Jane gets a surprise

"Jane Harker, did you say?" asked Professor Van Helsing with an odd expression on her face.

"Yes," said Jane. "Why do you ask?"

Professor Van Helsing started to say something, then paused and said, "Oh, no reason. How long have you been here in this place?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Jane. "It seems like I've been here quite a long time."

"Don't you ever think about going home?" asked Professor Van Helsing.

Jane noted the expression on Renfield's face and shook her head. "Er, no. Why should I? Castle Dracula is the most enjoyable place I've ever been. Now how can I help you?"

Jane looked over to Renfield again while awaiting Professor Van Helsing's answer and noticed that he was now shaking his head. Moreover, he seemed more than a little upset. So much so that it seemed like it was only the presence of the two female visitors that were keeping him from saying anything.

"You think you're in Castle Dracula?" asked Professor Van Helsing.

"Why, of course," said Jane. "Why shouldn't I?"

Then Jane noticed the big green lawn in front of the front entrance. And the wall on the far end of the lawn. Granted, she had not seen the exterior of the castle in quite a long while but Jane was pretty sure that it had never looked like that before.

"Where exactly am I?" Jane asked without thinking.

"You're in England, my dear," said Professor Van Helsing. "Specifically, London. And we two had just come from the Westenra estate next door to question your master about --"

"Wait a minute!" cried Jane. "I'm in England! All last night I thought I was still in Transylvania and this morning I find out I'm actually in England!"

"That will be enough, Miss Harker," said Renfield. "I'm sorry, Professor Van Helsing, but Miss Harker is not well. Every so often, she gets these spells and --"

"You just mentioned the Westenra estate," said Jane. "Do you mean the estate of Lucy Westenra?"

"Yes, of course," said Professor Van Helsing.

"And you say it's next door?" asked Jane. "In what direction?"

"Why, I believe it's on the other side of that wall back there," said Professor Van Helsing as she pointed to the wall Jane had noticed earlier.

"Thank God!" cried Jane. "Mina's there."

And with that, she started to run toward the wall on the far end of the lawn, only to be held back by a quick tug on the back of her dress. Jane turned her head and noticed that Renfield was trying to pull her back.

"Oh, no, you don't," he said under his breath.

Oh, the hell with it, thought Jane.

And with that, she slapped Renfield in the face and started to run again, only to find that Renfield's grip on her dress had not slackened. Meanwhile, the two women stared at her silently as Jane tried and tried and tried to run despite the grip on her dress -- until at last a seam broke and Jane found herself running away from the front entrance without a dress. Without anything to cover her, in fact, a thing that should have embarrassed her had she not already spent so many days and nights in the nude.

Nevertheless, Jane was tempted for a moment to stop and cover herself. But no, there would be plenty of time for modesty once she made it over the wall and into the Westenra estate.

In the meantime, what Jane really needed to do was concentrate on running. Especially since she could already hear the sounds of someone running after her...