18 January 2026, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2986: the landowner

“Well, well, well … Grandpa Ludlow looks smart, but he is a whole lot smarter than he looks.”

Mr. Thomas Stepforth, in reviewing all the different things that would go into the sale of the Ludlow Bubbly's two divisions, noticed something that wasn't there after hearing and reading Capt. Ludlow's interview with the Big Loft Bulletin about the success of the Ludlow Bubbly. Actually, Sgt. Vincent Trent had said it: “Capt. Ludlow's family owns significant water rights.”

None of those were included in the sale papers.

Mr. Stepforth called Mr. Tarquin Ludlow IV, who was buying the division that was once the Ludlow Winery.

“I'm just comparing notes with you,” he said, “but, doesn't the Ludlow Winery have its own water supplies?”

“It does, but because the board sold to Capt. Ludlow in a hurry, I'll have to buy the water rights back or lease them,” Mr. Ludlow said, and then added, “You just noticed that my thousandaire cousin is smart enough for us to safely make him a millionaire, eh?”

“I mean, how much water does the Ludlow family have rights over in Lofton County?” Mr. Stepforth said.

“Well, let's start here: I am out of the branch of Tarquin and Capt. Ludlow is out of the branch of Tancred,” Mr. Ludlow said, “and while Tarquin was perfectly content to settle into landowning life as you would expect, Tancred was not and he and his family got around. His second wife was – believe it or not – a water witch. So, here you have a surveyer and a water witch … .”

“Oh, my,” Mr. Stepforth said.

“Tancred gave his brother Tarquin first privileges to buy from him, and thus the Ludlow Winery had its vineyards taken care of. But only Tarquin could buy; everyone else had to lease. Tancred left his water rights to his second family, and some of them picked up their mother's skills too. So, for a few decades, the Ludlow brothers and their immediate descendants had about 70 percent of the known water rights in this region of Virginia.

“Centuries passed … most Ludlows had forgotten the value of what they inherited because you know, water comes from taps. The winery kept its water rights, of course, but a lot of other Ludlows lost their holdings to or sold them to the state.

“Enter Edwin Ludlow and his second wife, Helen Lee Slocum-Bolling – daughter of Hilda 'Grandee Lee' of the Mountain, likewise second wife of Joseph Slocum-Bolling. Hilda and Helen knew about the ancient water rights and encouraged Edwin to buy out his cousins rather than losing them all. Well, Edwin's three older sons didn't get it, but Henry and Robert did – so, Edwin started the buyups, and Henry and Robert continued – and when Henry died, his children having no interest, he left his to his surviving baby brother – so Robert Edward Ludlow Sr. now holds a combined 76 percent of the remaining Ludlow water rights.”

“Does he know?” Mr. Stepforth said. “He doesn't even need us to make millions!”

“He will never sell them except those that are part of the winery,” Mr. Ludlow said, “for through them, quietly, his grandchildren will always have an option to make their lives better.”

“Is he making use of the leasing, though?” Mr. Stepforth said.

“That I do not know … I am 85 and only refreshed my memory of what the winery had and why because I needed to make a fair offer based on the water rights that should come back to the Ludlow Historical Soda Company. In terms of the Ludlow Bubbly, though, that's his quality guarantee; the worker-owners will have to lease the water, and if they start making a slop product, they will have to go around him to get water, and that's not going to be easy.”

“I mean this is some slick moving and shaking!” Mr. Stepforth said. “Own nothing, control everything type of deal!”

“Tancred Ludlow was a master of such thinking – he didn't like to be pinned down, so he found situations to be paid from everywhere,” Mr. Ludlow said. “Tarquin I was richer to external appearances, being the landowner people remember, but Tancred knew how to get the most from situations – and Capt. Robert Edward Ludlow Sr. inherits that. Many trickles, together, make a flood!”

“It's about to happen!” Mr. Stepforth said.