there was no reason for thomas to go back and burn the papers, right? as long as edith was alive, she could’ve disputed the transfer or whatever, right? ‘burning the papers’ was just an excuse to go back and make a last ditch effort to save his sister, right?
Nah, I do think in the moment he was only thinking about getting the papers back. He didn't know Lucille was still in there until she spoke, after all.
Whether Edith could have disputed the transfer successfully when it was presumably putting the funds in her husband's control- Lucille not being able to have her own bank account, any more than Edith could; still not sure how that worked for Edith inheriting the money because I can't find legal specifics about that from 1901 though I know women COULD have their own fortunes and such -I'm not sure of. The coercion/poisoning could help her case, if she could prove it, but if she was healthy again/had no proof the judge probably would be on Thomas' side.
Also I doubt he'd have thought about that before doing whatever seemed helpful in the moment. Papers say Edith loses her money? BURN PAPERS.
However. I think bringing Lucille with them was his plan from the start. I don't think he ever wanted to leave her- I think he'd seen a way out of the pit they spent their lives trying to claw free from, and he loved her so much that he had to bring her with him. To be happy. To be free.
He just. Wasn't good at articulating that and also they are both Doomed By The NarrativeTM.
UPDATE: never mind; "women couldn't have their own bank accounts" is a myth! there were banks in the 19th and early 20th centuries that offered accounts for women and even banks specifically CATERING to women. geez that one was really believable. it comes down to a misunderstanding of joint bank accounts and how that worked upon marriage. also the fact that banks were allowed to refuse women loans and mortgages without a male cosigner, but that doesn't mean all of them DID. so I rescind that question
(but she is probably still putting money into an account owned by Thomas, because he'd have inherited all the money from the Sharpes' parents- what little there was -and his wives signing money over to him was natural and expected back then. so Lucille probably still doesn't have her own account anywhere)
