Face-Heel-Turn: Notes
Jun. 22nd, 2011 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roh_ficsFace-Heel-Turn (Working Title)
Characters
Jim Marshall – American, late 20s, private in US Army during WWII; raised in rural Illinois, but ran away from home at 15; now lives in Chicago and is marginally involved in bootlegging and racketeering; possible mob connections, but mostly just looking for a way to get rich quick.
5'10", light hair, athletic build, generic Midwestern accent, an interest in baseball, charming, a good listener and careful observer of the human condition
Richard "Dick" Sanders – American, early 20s, corporal in US Army during WWII; heir to a small grocery store chain in New England; a student at Princeton before the war begins; raised by his widowed mother, he discovers at age 15 that he's the illegitimate son of Lord Yardley; he's met the man on several occasions, and just after he's drafted, he receives news of Lord Yardley's death and a letter indicating he's to visit the Yardley ancestral home as soon as possible
5'10", pale, dark-haired, athletic build, slightly posh New England accent, charming, affluent, well-liked by everyone, a bit naïve and tends to talk too much when drunk; is close friends with Jim Marshall
William Yardley – English, late 20s, lord of Yardley Manor, was a commissioned officer in the British Army, but loses an arm in early action in France and is demobbed and sent home. His father dies soon after (early 1941) and he inherits the estate; becomes aware his father has an elder son and sends a letter to him inviting him to the estate
6'2", pale, dark-haired, not particularly athletic, but interested in cricket, introverted and unlikely to speak more than necessary; naturally suspicious of others, but fair-minded and surprisingly compassionate to others.
Basic plot:
Marshall and Sanders become friends as part of the Fourth Infantry Division during D-Day and are still buddies in August 1944 during the siege and liberation of Paris. Over the course of the few months they've known each other, Marshall has learned the secret of Sanders parentage. When Sanders is killed in battle, he takes on his identity and decides to go AWOL. He shows up at Yardley Manor pretending to be Sanders, and Yardley takes him in.
Detailed plot outline
1. Marshall and Sanders are caught in the thick of battle in Paris; they worry they're about to die, and each promises to catch up with the other's family in the US if the worst happens. Sanders and Marshall are both injured. At the evac hospital, realizing Sanders is dying, Marshall has a sudden idea. He'll take on Sanders identity and have a whole new life, and a ton of money. He smothers an already-struggling Sanders with a pillow, exchanges his dog-tags with Sanders and takes his possessions, including a letter from Lord Yardley.
2. Marshall arrives in the small English village of Bucksley (a coastal place not far from Hastings, where there's plenty of war-related activity, but far enough away from the US temporary base at Hastings that Marshall thinks he's safe). He ends up in a pub, chatting up a local girl, Ann Carter. He tries to ask about Yardley Manor, in a roundabout way where nobody will catch on. Ann is a bit of a flirt, and Marshall decides it's ok to take what's on offer.
Meanwhile, William Yardley is having a tough time dealing with the after-effects of his father's death. There are debts to be settled, war requisitions and land girls on his property. He's also considering a run for parliament.
3. Marshall finds his way to Yardley Manor, and introduces himself to William. He's surprised at the intrusion, and a bit suspicious, but agrees to let Marshall stay in the house for a few days. William talks to the family solicitor, who confirms Sanders' existence, but notes Sanders was never named in a will.
4. William decides to give Sanders the benefit of the doubt. Marshall is surprised by this, but in a day or so, it becomes clear why. William is carrying on an affair with a land girl, Lizzie, who is already married to someone else. She's visibly pregnant, although nobody else knows that William is the real father. Marshall decides the secret is good leverage against William discovering his identity.
Meanwhile, Marshall, who knows a thing or two about running a farm, is a big hit with the land girls and the locals, who see him as a huge improvement on the dour and taciturn William.
5. Things between Ann Carter and Marshall heat up. It's obvious she's fallen for him, but he isn't really all that interested. Marshall runs into some American soldiers, and in the course of a poker game, realizes his cover as Sanders will be blown if he doesn't figure out some other stuff about Sanders' hometown and college life. He visits the local library, and arouses the suspicions of the librarian.
6. William and Marshall get drunk and talk about their father. Somewhere along the way, it becomes obvious to William that Marshall can't keep his facts straight. He begins to think Sanders is faking his parentage, but doesn't realize Marshall isn't really Sanders.
7. Marshall's patience begins to wear thin, especially as he's having trouble sustaining his story. The land girl, Lizzie, discovers him dying his hair and faking Sanders' limp and confronts him with what he's doing. Marshall threatens to out her relationship with William if she doesn't keep quiet. He starts to think of ways to get rid of her.
Meanwhile, Ann begins to notice Marshall doesn't remember details of his life in Princeton, or growing up in New England. She begins to suspect him, but can't quite articulate her suspicions. She's also afraid to confront him in case he ends the relationship with her. On a chance meeting with Lizzie, who is a friend, she tells him about her suspicions. A stunned Lizzie goes back to Yardley Manor and basically forces Marshall to admit what he's doing. He confesses but basically says there's nothing she can do it about it, so what's the point.
8. A GI, Anderson, formerly from the Fourth ID arrives in Bucksley, and at the weekly poker game, admits he lost his taste for the war when his friend (Sanders) was killed. The others realize it's the same Sanders and admit he's AWOL and hiding in the village. When Anderson arrives at Yardley to meet Sanders, he recognizes Marshall and is horrified.
He tells Marshall he'll go to the authorities, but Marshall silences him by offering him a cut of the money he's going to get from William. Anderson is skeptical, but agrees. Marshall leans on William, telling him he doesn’t want the estate, but some money for his troubles would be nice, especially as the estate won't run without his help. William is helpless and decides to go into town to talk to the solicitor, although Lizzie tries to talk him out of it. Lizzie decides to confront Marshall.
In town, he accidentally runs into Ann Carter, who he used to date, but she dumped him. In the process of small talk (you always did make the wrong choices, Annie), he tells her why he's in town, and Ann confesses she knows Sanders intimately, but doesn't tell William her other suspicions. William congratulates her, and tells her Sanders is about to become a rather rich man.
9. Marshall, now on to the fact that Lizzie will be a thorn in his side forever, decides to off her. He follows her into the fields one day, they scuffle a bit and he strangles her, dumping the body in a nearby stream to wash away the scent and the prints.
William and the other land girls are surprised when Lizzie doesn't return that evening. Marshall tells them she said she had to leave town for a couple of days, to visit a sick aunt. William doesn't quite believe but doesn't want to publicly admit knowledge of Lizzie, but privately, he lets the local police know she might be missing, asking them to keep it hush-hush since it might hurt his campaign.
10. Lizzie's body washes up, and the local police arrest William for her murder, although the local DI (Carter) is surprised, given he's known William a long time, and William is the one who reported her missing. He doesn't share his suspicions with anyone, however. William is so distraught at Lizzie's death, he doesn't actually make a statement or provide an alibi. He's charged but released on bail and returned to Yardley Manor under guard.
Under the terms of the will, because of William's legal incapacity, the estate passes to Sanders who tells William he's no longer welcome. Stunned by Lizzie's death and Sanders' about-face, the other land girls rally behind William and force Sanders to let him stay. Sanders relents but banishes William to a garden cottage.
Ann, increasingly suspicious of Sanders, hears of this, and confronts Sanders. She ends her relationship with him and goes to the police. The police dismiss her evidence as circumstantial, and let her know Lizzie was pregnant and that William admitted to the relationship with her. Ann goes to Yardley to apologize to William, but finds Sanders already there. He's taunting Williams about their father, when he says something William knows cannot be true, confirming his suspicions about Sanders. They end up in a scuffle, which Ann tries to end, and in the melee, she ends up holding the gun and shooting Sanders, but not before Sanders has confessed who he really is. Ann, now in tears, admits she finally made the right choice.
Characters
Jim Marshall – American, late 20s, private in US Army during WWII; raised in rural Illinois, but ran away from home at 15; now lives in Chicago and is marginally involved in bootlegging and racketeering; possible mob connections, but mostly just looking for a way to get rich quick.
5'10", light hair, athletic build, generic Midwestern accent, an interest in baseball, charming, a good listener and careful observer of the human condition
Richard "Dick" Sanders – American, early 20s, corporal in US Army during WWII; heir to a small grocery store chain in New England; a student at Princeton before the war begins; raised by his widowed mother, he discovers at age 15 that he's the illegitimate son of Lord Yardley; he's met the man on several occasions, and just after he's drafted, he receives news of Lord Yardley's death and a letter indicating he's to visit the Yardley ancestral home as soon as possible
5'10", pale, dark-haired, athletic build, slightly posh New England accent, charming, affluent, well-liked by everyone, a bit naïve and tends to talk too much when drunk; is close friends with Jim Marshall
William Yardley – English, late 20s, lord of Yardley Manor, was a commissioned officer in the British Army, but loses an arm in early action in France and is demobbed and sent home. His father dies soon after (early 1941) and he inherits the estate; becomes aware his father has an elder son and sends a letter to him inviting him to the estate
6'2", pale, dark-haired, not particularly athletic, but interested in cricket, introverted and unlikely to speak more than necessary; naturally suspicious of others, but fair-minded and surprisingly compassionate to others.
Basic plot:
Marshall and Sanders become friends as part of the Fourth Infantry Division during D-Day and are still buddies in August 1944 during the siege and liberation of Paris. Over the course of the few months they've known each other, Marshall has learned the secret of Sanders parentage. When Sanders is killed in battle, he takes on his identity and decides to go AWOL. He shows up at Yardley Manor pretending to be Sanders, and Yardley takes him in.
Detailed plot outline
1. Marshall and Sanders are caught in the thick of battle in Paris; they worry they're about to die, and each promises to catch up with the other's family in the US if the worst happens. Sanders and Marshall are both injured. At the evac hospital, realizing Sanders is dying, Marshall has a sudden idea. He'll take on Sanders identity and have a whole new life, and a ton of money. He smothers an already-struggling Sanders with a pillow, exchanges his dog-tags with Sanders and takes his possessions, including a letter from Lord Yardley.
2. Marshall arrives in the small English village of Bucksley (a coastal place not far from Hastings, where there's plenty of war-related activity, but far enough away from the US temporary base at Hastings that Marshall thinks he's safe). He ends up in a pub, chatting up a local girl, Ann Carter. He tries to ask about Yardley Manor, in a roundabout way where nobody will catch on. Ann is a bit of a flirt, and Marshall decides it's ok to take what's on offer.
Meanwhile, William Yardley is having a tough time dealing with the after-effects of his father's death. There are debts to be settled, war requisitions and land girls on his property. He's also considering a run for parliament.
3. Marshall finds his way to Yardley Manor, and introduces himself to William. He's surprised at the intrusion, and a bit suspicious, but agrees to let Marshall stay in the house for a few days. William talks to the family solicitor, who confirms Sanders' existence, but notes Sanders was never named in a will.
4. William decides to give Sanders the benefit of the doubt. Marshall is surprised by this, but in a day or so, it becomes clear why. William is carrying on an affair with a land girl, Lizzie, who is already married to someone else. She's visibly pregnant, although nobody else knows that William is the real father. Marshall decides the secret is good leverage against William discovering his identity.
Meanwhile, Marshall, who knows a thing or two about running a farm, is a big hit with the land girls and the locals, who see him as a huge improvement on the dour and taciturn William.
5. Things between Ann Carter and Marshall heat up. It's obvious she's fallen for him, but he isn't really all that interested. Marshall runs into some American soldiers, and in the course of a poker game, realizes his cover as Sanders will be blown if he doesn't figure out some other stuff about Sanders' hometown and college life. He visits the local library, and arouses the suspicions of the librarian.
6. William and Marshall get drunk and talk about their father. Somewhere along the way, it becomes obvious to William that Marshall can't keep his facts straight. He begins to think Sanders is faking his parentage, but doesn't realize Marshall isn't really Sanders.
7. Marshall's patience begins to wear thin, especially as he's having trouble sustaining his story. The land girl, Lizzie, discovers him dying his hair and faking Sanders' limp and confronts him with what he's doing. Marshall threatens to out her relationship with William if she doesn't keep quiet. He starts to think of ways to get rid of her.
Meanwhile, Ann begins to notice Marshall doesn't remember details of his life in Princeton, or growing up in New England. She begins to suspect him, but can't quite articulate her suspicions. She's also afraid to confront him in case he ends the relationship with her. On a chance meeting with Lizzie, who is a friend, she tells him about her suspicions. A stunned Lizzie goes back to Yardley Manor and basically forces Marshall to admit what he's doing. He confesses but basically says there's nothing she can do it about it, so what's the point.
8. A GI, Anderson, formerly from the Fourth ID arrives in Bucksley, and at the weekly poker game, admits he lost his taste for the war when his friend (Sanders) was killed. The others realize it's the same Sanders and admit he's AWOL and hiding in the village. When Anderson arrives at Yardley to meet Sanders, he recognizes Marshall and is horrified.
He tells Marshall he'll go to the authorities, but Marshall silences him by offering him a cut of the money he's going to get from William. Anderson is skeptical, but agrees. Marshall leans on William, telling him he doesn’t want the estate, but some money for his troubles would be nice, especially as the estate won't run without his help. William is helpless and decides to go into town to talk to the solicitor, although Lizzie tries to talk him out of it. Lizzie decides to confront Marshall.
In town, he accidentally runs into Ann Carter, who he used to date, but she dumped him. In the process of small talk (you always did make the wrong choices, Annie), he tells her why he's in town, and Ann confesses she knows Sanders intimately, but doesn't tell William her other suspicions. William congratulates her, and tells her Sanders is about to become a rather rich man.
9. Marshall, now on to the fact that Lizzie will be a thorn in his side forever, decides to off her. He follows her into the fields one day, they scuffle a bit and he strangles her, dumping the body in a nearby stream to wash away the scent and the prints.
William and the other land girls are surprised when Lizzie doesn't return that evening. Marshall tells them she said she had to leave town for a couple of days, to visit a sick aunt. William doesn't quite believe but doesn't want to publicly admit knowledge of Lizzie, but privately, he lets the local police know she might be missing, asking them to keep it hush-hush since it might hurt his campaign.
10. Lizzie's body washes up, and the local police arrest William for her murder, although the local DI (Carter) is surprised, given he's known William a long time, and William is the one who reported her missing. He doesn't share his suspicions with anyone, however. William is so distraught at Lizzie's death, he doesn't actually make a statement or provide an alibi. He's charged but released on bail and returned to Yardley Manor under guard.
Under the terms of the will, because of William's legal incapacity, the estate passes to Sanders who tells William he's no longer welcome. Stunned by Lizzie's death and Sanders' about-face, the other land girls rally behind William and force Sanders to let him stay. Sanders relents but banishes William to a garden cottage.
Ann, increasingly suspicious of Sanders, hears of this, and confronts Sanders. She ends her relationship with him and goes to the police. The police dismiss her evidence as circumstantial, and let her know Lizzie was pregnant and that William admitted to the relationship with her. Ann goes to Yardley to apologize to William, but finds Sanders already there. He's taunting Williams about their father, when he says something William knows cannot be true, confirming his suspicions about Sanders. They end up in a scuffle, which Ann tries to end, and in the melee, she ends up holding the gun and shooting Sanders, but not before Sanders has confessed who he really is. Ann, now in tears, admits she finally made the right choice.
