A New Life at Yew Tree Farm

This thread traces Sunday’s attempt to escape Pinnegar’s reach and the coercion she encounters at her next placement.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Leaving a Beloved Home

Leaving a Beloved Home Fear outweighs belonging Sunday decides to leave Whittleford Lodge because Pinnegar’s presence and the attacks on the household make her fear for everyone’s safety. She hides how much the departure hurts. A questionable placement She takes work at Yew Tree Farm, hoping distance will protect her friends. The move demonstrates how limited employment choices can push a young woman from one unsafe household into another.

A Cold Welcome

A Cold Welcome Prejudice at the door Selah Barnes dismisses Mickey with a racist insult when he brings Sunday to the farm. Sunday objects, but Mickey has learned to avoid escalating prejudice that he cannot safely challenge. The work begins Sunday finds the house dirty, her room cold, and the family brusque. She accepts the position because she needs work, not because the family offers the kind of welcome she knew at the Lodge.

A Household Without Thanks

A Household Without Thanks Service without respect Sunday cleans the farm, prepares meals, and tends Selah while the men offer neither gratitude nor basic courtesy. Bill repeatedly behaves as though Sunday’s work and body are available to him. A false promise of marriage Selah suggests that Sunday should marry Bill to keep house for the family. Sunday rejects the idea, recognizing that marriage would not make coercion safe or loving.

The Stolen Pearls

The Stolen Pearls A trap set by Bill When Sunday tries to leave, Selah accuses her of stealing a string of pearls. Bill has planted them among Sunday’s belongings, making a false charge a tool to keep her on the farm. A second discovery While unpacking, Sunday notices that the baby shawl resembles one she had seen at Treetops Manor. The trap delays her departure but accidentally gives her a clue to her own origins.

Escape Before Dawn

Escape Before Dawn An attempted assault Bill climbs the ladder to Sunday’s attic while she is asleep. She strikes him with a boot and understands that his parents will not protect her from another attempt. Refuge with Tom Sunday escapes in the night and reaches Tom’s cottage. She explains the farm’s abuse and the shawl clue, beginning a safer life while the truth about her birth remains unresolved.

January 1886

January 1886

January–February 1886

early 1886

early 1886