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breakinglight11) wrote2023-08-10 09:20 am
breakinglight11) wrote2023-08-10 09:20 am
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31 Plays in 31 Days, #10 - “A Plan for Everything”
A mid-story Hawking 7 scene of Mary and Arthur. By this point, Mary has taken on a case for a local man she meets in #2 - “Lost Children”, on top of everything else in an already busy life. I want to establish here that both she and Arthur have a lot going on— her work and his, caring for their baby, and their obligations to their friends and their community. But at this point, I’m trying to create the impression that they are handling it because they’re just so capable and determined. But I’m hoping to build to the idea that even the most capable and determined people in the world can’t do everything all the time, and that’s just a truth a person has to come to grips with no matter how valiant their intentions are.
I’m also toying with establishing a parallelism between the cases being worked in both New York and London, across Mary, Arthur, and Mrs. Hawking. Without drawing too much attention to it, I kind of want them all working on variations of a similar case (a girl has disappeared). I thought it might serve to tie them together and make points about how they may be going down different paths, but their history ties together. History, after all, is a rope. ;-)
Photo by Jacob LaRocca
Day #10 - “A Plan for Everything”
From Mrs. Hawking 7 by Phoebe Roberts
MARY SWANN, society avenger, early thirties
ARTHUR SWANN, Mary’s husband and MI6 agent, mid-thirties
New York, New York, 1890
~~~
(The Swann home at the embassy. MARY waits nervously in her work suit with TORY in her crib. After a moment ARTHUR enters.)
MARY: Oh, at last! You’re here.
ARTHUR: I’m sorry, Mary, it all went rougher than we thought.
MARY: Did you find the girl?
ARTHUR: We did— she’d run to get away from the night porter who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
MARY: I knew she’d gone under her own power! Is she all right now?
ARTHUR: She is, but when we went off to take him in, he had a large dog— ripped a right chunk out of Martin. We had to see him to hospital before we could book in the porter.
MARY: Poor Martin! But I’ve got to run, I want to make it to the Chandler house before the guard change.
ARTHUR: Guard change? What sort of house is this?
MARY: Oh, you’d think a duke lived there. But it’s some important judge or something, and I’d wager since the family took Daisy from Mr. Warren, they’ve tightened the place up. But I’ve been watching it, and I think I’ve got a path in. They let the girl play on her own in the garden most mornings— and it’s got a gate I’m sure is very good at keeping regular folk out! If I can send the maid off for something or other, I should have a fair window.
ARTHUR: Well done, love! Now, I’ll see to Tory— has she been fed?
MARY: Yes, but there’s two bottles of the condensed in the ice box for later. I’ll be a few hours yet— I’ve got to plot my course in and out again.
ARTHUR: I thought Kathleen was supposed to come by tonight.
MARY: Oh, goodness, yes, to sew the bunting for the picnic. But I don’t know if I’ll be back in time— I had to make all my part this afternoon just in case. You’ll have to hand them over for me.
ARTHUR: Righto. What shall I tell her?
MARY: Tell her that— a friend has had some trouble, so I’ve gone to help. But I’ll meet her at the church on Thursday morning. If she can take Tory then, I’ll take Ben on Friday, so she and Charlie can see her sister in Albany for the weekend.
ARTHUR: Got it, then, love. Sounds as if you’ve got a plan. With all that, we need one.
MARY: Yes, but I’ve got it all worked out. Perhaps for a break, we can go to the park this Saturday. Take in a baseball game!
ARTHUR: (Sighing) It’s not the cricket, but… it’ll have to do.
MARY: (Laughing) I’ll see you later, dear.
ARTHUR: And you. Take care, and good luck.
(MARY exits.)
I’m also toying with establishing a parallelism between the cases being worked in both New York and London, across Mary, Arthur, and Mrs. Hawking. Without drawing too much attention to it, I kind of want them all working on variations of a similar case (a girl has disappeared). I thought it might serve to tie them together and make points about how they may be going down different paths, but their history ties together. History, after all, is a rope. ;-)
Photo by Jacob LaRocca
Day #10 - “A Plan for Everything”
From Mrs. Hawking 7 by Phoebe Roberts
MARY SWANN, society avenger, early thirties
ARTHUR SWANN, Mary’s husband and MI6 agent, mid-thirties
New York, New York, 1890
~~~
(The Swann home at the embassy. MARY waits nervously in her work suit with TORY in her crib. After a moment ARTHUR enters.)
MARY: Oh, at last! You’re here.
ARTHUR: I’m sorry, Mary, it all went rougher than we thought.
MARY: Did you find the girl?
ARTHUR: We did— she’d run to get away from the night porter who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
MARY: I knew she’d gone under her own power! Is she all right now?
ARTHUR: She is, but when we went off to take him in, he had a large dog— ripped a right chunk out of Martin. We had to see him to hospital before we could book in the porter.
MARY: Poor Martin! But I’ve got to run, I want to make it to the Chandler house before the guard change.
ARTHUR: Guard change? What sort of house is this?
MARY: Oh, you’d think a duke lived there. But it’s some important judge or something, and I’d wager since the family took Daisy from Mr. Warren, they’ve tightened the place up. But I’ve been watching it, and I think I’ve got a path in. They let the girl play on her own in the garden most mornings— and it’s got a gate I’m sure is very good at keeping regular folk out! If I can send the maid off for something or other, I should have a fair window.
ARTHUR: Well done, love! Now, I’ll see to Tory— has she been fed?
MARY: Yes, but there’s two bottles of the condensed in the ice box for later. I’ll be a few hours yet— I’ve got to plot my course in and out again.
ARTHUR: I thought Kathleen was supposed to come by tonight.
MARY: Oh, goodness, yes, to sew the bunting for the picnic. But I don’t know if I’ll be back in time— I had to make all my part this afternoon just in case. You’ll have to hand them over for me.
ARTHUR: Righto. What shall I tell her?
MARY: Tell her that— a friend has had some trouble, so I’ve gone to help. But I’ll meet her at the church on Thursday morning. If she can take Tory then, I’ll take Ben on Friday, so she and Charlie can see her sister in Albany for the weekend.
ARTHUR: Got it, then, love. Sounds as if you’ve got a plan. With all that, we need one.
MARY: Yes, but I’ve got it all worked out. Perhaps for a break, we can go to the park this Saturday. Take in a baseball game!
ARTHUR: (Sighing) It’s not the cricket, but… it’ll have to do.
MARY: (Laughing) I’ll see you later, dear.
ARTHUR: And you. Take care, and good luck.
(MARY exits.)