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Witch Weekly · June 9, 2019 – 4:00 PM

The Greatest Scandals of 1888: Where Are They Now?

The Elopement of Rufus Bixby and Fortuna née Lockhart
After being sighted in each other's company in inappropriate ways throughout the entire year, Bixby and Lockhart missed the pink letter scandal only to immediately involve themselves in a scandal of their own creation and elope in October of 1888. At the time it was speculated that Rufus Bixby's inability to wait even long enough to plan a proper wedding must have been due to his new bride having found herself in a family way, but months later Mrs. Bixby is showing no signs of pregnancy. We believe they likely married due to a pregnancy scare that ended up being a false alarm — and a good thing for them that it did, as the couple is by no means financially stable enough to support a family. Mrs. Bixby has retained her job at the Museum of Magical Miscellany, and we can only assume that if she were forced to leave due to pregnancy the Bixby household would be strained beyond what it could bear and plunge into poverty.

Mr. Medina, one of two returned castaways from South America

The South American Castaways
Polite society was shocked by the arrival of J. Alfred Darrow's memoirs last year, detailing (sometimes quite explicitly) what he and fellow crew member Pablo Medina endured after being shipwrecked in South America. With mentions of barbaric tribal practices, rampant immortality, and even implications of cannibalism, the book made everyone look at the two men in a new light.

It is difficult to ascertain whether Mr. Darrow has made any ground towards regaining civility: he still seems preoccupied with sea voyages and explorations, and has only spent a minimal amount of time back in England since his return. His companion Mr. Medina seems to have adjusted much better and integrated himself once again in magical society. He has been frequently spotted at the Irvingly Zoo, where he can occasionally be seen conversing with other magizoologists such as Conall MacKay. We speculate that he will return to academia and leave the 'adventuring life' behind him; whether Mr. Darrow will ever return to proper English life remains to be seen.

The Pink Letter Scandals
The Amortentia-laced letters delivered last September saw many young men and women getting themselves into a good bit of trouble, but most of the damage was quickly remedied. Two of the most outstanding cases were the elopements of Edric Umbridge and February née Lynch, and Barnabas Skeeter and Maeve Connolly.

The Umbridges elected not to seek the annulment they were entitled to and remain married to this day. Mrs. Umbridge is heavily pregnant. Although we speculate based on their behavior prior to September that their marriage bed was not the first bed they shared, at least as far as Mrs. Umbridge's pregnancy is concerned the timeline seems to be consistent and respectable.

Ms. Connolly and Mr. Skeeter remained married for months following the Amortentia scandal, reportedly because they could not produce the required two letters to prove their union was not made while they were of sound mind. After months of arguments (during which Ms. Connolly refused to change her name or to remove herself from her familial home), they were eventually granted an annulment through the traditional court at the Ministry, and their union was dissolved in January of 1889.

Miss Scrimgeour

The Scrimgeour Family
Following the unfortunate incident that saw Annabelle Scrimgeour flee her father, Miss Scrimgeour was disowned — which, to be honest, was probably for the best and ought to have been done at least a year earlier. After running away, she was taken in by the MacFustys and currently works as a research assistant for Malcolm MacFusty. Those close to Miss Scrimgeour in school have speculated that this is likely a bit of charity on the part of the MacFustys, since she displayed neither any particular interest or aptitude for dragon research while in school.

After Argus Scrimgeour's arrest and trial, he passed away under circumstances that are decidedly less than clear. His family clings to what remaining shreds of propriety are left to them, but it seems highly unlikely his remaining daughter, Araminta Scrimgeour, will make a fortuitous match with such a black mark in her immediate family.

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Issue #215 - The Greatest Scandals of 1888: Where Are They Now?