1

As Edwin St. John St. Andrew, eighteen years old, stood on the upper deck of the steamship, he gripped the railing with gloved hands, his eyes narrowed against the wind, awaiting a glimpse of the unknown. Despite the endless gray sea and sky, he felt a sense of restlessness, driven by his desire to discover something beyond the horizon. He was at the halfway point between England and Canada, on his way to a new world. "I have been sent into exile," he told himself, though he knew it was a melodramatic declaration. The weight of his double-sainted name felt oppressive beneath his journey.

Edwin's ancestors included the renowned William the Conqueror. His grandfather's passing would soon elevate his father to the esteemed title of earl, while Edwin was destined to inherit nothing. Stuck in a rut, he struggled to find a profession as a gentleman, as the family estate was set to pass to his older brother, Gilbert. Edwin might have clung to England, but his radical views, which emerged unexpectedly at a dinner party, expedited his departure.

In a burst of optimism, Edwin had listed his occupation as "farmer" on the ship's manifest. Later, during a contemplative moment on deck, it struck him as absurd – he had never even touched a shovel.