This is the story of how Jenny Evans found herself and lost herself. She found herself again, but a new version herself, a criminal who runs the streets known only as Madeline. Madeline has never shared her true story with anyone, not yet at least. Least of all because the truth could have her sent away for a very long time.....

Church Bells

Jenny grew up wild, like a blackfoot daisy
Out in the shack with a blue tick hound
Broke as hell, but blessed with beauty...

For the longest time, Jenny didn’t know she was different from the other kids. After all, there weren’t many where she lived – a one-room shack out in the middle of nowhere Texas. She grew up in the fields, chasing fireflies, swimming in lakes, getting lost in the woods. On warm nights she would even sleep outside, curled up with her head resting on her dog. She kept her warm and safe, more than her father ever cared to do.

They were poor before the depression, so to Jenny, she never really knew something had changed in the world around her. Papa was an alcoholic, finding work in the oil fields when he was sober enough to drag himself out of the house. Mama was an angel buried in the ground. She had died shortly after Jenny’s third birthday. What she had died of Jenny wasn’t quite sure, but she knew it was what broke her father. Life was never the same after that.

She never even went to school, not until she was old enough to take herself at least. When she did finally find her way there she was already years behind other kids her age. She was usually dirty and even her best clothes were barely held together. But still, she had something they didn’t – a natural, almost surreal beauty. She found that the adults around here were drawn to her and her teachers would treat her better than they treated others. They would even bring her things – apples when they knew she had no lunch, hairpins or school supplies. She learned that if she batted her eyes a certain way or used a certain tone of voice, she could convince people to do what she needed.

She went to school for a few years, walking to and from with Sadie, the Bluetick Coonhound that her parents had gotten shortly after they were married. Sadie would wait for Jenny outside the schoolhouse and together they would walk home. But as Jenny got older, she made friends and she would shoo Sadie away and go into town, to get ice cream or just walk and people watch. She learned to take care of herself better, to bathe and comb her hair. She tried to save money for clothes and even resorted to stealing sometimes, either cash from her father’s wallet when he was passed out or items directly from the store. The one or two times she was caught it seemed almost too easy to talk her way out of.

By 16, Jenny had blossomed. She was tall like her father, with legs that never seemed to end. Her hair was a dirty blonde color and her eyes were a stunning light green that seemed to sparkle if they caught the light just right. Jenny had learned to haggle and talk her way into what she wanted, getting the best merchandise for the cheapest prices. She had also turned into a bit of a wild child. Her father, perhaps finally noticing the beauty of his daughter or maybe even realizing that she was coming home later and later every night, some nights not at all, started to try and lay rules down. But by then it was already too late – she rebelled in every way possible. One night, during a particularly heated argument, when she’d come home past midnight, he had told her she was as wild as a blackfoot daisy, a nickname that would stick with her the rest of her life.  

...The kind that a rich man can't turn down
She caught the eye of an oil man dancing
One summer night in a dime store dress
She had the looks, he had the mansion
And you can figure out the rest

Every so often the community would come together for dances, usually to celebrate a town event or historical day. This dance was part of the Spring Fling, held every year to celebrate the end of the winter. Of course, the adults would have their speeches and their statements about growth and new life and rebirth. There would be activities during the day, ceremonies and games for the children. The young ones would listen and nod and attend the daytime ceremonies. But at night, even the older folk would let their hair down, everyone coming together to enjoy the first warm evenings of the season.

Jenny had tended to avoid these events, for she never had the right clothes or any pocket change to partake. But this year she had been convinced by some of her school friends, enticed by the idea of meeting a young man who had recently caught her eye. She found a cheap but stylish dress at the local dime store, a flowy purple one that accented her curves but was still modest enough that she didn’t have to worry about word getting back to her father. She had to give him some credit – he’d been working more steadily and had even agreed to give her a few dollars for the day, so the least she could do was feign a sense of modesty.

The day flew by and by evening they were all gathered in the center of town, a large gazebo decked out and holding a band, the area in front set up as a dance stage. She and her friends were in the center, clearly drawing attention as they swung and twirled. It was the night that changed her life.

Halfway through the evening, she was approached by an older gentleman; Jenny could immediately tell that he was rich. The clothes he wore, the way his hair was combed and the way he held himself, it all exuded power and wealth. He asked her if she would dance with him and she agreed without giving it much thought. After all, what harm could it do? Jenny was never really one to give too much thought to anything. After a few dances, he asked her for her name.

“Jenny. Jenny Evans.”

She was too young to recognize the look in his eyes, the way his hand tightened slightly around her waist. He asked his next question with a smooth voice, one she would learn to hate later in life. “And how old are you Jenny?”

What possessed her at that moment she wasn’t quite sure. But suddenly she felt too young, like if she said sixteen this man who had suddenly taken an interest in her would just disappear. “Eighteen,” she answered, with no real hesitation. A smirk tugged at his lips and he stepped back, bowing slightly and bringing the back of her hand to his lips.

“Well, Ms. Evans, it was a pleasure. I hope to see you around town again one day.”

She couldn’t find words and before her brain started working again he was gone. Her friends, all giggles, and whispers after he finally left, surrounded her. They all seemed to be talking at once but it was one voice that really stuck out to her.

“Jenny, do you know who that was?! That was Vernon Sinclair, heir to the largest oil fields in Texas!”

It was all roses, dripping in diamonds
Sipping on champagne
She was all uptown, wearing that white gown
Taking his last name

It turned out that Mr. Sinclair was in their small town to explore some new land his family wanted to invest in. Jenny would be lying if she said she didn’t pursue him – she asked around, found out where he would be and conveniently showed up. She didn’t have to try hard to look stunning, so a little bit of extra attention made it so the man couldn’t stop looking at her. Still, it took a few times of her being around before he finally started speaking to her, asking her to show him around town one evening.

Things from there moved fast. To say he swept her off her feet would be an understatement. First, he courted her around town, careful to preserve he dignity. He moved her and her father out from the shack she’d grown up in, into a small house close to town. Her father, amazed at such wealth, couldn’t bring himself to argue, especially after Vernon had saved Sadie's life. The dog, getting older now, had fallen ill. Typically there would have been little the family could do for her but Vernon had paid for Sadie to have the best treatment and the dog recovered. For Jenny, that sealed the deal and she dedicated herself to being everything he wanted her to be. 

He took her out shopping, driving her to the big cities and buying her anything she seemed remotely interested in. Clothes, shoes, even diamonds. They ate at the finest of restaurants and, as time passed, stayed in the nicest of hotels. He always made sure she had her own room, although it often wasn’t used.

Jenny knew that to keep a man like Mr. Sinclair, she had to be the wild Blackfoot daisy she had always been but she also had to learn to be as elegant as a lily. She learned to fit in around his rich friends and family, using the same tactics she’d practiced her whole life. Batted eyelashes, a sweet tone of voice and just the right amount of spice. She’d drink tea with his mother and whiskey with his father in the same evening, making it so both absolutely adored her. Her lack of formal education sometimes posed a challenge, especially around the more important sorts, but Vernon was so infatuated with the young blonde that he hired private tutors to give her the education she’d never had as a child.

She traveled more in that brief time than she ever had before; he even flew her out to different cities and states, taking her as he traveled to take care of his business transactions. It was no surprise then when announced their engagement. The rock on her finger was bigger than anything Jenny had ever seen before but she wore it like an old pro as if such extravagance had always been a part of her life. She’d transformed from the small-town girl who slept in fields to an uptown lady who didn’t think twice about the cost of things.

The wedding was a town affair. Vernon’s parents had wanted him to marry in their city, but Jenny had insisted. It wasn’t that home was that important to her; after all, she’d spent most of her life alone, but in her small town she was the belle of the ball. She’d risen above the poverty and the heartache and she had become a Princess, to those at home at least. Half the town hated her for it and the other half wanted to gain her favor. There was just something about having that kind of attention that kept drawing her back home, especially for such important affairs.

So, they had gotten married there, in the church where her parents had been married and she had been baptized. They had a dance just like the one where they had met, in the center of town, only this time the whole town was there to celebrate nothing other than her and her marriage. She truly looked like a Princess that day, her wedding down a stunning ball gown that sparkled with real diamonds. As they sat there, sipping champagne, she felt like her life was truly a fairy tale. 

But what Jenny had forgotten was that all fairy tales had a dark side. A villain, someone bent on ruining the happiness of the Princess. And her villain was someone she would least expect. 

She could hear those church bells ringing, ringing
And up in the loft, that whole choir singing, singing
Fold your hands and close your eyes
Yeah, it's all gonna be alright
And just listen to the church bells ringing, ringing
Yeah, they're ringing​​​​​​​

Jenny was hosting Junior League parties
And having dinner at the country club
Everyone thought they were Ken and Barbie
But Ken was always getting way too drunk

Time passed and Jenny settled into a routine. They had built a large home on plenty of land, about halfway between her hometown and the city where his parents resided. Vernon ensured they had the best of everything and Jenny liked nothing more than to show off. Her mother in law had insisted she become a member in their local Junior League; while it presented itself as a charitable women’s organization, Jenny soon learned it was really just a way for women to try and compete over who was richer, who could be more gracious, who could do more. Jenny had set her mind on outdoing them all and once their home was completed and furnished she started to host their gatherings herself.

When they would go to social events or even just out to dinner, people would whisper about what a handsome couple they were. Vernon was hardly a bad looking man – standing over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, he kept himself in shape and cared about his appearance. Together they shined, at least in public.

Of course, the question would come – when would they grow their family? Vernon’s parents were especially pushy, wanting to have grandchildren to spoil. Vernon was their only child and his mother was constantly involved in their lives. At first, Madeline didn’t mind. After all, she hadn’t had a mother of her own and this world was new to her. Her mother in law helped her know the right things to say, the way to fit in, which women in their circle she could trust and which were snakes. But sometimes, Madeline felt suffocated from the constant rules and formalities. She missed the days when she ran wild in the fields, chasing fireflies.

After their wedding, business remained strong. But as the banks failed and depression spread across the country, Jenny could tell that something wasn’t quite right. Vernon was more stressed than usual, and he started to drink more. If she’d spend too much he would yell at her, sometimes throwing glasses at the wall if he’d find out she’d gone over some amount of money. She argued that she had to keep up with appearances, that people expected a certain level of class when they visited their home. He'd ordered her to stop having the parties, which she, of course, had no intention of actually doing. 

Jenny had grown up with an alcoholic father so it wasn’t something she couldn’t handle, most of the time. They’d argue and he would lock himself in his study until he passed out. After she was sure he was out, she would pick the lock and clean up, getting rid of broken glass or half empty bottles. Some nights he would awake and drag himself to their bed, the stench of alcohol growing so strong that it repulsed her. The next day he would always be sweet and tender with her, apologizing and trying to make up for anything he'd done the night before, and she would let him feel like all was forgiven. 

Of course, things for Jenny were only going to get worse. She'd been blessed with beauty and had used that beauty to gain wealth. But as most people come to realize in life, wealth doesn't always equate happiness. Looking back, she wasn't sure she ever really loved her husband. She wasn't sure she knew what love was, especially not at that age. She was devoted to him because he provided for her a sense of security she had never had as a child. Not just financially, but emotionally. Despite his growing anger, when he wasn't drinking he was a kind and supportive husband. He wanted to give her anything that she asked for and she adored him for that. She tried to be the best wife she could, but at seventeen and eighteen years old, having grown up with only a drunken father, what did she know about the real world? 

Nothing. But she was about to learn a hard lesson.

Saturday night, after a few too many
He came home ready to fight
And all his money could never save Jenny
From the devil living in his eyes

She was hosting one of her famous parties one Saturday night, about a month after he had forbidden her from having any more. The house was filled with Junior League women, there for a fund-raising dinner. The party had been planned for months and Vernon was supposed to be gone for the weekend, out to some business deal. She really hadn't thought twice about it, especially since he hadn’t asked Jenny to go with him this time. She hated spending entire weekends alone so inviting the women over had seemed only natural.

But Vernon wasn’t gone all weekend. He came home Saturday night, just as the party was wrapping up, and Jenny could immediately tell that he was trashed. She rushed out the remaining guests, playing as if nothing was wrong, but she knew he’d had been seen like that. No doubt the other women noticed it as well but they averted their eyes and pretended not too, the socially acceptable way to react. Jenny knew they’d all be gossiping by morning, but truthfully, she didn’t care. She knew she was in for a hell of an argument.

Once they were all gone she found Vernon in the living room, which was unusual. Normally he’d already be in his study, waiting for her. She saw the drink in his hand and couldn’t help but comment. “Haven’t you had enough already?”

The look he gave her in return sent chills down her spine. He ignored her comment and asked, his voice cold, “Didn’t I tell you no more parties?”

“I’ve been scheduled to host this for months; do you know how it would have looked if I had suddenly canceled it?” She busied herself cleaning up, collecting dishes and cups that were left behind by her guests. When she turned her back to him, she felt his hand on her arm, his fingers tight as he pulled her around to face him.

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you!” She did, but she didn’t recognize the man in front of her, his eyes wide in anger, a bulging vein on the side of his neck, his breath thick with alcohol. 

“This is my house and you will do as I say, do you understand? You would be nothing without me. Trash living in a field. Filthy and uneducated.” His voice was filled with so much venom, every word meant to inflict maximum pain on the young woman in front of him.

She was stunned. Something inside of Jenny woke up at that moment. She had never been a pushover and she wasn’t exactly going to start being one now. “You’re hurting me.” She said, her voice low. She tugged her arm away from him but he wouldn’t release her. “Let me go. You’re drunk.”

“Not until you tell me you understand. I make the rules around here. You do as I say.”

She didn’t say anything, she refused to give him what he wanted. Her eyes met his and she could see how they had changed - it was like he was a monster, someone totally unknown to her, not the man who had been sharing her bed for almost a year. And he could see the defiance flash in her eyes as they became hard in return. She wouldn't bow down to this man. He grabbed her other hand, shaking her like a rag doll, causing the cups and plates she’d been holding to tumble to the floor.

“Answer me dammit. I am your husband.”

Rage seemed to engulf him now, her silence pushing him forward. Suddenly he used a hand to strike her, the sick sound of flesh hitting flesh echoing through the room. This caused her to gasp but there was nothing she could do to get away from him, as he still had one hand gripping her arm. He struck her a second time before he seemed to realize what he was doing. He released her suddenly, stepping back and putting his hands up, almost defensively.

“Look what you made me do. Why can’t you just do what I tell you to do, why can’t you just listen?” He seemed regretful, but still, Jenny couldn’t bring herself to speak. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she just stood there, not moving an inch.

He looked at her in despair before he walked away. It was a moment that changed her life, more than even their marriage. It was the end of her happy ending. There would be no coming back from tonight.

To the outside world, they were perfect. A young couple, blessed with riches and beauty and love. But Jenny saw the truth now. Vernon was not a knight in shiny armor, sweeping her off her feet and riding off into the sunset with her. He was the evil dragon who was going to keep her locked in this castle that they called a home. And there was nothing she could do about it.

It was all bruises, covered in makeup
Dark sunglasses
And that next morning, sitting in the back pew
Praying with the Baptists

After the first time he hit her, Vernon was extremely apologetic. He came home the next day with roses and jewels, begging her forgiveness. Even still, over the next few weeks and months, the beatings became more frequent. Jenny learned how to apply her make up to cover up the bruises he left. Sometimes the beatings were so bad she simply had to hide at home for a few days to avoid being seen by people. Other times, sunglasses and well-tied scarves would do the trick. She wore long sleeves even on hot days, to cover the marks he would leave when gripping her arms so hard she was afraid he would snap them. 

There was one instance where Jenny thought maybe, just maybe, she would get some help. Her mother in law arrived at her home unannounced after Jenny missed one of her social gatherings. Jenny had called, of course, saying she was ill and couldn't possibly travel. The truth was Vernon had given her a black eye the night before, upset that she hadn't replaced his empty whiskey bottle. 

To her credit, his mother seemed genuinely surprised when she saw Jenny, standing at the door, her eye nearly swollen shut. At first, Jenny tried to downplay it, claiming she had fallen, but her mother in law insisted she tell her the truth. Finally, breaking down in tears, she told her everything. When the beatings had started, how they had been becoming more frequent, more vicious. How Vernon was frustrated over money, over the fact that she hadn't become pregnant yet, even how others desired her, which was out of her control. 

They sat at her kitchen table and the other woman held and soothed her as only a mother could. But at the end of the day, she was his mother, not hers, and she told Jenny that these sorts of things were normal in any marriage. She confided that Vernon's father had the same "bad temper" and that Jenny just had to work harder to please him, to help calm his fears. As the woman sat, sipping coffee and giving Jenny all sorts of tips and pointers on how to avoid making Vernon angry or to soothe him when he already was, a realization dawned on the young woman - if she didn't do something to stop it, her whole life would be like this, with no end in sight to the beatings. While Vernon had rescued her from poverty and ignorance, given her social grace and all the physical items she could ever want or need, he'd imposed on her a new kind of hell.

The only person who could rescue her this time was herself. 

She made up her mind then and there, with her mother in law sitting across from her, that she would find a way out of this mess. The next morning, she went to church, for the first time in years. She sat in one of the pews and listened to the choir singing, their voices calming her frayed nerves. "It's gonna be alright," she told herself, and for once, she believed it. Suddenly, she knew what she needed to do and she knew she would have the courage to do it when the time was right. 

When she returned home that day, she was calm. And the next time Vernon decided to beat her, she didn’t resist or fight back like she normally did. But each day she planned her next move, carefully and methodically. And each Sunday she continued to return to church, drawn in by the ringing of the bells….

She could hear those church bells ringing, ringing
And up in the loft, that whole choir singing, singing
Fold your hands and close your eyes
Yeah, it's all gonna be alright
And just listen to the church bells ringing, ringing
Yeah, they're ringing

Jenny slipped something in his Tennessee whiskey
No law man was ever gonna find
And how he died is still a mystery
But he hit a woman for the very last time

It took time for Jenny to find the courage to do it. She’d been thinking about it for weeks. The planning wasn’t exactly hard; she had picked up some poison, stuff that would be used out in her garden and she kept it well hidden. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it; every night she thought about it, but her thoughts would also delve into what would happen afterward. What would she do with herself? What if she was caught? With Vernon dead, would she have enough to support herself? Would she be forced to move home, back to the small town she had managed to escape?

Finally, there was an event that simply pushed her over the edge. Her best friend since childhood had been Sadie, the Bluetick Coonhound that had followed her everywhere and protected her. One of the things that made Jenny fall in love with Vernon was how he had paid for Sadie’s treatment when she had fallen ill just as they’d started dating. Sadie was old now and Jenny knew that the dog wouldn’t live much longer. She had left Sadie with her father, to keep him company but also because Vernon insisted that a dog would “ruin” their home. Sadie was the real reason she’d visit her father every week, although she supposed a part of her was also checking on the man, who was getting older with each passing day.

This week, when she had gone, she had found Sadie exceedingly withdrawn. The dog had raised her head when Jenny entered but didn’t greet her with her normal bounce and wagging tail.  Jenny had scratched her behind her ears and tried to feed her some of her favorite treats, but Sadie had whined and stayed laying where she was.

Jenny asked her father how long the dog had been acting like that and he said it had been getting worse the past few days. She had the driver load Sadie into the car with her and she brought her home. She would get Vernon to send for the same doctor they had used last time and she’d get Sadie all fixed up. Maybe she was in denial over how old the dog had gotten, but at that moment, she truly believed that Sadie would be fine.

Later that night, when Vernon came home, he was livid to find Sadie sleeping on the rug in their living room.

“I thought I told you that dog was to stay with your father.”

Jenny, who had taken extra effort that night in her appearance, in making sure the home was clean and dinner was ready when Vernon came home, was hoping for a softer reaction. She kept her voice smooth and soft, hoping to keep him calm.

“She’s sick Vernon. She's barely moving, she hasn’t been eating much. My dad says she's been like this for days. Please, I thought we might call the doctor, the one you used when she was sick before. That's why I brought her here.”

Vernon laughed. It wasn’t a relaxed, ‘oh that’s why’ sort’ve laugh. It was cruel and dark and caused Jenny to have a pit in her stomach.

“The dog is old Jenny. Too old for me to spend a penny on. You’d be better off taking her out back and putting her out of her misery. Now go bring her back to your father’s.”

“But Vernon….”

The next few moments seemed to happen in a flash. Vernon reached out to backhand her for daring to talk back, as he’d done on so many occasions, but this time Sadie was there. She flung across the room, her teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his forearm. He screamed in pain, momentarily stunned by the dog’s viciousness. Jenny gasped as Vernon fell backward, Sadie growling and snapping at him. He finally got the dog off of him and landed a kick in her side, causing Sadie to whimper and stop her attack.

Jenny immediately knew what Vernon was going to do. She cried and she begged and pleaded, but she couldn’t stop him. Vernon called some of his men and together they brought Sadie out back. Jenny couldn’t watch, she couldn’t go out there but she couldn’t leave Sadie alone. Vernon wouldn’t let Jenny even say goodbye, he pushed her away when she tried to get in between them, to cover the dog with her own body. He’d had one of his men hold her back while he got the shotgun from the shed, even with his arm dripping blood.

“No Vernon, please.” Jenny sobbed, an ugly cry that she didn’t often dissolve into. He paid her no mind, loading the gun and taking aim.

The gunshot reverberated through the air and Jenny dissolved into a puddle of tears. The man holding her was stone-faced, even as Vernon shot a disgusting look at his wife, taking time to wipe the gun and put it away into the shed. When he finally motioned for Jenny to be released, he walked away without a second glance and his men followed. Jenny crawled over to Sadie and held her, sobbing, well past dark. Sadie had been the one thing in Jenny’s life that had truly made her happy, who had truly loved her. And now she was gone and it was all Jenny’s fault.

The next morning, Jenny went on like nothing had happened. She made breakfast, sat at a table with her husband and pretended like everything was fine. He spoke to her only once, to tell her he would have Sadie buried out back. She simply nodded and continued to drink her coffee. There was a moment when he reached out covering her hand with his. His eyes met hers and for a moment, he seemed almost sympathetic. “I know she was special to you. I’m sorry, but it had to be done.”

Jenny’s eyes were stone cold in response. She said nothing, but she pulled her hand away from his and that movement made him return to his normal self. He went to work and Jenny went about her business. She retrieved the poison she’d hidden days earlier and she waited for the house to be empty before she slipped into his office.

His favorite drink, the one he made himself every night, as the Tennessee whiskey sitting on the cart. He’d get home from work and pour some over a little ice. She poured enough in to make sure he would feel it quickly. She didn’t want any chance that he would live to seek help.

Later that night, when Vernon came home, Jenny was waiting. She knew it would be suspicious if she poured him a glass, so instead, she focused on dinner. She could hear the familiar clinking of the ice hitting the glass and it brought a smile to her face.

Over the course of the next few hours, Vernon would suffer from vomiting, abdominal pains, and diarrhea. This would get progressively worse until his body went into shock. He wouldn’t wake up the next morning.

The police would come, his parents would come, everyone would wonder what had happened. He was young, in relatively decent shape, but it was true that these things could happen. A heart attack, stress over finances, over his marriage. Jenny answered all the questions as best she could, downplaying their marital issues. But Vernon’s mother wasn’t as easy to fool. Still, the woman had no proof of anything, so Jenny was left alone, presumed to be a grieving widow.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. There was a funeral to plan and she’d found herself in church again. This time, when she closed her eyes and prayed, it was in thanks. Vernon would never be able to hurt her again, or any other woman for that matter. She had made sure of that.

She could hear those church bells ringing, ringing
Standing there in a black dress singing, singing
Fold your hands and close your eyes
Yeah, it's all gonna be alright
And just listen to the church bells ringing, ringing
Yeah, they're ringing

When it was all over and Vernon had been laid to rest, Jenny went home and packed. She’d made up her mind what she was going to do next. Vernon’s parents thought she would move closer to them, stay a widower. They had assured her they would provide for her and she would remain a daughter to them. They’d had no children except for Vernon, so she knew they hoped to keep her close. Her father thought she would move in with him. She was still young, he had said, her life didn’t have to end here. She could meet someone new, marry again.

She had yes’d them all but in reality, she had no intentions of doing either. She had told them she needed some time to go home, to get some things together, and they had all said they understood, to take all the time she needed. Her father had tried to come with her but she had refused him.

Jenny knew she could never take everything. She’d already gathered all the money they had in the house, and she packed her jewels and other items she thought would be easy to sell later. She packed clothes, sensible ones mostly, and a few of her favorite items. She packed and repacked, realizing she would be the one to carry this bag around until she found a place to stay.

When finally it was done, Jenny drove herself to the nearest train station. She knew word would spread that she had disappeared and she was sure people would gossip over the why. They would say maybe she really had killed her husband. Maybe she had a secret lover that helped her do it and they had run off together. Maybe someone had killed Jenny. Truthfully, she didn’t care what they ended up thinking. She was going and she would never look back.

As the train pulled away from the station, Jenny sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. Hours passed and when she finally woke, she found she was covered in a blanket and seated across from an older woman, the kind that seemed almost too kind. She was bubbly and when she noticed Jenny was awake, she greeted her with a warm smile. “I hope you don’t mind deary, you seemed cold and so I covered you with my blanket.”

Jenny smiled warmly in response, shaking her head. “Not all, thank you, I don’t mind at all.”

“Are you headed to New York too? I’ve never been but my daughter bought me a ticket. She moved there last year with her husband you see, and now she’s having a baby! So, she sent for me so I could help her.”

She could tell the older woman was just as thrilled as could be and it made her laugh a happy laugh. Jenny felt free, truly free, for the first time since she had met her now dead husband. Where was she headed? She hadn’t really thought that far ahead. New York seemed as good a place as any. After all, it was a huge city and Jenny would be able to blend in for once in her life.

“Your daughter sounds lucky to have a mother as kind as you.” Jenny sat up and folded the blanket, handing it back to the other woman. “And yes, I too am going to New York. Just a visit, to see the big city.”

“Oh, then we’ll have each other for company during the trip, how wonderful.” The older woman pulled out a small candy and offered it to Jenny. “I’m Louise. What’s your name?”

Jenny smiled as she took the candy, laughing softly at the gesture. Louise really was the epitome of a grandmother. “I’m….” She hesitated, thinking of her desire to get a fresh start. She wanted to leave her past behind. She didn’t want to be Jenny Sinclair, not anymore. So when she spoke next, she set the beginning of her new identity.

“I’m Madeline. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Louise.”

At just there, at that moment, Madeline found herself again. A new person with a new start in life.

The End