The Forest of Arden

[capt_facepalm]

Title: The Forest of Arden
Author: capt_facepalm
Rating: PG
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Gaslight ACD)
Characters: Mrs Mary Watson, Mrs Martha Hudson
Summary: A little-known, little, known secret
Warning: (Shakespeare)
Word Count: 100
Author's Notes: July 22nd 2020 prompt: Miss Bechdel, I Presume?

.oOOo.

“…Make the doors ⁠upon a woman's wit,
and it will out at the case-ment;
shut that, and 'twill out at the key-hole;
stop that, 'twill fly with the smoke out at the chimney.”

~|~

‘Martha, Did you like the latest Adventure in the Strand?’

‘Oh indeed, I did. I declare they are getting better and better.’

‘At least the geography now makes sense.’

‘Ah yes, that was always a pet peeve of yours, and aren’t the female characters more interesting and less passive?’

‘Oh, I do hope so.’

‘So, Mary, how long have you been writing his stories for him?’

.oOOo.

Please sign the guestbook

---

Supplementary Notes: create a Watson's Woes work that passes the Bechdel-Wallace Test (have two named women talk to each other about something other than a man). This was difficult and I do not know if this actually passes the test. It is a quandary to write a Watson's Woe which must include Watson and yet pass the Bechdel-Wallace Test. (Oh, and the quote was from Rosalind in As You Like It.)

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Yes - I had a similar problem - I think you got round it very well.

[capt_facepalm]

Thanks! I liked your response too!

[gardnerhill]

Oooh, brilliant! Wouldn't be the first time a woman's ghost-written / painted art under her husband's name.

[capt_facepalm]

Thanks!
And I Mary-Sue'ed Mary here with a self-insert about my geographic pedantry.