EP Ranch From Prince to Present

by Anita Mae Draper

Calgary Daily Herald Page 1, Jan 21, 1936, Calgary, Alberta

On January 21, 1936, the Calgary Daily Herald was filled with news about the death of King George V. Under the article titled, "Body to Lie in State at Westminster Hall", it reported that the British Parliament had met and swore allegiance to "His Majesty King Edward VIII, his heirs and successors, according to the law", and that "The new King came to London by airplane--the first British sovereign ever to fly..."

As you can see from another article in the bottom right of the same newspaper, the man we've been following in this series of posts is none other than our Edward Prince of Wales, owner of the Edward Prince (EP) Ranch in Alberta, Canada. This article continues on other pages with the history of Edward and his ranch, showing in detail his several visits and activities while in the area as well as his travels in Canada and the United States.

EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1936. Calgary Daily Herald

King Edward started his reign showing his usual trait of going his own way. He broke tradition with the Royal Mint on British coinage, he spoke his opinion in political matters, and he publicly enjoyed affairs with married women, to name a few. Edward had met Wallis Simpson in 1930 in London while she was still married, and although their affair was news in the United States, the British dailies were quiet on the matter. 

Fort Belvedere, Surrey, England

On November 16, 1936, King Edward met with Prime Minister Baldwin and expressed his desire to marry Simpson once her divorce was finalized. Baldwin responded by saying that it was impossible because his subjects would consider it morally unacceptable by the Church of England which didn't support marriage after divorce if a spouse was sill living. Baldwin offered three options: give up the idea of marrying Simpson, marry anyway despite the opposition, or abdicate.

Edward chose love. 

On December 10, 1936, at Fort Belvedere, Edward's residence in Windsor Great Park, Surrey, and in the presence of his younger brothers, King Edward signed the document of his abdication. 

The next night, having reverted to the title and style of a prince, he gave a radio broadcast explaining that he couldn't fulfil his duties as monarch without the love and support of the woman he loved by his side, and that the "decision was mine and mine alone..."

Thereafter, he was named the Duke of Windsor and travelled to Austria where he awaited the arrival of his love whose divorce would not become final for several months in the future. On June 3, 1937, Edward married her in a private ceremony near Tours, France. 

Duke and Duchess of Windsor at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1941. Glenbow Archives

It wasn't until September 1941 when the EP Ranch received a visit from Edward, now the Duke, and Wallis, now the Duchess, of Windsor. The weather was cold and wet with lots of mud and swollen creeks. Edward, now Governor of the Bahamas, is said to have spent a happy time in relaxation, while it seemed that the Duchess was always cold and longed for warmer temps.

During their trip on Canadian soil, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol escorted their every move. The photograph shows two Mounties and their highway patrol van from the High River detachment. 

Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol escort for Prince of Wales, Pekisko area, Alberta, 1941

Due to wartime travel restrictions, it wasn't until 1950 when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor returned to the EP Ranch in Alberta. When questioned if the rumours about selling the EP Ranch were true, the duke responded, "indeed no, it's the only piece of property I've ever owned." 

Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Calgary, Alberta. Apr 11, 1950. Calgary Herald

Edward never returned to the EP Ranch. In 1962 the ranch was sold and blended with the adjoining larger D Ranch which assured that the property would stay intact and not cut up by developer's hands. Edward died on May 28, 1972 at his Paris home and his body was sent back to Britain for burial. Although the EP Ranch had been designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 2004, it fell into disrepair aided by torrential rains that flooded the homesite in 2013. 

Today, the ranch continues to operate as a working cattle operation, except with herefords and longhorns instead of the prince's original shorthorn stock. As a designated historic property, it is only opened to the public for special occasions, such as the 100th anniversary celebration in 2019 where a guided tour showcased the EP Ranch buildings and property. Restoration work is an ongoing project. 

Conservation of main ranch house, Oct 2015. Courtesy of Alberta's Historic Places

I hope you've enjoyed this series on the EP Ranch in Alberta, Canada. Check the following links for the rest of the posts in this series:

May 5th - Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

June 5th - EP Ranch Royal Visit 1923

July 5th - Butter Prince of 1924

Aug 5th - EP Ranch Furnishings

Sep 5th - Movie Location EP Ranch

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

Movie Location EP Ranch

by Anita Mae Draper

The Calgary Stampede, movie poster, 1925. Wikipedia

If you've been following my series on Edward Prince of Wales and the Edward Prince (EP) Ranch, you know that 1924 had been Edward's third visit since 1919 when he'd bought the old Bedingfeld Ranch near Pekisko, Alberta, Canada. As a true working ranch with qualified staff and hands, the ranch continued its breeding program, stock sales, and ranch maintenance no matter where Edward was in his schedule of royal duties as heir to the British throne. 

However, even without a royal visit, 1925 was an exciting year at the EP Ranch because it had been chosen as the location for some of the scenes in the silent western film The Calgary Stampede starring Hoot Gibson, Virginia Browne Faire, and among others, a very young Walter Brennan.

Hoot Gibson and party at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1925. Glenbow Archives

Second from the left in the above photo shows Helen Carlyle, daughter of EP Ranch Manager W.L. Carlyle. In this next photo, her father and the film's star Hoot Gibson, are enjoying themselves watching the action. 

Hoot  Gibson and W. L. Carlyle on EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1925. Glenbow Archives

As stated on the movie poster at the top of this post, many scenes were also shot on location at the 1925 Calgary Stampede. I found a video by a youtube reviewer which shows parts of the actual film footage of The Calgary Stampede with commentary (time 2:55-5:35), and gives a great example of the silent film era.

Westember II - 4. Hoot Gibson in The Calgary Stampede (1925)

Other scenes were shot around the Calgary area.

Virginia Browne Faire and Hoot Gibson, Calgary, Alberta. 1925. Glenbow Archives

The 1992 Academy award winning movie Unforgiven starring and directed by Clint Eastwood also has scenes shot at the EP Ranch. Edward Buscombe's book with the same title as the movie Unforgiven states, "Most of the exteriors of Unforgiven were shot on the E.P. Ranch in Alberta in Canada, sixty miles southwest of Calgary." Running into Clint Eastwood in 1991 was said to be a common occurrence as several locations in Alberta were used extensively in the filming, as well as the Red Hills Ranch, Sonora, California. 

According to wikipedia, in 2004 Unforgiven was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 

You can read previous posts on Prince Edward's EP Ranch at these links:

May 5th - Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

June 5th - EP Ranch Royal Visit 1923

July 5th - Butter Prince of 1924

Aug 5th - EP Ranch Furnishings

Do you watch the credits to see where a movie was filmed? I do. Sometimes I even get to visit the actual location. Watching the movie afterwards brings back memories of my trip and vice versa. A nice circle. 

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

EP Ranch Furnishings

 by Anita Mae Draper

Prince of Wales "E.P." Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, Canada, early 1920's

When Edward, the Prince of Wales of Great Britain, bought the Bedingfeld Ranch in 1919, it came with a house full of simple furnishings. Thanks to the Glenbow Archives located both online and in Calgary, Alberta, and the Toronto Star Archives located in the Toronto Public Library, we have images of what the furnishings looked like in 1923 as well as in 1941.

The photo above shows the main house on the left and the original Bedingfeld homestead cabin on the right. As you can see, the main house was surrounded by open vine-covered and closed verandas, ensuring a great view of the Rockies no matter what the weather. According to the following photograph from the Toronto Star in 1923, Edward liked to sit and read on the veranda.

EP Ranch Veranda, 1923, Courtesy of Toronto Public Library

Twenty-two years later while still under Edward's ownership, similar simple furnishings were still used in the veranda when this next photo was taken in September 1941.

Veranda at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, Sep 1941. Glenbow Archives

Likewise, the bedroom was sparse with the personality of a hospital room when Edward first bought the ranch, as shown in this next photo.

E.P. Ranch Bedroom, 1923, Courtesy of Toronto Public Library

Although Edward filled his ranch bedroom with more furniture, it isn't what one would expect as the personal chamber of the heir to the British throne.

Bedroom at E.P. Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1941. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library

According to historical records, Edward had the bottom floor of the ranch house enlarged and renovated prior to 1923 when he made time for his first visit since buying the ranch in 1919. The following image shows the living room as it was that year when he returned after the four year absence.

View of living room in EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1923. Glenbow Archives

Edward returned in 1924 and 1927, and then not until 1941 when this next photo of  the same side of the room was taken. By that time, the room was referred to as the new wing to avoid confusion with the original two rooms before renovations, although not much had changed in the way of furnishings.

New wing, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1941. Glenbow Archives

On the right is the new fieldstone fireplace created with stones collected from the EP Ranch fields. It is interesting to note that when the EP Ranch celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2019 with an open house, the living room was called the reception room and still contained most of the same furniture, right down to the light stands on either side of the fieldstone fireplace.

Fieldstone Fireplace, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1941. Glenbow Archives

The light stands were made from German shell casings. They were Edward's stamp on the place and reminded him of serving in the Great War. Also note the letters 'E' and 'P' carved into the stones, another of Edward's personal touches, although probably not by his own hand.

Edward's office was in the corner of the dining room, as seen in the images below.

Corner Office in Dining room, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1941. Glenbow Archives

Although the original extendable table with its heavy twist spindles is long gone, the chairs still remain as they did when Edward walked the carpet-covered oak floors and sat down to eat his meals or read a newspaper.

Dining room, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1923. Glenbow Archives

Along with renovations to the ranch house, Edward instructed his manager to build new barns for the purebred stock he was sending from England. By 1923 when Edward returned, there were two log barns and one large wood frame barn in use.

New Barn, EP Ranch, 1923. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library

It seems that although Edward was known for avoiding state affairs while enjoying the social life of a 'playboy', he didn't mind the quiet, simple ranch life...as long as he didn't have to stay too long.  

In my last post on the Butter Prince of 1924, I asked how many pounds of buter you thought were used to create the butter scene of the prince at his ranch. The actual answer is 3,000 pounds.

You can read previous posts on Prince Edward's EP Ranch at these links:

May 5th - Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

June 5th - EP Ranch Royal Visit 1923

July 5th - Butter Prince of 1924

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

EP Ranch Royal Visit 1923

by Anita Mae Draper

Prince of Wales riding Midnight at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. Sep 1923. Glenbow Archives

The 1923 photo above shows Edward, Prince of Wales, riding Midnight at the Edward Prince (EP) Ranch in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Edward bought the ranch in 1919 as a place to relax away from the limelight. Note that Edward is using a western saddle with a high horn that cowboys and ranchers use, rather than his usual smaller, lighter english saddle.

As heir to Britain's royal throne, there were certain expectations of Edward's time, and gallivanting off to play cowboy was not one of them. However, he managed to get back for a visit in 1923 to attend a public sale of his improved ranch stock, which turned out to be a huge publicity event from the moment he arrived.

Crowd at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, to greet Prince of Wales. Sep 1923. Glenbow Archives

Being friends with George Lane, founder of the Calgary Stampede, and other ranching dignitaries, helped Edward meet many of the rodeo celebrities including Pete Vandermeer, Canadian champion bronc buster, shown here receiving an award from Edward who appears to be enjoying the occasion. 

Prince of Wales presenting an award to Pete Vandermeer at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta.

Another Stampede champion, the great Guy Weadick, is shown teaching trick roping to Edward while at the EP Ranch. 

Guy Weadick teaching Prince of Wales to do trick roping, EP ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. Sep 1923

Although Edward could probably drive a buggy without assistance, his ranch training involved driving a team of horses and a hay wagon without a seat, padded or otherwise.

Prince of Wales driving team of horses at EP ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. 1923. Glenbow Archives

With haying in full swing, Edward climbed aboard the stacker for a turn. Newspapers reported that the Prince of Wales wanted to experience everything about the running of a ranch starting with the most menial jobs.

Haying at EP Ranch, Prince of Wales on Stacker. Sep 1923. Glenbow Archives

As the owner, Edward could have stood back and let his manager and ranch hands do the manual labour, but it would have robbed him of the satisfaction he received working with land that he'd personally chosen and paid for without it being part of an inheritance or gift. 

Edward, Prince of Wales helping build a corral, EP Ranch. ca. 1923. Glenbow Archives

Love those knickers!

Stay tuned for my next post on the EP Ranch as we see what happens when Edward shows up for his 1924 visit. 

 

If you missed it, the first post in this series starts with Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch.

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

 

Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

 by Anita Mae Draper

Prince of Wales "E.P." Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, Canada

On January 21, 1936, the Calgary Herald announced that Alberta's "Rancher King" Edward Prince of Wales, had succeeded his father King George V to the throne and that of all the places in Canada to choose from Edward still owned a pretty ranch in the foothills of Southern Alberta which he had bought back in 1919. 

View through tree branches of Duke of Windsor's EP Ranch, near High River, Alberta. ca 1950s. Glenbow Archives

While on his 1919 cross Canada tour, Edward was hosted by George Lane, founder of the Calgary Stampede and owner of the Bar U Ranch which bordered the Running N Ranch, then owned by Frank Bedingfeld. Frank and his mother had homesteaded the ranch in 1886, but when Frank married in 1908, his mother returned to England. By that time, the ranch consisted of 1,440 acres of owned land with much more being leased from the government. After serving in WW1, Frank wanted to return to England with his family, so they put the Running N up for sale. While visiting and exploring the Bar U area, the Prince of Wales saw the opportunity, bought Frank's ranch, and renamed it the E.P. (Edward Prince) Ranch.   

Since it was impossible for the Prince of Wales to stay and oversee his new venture, he hired Professor William Carlyle, then veterinarian of the Bar U and Eden Valley, to run the E.P. Ranch in his absence.

Edward Prince of Wales, George Lane, William Levi Carlyle. EP Ranch, 1919. Glenbow Archives

The Alberta Register of Historic Places has a page for the E.P. Ranch and mentions that same trip in 1919. "On passing through Winnipeg on his return to England, Edward gave a speech in which he said that he wanted to have a permanent home in western Canada, "a place where I can come sometimes and live for a while. To this end I recently purchased a small ranch in southern Alberta and I shall look forward to developing it and making it my own." In his memoirs, he later wrote in a similar vein, claiming that he had been "overwhelmed by an irresistible longing to immerse myself, if only momentarily, in the simple life of the western prairies." Edward did not own other properties outside Great Britain, and, although it is not evident that he provided direct input into the operation of the ranch, the property and its buildings were handsomely upgraded during the 1920's, and became known as the E.P. Ranch. High quality cattle and horses were also brought in to breed and be raised under the best conditions." 

Helen Carlyle and Stallion "Tiny", EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920s. Glenbow Archives

Helen Carlyle, daughter of W.L. Carlyle, manager of the E.P. Ranch, is shown above holding a Dartmoor pony which had been imported during 1919-1920. Along with the Dartmoor ponies, Edward had Shorthorn cattle, Shropshire sheep, and Clydesdale horses imported to his Alberta Ranch from the breeding farms in his Duchy of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

"Climsland Broadhooks", prize Shorthorn bull, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920. Glenbow Archives

The E.P. Ranch had many educational and business visitors over the years. In the above photo, the Duke of Devonshire stands in the back and listens to Johnny Watson, herdsman, talk about the attributes of the prizewinning shorthorn bull, "Climsland Broadhooks".

Herd of sheep on EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920. Glenbow Archives

Edward wouldn't return to Canada until the fall of 1923 to attend the sale of his breeding stock. It was important to ensure the breeding improvement and excellence of the stock, he'd told his father King George V who had expressed no wish to see his son spend time as a western rancher when there were royal duties to attend. But Edward was a avid sportsman and would often sneak out of official functions to woo a lady, play golf, or find something more interesting to do with his time.

I'll continue the Rancher King's story on the 5th of June, but here's a teaser.... 

Prince of Wales on Dartmoor pony, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. Sep 1923. Glenbow Archives

Can you tell what kind of rancher Edward Prince of Wales turned out to be from the above photo of him taken in September 1923 at the E.P. Ranch?

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com 

Alberta Ranch Summer Recreation Photos

My childhood memories of summertime are filled with swimming in the lake, berry-picking, fishing, and hiking. Although I no longer enjoy those activities, it's nice to know things haven't changed much over the years and that when given the opportunity people of all ages still enjoy the same summer events as they did one hundred years earlier.

All of the photographs in this post, my final in a series of posts about life on an Alberta ranch in the early 1900's, were taken by rancher Hugh Beynon Biggs and donated to the Glenbow Museum Archives. 

Since the first one is merely entitled, Tennis players, Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta, we don't know who the subjects are, but some of their faces are familiar from other photos in this ranching series. Although it couldn't be called common, there are enough photographs and mentions of tennis being played in prairie farm and ranch yards to know this was a popular past time for those who could afford it. 

Tennis players, Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1900. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

There's nothing better on a hot summer day than heading down to a well maintained pool with water so clean you can see the bottom. Sounds good, but not for the common folk one hundred years ago. Back then, the old swimming hole was a dangerous place without a beach so getting in was a trek across rocks, or down a slippery grass or mud slop. Once you got in you couldn't see the bottom because you'd be stirring up the silt. The bottom itself was usually rocky or mucky or somewhere in between. We used to swim in a lake which was fun once you got used to the silky muck oozing up between your toes. Once you got out, you had to check for leeches, or blood-suckers as we called them, that would hide between your toes or go looking for scabs that had softened in the water. 

Boating and swimming at Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1900. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

An amusing event happened a few years back when we stopped at a popular provincial campground. The beach was crowded and people of all ages were in the water. I jumped in with the rest of my family and was really enjoying myself, despite the fact that I couldn't see the silty bottom, until I felt a little sting on my leg. The second time it happened I asked a little girl of about six years of age who was splashing nearby if the lake had any blood suckers. She looked confused. I made an ow sound as I felt another sting. Suddenly, the little girl's face brightened. Her eyes grew round and the cords on her neck stuck out as she said, "There's leeeeeeches."

Yes, there were leeches. I'd forgotten about a small scrape on my leg and after making a dash for shore, I looked down to see a blood sucker clinging to my shin. Ugh. 

I've caught my biggest fish while casting from a boat in Alberta and Quebec, but you don't need a boat to get in some decent fishing. You don't even need to know how to choose a lure, tie a fly, or read the water, but all of these help to make the fishing trip fun. I would have loved to fish beside the person in this next shot. The water appears so quiet and still...the kind of day where you can see the fish reach up to snatch an insect from the surface, hear the little splash, and then seen the ripples spread out. This is relaxation at its finest. 

Fishing in creek near Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1900. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

Unpack the wagon, unhitch the team, and settle down for a picnic while you watch the kids burning energy. The dog in this next photo sure knows how to enjoy life or perhaps he's pooped out from running? Likely as not he rode in the wagon with them and just wants so loving. 

Group on picnic, Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1900. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

This next photo of the woman and child in a canoe shows that canoes haven't changed over the years. Since the water doesn't appear deep and it's near impossible to get in and out of a canoe without tipping it, I'm assuming that the photographer pushed the canoe out to where he wanted to take the photograph. It's a beautiful shot which shows the fashion of the day with an inspiring reflection in the water. 

Woman and child in canoe, Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1907-1910. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

This final shot shows an aerial tram or tramway and is used to get from one side of a river or gorge to the other in cases where roads aren't possible or would take too much time to go around. It's similar to a zipline, except it's not on a slope which means it's moved across by sheer muscle, hand over hand. In this case, it looks like the ranch hand is crossing with his saddle which makes sense as he would leave his horse on one side of the river, and then cross over to the other side, do his work, and then return.

Man on tramway over creek near Springfield [Biggs] ranch, near Beynon, Alberta. ca. 1900. Courtesy of Glenbow Museum Archives

Although the man crossing the aerial tram in the above photo is hard to see, he could also be sitting on a seat like in this following image from A Railroad in the Clouds by J. Eglinton Montgomery, first published in Scribner's Monthly Illustrated Magazine for People, and then with the issues from May 1877 to Oct 1877 compiled in The Century, Volume 14 which happens to be a free download at this time.

Engineer Crossing the Chasm Over the Rimac, The Century, Volume 14

So why am I including the aerial tram on this post about summer activities? Because in today's world zipline adventures have sprung up wherever there is any kind of a slope, gorge, or valley and it's a great way to look at the earth in an exciting way.

Have you ever taken a ride on a zip line or aerial tram? Care to share your experience? 

For more photos of this Alberta Ranch, check out these other posts:

Feb 5, 2016 - Alberta Ranch Winter Photos

Mar 5, 2016 - Riding Side Saddle

Apr 5, 2016 - Ranch Photos Women and Chores

May 5, 2016 - Alberta Ranch Cowboy Chore Photos 
Jun 5, 2016 - Alberta Ranch: Summer Haying

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Anita Mae Draper's stories are written under the western skies where she lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, published in A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Volume 4, Heartwarming Tales of Christmas Present, Guideposts Books, October 2014, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her first novella, Romantic Refinements is found in Austen in Austin Volume 1, WhiteFire Publishing, Jan 2016. Discover more at  www.anitamaedraper.com

Romantic Refinements by Anita Mae Draper

It's the Texas-style version of Marianne Dashwood in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility...

A  misguided academy graduate spends the summer falling in love . . . twice.

One of four novellas based on Jane Austen's heroines found in 

Austen in Austin Volume 1