I thought that dude was coming for some revenge?
But instead he offers him the gift? I'm sorta confused.
I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter! share
Well, they'd been officers together, there's a kind of brotherhood. Ruthven was no gentleman, but I suppose he was well-bred enough. It's sort of like how the kids in Gossip Girl (the book, not the show) are stuck with gross Chuck Bass in their social circle and can't really kick him out because he's a Bass. And I imagine Ruthven had some money, as well - hey, all clubs have dues, right? And whorehouses are profitable enterprises.
What's-his-face probably didn't like Ruthven one bit, but evidently he was a suitable candidate.
"When the boss is drunk, don't hold the cheese."
Another possibility is that Darvell gave him the map and the invitation with Clara (who he could see was ill with something likely fatal) right there was he was actually offering it to her.
He clearly had not approved of what Ruthven had done to her life and likely felt guilty for not stopping it.
When you think of it, Darvell was killing two birds with one stone. He was offering Clara a second chance and he was getting some indirect payback on Ruthven at the same time.
Another possibility is that Darvell gave him the map and the invitation with Clara
My thoughts exactly!
But...based on Darvell's reaction upon discovering Clara's presence on the island, I think he expected Ruthven to take the map and join him. Darvell seemed surprised when he questioned Clara about Ruthven's whereabouts.
On the other hand, his reaction could've been act. If Darvell was aware that women were not allowed to join the 'Brotherhood,' and that any attempt to recruit Clara would earn him severe punishment, then I can see him going along with his initial plan to recruit Ruthven into the 'Brotherhood,' while giving Clara non-verbal cues to steal it for herself.
Because when all was said and done, Darvell didn't seem all that bothered with Ruthven's replacement. He recovered fairly quickly and seemed to be coaching her on how to approach his superiors, in the library. I also think he had a hand in dressing her in the appropriate manner, in order to impress them. But when it came time to questioning her background, that's when things went downhill.
So yes, there is still some room to question his motives and yes there is a good chance that once he recognized who Clara was, that he had a change of heart and instead, planted the seeds for Clara's escape and survival.
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I think his "surprise" was an act as well. It could also have been some distress as her feeding so blatantly out in the open like she had just done.
And yes, he definitely was coaching her on how to act and dress. I think that Clara would likely have been grudgingly accepted (in a more or less The Brotherhood would pretend she didn't exist and just ignore her) until she turned Eleanor. That is what put her in their crosshairs and prompted Darvell to act like he wanted to do away with her in order to save her when the chance presented itself.
Who do you think that Darvell -who was shown as a decent person in his human life and his vampire life- would prefer to have join the ranks of the immortals? A loathsome man who rapes a teenage girl, forces her into prostitution, and then robs him; or, that same girl who clearly deserved a second chance and some restitution for what was done to her.