Despite the fact that I seem to have a flair for the study of law (although this has yet to be tested thoroughly...), I am becoming less and less inclined to study it as a subject, formally, and more and more inclined to use it, as a tool for creative writing. Stumbling across illustrious historical persons in the legal profession, namely Helena Normanton Q.C. (a 'silk' id est of the élite) and Ivy Williams, during the course of my reading, gives me food for thought about a fictitious character that is an early female barrister. Perhaps the most curious person is Jane Archer M.B.E. (known as 'Jane Sissmore' elsewhere). This person's life is so secret, that she does not even make it into the Oxford National Dictionary of Biography, not because she was a lady (for there are many illustrious female scholars, adventurers and pioneers in the ONDB), but because of her connections to SIS. Wikipedia, however, is for once at least, more reliable than the Oxford Dictionary. I confess, I am fascinated by these important female pioneers. I should like very much for my protagonist to be a barrister (I refer to my female detective stories which I have been working on for the past six years or so - on and off). The time line matches, more or less. I will have to evolve the characters somewhat in order to do this. My main character, for example, has the same academic specialism as I do (for what else can I write about except for a subject which I have been studying for twelve years now?...). Yet, I would make a barrister of her yet. Being of good family, means her character doesn't need to scrape around for pennies in the gutter, but studies and undertakes (freelance) detective work simply because it occupies her mind, which, like her father's is over-active and requires exercise. She studies simply because she likes studying. She solves mysteries simply because she loves getting to the bottom of the matter and unravelling its core. She is discreet, extremely so, and just as polite. She - like her father - has her 'demons' (foibles), but this is perfectly proper, and in fact, makes the character more human, not being such a paragon of excellence, but more like a woman with an iron will, utterly fearless, but deep down, beneath her mask, she is as gentle as a dove and has tender feelings which she rarely - if ever - shows. Strictly professional. It's an interesting muse, indeed, she is an interesting muse. I shall tell you more about it once the first collection of stories is published.
This brings me to my second point. I should like the early days to be a kind of courtship between her and her side-kick, a certain other student at their alma mater. While undergraduates, they meet, and - eventually - fall in love (though this is only ever hinted at, and certainly never explicitly stated). Then, later on, he becomes a doctor, and her: a barrister (after she realises that her passion for antiquities are just that: ancient history, and that the law is where it's at). This, however, breaks a number of cardinal rules: firstly, her absolute discretion. How can she prosecute one of the suspects in the story, if (a) she is not even supposed to mention their existence to the authorities? and (b) she is not even supposed to mention the victim to the authorities? (but instead remain absolutely discreet). Well, this is not the case in every case. There will undoubtably be cases where there are trials. Yet, what about the clerk of the court? How can she be assigned a case, when it is evident that she has a vested interest in the case, has been party to it, and was instrumental in bringing the culprit to justice? Well, for a start, this is fiction, so there are no hard and fast rules. Yet this isn't good enough, so, I feel that the character's ability to tread extremely carefully, and operate in the shadows, with absolute discretion, will ensure that she seems to have no connection to the said case. Moreover, she is a woman, and an extremely beautiful and indeed persuasive woman at that (when needs be). So it would be quite possible for her to, say... be assigned a particular case, should she wish to be, through the gentle female art of persuasion, tactfully, discreetly, of course - much like my ex-fiancée has and still does, moving in such high circles ('the great and the good' as she calls them) for example. For a woman, anything is possible, especially when men can be so very fickle and easily manipulated.
As for Hades, I am becoming less and less enthralled about that place. Even on a relatively 'quiet' Saturday night, with minimal fuss, it is still very evident that this place is run by a most unreasonable loud mouthed dictator. Although Bligh outranks the oompa loompa, this particular person is extremely distasteful. Nobody moves! (She commanded imperiously this evening). Nobody, that is, except her. Nobody speaks! (She commanded, as though jelous Juno, imbued with arbitrary decrees). Nobody, that is, except her and the Lilliputian (her sister). I remember once being told to stay completely still, even though a fire had broken out. This is completely beyond the bounds of reason. It is a dictatorship.
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