From the Hope Diamond to the Grimaldis, rumors of curses follow the rich and prominent.
Like disappearances, curses seem to plague the wealthy and well-bred, at least the more interesting ones do. That’s why it’s no surprise that members of Belle Vista Country Club, where Queen of the Court is set, believe that missing heiress Pippa Edgemoor and her family carry around some serious bad mojo.
Here’s a sample from the book, where Pippa’s somewhat batty high school classmates, now in their sixties and seventies, give long-suffering P..I Clare Buxton an earful about the Edgemoor Curse.
“The Edgemoors, and their cats, have lived on this piece of land since Virginia was
a colony,” said Genie, a morose looking spinster in unseasonable burgundy
boucle.
“Now, some of us believe they’ve quite overrun the club,” said
Kat.
“The Edgemoors?” asked Clare, confused.
“The cats,” replied Kat.
Genie shot Kat a hostile look. “I believe Ms. Buxton is interested in Pippa, not our
beloved, historic cats. Perhaps we should tell her about the Edgemoor
curse?”
“Anytime an Edgemoor abandons Belle Vista permanently, something
tragic happens,” said Taffy, in between bites of chicken salad. “Phillipa’s
grandfather moved to New York and was hit by a falling stockbroker when Wall
Street crashed. His grandfather was eaten by wolves in the Yukon during
the gold rush.”
“Bears,” countered Kat.
“Polar?” asked Taffy.
“Grizzly,” said Kat with certainty.
“Just like Grizzly Man. So gruesome,” exclaimed Taffy gleefully, sipping her
drink.
Clare took a swig of her martini. It was going to be a long
lunch.
So we may have had a bit of fun with falling stockbrokers and mad
grizzlies, but some legendary curses are, if anything, more farfetched. For
instance, if you’ve been watching Downton Abbey, consider that it’s set in the
ancestral home of Lord Carnarvon, who was one of the discoverers of King Tut’s
tomb. He died not long afterwards, his beloved dog supposedly dying thousands of miles away in England at the same time, after emitting an unearthly howl. Death seemed to stalk many of those
associated with Tut, although this scholarly article provides alternate and far more boring explanations for their deaths. I am sticking with Tut's Curse. If you've got to go, "the mummy did it" is so much more interesting than blood poisoning or blocked arteries.
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/04/2013/curse-of-tutankhamen-90-years-on
Then there is the Hope Diamond, stolen from the eye of an idol by a French diamond hunter, who was later torn apart by wild dogs, worn by Marie Antoinette, who lost her head and now in the Smithsonian, where the people of Washington D.C. and the nation at large are afflicted by Congress. Other owners met equally dire fates.
http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/hope_nav/hnav_level_2/level2_pitch_curse_hopfrm.html
The Hope Diamond has nothing on the Koh I Noor, seized during the days of the British Raj and now firmly settled in a tiara worn by female members of the British Royal family on state occasions. According to legend, only females may wear the stone, one of the world’s largest, which brings death and disaster to all male owners. Despite the curse, both Pakistan and India claim the diamond and want it back. The Brits, who love tiaras, pilfered gems, curses or no, say nothing doing. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-jewel-in-the-crown-the-curse-of-kohinoor-430100.html
As for family curses, the Kennedys, the Grimaldis, the Gettys and other fabulous and
fabulously wealthy families seem to have more than their share of horrible luck.
Is it just that money, fame and media coverage amplify these tragedies in our
minds? Or can wealth and fame be a curse in
itself? Ask Pippa Edgemoor. If you can find her.
http://www.womansday.com/life/10-cursed-famous-families-105420
Like disappearances, curses seem to plague the wealthy and well-bred, at least the more interesting ones do. That’s why it’s no surprise that members of Belle Vista Country Club, where Queen of the Court is set, believe that missing heiress Pippa Edgemoor and her family carry around some serious bad mojo.
Here’s a sample from the book, where Pippa’s somewhat batty high school classmates, now in their sixties and seventies, give long-suffering P..I Clare Buxton an earful about the Edgemoor Curse.
“The Edgemoors, and their cats, have lived on this piece of land since Virginia was
a colony,” said Genie, a morose looking spinster in unseasonable burgundy
boucle.
“Now, some of us believe they’ve quite overrun the club,” said
Kat.
“The Edgemoors?” asked Clare, confused.
“The cats,” replied Kat.
Genie shot Kat a hostile look. “I believe Ms. Buxton is interested in Pippa, not our
beloved, historic cats. Perhaps we should tell her about the Edgemoor
curse?”
“Anytime an Edgemoor abandons Belle Vista permanently, something
tragic happens,” said Taffy, in between bites of chicken salad. “Phillipa’s
grandfather moved to New York and was hit by a falling stockbroker when Wall
Street crashed. His grandfather was eaten by wolves in the Yukon during
the gold rush.”
“Bears,” countered Kat.
“Polar?” asked Taffy.
“Grizzly,” said Kat with certainty.
“Just like Grizzly Man. So gruesome,” exclaimed Taffy gleefully, sipping her
drink.
Clare took a swig of her martini. It was going to be a long
lunch.
So we may have had a bit of fun with falling stockbrokers and mad
grizzlies, but some legendary curses are, if anything, more farfetched. For
instance, if you’ve been watching Downton Abbey, consider that it’s set in the
ancestral home of Lord Carnarvon, who was one of the discoverers of King Tut’s
tomb. He died not long afterwards, his beloved dog supposedly dying thousands of miles away in England at the same time, after emitting an unearthly howl. Death seemed to stalk many of those
associated with Tut, although this scholarly article provides alternate and far more boring explanations for their deaths. I am sticking with Tut's Curse. If you've got to go, "the mummy did it" is so much more interesting than blood poisoning or blocked arteries.
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/04/2013/curse-of-tutankhamen-90-years-on
Then there is the Hope Diamond, stolen from the eye of an idol by a French diamond hunter, who was later torn apart by wild dogs, worn by Marie Antoinette, who lost her head and now in the Smithsonian, where the people of Washington D.C. and the nation at large are afflicted by Congress. Other owners met equally dire fates.
http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/hope_nav/hnav_level_2/level2_pitch_curse_hopfrm.html
The Hope Diamond has nothing on the Koh I Noor, seized during the days of the British Raj and now firmly settled in a tiara worn by female members of the British Royal family on state occasions. According to legend, only females may wear the stone, one of the world’s largest, which brings death and disaster to all male owners. Despite the curse, both Pakistan and India claim the diamond and want it back. The Brits, who love tiaras, pilfered gems, curses or no, say nothing doing. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-jewel-in-the-crown-the-curse-of-kohinoor-430100.html
As for family curses, the Kennedys, the Grimaldis, the Gettys and other fabulous and
fabulously wealthy families seem to have more than their share of horrible luck.
Is it just that money, fame and media coverage amplify these tragedies in our
minds? Or can wealth and fame be a curse in
itself? Ask Pippa Edgemoor. If you can find her.
http://www.womansday.com/life/10-cursed-famous-families-105420