# Val Thorndyke — Short Fiction character guide

> Val Thorndyke in Short Fiction by Catherine Louisa Pirkis.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Val

**First appearance:** 0002-ii

## Snapshot

A persuasive young lover who rows Fay out at twilight and urges her to flee her gilded Bastille for a yacht waiting half an hour away.

## Who they are

Val whispers of freedom, Italy, and a marriage of heart to heart while the tide ebbs and the rocks seem to fling his words back. He is reckless, romantic, and utterly certain that Archie's yacht and four sailors can carry them past every bond and goodbye. His pressure on Fay's trembling silence sets the moral crisis that shadows her disappearance and the questions that follow.

## Relationships

### [Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/characters/fay)

_romantic_

A passionate and volatile romantic relationship, filled with attraction and frequent conflict.

### [Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/characters/fay)

_romantic_

A passionate and volatile romantic relationship, filled with attraction and frequent conflict.

### [Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/characters/fay)

_romantic_

A passionate and volatile romantic relationship, filled with attraction and frequent conflict.

## In the story

### [Drifting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/chapters/drifting)

Val is at the helm of the drifting boat, grappling with fear and hope as he navigates the dark loch. He reflects on his love for Fay and the impossibility of their situation, while also trying to maintain a cheerful facade for her.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/characters/val_thorndyke
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_61_se/characters