1920s: A birth, an arrest and Emily's vengeance
1925 has been a dramatic so far one. First it was time for baby Thomas to become a toddler, and then, on the very same night, Josephine went into labour and ended up with twin girls: Grace and Hazel. As Nash got ready for work the next morning, Josephine could barely get out of bed. Luckly, little Thomas was tired too this morning, and slept well into the morning.
But as Josephine was recuperating from childbirth, another drama was unfolding in the family. As the federal authorities were getting tired of Louisiana in general, and New Orleans in particular, becoming the "liquor capital of the country" they decided that a massive crack-down was in order. 200 out-of-town agents were sent in to stage a series of sensational raids, uncovering large amounts of alcohol. In such a crack-down, Frank's business dealings are exposed, and an early morning as the kids all leave for school and Frank is getting ready for work, the police come knocking - or rather, they break down the door.
Once they are in, Emily is quick to send the children to school, before they understand too much of what is happening, though of course, they are not stupid. Especially almost adult John and teenage Edward. The police waste no time searching the study for proof of sales, and interrogating Frank to reveal where the liquor is being made and stored.
Frank insist on his innocence, refusing to give an inch. But the other police officer has another target. Emily. At first, she is reluctant, but this officer does not threaten or scream like his colleague, but simply show her the evidence they already have, which includes evidence of Frank's affair. The monetary transactions, the proof of him paying Caroline's rent. He informs her that they do have a warrant, and that they will break down every door in the house unless she cooperates. While Frank is still arguing with the other officer, Emily opens the door to the basement. There the evidence is clear as day.
Upstairs, Frank is trying to resit arrest, but only manages to make things worse for himself. Under loud protests, he's taken away by the officers. And Emily is left alone with a broken house, a broken home, and jealousy raging as she now knows - rather than suspects - her husband has cheated on her.
Emily is left in shock. What will she tell her children? How will she handle the scandal? Frank is a public person, how in the world will this play out in the news and what will that do to the kids? As she grasps the severity of what has happened, she starts to cry. But once she is finished, she contacts her father. Surely he can do something to remedy the situation? Advice her? Should she distance herself from her husband to protect her children being smeared by his crimes? Or stand by her husband? With him standing trial, it would never be easier for her to get a divorce, but is that right? Her father tells her firmly no. She must stand fast by her husband's side. Most of Louisiana do not mind bootlegging, and will not think his crime is so bad, and divorce will hit her children harder. "You must make up with your husband! Show a united front!"
Emily does as her father suggest. Well some of it. She does not file for divorce, nor speak out against her husband in any way. Yet she does not go to see him in jail either. What she does do, is take care of the basement. Obviously the police came to get the relevant equipment and seized all alcohol, but Emily gets rid of everything else too, replacing nectar racks with shelving for canned goods and other more useful things. By the time she is done, there is not a trace in her home about what has once been there.
When that is done, she moves the cleaning out of house, contacting the landlord of Caroline's building, informing him that she will not be paying for another bill and urges him to kick the girl out. "A loose woman like that, do you really want her in your house? She will lower the reputation of your entire building."
As Caroline is put out on the street with nothing more than the clothes on her back, Emily summons her to the house, sitting her down and making her an offer. She will pay for a ticket to San Myshuno, and a generous (small) sum of money for her to live on, if she promises to never contact her husband again. "But the two of you are miserable," Caroline complains. "Why not just divorce and move on so that you can both be happy?"
Emily scoffs. "I am Mrs Frank Whittaker, and I intend to stay Mrs Frank Whittaker."
As Caroline's parents are dead and her younger brother refuse to have anything to do with her as she refused to take on their sister after their father's death, there is nothing for Caroline to do but to take Emily's offer. She leaves just as the children return from school, being faced with all five in the doorway.
They stare at her, by now knowing exactly who she is. Caroline bows her head and hurries down the stairs and into the street. Emily feels smug. She might not be able to take her anger out on her husband, but she is definitely able to take on his mistress.
Once in San Myshuno, Caroline is faced with the depth of her decline in society. From parties and a fancy apartment and being accustomed to expensive clothes and jewelry, to a cramped and dirty apartment in a rough neighborhood in a town where she knows no one and so little money that she will have to work for a living. She took a gamble when she got involved with an older, rich, famous man, she knew that. Now she knows that her gamble didn't pay off.
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