His body was discovered later the next morning by a servant. And that servant must have been paid well, because not a single person ever mentioned where or in what state he was found. The unfortunate and untimely death of lord Thomas Edwards seemed to send everything into chaos. The grand Edwards family manor and business legacy all seemed to be in jeopardy. Lord Harrison Edwards had another son, but he was no good as an heir to a business empire. Then again, nothing was truly good enough to someone like lord Harrison. With his rapidly declining health though, he was growing desperate. And it just so happens that my family was desperate too. Which leads us into today, me dressed in my most expensive purple dress in the kitschy living room of the Edwards estate while father sits in the office with lord Harrison signing away my freedom. A finely framed portrait of Thomas watches over me from the wall with a sly smile. Even in death, I could not escape this horrible, twisted family. But I can only hope his brother has somehow managed to become a decent person despite living in this dollhouse of opulence devoid of love.  

The sound of obnoxious laughter from the other room manages to dampen my mood even further. I think back to all the times my father protected me from harm or covered up things I did even at his own expense. Then I remember how the last time he ever called me his Babygirl was the day he brought me to the asylum. Even in his letters, I was just daughter and nothing else. Suddenly it feels like the walls are closing in on me. The portrait of Thomas is not just smiling anymore but laughing with unrestrained glee. There is no one on your side anymore, Emmeline, he coos and laughs even harder. And he's right. Only death is fair to me. Only death is there for me. A frustrated tear rolls down my cheek, but I dig my nails into my palm and don't let any more of them fall. For a fleeting moment I think of marching in and telling father that I will never ever do this marriage. That I would rather die.  

But then I remember what happens to unmarried women once they reach a certain age. They lose their assets, they lose their status, they lose their friends and become nothing more than a warning to others.  They become ghosts, mere echoes of someone that was once alive and vibrant. No one feels sorrow for them either. She was simply too picky. She wanted an education and took too long. She didn't put in enough effort to make herself available. She put herself out there too much and gained a reputation. Don't do too little.  But don't do too much either. Like walking an infinite tightrope over an endless pit. A constant struggle just to remain alive and accepted. Despite everything I wasn't ready for that plunge just yet.  

The sound of a carriage approaching attracts my gaze towards the window. The excited chatter from the next room stops. Lord Harrison Edwards rushes past me, as fast as a man that can only walk with the assistance of a cane can. He doesn't acknowledge me, not even with a glance. The sound of the cane against the tile floor reminds me of a clock, slowly counting down to the demise of my freedom. The carriage slows to a stop, the white horses pulling it whinnying and digging their hooves into the gravel, clearly desiring to keep running free. Or perhaps I was merely projecting my own thoughts onto animals with no deep worldviews of their own. Harrison Edwards exits into the grand stone doorway, impatiently tapping the ground with his cane. The tapping coupled with the frown etched onto his face and a glare that would cause the devil himself to falter made it clear this was not a happy reunion. The door of the carriage opens, and I lean closer to the window. Surprising even myself, my heart begins to pick up speed as the jailor of my freedom steps out into the yard.