31 Plays in 31 Days, #11 - "Bloody Great Fool"

[breakinglight11]

A Mary and Arthur scene! This is hastily slapped together because I had to do two today to catch up. This scene probably wouldn't happen like this. But it would be for Mrs. Hawking part 4, where Arthur would first run up against the fact that the more he knows about Mary's work, the less plausible deniability he has to not be obligated as an officer of the law. I would want to explore that, plus set up the growth of Mary and Arthur's relationship to contrast with the much more screwed up relationship between Mrs. Hawking and the Colonel.

This scene is sloppy and not totally thought through. I think Arthur would feel more tension between wanting to help Mary and his devotion to being a good policeman, which gives him a more interesting complexity. In future drafts I need to take that into account more than I did here, when I was needing to finish something to post for the challenge today.

“Bloody Great Fool”
From Gilded Cages
By Phoebe Roberts

London, England, 1885

MARY, rising lady’s society avenger
ARTHUR, her friend on the London police
~~~

MARY: Arthur? What are you doing here?

ARTHUR: You’re going after that villain! I want to go along.

MARY: Go along? Why?

ARTHUR: To help you, of course!

MARY: Oh, Arthur, you know you can’t.

ARTHUR: And why not? Because of your grand secret business?

MARY: It isn’t some grand secret!

ARTHUR: Oh? Then why can't you ever tell me what you’re really on about? Why do we have to play that you aren’t going after criminals as much as we coppers are?

MARY: I am sorry about that. I don’t mean to keep things from you.

ARTHUR: But you are. Why do it then?

MARY: There’s a lot to it. It isn’t safe if just anybody knew what we were doing. A lot of people would be in danger.

ARTHUR: I’m not just anybody, Mary. I’ve helped you every chance I could.

MARY: I know, and I’m grateful.

ARTHUR: And I wouldn’t tell a soul. I swear I never would do.

MARY: Even if you ought to?

ARTHUR: What?

MARY: Arthur, you’re an officer of the law. Your swore an oath in that too. And you pretend to overlook it, but you know madam and I work outside the law when we need to. If you knew everything we do, could you really keep the secret when as a policeman you’d be bound to do something about it?

(ARTHUR turns away, conflicted.)

ARTHUR: Do you think I’d sell you down the river, then?

MARY: I don’t want to put you in that place.

ARTHUR: I never, Mary. Not even for the job.

MARY: As it is, you don’t know enough to make it so there's anything you’re obligated to do. You’re a good copper, Arthur. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

ARTHUR: What’s the bloody point, if I’m no good to you?

MARY: Arthur! You work is important to you, just as mine is. Why would you say that?

ARTHUR: Because— because I’m mad about you. Can’t you see?

(Beat.)

ARTHUR: I weren’t going to make a fuss about it. I know you’ve got a job to do. But lending you a hand these last few years, getting to know you… I’m falling. Couldn’t help it.

MARY: Arthur...

ARTHUR: Now, I know it’s a bother for you now. Me mooning about when you’ve got business to carry out. But blast, if there’s one good I can be to you, it’s to help you in your work. If there’s some great danger you’re about to run into, I can’t stand letting you run off alone! I’m sorry I’m making a mess of things, I know you don’t see me like that, but, Mary, you must understand—

MARY: Oh, Arthur, you bloody great fool.

(She kisses him.)