A Woman Scorned...?

On January 8, 1793, William and Elizabeth Hitchins were on trial, charged with the theft of the household goods of Hannah Fisher. In fact, they were accused of stripping Hannah's house clean, taking all the furniture, linens, etc. while she was ill.

As I started reading this transcript at Old Bailey Online, I thought poor Hannah Fisher had been ripped off by her tenants. That she was a sick and elderly woman who was likely senile, too, because her answers were extremely vague and she'd been so slow to take action when she was being robbed and immediately afterward.

However, no ages of the participants was noted, and as I read on, it morphed into a different case entirely.

Hannah wasn't just sick -- they forced her to stay in her room. Well, no, the door wasn't locked -- but they'd threatened her! Still, I thought that could very well be.

Until the defense attorney started asking the questions. (Note, having a defense attorney was a very new thing in 1793 and their function was still limited. For instance, they had no power to compel witnesses to appear.) It seems Hannah and William the hairdresser had been living together after the death of Hannah's husband. Hannah couldn't say who bought the furniture. She denied that William had paid the rent directly (the "customers" had done it); she denied William had paid to outfit her son to go to America. She couldn't remember who had paid for her household goods, or when she'd gotten them.

And just when did Hannah decide to charge William and Elizabeth Hitchins with theft?

A fortnight after William married Elizabeth.

Yep, sounds like Hannah was miffed William married somebody else after living with her for over ten years.

Seems the jury might have gotten that idea, too, because the verdict was "not guilty."

How would I use this? Well, it's not like a woman scorned hasn't been a villain in a romance novel before. And frankly, this woman doesn't sound like the brightest light, given her answers. I really thought she was senile. She could be the sort of woman who figures if she bats her eyelashes and flirts she'll get what she wants, but that's been done a lot, I think.

What if William's the villain? What if he claimed to love Hannah and was going to marry her? What if she really was sick and that's why she's so confused? What if William drugged her? If so, it would take some nerve to accuse him and go to court with her cloudy memories.

What if Hannah honestly believed she was married to William and he faked the marriage ceremony? This did happen. And then he drugs her and robs her blind and marries somebody else. Maybe Lizzie's in cahoots, maybe not. There'd be more opportunities for conflict if she wasn't.

I'd shorten the time span between the marriage and the robbery if I were going to go this route with a romance novel.

And then who's the hero?

I've done attorney heroes (one a Regency barrister, one a Restoration solicitor), so I'd probably go with the defense attorney because there's a good opportunity for conflict. The hero's defending the guy who duped and robbed the heroine. He starts to fall in love with her and doubt his client even as William is painting her as a complete psycho who ought to be in Bedlam. He might even get her sent there...which could make for some pretty dramatic scenes and one mighty heart-wrenching rescue and reunion.