Maxine Holmes

Ms Holmes had always believed that she possessed a naturally happy disposition; never quick to anger, not given to depression or despondency. She was indeed one who could afford to be happy, at least within herself. She was married to a man with whom she had lived happily for five years before he left her; a man who, as she discovered, had been having an affair with another woman during their marriage. Ms Holmes took the affair rather calmly, perhaps because she had known it must happen sooner or later. She had always had a good deal of self-respect and pride, but no illusions about the nature of men. Whatever anger may have been aroused in her mind when the news came, it did not quite exhaust her capacity for calmness. There is a certain quality of being in control of oneself which allows you to do things without being disturbed thereby — to remain detached and undisturbed. In this case, Ms Holmes went through the usual formalities of a petition for divorce, and settled down quietly to her life. Always quiet, she was now more so than ever; her difficult shell seemed almost impenetrable. Her mother had always mused that there was something wrong with her daughter's eery serenity, but she could never find out what it was. It was probably due to the fact that she was so full of secrets. So serious as well, was Maxine Holmes; her mouth set firm all day, her eyes were very rarely lifted from the ground, and if anyone spoke to her she gave no sign of hearing them. At times she would smile, but these smiles were rare. Always a "hmm, yes," or a "quite" followed any remark she made, and sometimes nothing at all. Perhaps it was because Maxine felt idle, that she retreated into herself, and only occasionally ventured out into the world.

Backstory: Born into a fairly wealthy family, Ms Holmes was brought up in great style. She was educated privately at home, and her mother, who loved her dearly, determined to give her every facility of comfort. Pretty dolls with painted faces, pretty dresses and slippers, and musical instruments were provided for her enjoyment. She loved to read, but her mother found it necessary to limit her reading somewhat, lest she should grow too learned. She enjoyed the escape she derived from books more than anything else; and if she could have afforded it, she would have spent most of her time in the library. She found her mother suffocating, and had a great liking for her father, who was often absent on business. He was a tall dark man, with a pleasant face; he was also a little eccentric, and as a young girl she liked him very much though she saw very little of him.

Growing up with so much indulgence was rather... lonely. She had no friends except the servants, and even they were few in number. She was the only child, and her parents kept her strictly away from other children. They thought it wise to keep her under close supervision. Truthfully, no one wanted to go near the Holmes family. There had been two tragedies connected with the house; to speak of them would bring misfortune.

Upon studying English at Cambridge, she met a young man named Miles Holmes, the son of a lawyer living also in London. The young couple were married, and their first year of wedded bliss was a very happy one. Maxine moved into the family home, which was a splendid old country house with extensive grounds. Dinner parties, picnics, horse races, walks in the park, visits to the theatre, were all to their taste. Maxine had taken up writing, and was working on her first novel. She wrote quite a lot and had a great desire to write. For the rest, the young wife's life was idyllic. But the happiness did not last. Miles Holmes began to drink heavily, and his behaviour became erratic. His work suffered, and soon he was dismissed from his position. He drank himself into insensibility, and grew ever so distant from his wife, who was growing very unhappy. The affair came to light. Maxine Holmes knew her husband had been unfaithful. She did not force him to stay, nor did she ask him to prove that he had any intention of ending the liaison. She did not even seek reconciliation after his departure. Instead she returned to her parents' house, and there she remained until she was able to support herself. After that she rented a small apartment. It was here that she wrote her first book.

Visiting a travelling circus, Maxine Holmes fell in love with a strong man and a lion-tamer, called Peter Mortimer. He told her he had a cure for her misery, but that it would cost her a great deal. She accepted his proposal, and little did she know that she had made a fatal mistake.