Updates
Welcome to Charming
Welcome to Charming, the year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.

Where will you fall?

Featured Stamp

Add it to your collection...

Did You Know?
Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
What she got was the opposite of what she wanted, also known as the subtitle to her marriage.
all dolled up with you


Issue #256 - New Men On The Market: Who's Looking for a Wife in 1891?
#1



Get Featured in Witch Weekly! | Submit an article!
PMs on this account will not be checked.
Please contact a member of the Wench team for more information:
MJ | Lynn | Olive | Kit | Dante

#2
Meredith Watchword's Society News
Meredith Watchword turns her attention to another well-known gentleman, and to the potential secrets his marriage may hold...

Residents of Bartonburg will already be aware that our investigation into the mystery of Melody Crouch struck a chord with Mr. Reuben Crouch, who, having had his more subtle outlets uncovered and presumably made less available to him, turned instead to street brawling. For anyone intrigued by the tale of a man ruining himself over an unhappy marriage, luckily our attention need not pivot very far at all to continue the theme.

Our Cast of Characters:
Mr. Arthur Pettigrew — a man born with every advantage society has to offer, who since reaching adulthood has systematically gone about squandering each and every one of them;
Mrs. Desdemona Pettigrew — a woman whose brains may have been a bit addled by too much rough Quidditch play, as she made the rather dubious decision to marry Mr. Pettigrew and not even her friends could ever have called this a sound choice.

The Tale
Those close to Arthur Pettigrew may have noticed signs that he has been rather unhappy for the last six months at least, though anyone with only a passing acquaintance can certainly be forgiven for not having noticed because the symptoms look very like his usual brand of casual self-destruction, primarily drinking to excess in public places. What is more noteworthy of late is the fact that Mr. Pettigrew has once again taken up gambling, both at the Irvingly Casino (on nearly every night of the week not already occupied by Quidditch games and practices) and at the recent Moony-Wormtail boxing match, where, if rumor is to be believed, he lost a startling five galleons with a poorly placed bet. Those familiar with Mr. Pettigrew's history may know that this gambling habit was the cause of his ruination as a young man; his father's fortune and several properties passed into the hands of the unseemly individuals who run the betting books at such events. It was generally believed, however, that he had since seen the error of his ways, and that particularly in choosing to settle down with Mrs. Desdemona Pettigrew and start a family he had finally gotten his feet on the straight and narrow. So why return to his old habits now?

A cautionary tale for any young woman who thinks she can reform a gentleman with a fraught history: perhaps you can, but perhaps it won't last. Arthur Pettigrew's devotion to his wife (and to protecting their shared assets) seems to have wavered during the past year. Did they squabble over her career, one may wonder? Mrs. Pettigrew rejoined the Quidditch League as a coach but quietly retired from the position immediately following the Quidditch World Cup. Do they, perhaps, disagree on the new Quidditch League regulations in the aftermath of that deadly match last fall? Does the answer have anything to do with the fact that Desdemona Pettigrew has more or less ceased to exist within society since the match?

In the commotion that followed the Quidditch World Cup and the death of Ethel Turnbull, the rumor that Mrs. Pettigrew was escorted out of the stadium in labor may have been overlooked — particularly when the Pettigrews had not been known to have been expecting and had no child to show for the troubles in the following weeks. Perhaps if you heard the rumor, you assumed it had been a mistake, or that someone had mistaken the woman in question for Mrs. Pettigrew — but given her husband's behavior and her subsequent withdrawal from society, I would wager there is another explanation.

Arthur Pettigrew

Arthur Pettigrew may be a man of many talents on the Quidditch pitch, but almost certainly has relatively few when it comes to emotional turmoil and comforting a grieving spouse. Rather than supporting his wife during this time of need, he looked externally for a way to handle his own feelings, and found it primarily in alcohol. With a deteriorating marriage and without the skills to mend it, Arthur Pettigrew appears to have found himself in the same position as his friend Mr. Crouch: a man desperately longing for divorce, but too much a coward to ask for one. Without the advantage of a convenient and mysterious illness to put him on the track to becoming a widower, though, what recourse was left to Mr. Pettigrew? He certainly could not divorce his wife while she was grieving, and be known in what few social circles are still open to him as a villain. If, on the other hand, his wife were to suggest it — if perhaps she had no choice but to suggest it, in order to provide for herself and for her daughter financially... well, his renewed interest in gambling makes a good deal more sense. He may have even lost the five galleons on purpose (though he would certainly never admit to as much) to speed along the process; his wife, after all, could not fail to notice such a sum missing from their household coffers.

Should we wish Arthur Pettigrew godspeed as he attempts to dismantle his marriage from the inside? Even before he began squandering their money, most would have agreed that Mrs. Pettigrew would be better off without him. Society has never been kind to divorcees, but perhaps even this would be preferable to the poor Mrs. Pettigrew than trying to manage the outbursts of an emotionally stunted overgrown teenager while also raising a toddler and working through her own unspeakable grief.



Get Featured in Witch Weekly! | Submit an article!
PMs on this account will not be checked.
Please contact a member of the Wench team for more information:
MJ | Lynn | Olive | Kit | Dante

#3
Quiz: Where Should You Sail?
The Santa Antonina is a luxury cruise liner which may sound familiar to you as it set sail from the port in Aberdeen two days ago. Cruises are more popular among muggles as they have yet to find a faster way to cross an ocean, but just because we've figured it out doesn't mean cruise ships are obsolete! On the contrary, unless you have considerable time constraints the journey can be as much of a vacation as your destination! There are some restrictions as to where one can travel by cruise ship as the need of a harbor is rather vital, but there are plenty of destinations that don't suffer from being woefully landlocked. Which one should you visit?

A modern leisure cruise vessel at sea!
1. Which element is your astrological sign?
A) Water
B) Fire
C) Earth
D) Air

2. Which do you prefer?
A) Tea
B) Pumpkin Juice
C) Wine
D) Coffee

3. Which animal would you choose for a pet?
A) Owl
B) Bat
C) Cat
D) Toad

4. Which is your preferred mode of magical transport?
A) Apparation
B) Floo
C) Portkey
D) Broomstick and/or flying carpet


5. Which is your favorite season?
A) Spring
B) Winter
C) Autumn
D) Summer

6. Choose a dragon:
A) Chinese Fireball
B) Hebridean Black
C) Antipodean Opaleye
D) Swedish Short-snout

Answers
Mostly A's: Constantinople — a city that surely needs no introduction! If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for?
Mostly B's: New York — while lacking the imposing history of a city such as Constantinople, New York can instead boast of how modern it is by comparison!
Mostly C's: Alexandria — a city rich in culture and steeped in history. Although the Great Library and lighthouse no longer stand, there is still plenty to see there.
Mostly D's: Hamburg — a much shorter voyage than those mentioned above but a nonetheless enjoyable one if you're traveling in style.



Get Featured in Witch Weekly! | Submit an article!
PMs on this account will not be checked.
Please contact a member of the Wench team for more information:
MJ | Lynn | Olive | Kit | Dante

#4
New Men On The Market: Who's Looking for a Wife in 1891?
As the season rapidly approaches, old and new debutantes around Britain are scattering to brush up on their knowledge of society’s most eligible, with names such as Fitzroy Prewett, Jacob Farly, and Enoch Rosier common findings on the lists curated by daughters and their mothers. As a new batch of young graduates debut into society, it is important to remember that there are gentlemen who are deciding that this season will be one spent seeking a woman to make their bride. While it is impossible to know the inner most thoughts of these gentlemen, we have reasons to believe that the men on this list will soon be seeking a wife!

Cassius Lestrange.

The newly-appointed captain and seeker of the Chudley Cannons is a tad on the young side compared to most of the men on this list, but no doubt possesses the means required to support a wife. Mr. Lestrange’s elder brother married their cousin last summer, and with few other age-appropriate cousins it is likely that he will seek a bride from outside the family.

Mr. Lestrange, apart from his quidditch career, is known to be less enthusiastic at social events, but we anticipate that will change during the upcoming season. Any debutante wishing to forge advantageous social connections should not let Mr. Lestrange’s aloofness dissuade them from pursuing his attentions; as a former Ravenclaw, we would not be surprised that Mr. Lestrange is a secret academic with a love of intellectual conversation!

Savino Zabini

Although our English-born readers might be less familiar with this branch of the family, the Italian-born Zabinis recently relocated to England for family business, bringing with them a perfectly eligible bachelor in the form of Mr. Savino Zabini. Twenty-five and possessing a handsome enough face to charm even an old widow, Mr. Zabini works for his grandfather’s company—and even more interestingly, is said to be seer. Ladies seeking his company should have a strong knowledge of their own birth chart, if not his; and if he believes the stars do not align in your favor, there is nothing to do but accept that you will never be his wife.


Mr. Savino Zabini
Leonid Fisk

The middle brother of the obscenely large Fisk family, Mr. Leonid Fisk is the perfect husband for a woman who desires to be a part of a large family. Although two of his elder brothers have yet to be married, there is little reason to believe Mr. Fisk would wait; nearly thirty-years-old and with and with a dangerous job, it would not be unreasonable that Mr. Fisk might wish to marry simply to avoid the fate of his elder brother Mr. Julian Fisk, who lost a leg while on a curse-breaking expedition and has not since shown any inclination to matrimony.

His family aside, Mr. Fisk is a former Hufflepuff, and is said to still embody the traits associated with the house. Loyal, kind, and something of an idealist, any woman looking to become his wife should not worry about his eyes wandering far from her.


Mr. Frederick Prewett

Mr. Frederick Prewett

While society focuses heavily on the elder Prewett brothers, it would be unwise to forget the youngest! Mr. Frederick Prewett is twenty-seven years old and has a home of his own in Wellingtonshire—and if that is not an indication of being ready for matrimony, we don’t know what is! He works at the Ministry, though recently transferred to the Apparition Test Centre from the Improper Use of Magic Office. Mr. Prewett, also a former Hufflepuff, is said to possess a boyish charm and a good heart—although one still might question how he got himself roped into the illegal came of Creothceann that saw him imprisoned for a fortnight in 1884!


Fortitude Greengrss

Mr. Greengrass and his family recently left their mourning period after losing their father in late 1890, which made the twenty-four-year-old eldest son the patriarch of his family. The Greengrasses are an old family, and despite their modest accommodations it would be unwise for an up-and-coming debutante to discount Mr. Greengrass’ potential as their future husband.

With one of the oddest jobs in the Ministry—an employee of the Spirit Division—there is no doubt that Mr. Greengrass would make an excellent conversational partner, likely with ghastly tales of uncooperative ghouls and angry ghosts. And if somehow that doesn’t interest you, we have reason to believe he possesses the secret to keeping his curls so soft and bouncy—they are lovely, aren’t they?



Get Featured in Witch Weekly! | Submit an article!
PMs on this account will not be checked.
Please contact a member of the Wench team for more information:
MJ | Lynn | Olive | Kit | Dante

#5
Discover Your April Horoscope!
Capricorn Decisions, decisions. It’s not a good time in your stars to come to any hasty conclusions, but if you are facing a significant choice that cannot wait, you might for once try asking yourself what does someone else want, rather than what you do.
Aquarius A crisis at home or in the workplace will give you the chance to play the hero. Seize that opportunity and have your moment in the sun; let it slip by and expect casualties.
Pisces What is it they say about April showers? It’s your lucky month when it comes to finances, for you might just get the windfall you’ve been dreaming of and reap rewards by May.
Aries Yes, yes, the stars know you’re a stubborn creature. But if you keep only one thing in mind this month, let it be this: beware of bowtruckles.
Taurus You might find an unlikely answer to your problems by looking for it off the beaten path. But be careful if you stray too far, because there’s no telling what you’ll dig up — it can’t all be treasure. There’s a reason the Forest is forbidden.
Gemini If ever there was a month to trust your instincts, it’s this one. Choices you make now could come back to bite you later, so don’t let yourself be swayed the wrong way by outside influences.
Cancer A cheerful disposition can get you through almost anything that comes your way — but watch out for the weather, and for Wednesdays. If you’re not foiled by one, it’ll be by the other.
Leo If you let them, your worries will eat you alive. You cannot always find an outlet or an easy escape — sometimes you have to confront your problems head on. Do not settled for being lied to.
Virgo This month will be a rocky path for you, with as many potential pitfalls and crevasses as any mountain pass. You will have to open yourself up to make it through, or end up wedged between a rock and a hard place for good.
Libra An act of transfiguration this month will be your downfall. Better stick to charms instead — or better yet, put your wand away for the month and learn to knit. You’ll need a new hobby to distract you from all that’s coming.
Scorpio Success is in your sights, but someone close to you is trying to spoil your achievements. Treat everyone with suspicion until you have rooted out the weeds in the garden of your life.
Sagittarius Failure has always seemed like your best friend, and you might be used to it, but perhaps you have finally seen the back of failure at last! With the changing times comes a need for a new wardrobe, obviously, and that will take some work.
Viewing on mobile? Click to reveal content!



Get Featured in Witch Weekly! | Submit an article!
PMs on this account will not be checked.
Please contact a member of the Wench team for more information:
MJ | Lynn | Olive | Kit | Dante


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread / Author Replies Views Last Post
View a Printable Version


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)
Forum Jump:
·