Being a Late Lucy.

Tonight’s Dracula update:

Lucy has become prematurely long in the tooth and turned paler than even a Victorian maiden has a right to be. She’s also died, except she hasn’t really; she’s just stopped being human and passed into the twilit realm of the undead.

But of course, we readers aren’t supposed to know this. Only Professor van Helsing is privy to such arcane knowledge at this point in the story, and he isn’t letting on yet. The commentator, on the other hand, is not so reticent. The book is a students’ copy, you see, with footnotes, and one of said footnotes informs us that Lucy’s hair will change colour later. (Later? But she’s bereft of life and rests in peace. She’s already a late Lucy. How can she become even later? What can this ‘later’ mean?) Fortunately, I’m one of the few people who’ve seen the odd film version or two, so it doesn’t matter. But suppose I’d just arrived on a night flight from some Remote Location. What then? Bloody academics!

Meanwhile, poor Arthur (the late-but-not-yet-later Lucy’s betrothed) is sobbing with his shoulders, and Mr and Mrs Harker have inherited a big house and lots of money. That’s about it, really. No nice wolves tonight, just an irritating bat that keeps tapping on the window.