Suttle House

Michael Arturo

Suttle House

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Suttle House

A Fable

Michael Arturo

Dec 27, 2024

Transcript

“Suttle House”

Author’s Note: Suttle House is a Victorian fable set in 1895. It is an allegory reflecting on the evolving roles of women and the enduring struggle for self-definition. Prudence and Abagail, twin sisters born with monocular vision, embody the duality of perception—one eye fixed on tradition, the other blind to the possibilities of change. Together, they form a single, fractured whole, their lives intertwined by their love for Nathaniel Suttle, a wealthy industrialist caught in their emotional crossfire.

SUTTLE HOUSE

by Michael Arturo

In the heart of New York’s elite aristocracy, nestled among the grand mansions of 5th Avenue, stood the modest yet charming residence of Nathaniel Suttle, a wealthy industrialist whose life was anything but ordinary. The year was 1895, and the Gilded Age was in full swing, with opulence and scandal dancing hand in hand through the streets of Manhattan. Yet, amidst the glitz and glamour, Nathaniel found himself entangled in a most peculiar love triangle, one that involved his lovely but mischievous wife, Prudence, and her erudite twin sister, Abagail, both of whom shared a curious quirk—they were born with an identical birth defect—a condition known as monocular vision; they were sighted in their left eye, but had no vision in their right.

Nevertheless, Prudence and Abagail were the talk of the town. With their quick wit, infectious laughter, and the air of mystery surrounding their shared imperfection, the sisters brought a whirlwind of energy and intrigue to every event they graced. Gossip and speculation followed in their wake, as the elite of New York society couldn’t help but be drawn to the enigmatic twins.

From a young age, Prudence and Abagail had learned to navigate their world with a unique perspective, with their shared blindness a constant reminder of the depth and shadows that lurked beneath the surface of their privileged lives. They relied on each other to compensate for their visual impairment, their bond so strong that they often finished each other’s sentences and could seamlessly pass objects between their “good” eyes. It was a sight to behold how they synchronized their movements, a testament to the unspoken understanding that only twins could share.

Yet, beneath the surface of this seemingly carefree existence, a sense of foreboding hung in the air, a feeling that the delicate balance of their lives was about to be upended. For Nathaniel, the love he felt for both Prudence and Abagail was a source of constant tension, a secret he dared not speak aloud for fear of shattering the illusion of domestic bliss. And for the sisters, the competition for Nathaniel’s affections was a game they played ruthlessly, each determined to outmaneuver the other in a bid for his heart.

Prudence and Abagail often joked that their blindness in one eye was why they couldn’t see Nathaniel well enough unless they were together. “We need both our eyes to keep an eye on you, dear Nathaniel,” they would tease, laughter dancing in their voices. And in their shared world, that was their truth.

Yet, beneath the jests and shared laughter, there was an unspoken fear, a nagging thought lurking in their minds. They had become so intertwined and reliant on each other’s vision that the idea of losing one another was too unbearable to contemplate. Their blindness bound them, reminding them they could never truly see the world as others did.

As the years passed, their unique condition became a defining feature of their identity, setting them apart in perfect symmetry. Yet the twins had a distinctive symmetry that was all their own. When they faced one another, each one’s sighted eye stared back at each one’s blind eye. It was a peculiar and almost poetic manifestation of their unique connection, a visual representation of the balance they struck in life.

In those moments, as their gaze locked and their shared imperfections met, it was as if their souls were in perfect alignment, a harmonious fusion of their strengths and weaknesses. This unique aspect of their relationship, this visual dance of sight and blindness, reminded them that they completed each other far beyond the superficial, a bond that remained unbroken even as the world changed and evolved.

The competition and deception between the twin sisters, Prudence and Abagail, added a delightful spark to their relationship. Prudence, born just a few minutes before Abagail, often boasted about her seniority in age. At the same time, Abagail, more intelligent and witty, used her quick mind to outmaneuver her sister in playful debates and word games. It was a delightful dance of intellect and charm that kept them engaged in a perpetual contest of one-upmanship, all while sharing a bond that transcended any rivalry or competition.

Nevertheless, the twins, with Nathaniel, resided harmoniously at their tony 5th Avenue mansionette most of the time. The still youthful and unattached Abagail, who vowed never to marry, had a penchant for wandering the globe for extended periods. This wanderlust constantly irritated Prudence, who disliked being separated from her twin, even for short durations.

With her infectious enthusiasm and adventurous spirit, Abagail often implored Prudence to join her in her travels to Tunisia, Egypt, or Madagascar. But Prudence’s devotion to Nathaniel was, by all appearances, unshakable, and the thought of being apart from him, even for a few hours, pained her deeply. She loved her husband with an intensity that eclipsed any desire for adventure.

When the trio was in New York, they were a sight to behold at charity events and grand galas, always seen together. Friends and acquaintances often mistook Prudence for Abagail and Abagail for Prudence, much to the amusement of the twins, who reveled in the attention.

What amused them even more was, as they kiddingly joked, the twins could never see Nathaniel well enough unless they were together, and even then, they could only perceive him from a specific angle. This gave rise to a playful notion that Nathaniel might lead a double life, one they couldn’t quite see.

“He’s so dashing! He must be entertaining a lover when he veers into our blindside!” Prudence would josh.

“Perhaps two lovers!” her sister Abagail tittered.

One night, almost as if it were willed by fate, an unsettling incident cast a shadow over Prudence’s heart. She lay beside her beloved Nathaniel, nestled in the luxurious comfort of their shared bed when she heard her husband murmur Abagail’s name in his sleep. At first, it might have been dismissed as a mere dream, a fleeting moment of unconsciousness, but jealousy gripped her heart like a vice, refusing to let go. A nagging suspicion, fueled by the whispered secrets of doubt, began to rot in her mind, clouding her thoughts and darkening the sanctuary of her marriage.

Could it be that Nathaniel, the man she had pledged her heart and soul to, was living a double life with Abagail, her own flesh and blood, her sister? Yes, Nathaniel was the most faithful of husbands when he was in the field of vision of Prudence’s left eye, but what was he up to when he slipped out of her left eye’s field of vision into her right’s blind eye?

Prudence couldn’t shake the disquieting notion that had taken root within her. It was a feeling that gnawed at her, a betrayal that seemed unthinkable, yet, thanks to her perfect hearing in both ears, increasingly plausible with each passing day.

Prudence, determined to uncover the truth, set out to interrogate Abagail. It was an uncomfortable confrontation, a meeting of minds that had once been in perfect harmony but were now clouded by suspicion and fear. The sisters faced each other, mirror images with their shared blindness in one eye, yet the chasm of doubt separating them seemed impossible.

Abagail immediately assured Prudence of her innocence, speaking with the same soft eloquence that often charmed her. She vehemently denied any wrongdoing or any illicit connection with Nathaniel and begged Prudence to trust in their sisterhood. But the seed of doubt had been sown, and Prudence was torn between loyalty to her twin and the burning need to protect her marriage.

It was for the first time that Prudence realized not being able to look her sister directly in the eye was a barrier to the truth. As they faced each other in past conversations, Prudence’s gaze instinctively fell upon Abagail’s blind eye, avoiding the penetrating scrutiny of her sister’s gaze. But when it came to the subject of Nathaniel’s possible infidelity, it was as if their shared imperfection had become a visual metaphor for the widening gap between their trust and shared secrets.

Abagail, always perceptive and intuitive, couldn’t help but notice the shift in her twin’s demeanor. The bond that had once allowed them to communicate so effortlessly without words was now tainted with uncertainty and mistrust. The symmetry that had defined their lives had fractured, and they found themselves on opposite sides of a divide they never thought possible.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Prudence’s obsession with the whispered name continued to torment her. She watched Nathaniel with scrutinizing eyes—or rather one scrutinizing eye—searching for any hint of guilt or deceit. Their home, Suttle House, once a haven of laughter and love, now stood as a battleground for the warring emotions within her. The idyllic existence they once knew was slipping away, replaced by a dark cloud of suspicion that threatened to shroud their lives in perpetual darkness.

The thought tormented Prudence, and as the idea took root, she hatched a daring plan. As Prudence’s suspicions about Abagail and Nathaniel’s potential affair grew, she became consumed by a desperate need to uncover the truth. In a twist of irony, the idea of leaving her beloved husband behind, something she had always feared and avoided, now seemed like the only way to test the strength of their love. Perhaps it was a manifestation of her monocular vision, an inability to see the whole picture, that drove her to such drastic measures.

During this tumultuous time, Prudence sought solace in the pages of Sarah Brand’s groundbreaking work “New Woman.” The book spoke of the changing societal roles between men and women and how women were becoming more vocal and confident. It resonated deeply with Prudence’s own struggles. However, being blind in one eye, she could only read the left-hand side of the book, potentially missing crucial information. It was a comical yet poignant reminder of her limitations and challenges in navigating her world.

Despite the gaps in her understanding, the ideas Prudence gleaned from “New Woman” spurred her to make a rash decision. She would gamble her marriage, her very happiness, on a sudden wanderlust that only Abagail had ever experienced. Perhaps by walking in her sister’s shoes, by becoming Abagail in every way possible, Prudence hoped to understand her twin better and uncover the truth behind Nathaniel’s whispering Abagail’s name.

And so, Prudence embarked on a journey abroad while her twin sister took her place in the Suttle household. Initially, the plan seemed to work, and Prudence reveled in the secret she kept from her husband. “If someone in this home is going to lead a double life, it should be me!” she attested, her voice tinged with determination and desperation.

But as Prudence left behind the familiar comforts of Suttle House and the man she loved, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was walking into a trap of her own making. Would her gamble pay off, or would it only serve to unravel the delicate threads that held her life together? Only time would tell as Prudence ventured into the unknown, her heart full of hope and fear and her one good eye fixed on the horizon.

Under the guise of her twin sister Abagail, Prudence departed the familiar confines of Suttle House and set sail for a vacation in London, Paris, Venice, and finally, Constantinople. Touring the countryside, she found herself drawn to Selçuk near the ancient city of Ephesus, a place steeped in history and mystique. It was a location that held a peculiar fascination for her, given its association with Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors,” a play that revolved around the antics of two sets of identical twins. This narrative seemed eerily parallel to the complexities of her own life with Abagail.

One evening, while exploring the vibrant streets of Selçuk, Prudence decided to attend a performance of the play. As the actors brought Shakespeare’s tale to life, Prudence couldn’t help but draw parallels between the on-stage confusion and the intricate deception she and her sister had woven. It was as though the lines between reality and fiction blurred, and she was enthralled by the idea that perhaps life was the greatest playwright.

Prudence’s intrigue didn’t end with the performance. She became enamored with Eduardo, a swarthy Sicilian actor who played one of the twins. His charming smile and effortlessly embodying his character on stage left her smitten. When he approached her after the show, Prudence introduced herself as Abagail, believing that assuming her sister’s identity could assuage any guilt from the impending affair. What followed were three passionate nights filled with whispered confessions and stolen kisses.

In the dimly lit embrace of their clandestine liaison, Prudence reveled in the illusion of being her twin sister. The guilt she feared never materialized, and she secretly relished the excitement of her romantic fling with Eduardo.

However, as quickly as their affair had ignited, Eduardo extinguished the flames. He confessed that he was merely an actor in a play, a man who thrived in the realm of make-believe but was ill-suited for the complexities of “real life.”Prudence, or “Abagail,” felt disappointed, but she concealed it beneath a facade of understanding and acceptance. She watched Eduardo walk away, his footsteps echoing the transient nature of their liaison.

In the aftermath of their brief romance, Prudence couldn’t help but reflect on the parallels between the play and her life. As in “The Comedy of Errors,” misunderstandings and mistaken identities define her journey. She returned to New York, keeping her affair with Eduardo a secret, and deep down, she found herself surprisingly content with the outcome. Prudence realized that, like the characters in the play, life could be a grand tapestry of humor and irony, where sometimes, even the most tangled threads could lead to unexpected resolutions.

Upon Prudence’s return to Suttle House in New York, something inexplicable began to occur. She and her twin sister, who had always appeared identical, began to age in different directions. Over the six months she’d been away, Prudence’s features grew weathered, and her hair turned silver, while Abagail seemed to grow younger, her skin radiant and her energy boundless.

The drastic change in Prudence’s appearance, a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil she had arguably imposed upon herself, left her in a bewildering predicament. The six-month journey, the lessons learned in reading the book “New Woman,” and the torrid affair with the swarthy Sicilian Eduardo did nothing to assuage the suspicions her husband Nathaniel’s heart may have been irrevocably transferred to her sister. Prudence’s frustrations mounted, and in a moment of raw emotion, Prudence lashed out and physically struck Abagail in the face. Abagail retaliated, striking Prudence back with equal force. The sisters, once mirror images of each other, now bore identical wounds under their sighted eyes, a testament to the fracturing of their bond.

“You can not go back to being Prudence, Prudence!” Abagail shrieked, her voice laced with a mixture of triumph and disdain. “Besides, all your clothes have been torn to shreds. Your husband ravaged me nightly.”

Aghast at the implications of Abagail’s words, Prudence couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But my husband ravaged you as me!” she protested, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Abagail, however, was quick to correct her sister. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, dear sister! He was quite tame on the first two nights, but on the third night, we went to the Empire Theater to see ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.’ We both found Oscar Wilde’s concept of alter-egos in pursuit of love provocative and, dare I say, seductive. It was then I asked Nathaniel to pretend Prudence was Abagail!”

The revelation was too much for Prudence to bear. “Oh, you despicable one-eyed slut!” she spat, her words dripping with venom.

But Abagail was unfazed by the insult. “Be that as it may, I played the part of Prudence playing the part of Abagail! And Nathaniel was quite game. He whispered the most obscene titillations in my ear. His hands were everywhere, and my toes curled. I had no choice but to fulfill his desires! Every last one of them!”

Desperate to regain the upper hand, Prudence shouted back, “Nonsense! Nathaniel’s love for me will never die! Besides, I had an affair of my own, don’t you know! Wearing your clothes, which have all been torn to shreds! His name was Eduardo! A Sicilian bent on exacting revenge for centuries of oppression in a single night!”

“You lecherous two-faced whore!” Abagail retorted, her face contorted with a mixture of shock and disgust.

But Prudence, clinging to her last shred of dignity, declared, “Whore as I may be, I did all my whoring as Abagail! Therefore, I have a free and clear conscience!”

Abagail, however, wasn’t about to let her sister off the hook so quickly. “Then what happened to your looks, Prudence? You’ve gotten old! There’s a price to pay for everything, you know! Including whoring about with Sicilians! Before long, you’ll be more likely to pass for my mother than my sister!”

As the argument between Prudence and Abagail reached a fever pitch, the insults flew fast and furious, each sister desperate to gain the upper hand in their bitter feud. The once unbreakable bond between the twins had been shattered, replaced by a toxic mixture of jealousy, betrayal, and resentment.

But it was Abagail who delivered the coup de grace, a confession she had kept hidden for years. With a malicious glint in her sighted eye, she revealed that she had impersonated Prudence not once but several times during the courtship between Prudence and Nathaniel. The admission added a new layer of betrayal to the already strained relationship, casting doubt on the very foundation of Prudence’s marriage.

Abagail’s shocking revelation that she and Nathaniel had secretly met and fallen deeply in love at Delmonico’s, New York’s most prestigious and exclusive restaurant, struck at the very core of Prudence’s greatest insecurities and fears. The fact that the restaurant, situated at the intersection of Beaver and South Williams Street, was built on a triangular square with its imposing 8-story structure featuring three distinct sides only added to the ominous nature of Abagail’s claim.

With unwavering conviction, Abagail asserted that Delmonico’s unique architectural design had not only influenced Nathaniel’s relationships with her and Prudence but had also cast an irrevocable spell over a prospective marriage, forever condemning it to exist as a ménage à trois. Abagail then confessed that she could never bring herself to marry Nathaniel, knowing that another woman would always be in their lives. However, rather than being deterred by this knowledge, Abagail found a perverse sense of satisfaction and security in the arrangement. She took pride in the fact that Prudence would be the one to marry Nathaniel. At the same time, she, Abagail, would comfortably assume the role of “the other woman,” forever maintaining a hold on Nathaniel’s heart and affections.

Prudence, reeling from the shock of her sister’s revelation, desperately clung to the belief that Nathaniel’s love for her was genuine and unshakeable. She scoffed at Abagail’s assertions, arguing that Nathaniel had fallen in love with her, regardless of which twin he thought he was with or the triangular dimensions of Delmonico’s. It was a last-ditch effort to salvage her own sense of worth and the sanctity of her union.

At that precise moment, however, a flicker of doubt crept into Prudence’s mind. A fleeting image—a memory of Delmonico’s flashed before her; it wasn’t its peculiar dimensions but its Gothic edifice, where carved stone gargoyles and grotesques leered down at her, their expressions twisted into a mocking semblance of the turmoil she felt within. One gargoyle, in particular, caught her eye, its gaze seeming to bore into her very soul as if it held the secrets of her past and the key to her future.

Prudence suddenly couldn’t shake the feeling that Abagail’s claim held a grain of truth. The Delmonico’s Building seemed to stand as a testament to the twisted nature of their relationship. The revelation of Abagail’s impersonation during the courtship had been the tipping point that sealed Nathaniel’s decision to marry Prudence. But now, with the truth laid bare, the very foundation of their marriage had been called into question.

Had their relationship been cursed from the very beginning, a tangled triangle of love, lust, and betrayal? The thought sent a shiver down Prudence’s spine as she faced Abagail, who mirrored her with an identical wound and shattered trust. Prudence knew that nothing would ever be the same again. The image of the leering gargoyle, a symbol of the dark forces that had conspired against them, lingered in Prudence’s mind, a haunting reminder of the choices she and Abagail had made and the consequences one or the other would face.

In a moment of desperation and defeat, Prudence decided to reveal the entire ruse to Nathaniel, hoping that he would return to her side, even in her aged condition. But Nathaniel, sensing the inevitable, stopped her and began to confess himself.

“Prudence, my love,” Nathaniel began with a warm smile, “I have loved you more deeply than ever, and you’ve given me a gift beyond measure. As I’m sure you’ve learned by now, Abagail has been there for me in your absence. She has breathed new life into the love I feel for you, and I am eternally grateful to her for that.”

Incredulous, Prudence demanded, “Do you expect me to stand here and believe all of this?”

“Abagail was playing a role, my dear. Like in a play,” Nathaniel explained.

“Abagail has always been acting under false pretenses! I am the real Prudence! She even confessed to having impersonated me during our courtship at Delmonico’s! But her deceit didn’t end there!”

Nathaniel, puzzled, asked, “Abagail impersonated you during our courtship? Where was I?”

“What do you mean, ‘where were you?’ You were at Delmonico’s with Abagail!”

“Well, then, where were you?”

Prudence hesitated, “I was there, somewhere, I’m sure.”

“So you were at Delmonico’s when she wasn’t, and she was there when you weren’t? How was I to tell you apart? I’m only human! And furthermore, how on Earth can I tell if you’re not Abagail pretending to be Prudence now? How do I know if it was not Abagail who went to Europe for six months and Prudence who stayed behind?”

“It was I who went to Europe and—truth be told—had a wild and passionate love affair with a Sicilian.”

“A Sicilian? You don’t say. Nothing like the vim and vigor of the underclass to bolster one’s self-esteem, I suppose,” Nathaniel said with a banal indifference.

“You’re not jealous?” Prudence shrieked.

“Why should I be? The Prudence I know abhors travel! You concocted a charade and became Abagail to sojourn abroad! And then further sullied your good sister’s name and engaged in a dalliance with a Sicilian!”

“Indeed I did! You’re deceptively perceptive, my dear husband! But I am Prudence now, I tell you! I am Prudence, through and through! The same Prudence you are still in—and always have been—and always will be madly in love with! Unless, of course, you really did fall in love with Abagail.”

Nathaniel, exasperated, replied, “Prudence, my dear, this is absurd; while I’ve only been with Abagail as Prudence, I have never been with Abagail as Abagail! I still love Prudence, whether it’s Prudence being Prudence or Abagail being Prudence.”

With a trembling voice, Prudence confronted him, “That’s a lie, Nathaniel. I’ve heard you whisper Abagail’s name in your sleep.”

Caught off guard, Nathaniel met Prudence’s gaze with a hint of guilt and regret. He grappled with the consequences of his actions, the lines between truth and deception growing increasingly blurry.

“What about it? You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Nathaniel,” Prudence demanded.

Unable to evade the truth any longer, Nathaniel admitted, “It was Abagail herself, Prudence, I must confess, but I loved her as I loved you—no more, no less. Just as I started to love you, I started loving her, and not a moment sooner.”

He continued, “I knew I could have one or the other but not both! However, my subconscious had other plans! At night, I dreamt of Abagail stealing into our bedroom while wearing your underthings. The two of you—her—she as you—you—and then her again. I went quite mad. And yet, I was rather aroused by the notion of simultaneously having one and the other. And when I was with one, I wanted the other. I have loved both of you as one woman, though you are two separate souls inhabiting identical vessels.”

Nathaniel’s sincerity was evident as he added, “I didn’t seek to deceive either of you intentionally. Instead, I was torn between two women who are essentially one and the same.”

The room bore witness to this fragile moment of truth, where the bonds of trust and deceit had unraveled, exposing their hearts’ raw emotions. Prudence, her heart heavy with betrayal, realized that even though Nathaniel may have loved both her and Abagail equally, time and circumstance had disrupted that balance.

In the aftermath of these revelations, a profound transformation occurred within the intricate bonds of Suttle House. Prudence eventually moved her belongings to another room in the mansion, where she lost sight in her left eye and went completely blind. Abagail became Prudence’s caretaker, and her unwavering support helped to heal the wounds of deceit. Abagail’s right eye gained sight as if touched by miraculous grace, allowing her to see the world in its splendor, restoring her youthfulness and breathing new life into the sisters’ relationship.

Nathaniel, too, underwent a metamorphosis. Freed from the shackles of deceit, he rediscovered the joy of living an honest life; his spirit rejuvenated alongside Abagail. Their shared experiences, once tainted by secrets, now became a source of strength and resilience.

Once shrouded in the darkness of secrets and deceit, Suttle House was now illuminated by the brilliance of truth and redemption. Within its hallowed halls, love had withstood the trials of its past, emerging even more robust and enduring. The three of them—Nathaniel, Abagail, and the aged Prudence—had forged an unbreakable bond built upon the pillars of forgiveness and acceptance. In the twilight of their lives, they found solace and happiness as the symphony of their intertwined lives played its final, harmonious notes.

As time passed, Prudence, having lived a life marked by forgiveness and understanding, passed away, leaving behind a legacy of love for her twin sister Abagail and her husband Nathaniel that continued to resonate within the walls of Suttle House, where shadows had once danced but were now dispelled by the radiant light of enduring affection.

Nathaniel and Abagail were never married but lived happily ever after, their love story forever intertwined with the memory of Delmonico’s, where the absurd dance of identity and desire had begun and where the curse of the triangular lot had sealed their fate in the most delightfully ridiculous way imaginable.

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