The London Séance Society: A Novel

Although Lenna and Morely’s chapters in this section of the novel are now on the same timeline, the braided chapters still serve to create significant narrative tension, for the contrasting perspectives bring attention to the fact that Morely is a deceptive figure at best. For example, when Lenna introduces herself to Morely at the end of Chapter 9, she believes that Morely does not know who she is. Yet when the following chapter reveals Morely’s silent consternation upon hearing her name, it becomes clear that he has some undisclosed yet potentially nefarious reason to consider Lenna’s presence a distinct inconvenience. Once again, Penner uses these strategic narrative techniques to invoke a heavy overtone of dramatic irony. By using the oscillating viewpoints to emphasize Lenna’s incorrect assumption—and to reveal that Morely has chosen not to correct her assumption—Penner offers a unique lens through which to interpret the story. Moreover, Lenna has no way of knowing just how deeply Morely is involved in her sister’s death, and she isn’t as careful in her snooping as she should be, simply because she fails to realize that she is being monitored. Morely’s omission of the truth also indicates that he is far from trustworthy and may not have Lenna’s best interests at heart.

Penner also employs more traditional means of characterization in this section, for Lenna’s intense descriptions of her surroundings and her talent for remembering minute details reveal her to be a highly observant woman whose reality is firmly based upon scientific observation. For example, when Lenna first encounters the Society building, she immediately notices is that it is made of limestone and is imprinted with thousands of tiny fossils. This observation reveals Lenna’s scientific approach to understanding her world, and it also implies that Lenna is profoundly interested in buried histories—especially those histories that aren’t easily accessible or readily visible. Her scientist’s eye is an apt metaphor for the work she does over the course of this narrative, and the insightful yet methodical nature of her approach becomes clear as she strives to solve the mystery of her sister’s demise and uncover the secrets that the Society is hiding.

As the narrative focuses more deeply on these slowly evolving mysteries, Penner follows a key convention of mystery novels by employing multiple red herrings, or misleading clues about the potential solution to the mystery. Although this section of the novel offers a wealth of clues about Evie’s past activities and eventual demise, these clues are still missing the crucial context to allow the protagonists to interpret them correctly; in the meantime, both Lenna and Vaudeline find themselves unwittingly jumping to false conclusions that mislead Penner’s readers as well. For example, Lenna’s discovery of Evie’s involvement with the Society, as recorded in the logbook, reveals that Evie snuck into the Society in order to attend lectures on “Facial Transfigurations” (139-40) and “Supernatural Substances and Ectoplasm” (140). However, because Vaudeline knows that both topics concern the tricks that only fraudulent mediums employ, the women begin to question the sincerity of Evie’s interest in spiritualism. As with all effective red herrings, these details motivate the progression of the plot while obscuring the truth behind the mystery.

While many aspects of these chapters are focused on the pragmatic mechanics of spinning the threads of the mystery, Penner also includes several scenes that are solely designed to deepen the relationships between the characters and develop the theme of Acknowledging and Expressing Hidden Sexual Desires. When Lenna and Vaudeline find themselves in cramped lodgings at the Society, the author employs the “forced proximity” romance trope to craft a situation that will allow both characters to explore their mutual attraction. As the two women reveal details of their past relationships and share a briefly intimate moment, the underlying tone is one of cautious desire and obliquely expressed mutual interest. At this early stage of the story, there is not yet enough of a connection to warrant a full-blown intimate encounter, and by sprinkling such intimate moments between the more central events, Penner creates scenes that are designed to tantalize and foreshadow the development of a much deeper relationship. Given the Gender-Based Power Structures in Victorian England, both characters are also keenly aware that there is a distinct element of risk in their mutual attraction, for romantic relationships between women are considered to be absolute taboo during this stage in history; as a result, any bond that they share must be carefully hidden for the sake of safety.