Rita the Rose
ClutterCluster
- Created
- 4 years, 1 month ago
- Creator
- TerraTerrific
- Favorites
- 104
Profile
Primrose Hawthorne grew up as a wealthy young girl in an estate in Cochice County in southeastern Arizona in 1846. Her father was the owner of a lucrative gold mine and her mother was the daughter of a governer. People from all over traversed across the country after they heard whispers of the promise of riches out west, one of these famous destinations being the gold mine her father owned. Their family lived in the lap of luxury until one unfortunate day, part of the mine collapsed, killing five miners and trapping dozens inside. Rescue efforts proved unsuccessful and the families of the victims ran the Hawthorne family out of town, leaving them destitute and without a home or a source of income. Primrose's grandfather disowned her mother after the incident, leaving them without political ties. The gold mine was shut down and abandoned. The family was left with nothing. Unwilling to give up their cushy lifestyle, the Hawthorne parents looked to their daughter as a way out.
By 1865, at the age of 19 Primrose was promised to a wealthy oil baron that was three times her age. After offering the family a handsome dowry, Primrose found herself unwillingly married. In public he was a bit of a showoff, dangling her to patrons and peers as a sort of trophy, draping her in luxurious dresses and the finest jewelry. In private, however, he was quite the opposite. He was a drunkard and too handsy for his own good. One night, a fire mysteriously burned down the oil baron's residence, leaving two bodies in its wake. Primrose was dead. At least, that version of her was dead.
From the ashes of her old life, Madam Rita the Sweet Wild Rose of the West, known simply as Rita the Rose, was born. With nothing and no one to tell her how to live, Rita the Rose became an outlaw, raiding settlements and unwary travelers for food and gold. Her notoriety made her quite famous with the local miscreants, some of which joined her on her exploits. She lovingly dubbed these troublemakers as her "Thorns".
Having grown up surrounded by the so-called elite, Rita knew how to read the rich. She knew which strings to pull, how to charm, how to seduce. She used her wiles to her advantage, often times leading unsuspecting men to unsavory saloons, agreeing to fulfill their most unsavory desires. But all they would receive was broken pride and empty pockets.
While she preferred to leave her victims alive, some jobs required some extra finesse. To particularly dangerous individuals, she added a few drops to the liquor of her target and proposed a toast. A little arsenic, hemlock, foxglove, oleander... any one would do. And of course there were the occasional times when things escalated farther than she would have liked. She packed a specially made pastel revolver in her bosom and a small dagger in her garter just in case. In these instances, her calling card was to leave a pink rose on the body of the deceased.
There are many who have tried to catch Rita the Rose. The bounty on her head has become quite substantial. However, most who come after her still believe you have to handle a rose with a gentle touch. If you fail to clip her quick enough, you may end up with a pink rose given to you.
By 1865, at the age of 19 Primrose was promised to a wealthy oil baron that was three times her age. After offering the family a handsome dowry, Primrose found herself unwillingly married. In public he was a bit of a showoff, dangling her to patrons and peers as a sort of trophy, draping her in luxurious dresses and the finest jewelry. In private, however, he was quite the opposite. He was a drunkard and too handsy for his own good. One night, a fire mysteriously burned down the oil baron's residence, leaving two bodies in its wake. Primrose was dead. At least, that version of her was dead.
From the ashes of her old life, Madam Rita the Sweet Wild Rose of the West, known simply as Rita the Rose, was born. With nothing and no one to tell her how to live, Rita the Rose became an outlaw, raiding settlements and unwary travelers for food and gold. Her notoriety made her quite famous with the local miscreants, some of which joined her on her exploits. She lovingly dubbed these troublemakers as her "Thorns".
Having grown up surrounded by the so-called elite, Rita knew how to read the rich. She knew which strings to pull, how to charm, how to seduce. She used her wiles to her advantage, often times leading unsuspecting men to unsavory saloons, agreeing to fulfill their most unsavory desires. But all they would receive was broken pride and empty pockets.
While she preferred to leave her victims alive, some jobs required some extra finesse. To particularly dangerous individuals, she added a few drops to the liquor of her target and proposed a toast. A little arsenic, hemlock, foxglove, oleander... any one would do. And of course there were the occasional times when things escalated farther than she would have liked. She packed a specially made pastel revolver in her bosom and a small dagger in her garter just in case. In these instances, her calling card was to leave a pink rose on the body of the deceased.
There are many who have tried to catch Rita the Rose. The bounty on her head has become quite substantial. However, most who come after her still believe you have to handle a rose with a gentle touch. If you fail to clip her quick enough, you may end up with a pink rose given to you.
