The Valley of Fear: A Change of Name

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Valley of Fear, Pt. 2, Chap. 5 - Epilogue
Title: A Change of Name
Author: scfrankles
Rating: G
Author's Notes: Ten days later they were married in Chicago…


Tomorrow she would be Mrs. Edwards.

Ettie smiled to herself. And then shook her head at her own foolishness as the tears began to fall too.

They were tears of relief—of course. But they were also in memoriam. For ‘Jack McMurdo’, left forever behind.

Birdy was a far better man but...

It was Jack she’d fallen in love with.

Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ach. She wants the Beast back, not her Prince.

Nice double-meaning in the title.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

She wants the Beast back, not her Prince. That's a perfect way of putting it.

And thank you ^^

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Seconding the kudo for the title. And Ettie kind of messed in the head, I think, so I can see her preferring the outlaw to the Pinkerton detective.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's just a case of preferring the outlaw to the detective. It's also the fact she's had a particular image of her lover in her mind, and now he's abruptly become a different person. He's essentially the same man - but not quite. That must be a very strange situation to find yourself in.

[grrlpup]

Aw, this is so poignant. Birdy works for an institution, which casts his character and their future in a different light. I can imagine a sigh at becoming "Ettie Edwards," too, on aesthetic grounds.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, even before the surviving Scowrers were released from prison, presumably Edwards would have been still working as a detective and would have been regularly in danger. I assume Ettie had been hoping "McMurdo" would leave a dangerous way of life completely behind.

And "Ettie McMurdo" does sound a lot better ^^"

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

What a good idea, and very well written, too.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much ^^

[debriswoman]

An interesting notion:-)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

It's something I've wondered about before ^^

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Must have been a shock - and a whole new set of problems to take on board.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, abruptly everything she'd been assuming about her future was changed.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

Fickle child.... I feel bad for her, but she did seem the slightest bit "silly novels by lady novelists"

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know - I have a lot of sympathy for Ettie. ACD may have romanticised her a bit I suppose.

[godsdaisiechain.livejournal.com]

That's what I meant... I realize it's not her fault. And at least she has some lines.