Tilden and Viola Bellworthe have recently married and moved into Tilden's newly renovated cottage home. Viola discovers that the home is now worth $60,000, placing them in the middle class. Viola becomes obsessed with their new social status and wants to embrace middle class conventions like styling her hair up and socializing with other middle class individuals. Meanwhile, their neighbor Monsieur Raganeau continues to lurk creepily around their home, unsettling Viola.

1. Chapter 1.3
Wintry Endeavors

2. Tilden grinned as he stared into his brand new kitchen. His fiance had gone into the
neighboring town, Springstein, for several weeks in order to spend some time before her
marriage with a few distant relatives, and Mr. Bellworthe decided that it was the perfect time
to rebuild the house to be suitable for a family.

3. It may have been nothing more than a country cottage with only a slightly decorated kitchen,
bedroom, and restroom (there were quite a few empty rooms due to a low budget), but it was
far better than the hovel he had been living in only weeks before.

4. It had yet to start snowing that day, although he knew the dryness wouldn’t last very long
when he looked at the clouds above him. Tilden was extremely eager to get through with his
business quickly that morning so he would be done by the time Miss Kalson arrived from
Springstein.

5. Words could not describe how good of a mood our dear founder was in. In fact, he even sold
some produce to a few Turners and put on a civil face for them, despite the fact that there
was probably a family rivalry brewing due to the fact that they were incessantly stealing his
mail and newspapers.
Tilden wasn’t the only one with great happenings that morning, either.

6. “Oh, Mr. Beckett! I can scarcely believe it! Two more sons gone!” Rosetta was practically
swooning she was so joyous.
Her husband, Nathaniel Beckett, shook his head at his wife’s ridiculousness. “My dear, one is
going to college and the other is going to find his own home. They are not nearly as gone as
you seem to think.” He paused for a moment to think, and then added, “This is the most
backward situation. Most families would be vying to have as many sons as we do, and you
can’t wait to kick them out of the house.”

7. “I am not eager to kick them out!” Rosetta scoffed. “I merely am excited for them to start their
own lives! I do believe the Chesterfields have quit Foxhurst Estate; dear Philip would love it
there!”

8. “The front parlor is absolutely lavish!” She continued. “It would be such a lovely place to
entertain!”
“You, Mrs. Beckett, are positively the least filially maternal woman I have ever met.”

9. While Nathaniel and Rosetta were saying goodbye to two of their sons…

10. …Tilden was entertaining the last of his customers for the day and closing up shop. The
weather had already granted him a blanket of snow for his wedding that afternoon, and he
didn’t want to freeze to death before Viola arrived.

11. The bride-to-be arrived very shortly and in an excellent mood. She was pleased to see the
outside of the house, although Tilden wouldn’t let her inside just yet.

12. The pair had decided much in advance that there was no need for a big wedding, and instead
chose to have a private one in front of the spring in Tilden’s backyard (which he has now
planted vegetation around).

13. It turned out to be the most beautiful wedding either one of them could have asked for.

14. Being his exceedingly chivalrous self, Tilden insisted upon carrying his bride across the
threshold into their new home.
“May I open my eyes now?”
“Not yes, Mrs. Bellworthe.” Viola giggled at being called Mrs. Bellworthe for the first time.

15. “Okay…now open them!”

16. Tilden watched as Viola surveyed their new home with a smile on her face. “Well…is it
satisfactory, my love?”

17. Viola turned around and beamed at her husband. “It is so wonderful! This is perfect!”

18. “You think so?” Tilden’s voice was nervous. “I know it’s not much, and there isn’t a piece of
furniture in the parlor, and decor is very scarce, but I figured we could add to it as we live
here. I mean, we do have the essentials, though. Besides, I don’t have a woman’s touch
when it comes to styling a home.”

19. “It’s perfect, Tilden.”

20. “Now, Mr. Bellworthe,” Viola lowered her voice, “why don’t you show your new wife to her
bedchamber?”

21. Needless to say, the newlyweds had a very enjoyable rest of the evening.

22. The next few days go by with Tilden in a sort of happy stupor. His newfound masterful
salesman techniques raise his business to a whole new standard. For a market that takes
place underneath a rag, essentially, it is actually doing quite well.

23. He’s learned how to practically dazzle and woo the townsfolk into buying tomatoes and boots
for an overpriced cost quite easily.

24. And he’s actually come to be much of a favorite amongst the women of Coleridge, much to
Viola’s abhorrence, although luckily he only has eyes for one woman.

25. Even the town cat lady ventures across the street on a weekly basis to the little market.

26. It took a very short time, what with all of the long hours Tilden works per day, for him to raise
enough money so that he and Viola could finish the front parlor. The only problem is that he
was often so exhausted from the hard hours of work that he slept through the evening.
What Viola and the rest of the town thought was amusing was the fact that he refused to buy
himself a respectable outfit and instead put all of the money into the house.

27. A few mornings later, as Viola was preparing breakfast, Tilden noticed that his wife looked a
little more plump than usual. He walked over and pulled her spontaneously into a waltzing
position. “Hello, my love.”
“Tilden! You’re up finally! I have some news.”
“Oh really? And what might that be?” He could half expect what she would say next, but he
retained himself out of politeness.
“I am in the family way!”

28. He bent down to get a closer look at his wife’s stomach. “Why, that is marvelous, Mrs.
Bellworthe! I couldn’t be happier!” He wasn’t lying.
(I have yet to download a pregnancy hack, so you will unfortunately have to deal with some
occurrences of regular maternity clothes, apologies if it is distracting.)

29. Things seemed to be going quite swimmingly until a bit of a weird happenstance happened a
few fortnights later. Tilden was busy with some wealthy customers, so he had Viola help out
by running the register when it started.

30. Viola first caught a glimpse of Monsieur Jacques Raganeau when he was admiring a
particularly slimy frozen fish next to Mrs. Lehman. The new Mrs. Bellworthe hardly thought
anything of it; it seemed like a pretty harmless act. Although, she couldn’t help but be
paranoid after the recent incident with his wife every time he had come around. Despite the
awkwardness, she still felt inclined to keep her job as a serving girl at Raganeau’s, and
simply tried to avoid the couple as much as possible.

31. It wasn’t until he walked right up next to her and pulled out a pair of bird-viewing binoculars
that Viola began to feel uncomfortable.
“Mr. Raganeau?”
He looked away from his binoculars, in a sort of fake innocence. “Oh, hello Miss Kalson. I
didn’t see you there; fancy meeting you here.”
“It’s Mrs. Bellworthe now, Sir. And I live here.”
“Is that so? How interesting.” He quickly shoved the binoculars into his pockets.
She raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing with that?”

32. “I was merely bird watching.” He stared very intently at Viola while she attempted to count
some money she had just been paid.
When the customer walked away, she turned back to him. “Mr. Raganeau, we both know you
were not bird watching. It is winter; of course there are no birds in Coleridge right now.”

33. Tilden seemed to catch on to his wife’s tension and quickly walked over to address the
situation. “Hello, I am the owner of this market, can I help you?”
“Not at all.” Monsieur Raganeau snickered, which seemed to anger Tilden.
Viola took the moment to clarify. “Husband, you remember Mr. Raganeau? He is my boss,
who was there the first night you met me.”
“Oh, I remember.” Tilden narrowed his eyes at the man. “I also remember that your wife is
causing mine quite a bit of inner turmoil over something she is innocent of. I think it best if
you leave.”
“Well, right away, sir.” Mr. Bellworthe had a feeling that Monsieur Raganeau wasn’t actually
leaving any time soon.

34. “I am quite serious.” Tilden was becoming enraged but was determined keep a calm face on.
“You have caused enough drama for both of our wives. And while I may trust my wife around
you, I would never trust such a creep around my wife. Now, you are on my property, I beg
that you take your leave. I will not ask again.”
That was evidently the wrong thing to say to the wealthy man, because he pointed a finger
menacingly at Tilden’s vital organs. Mr. Bellworthe questioned whether or not he was
intoxicated. “Considering the class differences we may have, I believe it is I who will
determine when it is time to leave.”
“So be it.” Tilden had had enough of Monsieur Raganeau and walked off in the opposite
direction, not wanting to neglect his clientele for such an unworthy man.

35. Once it hit eight o’clock it was time to close up the shop. Tilden made sure everything was in
order and then turned toward the house. What he saw both baffled and annoyed him.

36. That Raganeau character was out on the sidewalk in front of his house jumping around with a
rope. He quickly made sure that Viola made it inside safely and then shut and looked all of
the doors and windows that were possible.

37. Dinner was rather uneasy that night.
“Why do you think he is doing such a thing?” Viola stopped eating and looked up at her
husband.
“Viola, I cannot fathom what would possess that man to be such a creep. Has he ever tried
to…?”
She shook her head, understanding his meaning. “No, he just stares.”
“I think it’s about time you quit your job at Raganeau’s. I know you’re on maternity leave right
now, but I don’t want you going back.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.” Viola agreed. “Will you check and see if he’s gone?”

38. Tilden nodded and stood up, making his way to the window.
“Blimey!” Tilden groaned slightly when he looked out of the window.
“Language!” Viola scolded, but quickly forgave him. “What do you see?”

39. “He’s still out there––jumping around with that blasted rope!” Tilden hung and shook his head.
“In the middle of the snow, too. This man is a psychopath!”

40. “Do you think we should call the authorities?”
Mr. Bellworthe sat down next to Viola at the table, trying to ignore her troubled glance. “No, it
will be alright, my love.”
After that, the couple got ready to retire for bed.

41. But neither of them slept much due to paranoia.

42. The next morning Tilden took a stroll around the property to make sure that their unwanted
guest was nowhere to be seen, and was tentatively pleased when he could not be found.

43. On a happier note, it was the first day of spring! And nearly everything was thawed with the
exception of the spring of water in their backyard.

44. As well as the fountain. As it was a Friday, Tilden took the day off in order to plant and add to
the garden. He was a true countryman at heart, and all the while he lived in England he had
wanted a beautiful yard. And so he decided to finally quell that craving. He even added in a
large, beautiful cross amongst the plants and trees.

45. And by the late afternoon, even the spring had thawed, and the beautiful additions could be
admired in their fullest.

46. The couple spent most of their day off reading, relaxing, cleaning, and simply enjoying each
other’s company.

47. Well, Tilden mostly just took the free time to admire the fact that his wife was very pregnant
with his first born.

48. As well as basking in the glory of his newly landscaped yard (Yes, I admit it, I’m a little
obsessed too, my condolences for the fifty pictures you will see by the end of this legacy of
the landscaping as it grows––which it most definitely will, because I have a major obsession
with plants…).

49. Although, I do believe Tilden finally hit his breaking point for hard labor.
“Mr. Bellworthe, do come down from there.” Viola raised a questioning eye at her husband’s
odd antics.

50. “It is so liberating, my dear! You should try it!”
“Good heavens, Tilden! I am with child! Now sit down and read a book before you hurt all
three of us.”

51. “I’m a bird!”
“Tilden! Sit! NOW!”

52. Luckily for Viola, her husband was obedient and sat down before he broke something.

53. It was an extremely peaceful afternoon in Coleridge, especially at the Bellworthe house. Not
a sound could be heard from the streets, not a bird cawed from the trees.
Everything was quiet.

54. That is, until this particular young couple awoke with a start in the middle of the night…

55. …With the bittersweet wails of labor pains that could easily awake the entire street.

56. It wasn’t long (Thankfully, because Tilden was in a state of hysteria the entire night and was
pretty much useless, as you could tell from his couch jumping endeavors earlier in the day)
until one of the cutest babies to be seen was born.
I give you Alexander Letham Bellworthe. He is the second generation heir to the Bellworthe
Legacy, and looks just like his dear father.

57. Little Alexander could not have been born to any more doting of parents. Viola and Tilden
were holding him pretty much the rest of the early morning until breakfast time. Both of them
were to excited to go to sleep at the moment, but eventually Viola was so worn out that she
was forced to leave Alexander in her husband’s care and go to bed. Bearing a child does
wear a person out, you know, Viola.

58. “Ah, I see you’re up.” Tilden commented as he carried the newborn into the kitchen to get him
a bottle. “Did you sleep well?”
Viola smiled happily and nodded slightly. “Yes, I suppose I did. Although, I must admit that I
was far too rest to get very much.” She stared down at the empty plate in front of her. “Are
you opening up the shop today, husband?”
Tilden shook his head. “I would say this is cause of celebration enough for it to remain closed
on holiday.”
“But you closed it on Friday as well.”
“My dear, I am certain. I am my own boss, after all.”

59. “What have you been up to all morning, then?”
“Taking care of the baby.”
Viola watched as Tilden walked over to the refrigerator to get the bottle for Alexander. “Mr.
Bellworthe, I was thinking this morning…what is the worth of our house?”
“Whatever were you wondering about that for? Finances are men’s work.”
“Well, yes I know…but I am entirely curious. Would you not tell me?”
Tilden laughed. “Er, alright then, if you must know. Due to the recent upgrades and
furnishings that brings us to around 60,000 dollars.”

60. “Sixty grand!?” Viola’s enthusiasm could hardly be contained. Tilden attempted to ignore his
wife’s excitement by trying to quell the baby with a bottle.
“Mr. Bellworthe!” She exclaimed. “Why haven’t you told me this? The house’s renovations
have been complete for at least a fortnight! Do you not know what this means?”
“What, my love?”
“We are in the middle class!”
“Indeed we are.” Tilden chuckled in relief as he finally got Alexander to stop crying. “Although
I do not see what is so very great about it.”
“Mr. Bellworthe! Don’t say such a thing! This changes everything!” And with that she fled from
the room in excitement.

61. Mrs. Bellworthe stared at herself in the mirror, admiring her new hairstyle. She could hardly
believe that she was now a middle class lady! Of course that would have to mean changes.
Respectable women only wore their hair up when out and about; she would have to get used
to styling her hair every morning.
And also, perhaps she could get Tilden to take her to some plays, or out to town, where she
could finally meet some people of her own class––even if the class had only just claimed her.
Maybe they could afford a staff as well!
In other words, here we have a woman taken over by an obsession to social classism
through its glitz and high strung glamor. It happens easily to those newly tempted.

62. “Viola, have you––?”
“Yes, husband?”
Tilden tilted his head and stared at his wife. “Your hair…is up.”
“Well, of course it is up!” Viola laughed and set down her paintbrush on the easel. “We are in
the middle class now! It is only respectable that I wear my hair up!”
“…Oh good heavens, what have I done?”

63. “And since when do you paint?” Tilden watched as his wife put a stroke of bright pink on her
amateur painting in amusement.
Viola, catching onto the diverted hint in his voice, scowled at her husband jokingly. “All of the
truly accomplished women paint.”
“I’m not buying you new gowns.”
“Of course not! I wouldn’t expect such a thing.”
Tilden had assumed that his wife was appeased and that the conversation of new things was
over.

64. Unfortunately for him, he was wrong.
“You know, Mr. Bellworthe, you could do quite well with a new set of garments.”
“I am perfectly happy with my current frock.”
Mrs. Bellworthe looked completely shocked. “But they certainly do not declare your class!
People would still think you to be in the lower class!”
“Do you think I care?” Tilden raised an eyebrow. “It is not anyone else’s business whose class
I am in.”

65. “Why, Mr. Bellworthe! I am all amazement! Do you not want to be a respectable family?”
Tilden slumped in his chair. He was getting tired of all of this “middle class” and
“respectability” stuff. “Viola, I am sure that you and little Alexander will dress respectably
enough to counter any of my poor behavior. And please, I am your husband, you will call me
Tilden when we are alone.”
Viola’s jaw dropped at her husband’s frank annoyance.

66. Viola quickly decided that the best course of action would be to change the subject. “Well,
then, I do believe I should at least be permitted the appropriate sum for a decent sunhat
from––”
“No hats, Mrs. Bellworthe!”

67. Later that night, Tilden heard the phone ring and went to answer it. “Bellworthe Abode.”
“Bonsoir, is Mrs. Bellworthe there?” French accent? Deep manly voice?
“No, but you can go to––”
The voice of Monsieur Raganeau cut him off with a deep groan. “I will ask you to mind your
manners, Mr. Bellworthe. I am your wife’s boss, after all.”
“Not anymore. As of right now, you can consider this conversation her resignation.” Tilden
hung up the phone forcefully with an angry huff.

68. “What was that about, my love?” Viola, who had been on the other side of the den painting,
had only heard some angry whispers from her husband into the phone.
Tilden shook his head angrily. “That boss of yours called looking for you, which is most
inappropriate. I told him you are quitting. I hope that is alright with you, but it is just not a good
idea for you to go back there.”

69. “Oh, ‘tis a shame. I really liked that job. Although, I suppose it is appropriate, after all a middle
class woman should not work.” Tilden could note a hint of disappoint in her voice.

70. Tilden walked over to his wife tenderly, feeling a little bad about how he was angry with her
earlier over the whole hat situation. “I truly do hope you are not too disappointed.”
“Of course not, Tilden. I shall manage quite well, I am sure. I do have little Alexander to keep
me busy now.”

71. And it was quite true. She spent most of her waking time carrying him around and doting on
him. In fact, she was terribly sad that Sunday when she had to leave Alexander in the care of
a nursemaid while she and Tilden went to church.

72. Although I believe Tilden was even more anxious about leaving their important newborn heir,
because he would not stop talking during the whole service, despite how many times Viola
tried to get him to quit.

73. Although we find Viola chatting away to her husband just as animatedly when she saw the
town harlot walk into the church.

74. Luckily the nearest respectable man was not within earshot, and so no one minded their
incessant chatting.

75. Later that night Tilden decided it was about time that he made up for being so rude to Viola
about whole middle class ordeal. She forgave him rather easily.