The Noble Bachelor: Proof Against the Little God's Arrows

[vaysh]

Canon Story: The Noble Bachelor
Title: Proof Against the Little God's Arrows
Author: vaysh
Rating: G
Words: 60
Author's Notes: Title taken verbatim from the story. (I am smitten with that expression. ;))


Lord St. Simon left the detective's quarters with a grim face. But a few steps down Baker Street his lips curled into a smile.

Another marriage evaded; a few more years of freedom won.

They'd sell more of the dusty pictures and he'd present Flora with a ruby necklace. She would take him back into her bed with open arms.

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I can believe it of him, although I would rather hope that Flora wouldn't go back to him. She probably will though.

[vaysh]

I do believe Flora will go back to him. She may prefer to spend another few years as his lover, even if she knows that St. Simon will have to marry a wife of his own standing one day.

[minervas-eule.livejournal.com]

Another marriage evaded and They'd sell more of the dusty pictures is just brilliant :-)

[vaysh]

Thank you! :)

I had planned at first to write St. Simon as a gay man, and Flora as a decoy for his real male lover. But he seems to be too attached to Flora personally in the story, so I went for the class-crossing liaison instead.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

That expression is very telling - it seems unlikely Lord St. Simon has ever truly loved any woman.

It does feel at the end of NOBL as though he's rather self-consciously acting out that his noble pride has been hurt. But he's only annoyed that he doesn't get to keep the money. I can imagine the scene you've painted - the disappointment over the cash giving way to relief that he's still a bachelor.

[vaysh]

The expression is telling, although St. Simon did think a lot about how Flora would react to his marriage to Hatty, which tells me at least that he knows her well and does care – even if his own place in society doesn't leave him much choice but having to marry a woman of his own class.

It's interesting that the question of money is not raised in the entire talk about the marriage having been annulled because Hatty had been married before. Personally, it seemed to me that the two fathers, the Duke of Balmoral and Mr. Doran, were more invested in making that match than St. Simon and Hatty.

[debriswoman]

Such a cold and calculating strategy...
Very well set out:-)

[vaysh]

I did not really mean to make St. Simon all cold and calculating, just torn between impossible choices, really, and doing that what is best for him. :)

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

I find it rather romantic that he's prepared to spend much of the picture money on Flora. He definitely makes less profit on her than he would have on Hattie. Though I agree she's have been better off with frankles' solution.

Thanks for this very believable postscript.

[vaysh]

I did mean to show St. Simon as a man who cares more about Flora but knows he will never be able to marry her, thus the dismissal of the old pictures and the pricely gift. :) And yes, I think Jem, as I imagine him, would be the perfect match for Flora.

[dustbunny105.livejournal.com]

Very nice.

[vaysh]

Thank you. :)