Alfred Edwards was married and 30 years older than Misia, who was married to her first husband Thadee Natanson, when they met. She was out shopping when he saw her and approached. From the beginning he seems to have been obsessed with her and determined to get her alone. She evaded him some of the time. Considered to be extremely wealthy compared to Natanson and his family, Edwards gave her jewelry and with Thandee out of the country so much, she began to consider him.
Edwards offered Thandee the chance of a lifetime, to be in charge of a coal mine he had in Hungary. Thandee went and as Edwards pursued his wife, seems to have become complicit in Misia becoming Edward's mistress.
However, Misia went to meet his Edward's mother, another person now encouraging her to remain a mistress and not pursue marriage with the her son.
As for Edwards, he had her followed. He would probably be considered a stalker today. He was considered rude and crude, even perverted; not saying she complied. He purchased fans for her and she owned a beautiful and expensive collection of them. But he once locked her in a room so she couldn't get away from him. He managed a fast divorces and after that they married quickly. He had a house boat built just for Misia called the Aimee. The houseboat figures in what happened a couple years later.
Having acquired Misia as a trophy wife, near 60 years old, he began an affair with a famous actress named Lanthelme who had been born in a brothel and entered that profession young. He became obsessed and had her followed. He set her up as his mistress. He brought the affair home to Misia's torment, claiming that this woman, who didn't shy away from his perversions, disgusted him. Yet he divorced Misia and then quickly married Lanthelme: there's a pattern here. His marriage with Misia ended exactly 4 years after their marriage, on Feb 24, 1909.
Lanthelme drowned in the Rhine River on July 25, 1911. It was called an accident. Edwards was accused of murdering his latest wife but he sued for libel. Seems she would have found it awkward to jump out of a window. Maybe someone was hoisting her from behind and pushing.
Edwards died in 1914. Misia needed to see him but his newest young mistress, Colonna Romano, who also had been painted by Renoir) fled after he died. He left everything to her including his theater and casino.
Misia had come to think she had been a playmate to her first husband. With Edwards she came to think of herself as a show piece, a trophy wife, someone to show off. She needed more.
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References for this post are Misia's own memoir and the book about her by Fizdale and Gold
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