The Beryl Coronet: Mending

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Title: The Beryl Coronet: Mending
Author: gardnerhill               
Word Count: 60
Rating: G
Warning: None
Summary: It’s not just the jewelry that needs repair in that household.
                                                                                       
***

“You protected Mary.” I stared into my teacup. “Your character is stronger than I’d believed.”

My son perused his own cup as if reading his fortune. “I exposed Mary to George.”

“Such villains are very good at charming people. We were all fooled.”

Arthur nodded. “We must take her back, Father. When… when she returns.”

No matter her condition. “Yes.”

Comments

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

True. They are a kind of messy bunch.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

More class privilege, more scandal (the Victorian version of "mo money, mo problems").

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Such a sad story. I would agree that Holder and his son will willingly take Mary back. Holder's words at the end suggest he wishes Holmes could find her again - and it's obvious from Arthur's behaviour when Mary commits the theft that he would forgive her anything and always protect her as best he could.

The point of view you've taken is interesting: there is no need to look for Mary - she will eventually come back herself once Burnwell has abandoned her or when she can't stand his behaviour any more. I wonder if she will decide to marry Arthur after all, to maintain her respectability. And I wonder if that family will find contentment, or if Mary will feel trapped.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Not a happy situation all around. But if there was one thing Victorian upper-crust could do, it was create a facade of normality - which is probably what they'd do upon Mary's return.

In the BBC Radio version of BERY that aired in the 1980s, the dastardly George was played by Timothy Carlton - Benedict Cumberbatch's father.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yet more scandal for Holder to deal with. It does leave all sorts of interesting possibilities.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Yep. Do they conjure up a false dead husband to gain her the facade of respectability? Does she marry Arthur to save face? Do they, proper Victorians, pretend nothing bad happened even as they treat the resulting child just badly enough to give away their true feelings? (And what a sigh of relief they'd make if the baby was a GIRL.)

[debriswoman]

Sad...and the only position they could honourably take.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

It's a start to the reparations.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Good for both the Holders. I find this very credible as well as creditable.

And good writing, doing it piano over tea cups.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

I like to think that Holder is not just a smart man, but can learn wisdom from this near-disaster, and will start to mend some fences. And Mary may have had to get the "Hmph! Bad girls deserve ruin!" ending from a Victorian story in a family magazine, but she may find a kinder fate if she returns from her reckless attempt at adventure.