The Fall of Charlotte Richards

A Devils Paw Story

© 2013 Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Set in the Winter of 1893

Chapter One

It was coming to late Winter in Washington D.C., the nations capital and while most travelers were safely bedded down in their homes two very different women were preparing, preparing for a Southern voyage to Cuba for the season. Miss. Martha Jeanette Morton, maiden aunt to her very young ward Charlotte Francine Richards was carefully filling in the last forms needed for their travel. As Guardian to the young half-mink Martha had cared for her until her majority. Next season it would be time to introduce her very eligible niece to the young men of Washington, therefore she had planned one last trip for the two of them. Three long months away from frozen Washington to the Gulf Coast then a pleasant cruise in the tropical reaches of the Caribbean.

She would not be closing her home certainly, there were the maids, cooks and a butler to care for things while they were gone. Here-to her plans had been carefully considered, laid out and careful orders given to her servants. They had been with her for over twenty years now, fifteen of those spent raising her sisters orphan child and a strain the young girl still was, it would be good to be rid of her finally. Gathering up the papers, all carefully signed, notarized and in many cases in duplicate the thirty-eight year old Collie packed them in a valise that she herself would carry. Within them were their passports, travel documents, medical documents and a certain release that would do two things if it worked.

One, it would forever rid her of her over energetic niece who looked down at Miss. Morton’s private visitors and second, it would leave her a very wealthy woman. Martha Morton though was by no means destitute, her father had left his Salt Empire split between his three children, this had made it possible for Martha to ignore the unwanted demands of society and never marry, though she had more than her share of robust young men, mainly hounds, to keep her company at night. This had become a point of contention between Martha and her now eighteen year old niece, who had just finished her schooling and was preparing to found a family of her own, planing carefully in fact. Charlotte firmly believed that sex was only to bring children into the world and should be abstained from for any other reason. Certainly one must be married before giving up their maidenhood after all.

Martha blamed the girls attitude upon their local Priest, a rather aged bear who it was rumored tended to involve himself much too personally in young girls lives. In fact more than one young girl, most barely of age, had been shipped off to other families ‘for the season’, at least that had not occurred with Charlotte though the girl had latched upon the mans public words as though gold. It had apparently been her anchor to sanity her Aunt had decided. Charlotte’s parents had been killed in a train wreak when she was only two, and as the closest living relative Martha had taken it upon herself to raise the child. That a third of her fathers empire was now held in an underage girls hands, thus would be controlled by her Aunt until Charlotte reached maturity hadn’t been missed by Martha either. Oh originally she loved Charlotte more than the money, but as the girl had aged her constant harping about the older minks lifestyle, her constant work with the church had eroded that love until nothing was truly left. Martha intended to die single and without issue, let other women bear the burden of motherhood. She just wished that her niece would do the same.

Once Charlotte married or reached the age of twenty-one she would receive her entire inheritance, a sum which had grown to many times its original size, both due to the careful handling of her Aunt and the very astute business sense of her uncle. An uncle who had not had the time for a young girl in his bachelor home, nor later after marrying was he or his new wife interested in having a now ten year old abruptly enter there life and ruining the fun and travel that they had planned for themselves.

No one though could fault Martha for her care giving, Charlotte had attended the absolute best girls school, had the best medical care, attended cultural events, she was much fond of the symphony and had a great love of sailing for example. Only last week they had been at the Lawyers office where a wide eyed young mink had discovered exactly how much she was to inherit upon marrying or reaching her fathers chosen twenty-one years of age, certain papers were signed then as well. It was after that, in the cab returning home when the young mink was complaining of her near frozen toes that Martha sprang her trap.

“There is a steam cruise to the Carribean Islands my dear, friends of mine have taken a cruise upon it and declared the experiences most mature. I understand that it is sponsored by the W&A railroad and have investigated the same. It is a stable company and we would spend our time visiting all the quaint little islands in that sun filled warm sea, a perfect adventure to remember on further cold winters. Perhaps you may even discover a young man more to your liking than those you have met locally.”

“What ship Aunt Morton” Charlotte had asked politely, though a glimmer in her eye gave evidence to her very great interest in the words Sun and Warm.

“S.S. Devils Paw, it is a privately owned British ship and has a rather good reputation, being owned by a woman. A Mrs. Navita, an artist of good reputation I am told.” Martha had explained. “Shall I gather the pamphlets? I had planned upon going next year when you have moved on into marriage, still if you would like I believe that I may arrange tickets for the two of us in January.” January of course was notorious for being one of the worst winter months and already several times a week the two were snowbound, unable to leave their home for any reason.

“Oh yes please, it sounds absolutely delightful” the young girl agreed. “I haven’t been on a sailing trip since July.”

So the papers were retrieved from Martha’s private desk, poured over for hours by the young girl while Martha simply made notes of sights to see, ships rules and such. “I worry though” Charlotte admitted, “These rules of dress in International waters.”

“Things are much different in the islands my dear” her aunt answered. “Remember that book on Hawaii you brought to my attention? Now don’t tell me that you haven’t at least once dreamed of walking around in the fur, at least from the waist up. It will also allow you to meet young men that you might never meet here in Washington and as the entire crew is female there will be no difficulties with them.”

“But sex is...”

Martha laughed. “My dear Charlotte, I have several times read that pamphlet and no where in it is the word sex, only a stern warning about leaving the crew alone. Seeing as the owner is a well known English Artist, why Mr. Sanderson has one of her works on display in his den as I recall, and that the entire crew is of women I honestly do not think that this would be that shocking a venture. Remember, you and I would not be the only women aboard nor are you required to expose yourself, though I intend to walk the promenade at night letting the sea have its way with my upper fur.”

“Well... I guess” the young mink agreed. “And the men will be so dressed as well, it will be interesting to see what a man truly looks like under his shirt.” Charlotte made her decision then. “Very well, let us go though I do not intent to expose my own self, but to see others. Oh my, I may never have such a chance again.”

Thus Martha Morton contacted her solicitor, having him arrange rail travel from Washington D.C. to Atlanta Georgia where they would take the Furry Flyer , then the Long Cruise offered by Devils Paw with an extended stay in Cuba, finally returning upon another ship. Of course there were forms to fill out, things Martha took seriously but her flighty niece simply signed whatever her aunt signed, Martha’s solicitor stood ready, noting that each signature was real and unforced as he always did. As long as it did not involve the girls finances he rarely bothered to read them as his eyes were not what they once were..

Thus one afternoon while going through the correspondence Devils Paw always had waiting for it in Apalachicola the spaniel Ruth Green came across an interesting letter. She carefully read the entire missive, as she did all such, then cross referenced the names with her paid reservations. Yes, both women were to be aboard the January Long Cruse, something that Mr. Nickel had come up with to draw business from the frozen North. A full thirty days traveling the islands of the Carribean, first class only of course with the full W&ARR rules in effect. It was an extremely profitable cruise for both W&A and the PAW. She carefully noted the names, the age of the requester, checked that a notarized witness had observed the signing, made a quick check of Washington’s Age of Consent for 1893 (ten years, well below the PAWS demand of sixteen) and filed the paperwork as required by the ships regulations. That the two world be debarking in Haban on the return was nothing to remark about, several well known ships plied the sea between the United States and Cuba and those two would most likely return upon one of them.