# Sheila — The Return character guide > Sheila in The Return by Walter de la Mare. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Poor old Sheila **First appearance:** 0002-i ## Snapshot Lawford's poised and watchful wife, who manages her husband's strange return with unnerving composure and a quiet determination to get at the truth. ## Who they are Sheila presides over the drawing-room conferences and whispered consultations that gather around Lawford's condition, coolly assembling evidence from servants, doctors, and neighbors. Her politeness is a weapon: she questions Arthur with a calm scrutiny that unsettles him more than any accusation could. As wife and chief witness to his transformation, she embodies the novel's tension between domestic loyalty and the terrifying possibility that the person you married is no longer there. ## Relationships ### [Arthur Lawford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/arthur_lawford) _romantic_ Arthur and Sheila share a deep, passionate romantic connection, often interacting with intense emotional closeness. ### [Mr. Bethany](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/mr_bethany) _professional_ Mr. Bethany and Sheila have a professional relationship, possibly as colleagues or through business dealings. ### [Mrs. Lawford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/mrs_lawford) _family_ Mrs. Lawford and Sheila are family, likely mother and daughter-in-law, with a close but sometimes tense bond. ### [Alicia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/alicia) _rivalry_ Alicia and Sheila are rivals, competing for Arthur's affection or social standing. ### [Mr. Danton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/mr_danton) _social_ Mr. Danton and Sheila are social acquaintances, interacting in community or social settings. ### [Ada](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/ada) _friendship_ Ada and Sheila are friends, offering each other companionship and emotional support. ### [Craik](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/craik) _psychological_ Craik and Sheila have a psychological dynamic, with Craik possibly manipulating or obsessing over Sheila. ### [Arthur Lawford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/arthur_lawford) _romantic_ Arthur and Sheila share a deep, passionate romantic connection, often interacting with intense emotional closeness. ### [Arthur Lawford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/arthur_lawford) _romantic_ Arthur and Sheila share a deep, passionate romantic connection, often interacting with intense emotional closeness. ### [Alicia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/alicia) _rivalry_ Alicia and Sheila are rivals, competing for Arthur's affection or social standing. ### [Mr. Bethany](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/mr_bethany) _professional_ Mr. Bethany and Sheila have a professional relationship, possibly as colleagues or through business dealings. ### [Mr. Danton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/mr_danton) _social_ Mr. Danton and Sheila are social acquaintances, interacting in community or social settings. ## In the story ### [The Return](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/the-return) Confronts Lawford about his changed appearance, locks him in his room out of fear. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/i) Lawford's wife; he avoids discussing his feelings with her, and she confronts him outside his locked bedroom door after his return. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/ii) Initially disbelieves Lawford, locks him in, and seeks help from Mr. Bethany, showing fear and suspicion. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/iii) Sheila watches Lawford anxiously, has prepared a separate bed for him, and breaks down sobbing after the vicar leaves. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/iv) Locks Lawford in his room; Lawford thinks of her with pity at the end of the chapter. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/v) Manages the household and finances, locks Lawford in his room, and conspires with Mr. Bethany; struggles with doubt and composure. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/vi) Sheila confronts Lawford about his secretive departure, locks him out by taking his keys, and asserts control over the household. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/vii) Present during Mr. Bethany's visit; leaves Lawford alone after he wakes. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/viii) Anxious and controlling; tries to prevent Lawford from leaving; feels humiliated and baffled by his behavior; goes to church with Alice. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/x) Arranges for Mr. Bethany and Mr. Danton to visit, tries to manage Lawford's condition, and is caught between conflicting loyalties. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xi) Brings Lawford breakfast with composure, reveals Mr. Danton was there, expresses concern about his mind, and later confronts Alice, leading to Alice's fainting. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xii) Mentioned by Lawford as one who noticed the change in his face. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xiv) Accuses Lawford of madness and selfishness, withdraws her punishment remark, and offers conditional loyalty; questions the propriety of his transformation and their marriage. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xv) Sheila is mentioned as having fled the house with the household, leaving Lawford alone. Lawford recalls her words about his 'hereditary or unconscious deserving.' ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xvi) Mentioned in Lawford's thoughts as part of the 'they' who keep him in his place; her French dictionary is used by Lawford. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xvii) Sheila is mentioned as Lawford's wife, who seems to think there are signs of slight improvement in his condition. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xix) Implied to have taken the Sabathier pages; Lawford thinks of her quiet vigilance and her plans to prove his identity. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/chapters/xxii) Reveals the portrait of Nicholas de Sabathier matches Arthur's changed face; insists on the supernatural explanation despite Danton's skepticism. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters/sheila - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_return_se/characters