A Study in Drowning

Effy and Preston are both restless—Preston because of his encounter with Ianto and Effy because of the things she has seen and potentially hallucinated. They argue about Blackmar and the country’s superstitions, with Preston believing that everyone should always try to tell the truth. She asks him his opinion on ghosts, and Preston explains that he believes ghost sightings are manifestations of human emotions. They make plans to visit Blackmar. Preston reveals that he’s already tried to reach out, but his letter was returned without response. He shows it to Effy, and Effy admonishes the stoic, academic approach. Effy writes another letter, this time filled with flattery. While she waits for a response, she and Ianto discuss her plans. Ianto is in a better mood, and Effy asks after his absent mother. They discuss his family and Myrddin’s impoverished upbringing.

Soon after, Effy receives an enthusiastic response from Blackmar. It’s addressed to her real name, Euphemia. Preston seems disconcerted by her name and asks her if she was a changeling. In southern culture, changelings were children who had been abandoned by their mothers and reclaimed by others, usually fairies. They were given the names of mythic saints.