# Ellen Heathcote — Short Fiction character guide

> Ellen Heathcote in Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Ellen, Heathcote

**First appearance:** 0020-the-spectre-lovers

## Snapshot

A young woman whose beauty and modest fortune make her the object of a cold suitor's calculations and a warmer man's ruinous infatuation.

## Who they are

Ellen Heathcote stands at the centre of a quiet contest between two men: Dwyer, who admits he cares nothing for her beyond her father's money, and O'Mara, whose passion for her is already spiraling toward catastrophe. Encountered at a gate in the countryside, she greets them cheerfully, unaware of the angry discussion she has just occasioned. Her presence forces the story to confront what men will do when desire and greed collide over a woman who is, to one of them, merely a channel for wealth.

## Relationships

### [Edward Dwyer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters/edward_dwyer)

_romantic_

Edward Dwyer and Ellen Heathcote are involved in a romantic triangle, with Dwyer torn between her and Lady Emily.

### [Edward Dwyer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters/edward_dwyer)

_romantic_

Edward Dwyer and Ellen Heathcote are involved in a romantic triangle, with Dwyer torn between her and Lady Emily.

## In the story

### [The Bridal of Carrigvarah](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-bridal-of-carrigvarah)

Dies of a broken heart after being abandoned by young O'Mara; her beauty is described as exquisite even in death.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters/ellen_heathcote
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters