Chapter 1 - Edith Moorewood
Edith Moorewood
March 11th, 1875
Edith smiled and admired the lovely ring now gracing her left hand. While she didn’t normally wear jewelry and wasn’t married she was happy to have something so nice and it fit perfectly. The first time she saw it she was mesmerized by the glow of the tiny round rubies running around the band right down the middle. She had been told it was ideal for keeping men at bay. It was unfortunate her Auntie Catherine had to die for it to be passed down to her, but then again she hadn’t been particularly fond of the woman. She had a sharp tongue and as amusing as it was to hear someone deserving be lashed to pieces, it was just as likely to turn on her for some insignificant slight.
She was once reduced to tears because she had a smudge on her shoe and that reminded Auntie Catherine her dress was perilously close to her knees. Anything above the ankle was scandalous in that forthright old woman’s eyes and it really wasn’t much higher than that - she had just gone through a growth spurt and her clothing hadn’t been altered yet. It was good Auntie never stopped by unannounced or she would have collapsed to see the trousers Edith wore around the house. They were far more practical.
She had decided to feel as bad about the inheritance as she could for a while but the excitement outweighed any semblance of grief she was able to work up. The ring was the first part of the estate that had gone to Edith alone as Auntie never had children. For all her harsh words there was no doubt she had always been the favorite. Auntie Catherine had insisted she sit beside her at any family meals she attended and Edith was often the only one in the family to receive gifts for any occasion whatsoever.
She had always warned Edith about how untrustworthy men were and had taught her to see through the sweet nothings to the ‘heartless, lecherous cur beneath’. The one time she had been lured into giving a man a chance her Auntie had refused to even look at her until the relationship had failed and Edith was alone again.
There was genuine comfort offered between the ’I told you so’s when she had admitted to Auntie that her beau had been unfaithful. While she had believed he cared for a time, he forgot all about her when another woman came along and showed interest. Thanks to the years beside Auntie Catherine learning how to deliver a blunt dose of honesty and proper threat, she had no doubt he lived in fear of seeing her again. It had been a difficult time but she had learned her lesson.
Edith sighed and returned to packing. It was just as well, she had found life to be significantly less stressful and more interesting without the distraction of romance. Auntie had been right about that much. It was far easier to learn whatever you wanted and develop useful skills without anyone protesting that it was unladylike or boorish.
She could shoot a gun with more accuracy than any of her brothers, beat most of them in a scuffle, repair most things around the house, as well as cook a decent meal if needed. Now she could truly do anything as her Auntie had been quite wealthy and left her a lovely house as well.
Her parents were happy she would finally have her own life but her father had precious few pleasant things to say about the conditions. She was required to never marry in order to accept the inheritance. She had to sign a legal document stating as much. It was a small price to pay for the security that seemed about the only thing a man would have to offer her, anyway.
When she had all her important things stuffed into luggage the trip to her new home began. It was on the other side of the city so it wouldn’t be too difficult to visit her parents. She often forgot how close it was for how seldom anyone had made the effort to go calling. Her Auntie had lived so much farther away in her mind. She couldn’t wait to send everyone away so she could explore her new home and sleep in the luxurious guest room she had seen once.
She had no intention of taking over the master bedroom until it had been fully stripped and everything replaced to suit her liking.
