction was a quite different from what I expected.
“Oh, you mean Miss Jane, the medium who just opened on Congress Street?”
“…Do you already know each other?”
Helena nodded her head when she asked the question with a slightly lost expression.
She informed me that they had known each other for quite some time, and it was more than an acquaintance.
“In other words, it’s like a colleague in the same industry.” Helena paused. “But why were you so excited at meeting Miss Eyre?”
“Listen, Helen,”
I explained giddily.
I mentioned my previous life.
From one of the many widely acclaimed literary works, I encountered a protagonist…
“That’s Jane Eyre!”
I was going to add that the novel’s name itself was『Jane Eyre』, but Helena’s eyes glistened before I could.
“How interesting.”
She asked me some questions, and she put it this way.
“Your past life is in the future compared to this time, but that era’s fictional characters are real and living here.”
“Very accurate.”
Helena, who smiled contentedly at my words, added, “Ah! Then, did you see my name in your previous life?”
“…Yes?”
“Did the name Helena Blavatsky ever appear?”
I was speechless when I saw her twinkling her eyes.
If we were talking about the historical Helena Blavatsky I knew in my previous life…
‘There are similarities and differences with Helena here.’
A leading Russian mystic philosopher and the founder of the Theosophical Society.
Though I only knew about my past life’s Helena on the surface, the Helena I currently knew was breathtaking.
It wasn’t surprising that she was a high-ranking member of Freemason societies, as there were rumours that she had psychic powers and a guardian angel to protect her.
…I pondered for a moment, wondering if I should tell her of these facts.
“Miss Jane Eyre?!”
The previously half-opened door flung open suddenly, accompanied by a loud shouting voice.
Sally gasped and ran inside.
“The person that Madam spoke of…That Miss Jane, the medium?!”
“…Sally?”
When I looked at her blankly, Sally approached me with twinkling eyes.
“Madam, can’t you take me there?”
* * *
Anyway, we rode a carriage to Miss Jane’s office.
I questioned Sally, who was grinning excitedly, how she knew Miss Jane.
She looked at me with a look of enthusiasm.
“Are there any London maidservants these days who don’t know about Miss Jane’s Conference?”
Miss Jane’s Conference.
As it seemed, this place was more popular among maidservants than the socialists.
“Is that why you wanted to come here?”
“Yeah! Everyone has recommended this place. But, actually…”
After hesitating for a moment, Sally smiled and continued.
“Rather than that, I want to see the main character of the ‘Romance of the Century’ in person.”
“Romance of the century?”
“She got a proposal from Mr Rochester, but she turned it down.”
…After all the excitement, is this what you’re interested in?
Sally laid out information about Mr Rochester.
Originally, he was the third son of a gentry family, but he went to a foreign country without a penny and came back with success from there.
“He’s really such a valuable man. How handsome he is!”
“…Handsome?”
I tilted my head in wonder.
Even though Edward Rochester in 『Jane Eyre』 had an ‘attractive character’, he was never portrayed as handsome.
Though there are many reasons, it’s mostly because there was a 20-year age gap between Jane and him.
“Yes! I haven’t seen him in person, but rumours do certainly say so. Jacob Rochester is a handsome man with gorgeous red-blonde hair and an attractive smile.”
…The more I listen to it, the more distant he seems from the original Rochester, a black-haired man with a terrible personality.
‘In that sense, it’s strange that James Moriarty appeared as a handsome blonde.’
Rochester was also a character that appeared to be different from the original, so there was nothing strange about it.
I nodded my head with that understanding, but I suddenly felt a sense of incongruity and raised my head.
“Hold on, Sally …’Jacob’ Rochester?”
“Yes, why?”
“You mean Jacob, not Edward?”
Sally nodded and added.
“Yes. I heard that Mr Jacob is the third son, and Mr Edward was the second son. But I think he passed away a few years ago, leaving the youngest to take over the family..”
“…”
It was very different from the original novel that I had known.
‘Well, then it makes sense that Rochester here is a young, handsome man.’
I was immersed in my thoughts, but suddenly the carriage reached its destination and stopped.
“Please get off.”
The place where I was escorted by the coachman was an ordinary middle-class residential area.
The shop with a sign that read ‘Miss Jane’s Conference’ was located on a particularly quiet street.
“Here it is. Shall we go in?”
Helena took the lead, and Sally clenched her fists in anticipation.
With a smile on my face, I followed the two of them.
“Excuse me.”
With a chime, the door opened and let’s go inside.
Various occult items, such as crystals, tarot cards, and talismans, were neatly displayed in the interior.
“Welcome… oh?”
Miss Jane, who was sitting behind a table in the middle of the room, stood up, startled to see me.
“You came, Emily!!”
— — —
Forgive me for being so irregular T-T
