#the incorrigible children of ashton place

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

There are lots of children on Hill Street, but no little girls Betsy's age. So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do—a little girl named Tacy. And from the moment they meet at Betsy's fifth birthday party, Betsy and Tacy become such good friends that everyone starts to think of them as one person—Betsy-Tacy.

Betsy and Tacy have lots of fun together. They make a playhouse from a piano box, have a sand store, and dress up and go calling. And one day, they come home to a wonderful surprise—a new friend named Tib.

Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B. Applewood believes there is never enough time for fun.

That's why she's so happy to be homeschooled and to spend every free second outside with the trees and the brook.

Then some not-so-great things happen in her world. Ida B has to go back to that Place of Slow but Sure Body-Cramping, Mind-Numbing, Fun-Killing Torture—school. She feels her heart getting smaller and smaller and hardening into a sharp, black stone.

How can things go from righter than right to a million miles beyond wrong? Can Ida B put together a plan to get things back to just-about perfect again?

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight

Lassie is Joe's prize collie and constant companion. But when Joe's father loses his job, Lassie must be sold. Three times she escapes from her new owner, and three times she returns home to Joe, until finally she is taken to the remotest part of Scotland—too far a journey for any dog to make alone.

But Lassie is not just any dog.

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Blue Bear by Walter Moers

Welcome to the fantastic world of Zamonia, populated by all manner of extraordinary characters, including Minipirates, Hobgoblins, Babbling Billows, the Spiderwitch, the Troglotroll, and the Mountain Maggot. It’s a land of imaginative lunacy and supreme adventure, wicked satire and epic fantasy, all mixed together and turned on its head.

Middle School by James Patterson

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm--50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rose Howard has Asperger’s syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Rain was a lost dog Rose’s father brought home. Rose and Rain are practically inseparable. And they are often home alone, as Rose’s father spends most evenings at a bar, and doesn’t have much patience for his special-needs daughter.

Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in Germany any longer. Suppose you found, to your complete surprise, that your own father was one of those people.

That is what happened to Anna in 1933. She was nine years old when it began, too busy with her schoolwork and toboganning to take much notice of political posters, but out of them glared the face of Adolf Hitler, the man who would soon change the whole of Europe – starting with her own small life.

Anna suddenly found things moving too fast for her to understand. One day, her father was unaccountably missing. Then she herself and her brother Max were being rushed by their mother, in alarming secrecy, away from everything they knew – home and schoolmates and well-loved toys – right out of Germany…

The Books of Beginning by John Stephens

These three siblings have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And — if an ancient prophesy is correct — what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

Tillerman Cycle by Cynthia Voigt

It's still true...

That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.

But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home they find with her daughter, Eunice, isn't the permanent haven they've been searching for. So their journey continues to its unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about their history, and their future.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood

Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

[cantheywinthehungergames]

Submitted by @loopylivy

Keep Reading for Tribute Info

If you would like to see your favorite character either as a tribute or as a mentor, please fill out this Google Form. Just keep in mind that for mentor polls, they will be posted every Saturday so chances are it could take a long time before they are posted.

Please also look at my pinned post for submission rules as well as a list of previously submitted characters prior to submitting your character.

Tribute Name: Penelope Lumley

Age: 15

Media: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series

Restrictions: None

Propaganda: "Penelope is the plucky young governess to three young children who were raised by wolves! Although they can hardly speak at first, and are very wild, she cares for them with steadfast optimism, and soon they are full into learning about science, art, culture and table manners. Penelope is not violent, but she is persistent. I think she would calm her nerves and then race away from danger, solve those puzzles left by the game, and figure out how to survive. She has experience with many harrowing scrapes due to a curse on the Ashton family constantly putting herself, the children, and the whole family into the clutches of danger."

[haveyoureadthismgyabook]

Series info:

Book 1 of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place

Book 2: The Hidden Gallery

Book 3: The Unseen Guest

Book 4: The Interrupted Tale

Book 5: The Unmapped Sea

Book 6: The Long-Lost Home

[mbz901]

if Penelope and Simon get married, they're 100% changing their last names to Lumley-Harley-Dickinson

[picturebookshelf]

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery (2010)

Story: Maryrose Wood -- Art: Jon Klassen Canadian

[night-heron-writes]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

I don't mind at all! You've opened up quite a can of worms, my friend.

Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender) I love Katara because she's a wonderfully complex character. She's kind and compassionate but she's also stubborn and has quite a temper. She gets pushed into being a mother figure, first for her brother and then for an entire crew of kids. I relate to her frustration with being forced to take that on way too young.

Carmen Sandiego (Carmen Sandiego 2019) Another beautifully rounded character. I love her poise and confidence, and also that we get to see her vulnerable side. I really love her journey in understanding that the way she was raised, everything she was taught wasn't what she thought it was. I relate super hard to her being raised to do something and deciding that no, actually, she didn't want to do what her parental figures decided she ought to do. Also the one heist set to the Four Swans dance totally confirmed my thoughts that ballet training makes a great thief.

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) Oh where do I even start? He's a fantastic depiction of someone who endured terrible child abuse, and even years after leaving the situation it still affects him and his self-image. His journey of unlearning his father's abuse and indoctrination gets me every time. He's a compassionate person by nature, but was taught that he had to be cruel and angry to be taken seriously, and was always considered second best. I guess I have a soft spot for self-deprecating characters with loads of trauma 😂

Agent Twilight a.k.a Loid Forger (SPY X FAMILY) A highly skilled superspy who's also a chronic overthinker. Beneath the whole "for the mission" excuse, he is a genuinely kind character who has been through hell and back. And as for why I love him? Well, see my point above 😂

Yor Briar Forger a.k.a Thorn Princess (Spy x Family) Another girl pushed into being a parental figure much too young. I love her so much and my heart just aches at the way she sacrificed her childhood so that her brother would have one, and also at how she doesn't know much outside of what she was trained to do.

Suwa Rei (Buddy Daddies) Another assassin trained from a young age, and with a family life that severely traumatized him. I'm starting to notice a pattern in my favorite characters 😭

Flavia de Luce (The Flavia de Luce series by Allan Bradshaw) A precocious chemist and detective with a habit of sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. I love getting to see girls with a curious and analytical mindset in fiction, and also more girls in STEM, whether fictional or real-life.

Penelope Lumley (The Incorrigible Children series by Maryrose Wood) A down-to-earth and level-headed girl who finds herself in charge of three rambunctious children and in the midst of several mysteries. She's kind and firm with a tendency towards optimism that's very refreshing.

Hercule Poirot (from the books by Agatha Christie) A gentleman and a detective who isn't a misogynistic asshole. What's not to love?

Serafina (The Serafina series by Robert Beatty) A fierce and stubborn girl who takes it upon herself to protect those she considers family. She's also a catamount, a shapeshifter who can turn into a mountain lion. I adore her fierceness and dedication, as well as her ability to be stealthy.

Well there you have, it my top 10 favorite characters of all time! They reveal quite a lot about me if you read between the lines 😳

[carolcnicolas]

The Best Books of 2024

I have read and reread a lot of books this past year, most of them well-loved and dogeared at this point. However, I also read many new books and started a new series or two, which I really enjoyed. If you haven’t read them before, I highly recommend them, and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have. Today, I introduce you to The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place — by MaryRose…

[d3molition-lov3rs]

just looked up the name of my favourite childhood book series + reddit to see if there were any discussions of it because i have never seen anyone talk about it online and the only thing that came up is a subreddit with one member (the creator, who really really wanted other people to talk to about the series) that hasn't been updated in two years because no one else ever joined it oh this is an absolute travesty

[overelegantstranger]

Thanks @fairytalesandfandoms for the tag!

Last song: Like A Prayer, the Choir version from the new Deadpool movie, because Book and I were talking about one of my characters and the miles of lore we have for him associated with the original

Favorite color: Orange

Last book: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood, from the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. I had to do something dictionaryish with this series and one of my alters became so obsessed with it she makes me dizzy sometimes until I sit down and read her some.

Last Movie: Wicked.

Last Show: This new (?) show called Tracker which is a really nice version of the Standard Guy With A Talent Does Detecting genre. I've been struggling with wanting to watch quirky crime shows but not wanting a lot of murder and death, and this is scratching that itch.

Sweet/spicy/savory: Spicy for sure. I don't have a mega high tolerance but it's absolutely spicy

Relationship status: what ARE you implying? I am a married man!

Last thing I googled: the movie The Little Hours, because there was a clip on instagram.

Current obsession: Planning my knitting projects for next year

Looking forward to: Finishing my dad's sweater at some fucking point this month

Tagging anyone who wants to play!

[book--brackets]

[livvyofthelake]

lord frederick and lady constance…. (of. incorrigible children of ashton place fame. naturally) they’re like. arranged marriage true love kinda hate each other but grew to love each other realness. and he’s like her dog. what if we got arranged married and you just wanted my money and you were super fucking annoying but i kinda liked it. what if i married you for money and you were such a weirdo but i kinda liked it. and what if our governess/secret cousin of the family? was there to observe this freak ass relationship and it gave her weird ideas about marriage forever

[cultivating-wildflowers]

what books would you recommend for an 8 years old girl? I have a little friend who is recovering from an accident

Ohhhh I'm so sorry!! I hope she's doing ok!

I LOVE rec'ing books to kids, but keep in mind I largely read fantasy and that tends to translate to my recs as well lol. (If this reader is into horse books, that's a whole other thing and I'll have to dig out my lists....)

General recommendations I've seen for kid lit is to find stories with protagonists a couple of years older than the reader, since kids (understandably) like to "read up".

My first rec is an eternal one, but with a couple of caveats:

The Underland Chronicles (five books) by Suzanne Collins. Technically the main character Gregor is 11 in the first book (and 13 by the end) but myself and my bestie agree he should have been aged up because he doesn't quite read like an 11-year-old; even a mature one.

The series also does get kind of dark and deals with war, trauma, and grief (it deals very well with all of them but there is loss in abundance). I think the payoff at the end is well-deserved, but it is hard-earned, and some kids aren't down for that.

If the reader in question is ok with a slightly thicker and slower book, I am legally obligated to rec The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I first read this book when I was eight or nine and it got me through the first major upheaval in my young life. I adore crabby, prickly, awkward, earnest Mistress Mary Lennox.

(There's a lot of classic fiction I could rec but it really depends on the reader, since reading styles have changed so much.)

(tucking the rest under a read-more for brevity's sake)

Some authors I love and trust are Patricia C. Wrede, Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, Kate diCamillo, Diana Wynne Jones, Lloyd Alexander, and Jessica Day George. You have to pick and choose because they all write for a range of audiences, but their writing is solid across the board. Roald Dahl is solidly in the right age range, but I know people are hit-or-miss with him.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood follows a slightly older protagonist in newly-minted governess Penelope Lumley, but it is definitely a MG story in theme, style, and in the other important members of the cast: the trio of feral children Penelope has been hired to civilize (and domesticate). Top of my list for "series to read to the niblings when they're old enough for sleepovers".

I recently read Quintessence by Jess Redman and was very impressed both with the story and the author. It's a contemporary story with a twist of magic to it. I'm keen to check out more of Redman's books in the future. I would say the same about Kelly Barnhill. I've only read The Girl Who Drank the Moon but I've heard good things about the rest of Barnhill's list.

A good while ago I started the Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce ("The Rise of the Guardians" movie is very loosely based off of this series) and loved it. Unfortunately I never finished it.... Ain't that the way.

If your reader is ok with lots of drama and some frankly intense killing on occasion (detailed neck-snapping iirc), I had a few students who love the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland. I...couldn't do it myself, but they swear it's a good series. (For some reason every time I see this series I think of the Warrior Cats.... Those were the days.)

One of my writing friends, Remi, is a lifelong fan of Bloomability by Sharon Creech. I found the audio version on Hoopla and absolutely adored it, and I understand Creech has plenty of other fantastic books in the same range and style. Remi also loves The Mysterious Benedict Society (I couldn't get into it but I see the appeal).

For more overtly Christian fiction, Narnia is obvious, but The Green Ember (S.D. Smith) and The Wingfeather Saga (Andrew Peterson) are a couple of more recent and very solid series. (I believe both are also available as audio on Hoopla.)

If we're looking for some graphic novels, I tried out the first book in the Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi and it was pretty solid. I haven't had a chance to try the rest of the series, but liked what I did see. There's also The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks. (Unfortunately I haven't explored a lot of middle grade graphic novels so I don't have a lot that I'm comfortable recommending.)

I want to say both The Spiderwick Chronicles and A Series of Unfortunate Events are in the right age range, or possibly just above it, but I can't remember and it's been way too long since I read (and enjoyed!) either of these series. Kind of on the same lines would be the Artemis Fowl series, which I personally hated if I'm honest, but others tell me it's solid.

I know I'm missing some obvious recommendations, but this is what I found after browsing a few shelves on StoryGraph. There are also several books/series friends here on tumblr have recommended that I have been meaning to get to. Hopefully soon.... Some of those are:

Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo (technically "The Children of the Red King" according to StoryGraph)

The Skyborn series by Jessica Khoury

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (I've only read her YA/Adult fantasy and I love it but it's...definitely adult so I'm curious what her MG fiction is like)

The Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister

Classic authors George MacDonald, E. Nesbit, and Maud Hart Lovelace

I hope this helps, and affords some decent distractions while your reader recovers. 💜

[tothelasthoursofmylife]

Character Profiles: Cloudia's grandparents and maternal extended family

Index: Percival, Genevieve, Hortense, Edward, Cathleen, Clarissa, Constantia, Keegan, Ceara, Celeste, August, Eleanor, Isidore, Felicity, Aiden, Jonathan, Joanna

(All character ages are as of the latest chapter, or when they died. All information as of the latest chapter too.)

Navigation: Main and extras | Cloudia's grandparents and maternal extended family | Cloudia's paternal extended family (and Florentin) | Other servants and employees | Antagonists | Scotland Yard and misc.

Name: Percival Phantomhive

Nickname(s): Percy, Perce, Civi (only his sister called him that)

Birthday: 1771

Age: 52 (at time of death; 1823)

Physical description: black hair, green eyes

Affiliation: Phantomhive family

Occupation: Earl of Phantomhive; Watchdog of George III and George IV (1789-1823)

Base of Operations: Phantomhive Manor; Phantomhive townhouse

Random fact(s):

His middle name was “Glaucus.” His parents never called him by his full name, even if they were mad at him, so he never understood why they even bothered giving him a middle name.

He was a tinkerer. Maybe spending more time in the basement than outside helped him to reach his fifties? (It also helped that George III’s health was not the best and he had little interest in risking his Watchdog’s life when said Watchdog didn’t have an heir until 1804.) It was also a detriment to his family life.

He and his brother-in-law the Marquis did not get along, i.a. because Percival hesitated for years to marry his sister.

Background info: I ended up putting more thought into him than I expected. He turned out weird which I like.

First appearance: Mentioned only (First: The Lady, First Training; Chapter 10)

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Name: Genevieve Phantomhive (née Dupont; formerly Hetherington)

Nickname(s): Nevie

Birthday: 1772

Age: 60 (at time of death; December 25, 1832)

Physical description: brown hair, green eyes

Affiliation: Phantomhive family; Hetherington family; Dupont family

Occupation: Lady of Avagon (former); Countess of Phantomhive

Base of Operations: Phantomhive Manor; Phantomhive townhouse; Château de Dupont (former); Hetherington Hall (former)

Random fact(s):

She and the Marquis are full siblings. Their father died in 1779. When their mother remarried a few years later, Genevieve took her stepfather’s surname Hetherington and received the courtesy title of “Lady of Avagon.” (Her name was originally spelled “Geneviève”; the accent was dropped when she changed her surname.)

Genevieve moved to England after her mother’s remarriage while her brother stayed in France. They still kept in close touch.

She had known Percival since they were children and was best friends with his sister.

Background info: She was named after Princess Genevieve from Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses.

First appearance: Mentioned only (First: The Business Partners, Jolly)

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Name: Hortense Houghton

Nickname(s): she prefers to be called by her full given name

Birthday: 1785

Age: 63

Physical description: brown hair, blue-green eyes

Affiliation: Houghton family

Occupation: None

Base of Operations: Houghton Manor

Random fact(s): A very headstrong, calculating woman.

Background info: She was named after Hortense Ashton from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.

First appearance: Mentioned only (First: The Countess, Celebrating; Chapter 7)

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Name: Edward Houghton

Nickname(s): Ward

Birthday: 1780

Age: 40 (at the time of death; 1820)

Physical description: blond hair, dark blue eyes

Affiliation: Houghton family

Occupation: Landowner

Base of Operations: Houghton Manor

Random fact(s): He died very suddenly of a heart attack.

Background info:

He was named after Edward Ashton from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.

His future great-great-grandson will not be named after him.

First appearance: Mentioned only (First: The Lady, Childhood)

----

Name: Cathleen Milne (née Woodward)

Nickname(s): Cathy, Cath, Cate, Leen, Leena

Birthday: March 30, 1828

Age: 20

Physical description: slightly curlydark brown hair, grey eyes; “fairy-like” appearance because of her slight/petite figure; she’s the eldest cousin but the shortest

Affiliation: Milne family; Woodward family

Occupation: Countess of Venetella

Base of Operations: Milne Manor; Milne townhouse; Woodward Manor (former); Woodward townhouse (former)

Favourite Colour: purple, light blue

Favourite Flower: dahlia, astragalus, morning glory

Favourite Dessert: all of them

What is in her bag? needles for needlework, partially finished needlework, a sack of sweets, comb, hairpins, handkerchief

Random fact(s):

She puts on a brave face, just like many others.

She knows many first and last sentences of fairy tales by heart.

Background info:

Her maiden name “Woodward” comes from Marlee Woodwork-Tames, a character from the Selection series. (I misremembered Marlee’s surname as Woodward and did not look it up again before using the surname...) Cathleen is faintly based on her, being the “sweetheart” of the cousin group, just like Marlee was during the trilogy’s Selection.

She deliberately has a name that does not end with “-a” to set her apart from the other female cousins.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Clarissa Woodward

Nickname(s): Clary, Clare, Lare

Birthday: October 27, 1829

Age: 19

Physical description: brown hair, brown eyes, glasses

Affiliation: Woodward family

Occupation: None

Base of Operations: Woodward Manor; Woodward townhouse

Favourite Colour: orange

Favourite Flower: sage

Favourite Dessert: sponge cake

What is in her bag? book, glasses case, handkerchief, another handkerchief just for glasses, beeswax

Random fact(s):

Clarissa gets along very well with Thomas, as they are both very fond and knowledgeable about horses.

She’s rather sporty and athletic.

She doesn’t like it when her environment is too loud, or when there is too much distracting/annoying chatter. Neither earplugs nor earmuffs existed in the 1840s, so she sometimes stuffs (very carefully) beeswax into her ears. (Sometimes, Constantia talks to her endlessly without noticing that Clarissa put in her makeshift earplugs.)

Background info: There used to be an arc centred around a derby; Clarissa was meant to play a larger role in it. Because the arc was ultimately cut, I was very happy that I managed to have her talk about derbies in “Freebird.”

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

----

Name: Constantia Matthews

Nickname(s): Connie, Tia

Birthday: May 11, 1829

Age: 19

Physical description: blonde hair, brown eyes; a bit taller than Cloudia

Affiliation: Matthews family

Occupation: Lady of Lanchester

Base of Operations: Lanchester Manor; Matthews townhouse

Favourite Colour: yellow, pink

Favourite Flower: zinnia, periwinkle, sunflower

Favourite Dessert: chocolate cake

What is in her bag? mirror, perfume, a small cuddly toy, a handkerchief, a small pouch containing marbles, pretty stones, four-leaf clovers, etc.

Random fact(s):

She was a constant in Cloudia’s life before Simon’s death (she was the cousin Cloudia was the closest to her because they were both only children).

Constantia likes collecting random little things she finds here and there.

Background info: She was named after an old original character of mine.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

----

Name: Keegan Morrow

Nickname(s): Kee, Ganny

Birthday: September 8, 1829

Age: 18

Physical description: reddish-blond hair, dark blue eyes

Affiliation: Morrow family

Occupation: None

Base of Operations: Morrow Manor; Morrow townhouse

Favourite Colour: green

Favourite Flower: bellflower, camellia

Favourite Dessert: barmbrack, currant bun

What is in his bag? book, handkerchief, pencil, pocket knife, some beeswax he got from Clarissa because Geoffrey Bentley has been talking to him a lot since the hunt

Random fact(s):

He’s exceptionally good at maths which he is a bit embarrassed about.

He used to eat dirt when he was little.

Background info: He was named after one of my old original characters.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

-----

Name: Ceara Morrow

Nickname(s): Ce, Cece, Cea, Ara

Birthday: October 4, 1831

Age: 16

Physical description: red hair, light blue eyes

Affiliation: Morrow family

Occupation: None

Base of Operations: Morrow Manor; Morrow townhouse

Favourite Colour: red, blue

Favourite Flower: borage (starflower)

Favourite Dessert: Queen of Puddings

What is in her bag? hairpins, some loose music sheets, a little snack, rosin

Random fact(s):

She’s a surprisingly good musician. Her favourite instrument is the violin, but she can also play the piano, the flute, and the clarinet.

She’s a good singer too, though she does not like to sing.

Background info: Like Constantia and Keegan, Ceara also got her name from one of my old original characters.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

----

Name: Celeste Triton

Nickname(s): Cel, Lessie

Birthday: January 16, 1830

Age: 18

Physical description: curly light brown hair, dark brown eyes

Affiliation: Triton family; Matthews family

Occupation: None

Base of Operations: Lanchester Manor; Matthews townhouse

Favourite Colour: light blue

Favourite Flower: baby’s breath

Favourite Dessert: jam roly-poly

What is in her bag? She usually does not carry anything with her as she is too sick and frail to leave the house most of the time.

Random fact(s): She inherited a lot of money from her father, making her very popular in the “marriage market.” Her poor health, however, makes people reconsider. (Her father also stipulated in his will that his wealth could only be passed to his daughter’s descendants by blood as he feared that someone might marry her and then wait until she died of an illness to get everything for himself.)

Background info:

Like Cathleen, Celeste does not have a name that ends with “-a” to set her apart; in her case, it was to indicate her adopted status.

She was named after Celeste Newsome from the Selection series, though they are nothing alike.

She got her surname from Luke Triton from the Professor Layton games. There was originally another character with that surname; after I changed the other character’s surname, I gave the name to Celeste.

Her father Ebenezer was named after Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. Because Scrooge somewhat looks like King Charles, I named Celeste’s mother Camilla.

First appearance: The Green Ghost of Nephelius Cemetery (Part 1): The Countess, First Encounter; has not appeared in the present yet

----

Name: August Milne

Nickname(s): Gus

Birthday: February 1, 1817

Age: 31

Physical description: brown hair, green eyes

Affiliation: Milne family

Occupation: Earl of Venetella

Base of Operations: Milne Manor; Milne townhouse

Favourite Colour: green

Favourite Flower: poppy

Favourite Dessert: fruit fool

What is in his bag? gun, knife, handkerchief, a bag of sweets (for Cathleen)

Random fact(s): He was trying to get Keegan to go on a hunt with him for years. Thus, he was rather upset when he heard that “Keegan” went hunting with the Disaster Trio. Keegan and Cloudia then had to reveal everything to August and make him promise to keep it a secret.

Background info: There was a reason for the large age gap between him and Cathleen early on. However, I decided to scrap it, and I’ve been considering ageing him a bit down retroactively.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Eleanor Matthews (née Houghton, formerly Cavendish)

Nickname(s): Ella, Ellie

Birthday: March 14, 1805

Age: 43

Physical description: blonde hair, dark blue eyes

Affiliation: Matthews family; Houghton family

Occupation: Duchess of Lanchester

Base of Operations: Lanchester Manor; Matthews townhouse

Random fact(s):

Isidore is her second husband. Eleanor was previously married to his cousin Harrison Cavendish (from 1825 to 1827). He died in a riding accident, but their marriage had been strained for a while beforehand because they had been unable to have any children.

She and Isidore were surprised when they managed to conceive Constantia with relative ease. They were unable to have another child though.

Background info: None.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Isidore Matthews

Nickname(s): Izzy

Birthday: June 5, 1804

Age: 44

Physical description: blond hair, brown eyes, has a beard

Affiliation: Matthews family

Occupation: Duke of Lanchester

Base of Operations: Lanchester Manor; Matthews townhouse

Random fact(s):

He often writes to Cloudia, and she diligently replies. However, she has declined all his invitations to visit or meet up in the last few years.

He and Simon got along well. This did not mean that Simon was always truthful to him though.

Background info: I got his name from Isidore Lightwood, an unseen and maybe even retconned character in the Shadowhunters Chronicles.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Felicity Morrow (née Houghton)

Nickname(s): Fely, Felcy

Birthday: July 18, 1808

Age: 39

Physical description: light brown hair, dark blue eyes

Affiliation: Morrow family; Houghton family

Occupation: Viscountess of Wellington

Base of Operations: Morrow Manor; Morrow townhouse

Random fact(s): She’s an art lover but has no drawing prowess. She still draws in her free time, even if her attempts are still very wonky. (Felicity never knew that her brother-in-law Simon was a painter.)

Background info: None.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Aiden Morrow

Nickname(s): None

Birthday: 1808

Age: 40

Physical description: red hair, blue eyes

Affiliation: Morrow family

Occupation: Viscount of Wellington

Base of Operations: Morrow Manor; Morrow townhouse

Random fact(s): He likes hunting and began taking his son on hunts when he was small. It honed Keegan’s skills, but he never found much joy or interest in hunting. Aiden was a bit disappointed when their father-son hunting trips stopped. He has been trying to get Keegan into fishing with some success.

Background info: None.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Jonathan Woodward

Nickname(s): Jon

Birthday: 1807

Age: 41

Physical description: dark brown hair, brown eyes

Affiliation: Woodward family

Occupation: Baron of Woodward

Base of Operations: Woodward Manor; Woodward townhouse

Random fact(s): Jonathan gets along the best with Aiden (out of the in-laws) although he is rather mild-mannered, and Aiden is more on the rough side.

Background info: None.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

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Name: Joanna Woodward

Nickname(s): Jo, Joannie

Birthday: December 13, 1811

Age: 36

Physical description: blonde hair, grey eyes

Affiliation: Woodward family

Occupation: Baroness of Woodward

Base of Operations: Woodward Manor; Woodward townhouse

Random fact(s): Her and her husband’s love story is rather “fairy tale”-like. It was the story of the Season when she debuted and is still spoken about a lot.

Background info: None.

First appearance: The Countess, Celebrating (Chapter 7)

[sailforvalinor]

Trick or treat! (I look almost normal but have slightly too many teeth)

A book rec for you: I feel like you’d get a kick out of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, if you’ve not read it! It’s a sort of middle grade gothic series, and sort of feels like a mix between A Series of Unfortunate Events and Charlie Bone in terms of vibes. Features three children raised by wolves, a fifteen year old governess hired to teach them how to be human, the rich English gentleman who adopted them because he was bored, his silly wife who doesn’t understand how childbirth works, a handsome pirate playwright, a family curse, and a pet squirrel.

[junoniadoesart]

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Unwanteds Book One, Six Of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, Wings Of Fire: Moon Rising, Eragon, Black Wings Beating.

What books have you done this to?

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