Frances’ funeral slip reveals her fixation
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Ryan questions Frances about her smart attire, and she reveals she is going to a funeral. Ryan mentions that Catherine and Clare are also attending a funeral, causing Frances visible worry.
Ryan expresses his desire to have skipped school to attend Helen's funeral, causing Frances to grow relieved when she learns that she is not going to the same funeral.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Surface-level calm masking deep anxiety and obsession. Her relief at realizing the funeral isn’t Helen’s is a brief crack in her composed facade, revealing her true emotional state.
Frances acts as Ryan’s teaching assistant during the reading session, calmly guiding him through the text while subtly probing for information about his family. Her black funeral attire contrasts with the everyday school setting, marking her somber purpose. When Ryan mentions his grandmother and aunt attending Helen’s funeral, Frances’ relief at learning it isn’t Helen’s funeral is palpable, exposing her obsessive interest in the Cawood family. Her evasive responses about her attire and the funeral’s details underscore her manipulative nature.
- • Extract information about Catherine and the Cawood family from Ryan (using her teaching assistant role as cover)
- • Avoid revealing her true connection to Tommy Lee Royce or her obsession with Catherine
- • That Ryan is a vulnerable source of information about Catherine and the family (due to his innocence and trust in her)
- • That her obsession with Tommy Lee Royce justifies her manipulation of Ryan
Absent but looming—her influence is felt through Ryan’s words, which unsettle Frances.
Catherine is indirectly referenced by Ryan as his 'policeman woman' grandmother who 'chases scrotes and druggies and nutters.' Her attendance at Helen’s funeral is mentioned, which triggers Frances’ visible reaction. Catherine’s presence looms large in the subtext, as Frances’ relief at learning the funeral isn’t Helen’s suggests her deeper connection to Tommy Lee Royce’s world and her obsession with Catherine’s family.
- • Protect Ryan from harm (implied by her absence from the funeral, keeping him in school)
- • Uphold justice (as a police officer, her work is tied to the Royce case)
- • That her family is vulnerable to threats from Royce’s associates (like Frances)
- • That her work as a police officer puts her at odds with dangerous individuals
Playful and slightly defiant, but also vulnerable—his childlike curiosity makes him an unwitting pawn in Frances’ game.
Ryan engages in a one-on-one reading session with Frances, teasingly revealing family details (e.g., his grandmother being a policewoman, his reluctance to discuss his father). He asks Frances about her black attire and funeral attendance, displaying childlike curiosity and a playful defiance. His mention of Helen’s funeral triggers Frances’ visible shift in demeanor, exposing her deeper interest in the Cawood family. Ryan’s innocence contrasts sharply with Frances’ calculated manipulation.
- • Engage with Frances and learn more about her (childlike curiosity)
- • Avoid discussing his father (protecting himself emotionally)
- • That Frances is just his teaching assistant (unaware of her true motives)
- • That his family’s business is private and not to be shared with outsiders
Not directly observed, but implied to be grieving (attending Helen’s funeral) and supportive of her family.
Clare is mentioned by Ryan as attending Helen’s funeral alongside Catherine. Her presence is noted in the context of Frances’ reaction, which reveals Frances’ awareness of Clare’s role in the family. Clare’s attendance at the funeral is a point of curiosity for Frances, hinting at her broader knowledge of the Cawood family dynamics.
- • Provide emotional support to Catherine and Ryan during Helen’s funeral
- • Maintain her sobriety and stability amid family crises
- • That family unity is crucial during times of loss (attending the funeral together)
- • That her past struggles with addiction do not define her present role in the family
Neutral and professional—unaware of the deeper dynamics at play between Frances and Ryan.
Miss Wealand supervises Ryan’s one-on-one reading session with Frances in a quiet corner of the classroom. Her presence is noted but she does not actively participate in the dialogue. She serves as a passive observer, ensuring the session runs smoothly but unaware of the underlying tension between Frances and Ryan.
- • Ensure the reading session proceeds without disruption
- • Support Frances in her role as a teaching assistant
- • That Frances is a competent and trustworthy teaching assistant
- • That Ryan is receiving the support he needs for his reading
Helen is referenced by Ryan as the person whose funeral he and his family are attending. Frances initially assumes the …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Frances’ black funeral attire is a striking visual contrast to the everyday school setting, immediately drawing Ryan’s attention. When he asks why she is 'all dressed up,' she reveals she is attending a funeral, which triggers the critical exchange about Helen’s funeral. The attire symbolizes her dual role—as a teaching assistant and as someone deeply entangled in Tommy Lee Royce’s world. Its somberness underscores the tension between her composed exterior and her obsessive, manipulative nature.
Ryan’s reading practice book, featuring a picture of a generic granny with grey hair and glasses, serves as a catalyst for the conversation about Ryan’s family. Frances uses the image to probe Ryan about his actual grandmother, asking about Catherine and drawing parallels to her police work. The book lies open between them, its pages fueling Ryan’s pride in his family and his vulnerability as Frances subtly questions him. The book’s generic image contrasts with Ryan’s description of Catherine as a 'policeman woman,' highlighting the tension between innocence and the darker realities of her world.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The quiet corner of St. Marks Junior School Classroom serves as the intimate setting for Ryan and Frances’ tense exchange. The hushed space shields their conversation from the rest of the class, allowing Frances to press Ryan for information about his family—Catherine’s police work, his absent father, and Helen’s funeral—while her black funeral attire and feigned guesses betray her prior knowledge. The classroom’s mundane environment contrasts sharply with the darker themes of manipulation, obsession, and danger that emerge in their dialogue. The still air and whispered tones heighten the unease, making the moment feel like a secretive interrogation disguised as a reading session.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The eye contact between Frances and Ryan connects the initial interaction between the two to when Ryan struggles with his reading at school, where Frances is helping him."
"The eye contact between Frances and Ryan connects the initial interaction between the two to when Ryan struggles with his reading at school, where Frances is helping him."
"Ryan starts to open up and like Frances, which prompts Frances to turn the conversation back to the school work at hand . Ryan follows up about about her going to a funeral."
"Ryan struggles with his reading, This prompts Frances to probes Ryan about his family, specifically his paternal grandmother"
"Ryan starts to open up and like Frances, which prompts Frances to turn the conversation back to the school work at hand . Ryan follows up about about her going to a funeral."
"Ryan struggles with his reading, This prompts Frances to probes Ryan about his family, specifically his paternal grandmother"
Key Dialogue
"FRANCES: I’m dressed up because I’m going to a funeral this afternoon."
"RYAN: So is my Granny! And my Auntie Clare."
"FRANCES: ((worried)) Is she? Are they?"
"RYAN: I wanted to go as well so I wouldn’t have to come to school but they wouldn’t let me. Did you know Helen as well then?"
"FRANCES: Helen?"
"FRANCES: ((relief)) No. No, I’m going to someone else’s funeral."