Doctor Who_ The Adventures of Henrietta Street - Lawrence Miles [128]
It was the intention of this ceremony that the Doctor and the Earth be joined. But I refuse to lie to any of you. Things have gone amiss. Please: hear me out. The intended, whose name I shall not even speak, is not here. She may well be dead. If she is not, then she has at least experienced that little death with which every one of us here must be familiar. It was her place to be the Earth, to which the Doctor would be married, and to this end she was prepared. I can only blame myself for the failure of that preparation.
Gentlemen. Ladies. We have lost nothing, Though there is nobody else who has been prepared in the manner of the intended, this ceremony requires only the consent of one who is a part of this Earth and who has an understanding of what is required. Perhaps the Doctor cannot draw as much strength from such a woman as he might like, but nonetheless he will become once again a protector of this Earth. For without him, I assure you, we can only place our fate in the hands of men you would not wish to trust. [Meaning Sabbath?]
There will be a wedding, no matter what. I have already spoken with your mistress [indicating the servant of the Mayakai] and received her blessing. It was perhaps my folly that led to the loss of the Doctor’s intended, and so it is my responsibility to ensure that not everything is lost along with her. You will notice this ring [indicating her finger]. You will, I am certain, have guessed its significance by now.
Four days from now, on the first day of December, the Doctor and I shall be married in this Church. This was not what was intended, but nor is it a matter of concern, I shall not pretend that I have anything but affection for the Doctor. I shall do my duty to the world: and I expect that the Doctor shall do his duty in turn.
The reaction?
The reaction was mixed. Some were concerned, at the thought of a dangerous, unpredictable (i.e. ‘menstrual’) sorceress like Scarlette bonding with an elemental; some; such as Mrs Gallacher, were congratulatory but pointed out that it would hardly be a white wedding; and some, like Mr Van Burgh, simply observed. The stranger with the blue-and‐white rosette didn’t appear at all surprised, and calmly helped himself to some of the wine (red, naturally) that had been provided by the hostess.
This, then, was Scarlette’s decision. It was a matter of duty, and perhaps a case of desperation. But one question remains unanswered, and the journals are vague about it. The question is: had Scarlette even bothered to tell the Doctor? The Doctor, who in his semi-delirious state often didn’t even seem to know that Juliette had left him?
Ever since ‘family’ had arrived on the island, the Doctor had seemed more alert, though less than well. Nonetheless, as if encouraged by the thought of the wedding ceremony, for a while he was at least capable of sitting up in bed and talking for short periods. It was probably because of this that over the following days, Scarlette allowed representatives from each of the lodges to visit the Doctor’s bedside, one at a time.
These audiences were all much alike. The guest would be invited into the room, where they would be slightly perturbed by their surroundings, not to mention the cold stares of the Doctor’s assistants. The guest would find the Doctor sitting up in the bed, propped up by soft pillows, always wearing a red-and‐black nightgown. Though the Doctor would be awake, he’d seem distracted, and often crumbs of buttered