The Problem of Thor Bridge: A Lesson

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Problem of Thor Bridge
Title: A Lesson
Author: scfrankles
Rating: G
Author's Notes: “...ruin a defenceless girl who was under your roof.” This is such a passionate response from Holmes. Could there be a personal aspect to it?


“Mycroft just remembers her. She left soon after I was born.”

I nodded sympathetically—stunned, but moved that the Holmeses took in a stranger’s child and⸺

I froze.

The brothers had the same ‘art in the blood’.

Holmes waved carelessly. “It’s fortunate my father kept me. Life as the son of an unmarried governess… Well.”

“Holmes…”

“All in the past.”



A/N: To be honest, even I don’t really believe this actually happened but it seemed like an interesting “what if..?”

Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ah, fun with patriarchy. If I say any more this will turn into a spittle-flecked rant.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed ^^"

I don't think of this particular situation as simply Holmes Senior taking advantage of Holmes' mother and then forcing her to leave the baby behind. But yes, the choices and power would be with him - even if he tried to dress it up as "being in love".

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Exactly - and mutuality is so much harder to discern when all the power is one-sided, like the Aesop story about the clay pot and iron pot (no matter who hits whom, only the clay pot will suffer). Was it love, or did she agree to his advances because she needed her position? And no matter how the situation came about, only she would be punished for it.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Fortunate indeed. Although what his father's wife thought ..

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I wondered if perhaps Mrs. Holmes had lost children after Mycroft, or had been unable to conceive again. And she was so desperate for another baby that she was able to overlook her husband's behaviour and love Sherlock as her own.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Holmes does seem to like the governess a lot. He takes the case for her sake and even states at the end that she will influence Mr. Gibson for good should they marry.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I suppose what we're actually seeing in the story is ACD's sympathy for the precarious position of governesses, as two of his sisters were governesses.

But I do have to wonder about Holmes' reaction. I don't truly believe he dislikes women whatever he and Watson says - but here he's so passionate about Miss Dunbar's situation, before he's even met her. It does make you consider that he might be thinking about another woman.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that about ACD's sisters. Explains the proliferation of them in stories.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

It is an intriguing idea. And Holmes' dismissal of it seems so ic, and done ic, too.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

And Holmes' dismissal of it seems so ic, and done ic, too. Thanks - I was pleased with that aspect. I think Holmes is angry on his birth mother's behalf, and it's something personal that he wanted to tell Watson, but it's also something that he feels a gentleman shouldn't make a fuss about.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Finally an explanation for Sherlock's "lesser" intelligence!

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Bit of a sad explanation though ^^" And I must admit I always think the brothers have equal intelligence - they're just intelligent in slightly different ways.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Hence the use of quotation marks... perhaps just some misplaced rivalry?

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thinking about it, it's more the case that Holmes himself believes he has the lesser intelligence. Perhaps while still young he works out the circumstances of his birth and feels like he doesn't quite belong. He thinks of Mycroft as the true son of the family, and starts believing himself to be second best.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

I like this.... it's interesting, of course, because Sherlock does the applied work and Mycroft the theoretical...

[debriswoman]

An intriguing notion:-)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I thought so too ^^