In The Beginning, Part 3

[sonetka]

In which Harriet and Philip move in together and it goes about as well as you'd expect. (Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here). As usual, all questions, comments, corrections, and Howlers are welcome, as are Britpicks -- since I've spent a grand total of five weeks in the UK, I'm sure they'll be needed!

Comments

[a_t_rain]

Oh, God, Phil! I like the way you've made him eminently slappable and yet, at the same time, given him some actual character development.

[sonetka]

Thanks! It's been interesting trying to get inside his head -- I mean, he's an entitled creep, but I wanted him to be a believable, occasionally appealing entitled creep who has reasons for doing what does, however appalling they may be to an outside observer.

[nineveh_uk]

Aargh again! This is brilliant and cringeworthy. Phil's mundane selfishness - God knows, not unusual in 2015, except that he's claiming to be all for egalitarianism in relationships - is both convincing and promoting of teethgrinding, and Harriet going along with things because she feels it would be petty not to, and cutting herself off from everything is just sad. I suppose in some respects it's a good thing that Phil actually gives her a reason to leave, so she gets out when she does rather than dragging on even longer. I've really enjoyed the period references in all the installments, BTW, there's a great feel of the world (and now I need to read about Beatrice Pace). I am looking forward to Harriet's response to Phil's "proposal" immensely

[sonetka]

Oh yikes, you're right -- that was a mess (the perils of editing and reshuffling something over and over -- you stop really seeing it). I've done a quick cleanup and fixed the "visiting" -- after the whole story is done I'm planning to neaten it up a bit and then probably put it up on AO3 for all the Philip/Harriet shippers out there :). I've seen a reference in T.S. Eliot's letters to someone standing at a stove, but since he was an American by birth the terminology may still not be right -- I'll look into that later, because now I'm curious

[nineveh_uk]

Borish Phil is completely convincing and keeping with what we know of him in "Strong Poison" - he has to have been bad for Harriet's loss of confidence in herself and her judgment to last for so long. I'm now going to be even annoying and say definitely not range, because that's such a specific type of cooker and a small flat wouldn't have one. Sorry! (In recompense, I will tell you that I once sketched an idea for an entire novel to be set in the US with the word "prawns" in the title...) And extra annoying by saying that I forgot to mention that I also think that Harriet wouldn't go to a clinic (which in England at this point where they existed were basically for married working-class women who already had lots of children), but a GP, with the name of one willing to prescribe for unmarried women doubtless being known in her social circles. Harriet's worry about pregnancy is just one more thing to remind her constantly that living together isn't just the same as being married from her POV - once again Phil gets the benefit, and she

[sonetka]

Thanks for catching the clinic and the range -- it really helps a lot to be told these things, since there's a huge knowledge base that I just don't have. (I feel better knowing DLS did it too. A 1930s American with a hyphenated surname? Really?) I knew about Stopes Clinics and wasn't sure just how much you get away with there, but a sympathetic GP sounds much more likely -- and I'm sure Sylvia will know someone who knows one, and Harriet and Sylvia both know that a baby would make whatever happens exponentially worse. And Phil would definitely be out of there -- he'd probably even manage to make himself into a victim of the whole thing. After all, she must have done it on purpose, right? Contraception never fails if you use it correctly! Though I think Urquhart was probably terrified that Philip would get her pregnant at some point and then Do The Right Thing, because even if Philip died before Mrs. Wrayburn, a legitimate child could make a strong case for being the heir

[lopezuna_writes]

I love it!!! So many fun bits, especially sarcastic Harriet: "Would you rather I did?", "What do you want me to say? You should have aimed a little to the right?".

And oh Phil, you loser: Surely, if she were wholehearted enough, she would respond a little more satisfactorily? No wonder they all ended up leaving you. And of course he would have the Death of Chatterton.

As regards stoves, there is a discussion of ranges/cookers/stoves in Busman's Honeymoon (right after P & H fight over telling the police about Miss Twitterton and Crutchley). The Beatrice oil-stove is a stove, but seems to be mainly used for heating purposes. There is a range in the kitchen. And Peter proposes replacing the range with both an electric spit (? what was he thinking ?) and an electric cooker. So I would be inclined to say cooker (though more likely gas than electric)....

[sonetka]

In fairness to Phil, that was actually a gift from Vaughan -- he's the one who's all about the romance of dying untimely. (I have a feeling that when Philip told Vaughan that "if I ever want to go out, you'll show me the way" he was humouring Vaughan more than anything, as Philip clearly had no serious intention of killing himself).

I may just change it to a range, since I think that would be safe no matter what you were cooking. (In Bellona Club, Marjorie is scrambling eggs over a gas-stove, but those were small and, from the pictures, probably not the greatest things to make sauces on). As for what Peter is thinking, it's probably "I won't be the one who has to actually use the thing." :)

[persephone_kore]

After only three chapters, and knowing the strain she gets put through afterward, it still feels like finally being able to breathe to know that she's about to break up with him.

[sonetka]

He's definitely the smothering type, isn't he? Always demanding attention/putting his hands on her (not that either of those things are bad in themselves but when it goes on constantly it gets tiring). At least the attractions of living alone will become apparent after this!

[persephone_kore]

"Change your morals for me and listen to me claim you share my principles, do what I want, support me with the work I find contemptible..."

[sonetka]

He's a romantic devil, isn't he? :-) When Harriet tells Peter later that Philip thought great artists should be supported by the ordinary man, she pretty obviously realizes that she was the "ordinary man" for a long time and doesn't exactly treasure the memory.

[witchwestphalia]

This is really well written. You're showing me what is going wrong, quietly delineating Harriet's growing frustrations without ever resorting to telling me she's increasingly unhappy. You've made Phil plausible and even likable at times despite the hopelessness of the relationship.

[sonetka]

Thank you -- it was tricky but I've been enjoying it. And Phil must have had his likeable moments (I've noticed that I tend to make him nicer when he's a bit drunk, possibly because then he doesn't feel compelled to impress people with his Literary Genius every single second). Harriet must have had at least a few chances to piffle in the previous two years, after all :).