Interlude: Philip Boyes Lives!

[sonetka]

Since I'm still working on the last part of the story, I thought I would take a break by wandering off into an AU in which Philip decided not to propose -- a decision which turns out to affect his eventual fate dramatically.

Comments

[nineveh_uk]

This seems highly plausible! Light relief from the canon horrors, though I expect H is all too right that Phil is going to make a horrendous scene. And if it goes to trial there's going to be publicity about the relationship. I can only hope that P finds it unbearable to have his life saved and they split up :-)

[sonetka]

I don't see it going to trial, somehow -- since Urquhart seems to be a strong proponent of Death Before Dishonour (preferably someone else's death, but still) I think it's likelier that he would commit suicide. Philip will absolutely loathe the burden of gratitude and will make no real attempt to pursue Harriet once she tells him she's leaving, though he will put the story into his next novel -- suitably altered, of course. Word of what happened will get around, though, and Harriet will find herself being called on by a certain Miss Climpson, who wants to know if she would mind undertaking a few small, discreet errands for the Cattery (since she can do a lot of things while saying that she's "researching"). Harriet is rather pleased by the idea of doing a little real detecting, for distraction from the breakup and also to add some convincing touches to her books, and after finishing a few small jobs she happens to call on Miss Climpson at the same time as the hitherto-unmet Lord Peter.

[nineveh_uk]

I was worried how Harriet was going to meet Peter, so this sounds like an excellent outcome all round! Still a certain amount of distrust about what a man really means when he implies equality in marriage, but no Old Bailey, so Harriet gets over things more quickly. Meanwhite Phil's bit on arsenic actually brings in some money, which tides him over until Cremorna Gardens dies (the money Urquhart pinched having been paid back from his assets on his death) and he becomes independently wealthy. At which point he stops worrying complete about what other people think of his work, and released from trying to impress people manages to write something readable and though never the next James Joyce does OK.

[sonetka]

I like it! I especially like the idea of Phil becoming a decent writer when he loosens up and isn't trying to impress the fact that he's a Great Literary Genius on everyone; he'll probably spend his later years writing introductions to things (dusting off his English degree for re-use) and being one of those Men Of Letters who don't really seem to exist anymore. After sufficient passage of time, he'll graciously admit that he has no hard feelings towards Harriet, since she did after all save his life even if she selfishly left him for a moneyed aristocrat afterwards. (By now he'll probably really believe this is the case, conveniently forgetting that she left him in 1929 and didn't meet Peter until late in 1930).

[lopezuna_writes]

Hmmm, somehow I don't see Our Hero being very grateful to Harriet for saving his life. Even the most sympathetic of characters find that hard! But as long as she can break things off in such a way that he doesn't decide to accuse her of poisoning him, things can have a much more optimistic ending.

[sonetka]

I don't think even Philip would accuse her of poisoning him -- and besides, her bringing it to the doctor, and the fact that it always happens after dinner at Urquhart's, makes finding the solution comparatively simple since the police know where to look (and if Mrs. Wrayburn happens to die in the meantime, there will be some major financial fireworks going on). But no, he will not be in the least grateful, especially after she finally leaves him; I think he'll consider that his debt is more than discharged by the fact that she unfairly left him. (And as I said in the comments above, eventually Philip will decide that Harriet basely deserted him for a wealthy aristocrat, even though she never set eyes on Peter until her relationship with Philip was well and truly over).