The Dain Curse · Character

Eric Collinson

Gabrielle's earnest young fiancé, he telegraphs the narrator from a coastal town in a panic and pulls the whole case down the cliff road with him.

major

Also known as Collinson, Eric, young Collinson

First appearance: I: Eight Diamonds

As a major figure in The Dain Curse, Eric Collinson is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Gabrielle's companion on Saturday night; employed by Spear, Camp and Duffy.

In the storyI: Eight DiamondsOpen this moment free

See Eric Collinson in I: Eight Diamonds Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Collinson is the respectable, slightly stiff young man who loves Gabrielle and cannot understand what is happening to her, which makes him both sympathetic and easy to maneuver. His telegram from Quesada — urgent, secretive, insistent that Gabrielle must not know — is what drags the narrator out of San Francisco and into the second half of the book. He represents the ordinary life Gabrielle might have, and the plot keeps putting that life under threat.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Eric Collinson sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Eric Collinson in I: Eight Diamonds

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional peak occurs when the protagonist’s drowsy confusion shifts into stark, visceral dread as he real…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

In the story

Eric Collinson appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: Eight Diamonds
Gabrielle's companion on Saturday night; employed by Spear, Camp and Duffy.
II: Long-Nose
Downplays Gabrielle's account of the time and describes the suspect as short and chunky.
IV: The Vague Harpers
Anxious about Gabrielle's disappearance; visits agency twice; admits lying about their return time.
V: Gabrielle
Anxiously joins the search for Gabrielle, helps retrieve her, but refuses to take her home, driving recklessly instead.
VI: The Man from Devil’s Island
Arrives with a bloody face, tries to shield Gabrielle from the scene, and is forced to stay by the police.
VII: The Curse
Tries to calm Gabrielle and begs Mrs. Leggett to stop her tirade.
But and If
Present at the inquests but not with Gabrielle; nods to the narrator.
X: Dead Flowers
Present at the murder scene, attempts to protect Gabrielle and suggests hiding the body.
XI: God
Accompanies the narrator to the temple and helps revive Gabrielle.
Part III: Quesada
Gabrielle's husband, whose murder is a key event in Quesada.
XIII: The Cliff Road
Sends a telegram and a note to the narrator; his body is found at the foot of a cliff, having been pulled from the water by the narrator.
XIV: The Crumpled Chrysler
The victim, found dead from a fall off a cliff; the Narrator recalls he had sent for help due to fear of the curse.
XV: I've Killed Him
Found dead; the narrator believes he was murdered.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Eric Collinson unlock in the free preview.

See Eric Collinson in I: Eight Diamonds