Madelaine was a young woman of the early 1900’s. She, her sister and parents lived on an estate in the Cotswolds, England. She led a privileged life while she waited for her father and his business associates to choose a husband for her. It was a marriage arranged for business purposes. Her father saw nothing wrong with the fact he was using his own daughter as a bargaining tool. After all, he had the prestige and must be the one accommodated. Madelaine’s purpose in life was to be beautiful, intelligent (but not too intelligent), well educated and charming. She was allowed no opinions of her own. If she had feelings on certain topics, she was to keep them to herself. She and any children she may have, became the property of her husband. Any monies she had of her own, automatically reverted to her husband.
While Madelaine was born into this mind set, this did not mean she had to adopt it. She was the wild child in the family and had refused several offers of marriage, much to the chagrin of her parents. Finally, father lost patience with her and found a suitable husband. She was to obey. He was equal in status and wealth to her family. He was the same age as her father while she was in her early 20’s.
Once her husband had been chosen, Madelaine was informed of her future. On that fateful day, Madelaine, furious, went for a ride in the country with her sister. In her rage, she pushed her horse, hard. She never saw the hare scamper across the forest trail. The horse reared; forelegs high in the air, struggling for balance. Madelaine slid out of the saddle, hit her head on a rock. She died instantly.