Epilogue
Three months later…
The home that sits beside St. Bartholomew’s cathedral, the one in which Father Thomas used to reside, seems brighter these days. It almost shines in the daylight, almost glows in the night. It was springtime, and so the garden was in bloom and the sun freed itself from the clouds more often, and yet still there seemed to be something special. It was likely all in people’s heads, but sometimes people joked that it was God’s recognition that Father Billings was well-suited to being priest. Annette knew that it was because Peter Thornbry had recently moved in. And he threw wonderful gatherings.
Annette smiles as she gazes over the modest gathering. It was a comfortable sized home, the sort that could easily fit thirty or thirty-five guests within it for a dinner party. The twenty-two of them gathered now filled it quite contentedly, mulling about and talking and laughing and sharing drinks. She may not know everyone in the room, but Annette nonetheless feels welcomed and comfortable. She strolls over to Simon and Peter, chatting together whilst the poet gathers a new plate of appetizers.
“Miss Baker,” Simon bows his head, his expression light and happy. “How wonderful of you to stop by.”
“Father Billings, Mister Thornbry,” she curtsies a little, enjoying her choice of dress this afternoon. These days it was a toss of a coin whether or not she exited the home in a skirt or trousers, and she finds the variety enjoyable. “As always, you’ve thrown a lovely get-together.”
“I’m afraid Peter is the one to thank for that,” Simon says, blushing lightly as he gazes over at the other man. “He has far more taste and style and hosting ability than I’ve ever possessed.”
Annette smiles, watching Peter’s eyes lock warmly with Simon’s. “Well, I hear the congregations believe your sermons have improved dramatically now that you have a partner in theology to test out your ideas upon. The best of friends, the market has anointed you.” They all share a knowing look, delighted in the sweet pleasure of public cover and private bliss. “Peter, I hear you have a new collection of poems to be published soon.”
Peter’s face flushes pink. “I’ve been very inspired of late.”
“I cannot imagine why,” she teases. Annette turns her focus to Simon, sizing up the joy and delight he takes in being next to Peter. “I see the world has not fallen out from under you, Father.”
He purses his lips, eyes sparking with glee. “It seems the world is not inclined to do that.”
“You look happy,” she beams.
“I believe I just might be, Miss Baker,” he tells her. His eyes peek over her head, making contact with someone behind her, and he says, “I do believe Sister Pullwater is hoping to speak with you.”
“I’d not wish to disappoint her. It would be an unusual experience for her,” Annette chips, taking a sip of her drink and excusing herself.
She pats a hand over the letter in her shirt pocket, comforted to confirm that it had not fallen out on the way over. Marian had finally written to her from Kestol, informing her that life with Wilcox and his family was better than she could have imagined. Annette had only an opportunity to glance over it before making her way to the party, and she was excited to get time later tonight to properly read it and compose a response.
Sister Pullwater lightly taps a finger on Judith’s glass, instructing her to lift it just a tiny bit higher. It was a far gentler correction of etiquette than she used to make on Annette, though today Annette was in good enough spirits to only feel relief that it was going well for Judith. She curtsies as she approaches, mirroring the young twice-born girl’s perfect form.
“Careful, Miss Velore,” Annette chides, her voice light and sweet, “with posture as rigid as that you’ll risk turning to stone.”
“Miss Baker!” The girl chirps, dashing forward to hug Annette. Sister Pullwater seems to forgive the lapse in decorum, and greets her warmly as well.
“Her posture has much improved,” the Sister notes. “She fights me on it far less than you do.”
“Did,” Annette corrects.
“Do,” Pullwater smirks.
Judith tugs on the side of her dress, gazing up at Annette. “Sister Pullwater wanted me to ask if you would join me when we go to pick out a few new dresses.”
“I would be delighted, Miss Velore,” Annette accepts. She gazes across the room at Cordelia, chatting comfortably with Samantha and introducing herself to some of the other guests. “I’m sure my detective partner could even be convinced to foot the bill. In fact, why don’t you go ask her? She’d love to greet you as well.”
Judith tosses her an excited curtsy and chases off to ask Cordelia. Annette feels a billowing warmth inside her chest as she watches her go, and Sister Pullwater joins her and says, “She admires you deeply. It’s good of you to spend time with her.”
“I never thought of myself as particularly inclined towards motherhood,” Annette replies, briefly enjoying the idea. “I’m surprised at how much Judith makes me want to consider it.”
The Sister takes her hand, squeezing it affectionately. “We both know you won’t settle down anytime soon.”
“You may be right on that, dear Sister,” she flashes her a playful smirk. “For now, I’m content with ‘Auntie Annette.’”
Pullwater nods, squeezing her palm once more before dropping it. She takes a long breath, a little hesitant, and asks, “How… how are things at… home?”
“She is very well,” Annette answers her, teasing out her meaning. “Busy with all the legal cleanup from everything, but Pemberly has helped a great deal. Beyond that, I believe she is quite enjoying reconnecting with Miss Deveroux.”
“She is keeping the name?” Pullwater frowns a little.
“Apparently she is quite fond of it, despite the divorce.”
“And so now you dwell in a home with three women of the same inclinations,” she mutters, grumbling at the idea and trying not to for Annette’s sake.
Annette grins. It was unexpected to have Samantha move in with them, but she’d been quite quickly cast out of the gentry, abandoned just as fast as she was picked up by them. Revier was in prison, yet the divorce was granted fairly rapidly thereafter. She’d had nowhere to go, and Cordelia had a desire to right the wrongs of the past. So, Annette moved into Cordelia’s room with the detective and Samantha took Annette’s old room.
“Miss Deveroux keeps to herself,” Annette takes the nun’s hand once more, trying to reassure her. “Have no fear.”
“Oh, Annette,” Pullwater releases her familiar sigh. “... She is treating you well?”
“Better than I believed I deserved.”
“That is some comfort then,” the Sister nods. “It seems you have eccentric tastes.”
“Thank you, dear Sister.”
“Of course, my daughter. Will I see you for tea next week?”
“Indeed,” Annette confirms. “Though, it is possible there may be a disruption in the following week. Miss Jones may be accepting a case in Kereland in the near future.”
“Indeed?” Pullwater grows quiet.
“Something the matter?”
“Inform me if you do take the case,” she requests, her face stern and focused. “I may have some things to discuss with you.”
Before Annette can ask any following questions, Judith is dancing over to them, exclaiming, “Miss Jones said yes!”
She pulls the girl into another enthusiastic embrace. “Then I shall accompany you Monday morning to go shopping.”
“She also said she has something to tell you,” Judith relates.
“Then I had better go at once, it is often something unusual or exciting.” She nods to both of them, beaming at the unlikely family they were a part of. “Good evening, Judith. And to you as well, Sister Pullwater.”
They bid her farewell and make plans for her to arrive on Monday for shopping, and Annette strolls over the room to Cordelia. The detective excuses herself from her conversation, stepping aside so that the two of them could speak alone.
“I was told you wished to speak with me?”
Cordelia grins. “An excuse to bring you nearer to me. How painfully my heart misses you when you are gone.”
Annette giggles, wishing she could place a kiss on her cheek. “It must be agonizing when I am so far away. An entire living room separating us! How wretched.”
“All the more loathsome when all I wish to do is take you by the cheek and kiss you,” Cordelia drops her voice low, her eyes flashing with desire.
“This is an informal gathering, Miss Jones. There is nothing preventing us from simply returning home and tending to the wound in your heart.”
“Yes,” the detective smirks, leaning in even closer to ensure they would not be overheard. “But how much more fun would it be to sneak upstairs and explore this aching there?”
Annette blushes. “Well, I would need to find an excuse to slip away…”
“And I might have to depart early, in my usual fashion, and then climb in through a window.”
“You have five minutes,” Annette decides.
“I’ll be there in two, my love,” Cordelia asserts, turning on her heel to quickly say her goodbyes.
Annette watches her go with a delight in her chest. Deciding she has a few minutes to spare, she joins Samantha. A little part of her still finds their new dynamic so unusual, and she believes the former noblewoman feels it too. She was unsure of what it would become, just as Samantha was likely unsure of what she would become.
“Miss Deveroux, my lovely roommate,” Annette greets her, “how are you?”
“Annie, greetings to you as well,” Samantha inclines her head, stepping aside to speak with her. Her eyes flick towards the door as Cordelia departs. “I find that I am once again tending to my mild jealousy.”
Annette smiles. “Any luck at the Faery?”
“Oh, yes,” Samantha boasts. “Though, I nonetheless find it is difficult to find someone who matches the excitement you two bring. How boring everyone else can be.”
“It’s good to see you settling in amongst us peasants.”
Samantha giggles, waving her away with a teasing, “Oh, shut up and go run off with your woman.”
“I’ve always been known to follow your directions. Why stop now?”
The two of them laugh, and Annette slips away, making a few rounds before sneaking upstairs. She finds the detective tucked away in a small closet, as far from the stairs as possible. Annette begins unbuttoning her shirt, leaning her back up against the closed door.
“How do you want me, my love?” She asks.
“Unceasingly,” Cordelia replies.
THE END.
Patreon
Truly incredible work. This is among the best-written books I've ever read on this site. You should be proud!!
That's so sweet of you to say! I'm so proud of this, and it's still sort of settling on me that it's finished. Incredible.
WooHoo~ Finally!
The story is great! Just a lot of cliffhangers. Now that it's finish I can finally get on with where I left off. I know its gonna be great, and already can't wait for the next story! Hope you keep on writing and share your work!!!
Thank you so much! I'm absolutely going to keep writing - it's become such a comfort hobby and I finally feel like I'm getting good at it. I look forward to sharing a new project sometime soon, once it's a bit more in shape and ready to be released!
Really enjoyed this story. I’m looking forward to whatever you decide to write next. I’m guessing this isn’t the last time that Annette and Cordelia cross paths with Morrigan.
Most definitely not. She’s gonna be back for sure :)
That was an excellent story. Good characters, a plot that builds in complexity at just the right pace, and transgender lesbians. What more could I ask for?
Other than book 2.
Thank you so much for reading! Transgender lesbians are near and dear to my heart, and I believe the world would be a better place with more of them <3
And here's to a sequel! Curious to see where my brain takes me.
Decided to reread this to better reaquaint myself with these characters given the start of the sequel.
It is rare to find trans (and even sapphic trans
) stories this well written. (I am including all your works on this site in that "well written" bucket.)
That is true even in general (especially if we restrict ourselves to post-transition stories, as opposed to the more common egg or during transition stories). It is perhaps even more true in erotic works, which err... have a disappointing tendency to be pretty awful either writing wise, due to content, or due to perspective (e.g. some is clearly by repressed gay men wanting an outlet to be "straight", or by chasers, etc.). There is also a fit bit of writing out there that is just okay. But it can be hard to find good writing.
Of course you know all that all too well, since you've literally mentioned it is part of your motivation for writing these.
---
I feels like I should also comment on just how frustrating Cordelia must have been to poor Annette in the early chapters. Her clearly wanting something (the Annette "with a backbone") and getting upset when Annette reverted to her servant training must have really confusing, since Cordelia really was avoiding actually saying that, and largely avoiding giving her any clear indications of what she wants from her at all.
On the other hand I really get Cordelia not wanting to try to force it, or push her to become that Annette. I'm not even sure if she fully knew what she wanted, at least not clearly enough to articulate it. (I certainly know that feeling!)
---
Since you have mentioned possibly polishing this for more propper publishing eventually, a few remarks about what felt like one of the weaker parts. The part standing out to me as not working quite as well as the rest to me is the revealing that Pemberly/Blackburne were pulling strings the whole time. I have no qualms with the basic idea, but some more minor ones with the execution.
One of them is that as written it almost seems like they would need near omniscience to have pulled that off. At the very least they some parts would seem to require knowing the main characters almost better than they seem to know themselves. That feels just a bit too deus ex machina, so the more plausible explanation is that not all of their plans suceeded, but they had put multiple into motion, and had plans for a variety of contingencies. But if that is the case, it is a shame that there are few signs of it. The closest evidence I'm seeing of things not going completely to their plan is the line: “If you are asking that question,” Morrigan turns to her, “you have deduced far fewer secrets of our operations than anticipated. Disappointing.”
My other concern is that the lack of any visible foreshadowing of this string pulling in the first few chapters. That probably falls within the sort of polishing you would be intending to do anyway. And this is not really surprising, especially since you subscribe to the view of letting the characters write themselves, without trying to shoehorn them too much. In such an approach, the serialized publication approach makes foreshadowing of events too many chapters ahead trickier, since fewer details of more distant chapters are likely completely locked down yet, and locking too much down too early can have problems like trying to force characters to behave in ways they wouldn't just to make sure the preplanned plot goes according to plan. (Just ask any experienced TTRPG gamemaster about the perils have having too detailed of a pre-planned plot, how often it fails to go to plan, especially if they don't really shoehorn the players into it.)
I'm not even sure if she fully knew what she wanted, at least not clearly enough to articulate it.
Absolutely correct! One of the big things of a Sherlock Holmes style character, like Cordelia, is that they are often profoundly lonely internally - and once they find a person who seems like they might actually understand them, its really easy to project expectations. Cordelia doesn't want Annette to be a carbon-copy of herself, but wants her to be similar enough to finally understand her in a way no one else seems to. So she has this idea of what she wants, kinda, but has never seen it in practice and can't articulate it because she struggles to articulate herself. As a result, high standards but no clear direction for them.
And re: plot building in Book 1. I totally agree with all of those aspects, they're very similar to the critiques I make of it as I re-read it. My writing style has really matured far more than when I started Baker and Jones. Book 1 is the single largest project I've ever finished, so along with uncovering the story and writing characters and developing my style, a significant amount of what I learned from this book is simply how to tell as story that is creeping towards 400+ pages. It's something I've never successfully pulled off before, and Book 1 I think really struggles with overall plot structure and groundwork.
Plus, Book 1 just started as a little idea that appeared in my head, "Lesbian Sherlock Holmes with Watson as a trans woman. Fun!" Didn't go into it with a huge amount of planning, just wrote until I felt a story I liked. In the early stages of it I scattered around a variety of Chekov's guns to play with later, which eventually bore out to the rest of the story. So I'll drop in the mallet in chapter one with a mentality of, "Well, I'll figure out how this is related later." And I knew early on there was going to be some bigger forces pulling strings, but I just simply wasn't sure how to establish it without just spoiling the mystery.
I also think on the balancing act of Plot vs. Romance, Book 1 skews really heavily towards romance. As I've matured as a writer (and gotten some of the steamy tension between characters out of my system), I'm finding my focus tipping back towards plot. So, some of the weakness in plot structure of Book 1 simply derives from the fact that Mystery just really isn't it's focus the way one might expect.
Book 2 has been so much more fun to write because I've put in a lot more groundwork in the story. I'm going in with a functional outline and all the major twists/mysteries figured out, and I think it'll be a way more interesting read because of it. Letting characters reveal themselves works better for an introduction to them, but I'm learning that established characters don't need the same level of chaos in their writing. I already know the journeys that I'm sending Annette and Cordelia off onto for Book 2, which I think will be interesting, emotional, and challenging.
I also expect, in its own strange way, Book 2 might answer a little more as to why exactly Miss Blackburne is so adept in her ability to read Cordelia...
In short, I definitely plan some fairly significant edits to The Winchester Conspiracy for if/when I attempt to properly publish it. I have some rough ideas of what I'd change, but for now I wanna steam on ahead and see what I can pull off with Book 2 and Book 3.
(And from the early notes of it, Book 3 is going to be a good one, too.)
Anyhow, thanks for the love and attention for this work, it's meant so much to see people dive into it and find so much to enjoy for it. I'm loving writing it as much as I hope folks are enjoying reading it, and I'm delighted to be back in the world and making progress with Book 2.
@Ms.Appropriately
I also think on the balancing act of Plot vs. Romance, Book 1 skews really heavily towards romance.
That arguably depends on perspective. By the standards of most other works on the site where I first found this work, it is very oddly plot heavy.
Of course I rather like works that have good plot and good writing.
Honestly my only strong feelings on plot vs "romance" here is that shortly after the main characters got together it went unusually s*x heavy for a bit even relative to the rest of the work. And while it obviously understandable to lean heavily in that direction for a bit for upon main characters finally getting together, it terms of flow and pacing, it may have have leaned a bit further than it ideally should have. (As much as I like a good s*x scene, around there is where I get really tempted to start skimming them for a bit.)
As I've matured as a writer (and gotten some of the steamy tension between characters out of my system), I'm finding my focus tipping back towards plot. So, some of the weakness in plot structure of Book 1 simply derives from the fact that Mystery just really isn't it's focus the way one might expect.
Yeah that is fair, although it is hardly impossible to focus on both. This already does pretty reasonable job of that, even if it could be improved a bit.
I still put more "blame" on the fact that the plot and twists were not premapped out, while also being serialized while written. This inherently limits some of the naritive polish than can be applied. Having everything written before publication makes means one can go back and adjust things, while alternatively having the story more fully mapped out ahead of time can allow using more advanced narrative devices without needing to go back and adjust things to match.
From what you have described hopefully Book 2 can benefit from your change in approach to the plot. It certainly seems to be off to a promising start.
---
I also expect, in its own strange way, Book 2 might answer a little more as to why exactly Miss Blackburne is so adept in her ability to read Cordelia...
Nice. I'm excited to learn more. Of course, whatever is revealed does not change my view that seeming omniscence feels like a weakness in Book 1 as it currently exists, when evaluated on its own merits.
---
Keep in mind I'm commenting mostly because I care enough to want to provide feedback so that any such revision of this book becomes as good as you can make it.
I hope you're happy. This story is the reason I went to work on two hours of sleep
How dare you write something I just HAD to finish in one sitting 
anywaaaayyys, much love, now I'm off to read your other stories 
That's so sweet of you! I hope you enjoy the rest of my works - I'm currently deep into writing The Now Former Lady Deveroux, and I think people will really like where it's going!
Also, thank you for informing me of the success of my secret ulterior motive - to slowly convert people into the life of chronically under-rested night owls
@Ms.Appropriately pshhh I've always been a chronically under rested night owl. But I thank you for your contribution to list of stories that keep me awake
I have few words. This story has been an unexpected joy to read and I am so thankful I was able to draw it from the ocean of mediocrity the internet tends to engender.
Thank you so much.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It was wonderful to write, and it's really felt like a testament to my own growth as an author. I'm really excited for what comes next.
Hard to believe Morrigan is just a subordinate to Pemberly, make you wonder how scary her boss would be if his subordinate is this dangerous...
I have a feeling one day real soon Annette will have her "revenge" against Morrigan, payback with plenty interests LOL!
All in all, congratulation for your spendid conclusion! I love it till all the way! Though I must admit Morrigan does irked me when she seemed like she was the most omnipotent person in the room. While this is logical considering that Annette just recently "broke out of her shell", I hate how she seemed so powerless against that Morrigan bit*h in the end, worse with Cordelia even admitting how dangerous that fox is. Hope Annette gets her revenge soon
Thank you for all the efforts you put in. I am glad to know you can finally have some quality rest for reaching this far, and I will be waiting for Annete & Cordelia next journey with much excitement.
Thank you so much for reading! It was such a delight to write, and I'm personally really looking forward to what future installments could look like. This is certainly not the last we've seen of Morrigan Blackburne.
That was an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing it, and congratulations on finishing it!
Thank you so much! Thanks for reading :)
yay!! i've been reading your work since the start of devotia, and it's all so fantastic; you have a real talent for intimate character moments (and rly hot ones too lol) blended with some juicy historical materialism. looking forward to whatever you write next!
That's so sweet! One of the options on the table for what I work on next is to finish out Devotia, and possibly work on a sequel to it. I actually have some draft notes for a first book of another trilogy that takes place in the same world as Devotia, but occurs like 500 years later, and could be a very interesting story. Not sure, it'll really depend on where motivation takes me. My brain likes to follow the stories that make it happy on that particular day :)