The Beryl Coronet: Mary, Mary

[tripleransom.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Beryl Coronet
Title: Mary, Mary
Author:tripleransom
Rating: G


Mary, Mary

Mr Holder described his niece Mary as a tender, quiet, and gentle girl and told us at length how carefully she had been raised.

To myself, I thought that if only she had been less sheltered and had more knowledge of the world, she might have been able to discern the true character of that desperate villain, Sir George Barnwell.

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

I think "Mary, Mary quite contrary" sums the girl up. I am more and more convinced that Holder saw what he wanted to see and Holmes had a much clearer idea of what she was like.

[tripleransom.livejournal.com]

Hm. I can't quite agree with you there. If she was that sheltered, how was she expected to see through Sir George who is after all an accomplished rake.
Besides, with Holder as a father figure, how could she be anything but self-absorbed?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

It's true that if Mary had been more worldly, she would have been less likely to be taken in by Sir George's declarations of love.

But the most sheltered of girls must have known that stealing the coronet was wrong. You have to wonder what was going through Mary's mind when she agreed to do it. Was it a case of she'd do anything to please her lover? Did she feel she couldn't say no? Or did she truly not care about betraying her uncle, and thought that taking the coronet didn't matter?

And then afterwards she tried to put the suspicion on Lucy Parr, which was her choice entirely. I don't think we should view Mary as being entirely innocent and naive.

[tripleransom.livejournal.com]

I guess she was just one of those women, "in whom the love of a lover extinguishes all other loves" as Holmes says. If so, then she would have done anything for Sir George.
As for the maid, she was only a servant, after all. But I agree, Mary doesn't come off well in this story.

[debriswoman]

Yes...not really prepared for the world, was she?