"Do you really think that Miss Bridget's leg is in Heaven helping her talk to the dead people?”    Jemima nodded knowingly.   “Course it’s there: everyone knows that idiots always go to Heaven, so it’s gotta be there waiting for her. You never heard of an Angel with one leg did you?” Well, there was some logic in that. “And when she was there at Church, that’s the only time I ever heard the spirits come through so loud and clear.”   What Jemima had failed to mention was that Bridget had visited the Spiritualist meeting along with Arabella Mudd. Arabella Mudd who could make it sound like someone was stuck in cupboard, crying to get out, or had fooled Bridget into thinking that one of her creepy china faced dolls had learned to speak. Arabella Mudd who had no qualms about making people think that their dead relatives were talking to them, just for a joke.   “Do you think if I cut off my finger or something I could talk to my Ma?"   “You don’t need to do that. I’ll try and get a message from her on Sunday. Or if that Mrs Mortimer hogs it all again, we could have our own Séance. We’d need four people. But they gotta take it serious.” She advised him.   “What’s your Ma’s name?” she said, using the present tense, as might be expected of one who believed that the spirit lived on.   @Bongo

Thank you, no, coffee isn't necessary."  Jonah smiled, although he was anxious to get this over and be gone!  "I have work to get back to, but I was wondering if you might help me?  I have a patient who could benefit from hypnosis, and I have heard talk that you have some experience in that field?"   “Hypnosis?! I?!” gasped a horrified Mrs Wigfall, holding her hand to her heart “I fear you confound me with my daughter, Doctor. She is the one who goes to that terrible Spiritualist Church with its trances and its … oh! Spirit rapping.” She pulled out a hanky and dabbed at her eyes “Oh Doctor, I do worry so about that girl. Hector has his problems, I know, but they are those of a normal young man… well, relatively normal… but Jemima! If only she could find the … the proper attentions of a nice young man, it would work wonders with her and calm those … urges of hers, but, well doctor, you know what she is… you know of her…. Condition.” she sighed. "There was one young man but, well, his attentions weren't quite normal I fear, he.." she petered out. What she caught Jemima and Jacob Lutz doing together that time wasn't scandalous or anything, just sort of odd.   “Well, if anybody knows of such things, it is she.” Without getting up from her chair, Mrs Wigfall bellowed out her daughter’s name at a deafening volume “JEMIIII-MAAHHHHH!” The door opened and the sullen looking girl entered, followed by Hector who took the opportunity to sneak back in, grab his Journal and hide himself behind it in  a chair in the corner.   Jemima stood there, arms folded, looking daggers at her mother.   “Now, Jemima, Dr. Danforth requires the services of a hypnotist. Perhaps you know of some person who dabbles in such things?” she explained like she was talking to a five year old. Jemima pulled her basilisk stare away from Mrs Wigfall and looked at Danforth, as if she was weighing him up. Could he be trusted? He was so ruggedly handsome, with those soft, beautiful brown eyes, and his manly bearing… of course he could be trusted!   She looked at him coolly and pronounced: “Oberon! OBERON!”   From behind The Telegrapher hector quietly added “King of All the Fairies”, but Jemima ignored him.   “Oberon sees all and knows all. He is the master of mesmerism and the black arts. I follow the Christian path, but I know of Oberon, and I can take you to him. But Doctor Danforth, be warned…” she chid him, in her same old flat monotone “… you may be led into the path of temptation during your dealings with Oberon, I will take you to him, and be ready to protect you.”   “Nutty as a fruitcake” commented The Telegrapher, sotto voce.   “COME!” she commanded, holding out a grubby hand to him.   Mrs Wigfall stood in semi-alarm, a look of deep concern on her face. “Oh Doctor, you will be all right won’t you?”   Hector turned a page. “As. A. Fruitcake!” he repeated.   @Bongo

Weedy nodded, as if he understood what was being said, and he did sort of get the part about Bridget's leg being in Heaven and acting as a link.  As for having no brains, that didn't really make sense, since you sort of had to have brains to live, right?  But what did he know?   "Arabella?"  Well, Weedy knew that she made a lot of fuss over a lot of things, but how would she know about anything spiritual, unless maybe playing piano in church made you closer to God, but then, Jemima was right about working in a saloon...   But Weedy was really distracted by another thought..   "Do you really think that Miss Bridget's leg is in Heaven helping her talk to the dead people?  Do you think if I cut off my finger or something I could talk to my Ma?"   @Javia

"The second week of May?  I was thinking maybe Friday evening, we can have snacks and desserts."  She glanced at him with a sly grin.  "Our first time at the house will be our wedding!  But at least we won't have far to go..."   Then she frowned as the logistics occurred to her.  "If we get married here, we'd likely have to put some folks up for the night...not that I mind, of course, except...I was hoping for privacy, of course."   Her cheeks tinted bright red, and she smiled shyly.  "Anyway, if we have the ceremony in town, we can just the two of us come home...if that's all right with you?"   @Flip  

It took nearly half an hour, but both children were respectably clean, and the major chunks knocked off their clothes, but by the time they were done, both children were bright and alert, and Briton was even nibbling on the chocolate that had been promised him.    "I'm pleased and relieved with the way the children are recovering," Jonah announced, "I think it should be all right to send them home, they may not feel like eating much, just watch for lethargy and send for me if you feel the need."   "Thank you so much, Dr. Danforth."  Mrs. Elkins smiled brightly as she gathered the children, then glanced at Aoife.  "It was a pleasure to meet you, you have a wonderful way about you that puts a body at ease"   Once they were gone, Jonah gave his new nurse a light pat on the shoulder.  "She's right, and I'm pleased to have you here to help me."  Having a nurse that had an idea of what was going on was going to make the job so much easier.   @boshmi