Fitzgerald, Viola, Lady Viola Fitzgerald

[Viola Fitzgerald [Rose]]

Name: Viola Mary Fitzgerald (pronounced V-eye-o-la)
Nickname: Vi but only between very close friends
Age: 23
Date of birth: 15th September 1787
Title: Lady

FAMILY

Father: Richard Fitzgerald, Earl of Rotherham, born (b. 1752)
Mother: Madeleine Fitzgerald, Countess of Rotherham, (b. 1758)
Brother: Richard Fitzgerald, Vicount Surrey, (b. 1778); married 1803 to Cordelia
Sister: Beatrice Fitzgerald, 1779-1779
Brother: Colonel Robert Fitzgerald, (b. 1782)
Brother: Andrew Fitzgerald, 1790-1795
Sister: Lady Olivia Fitzgerald, (b. 1793)
Sister-in-law: Lady Cordelia Surrey, (b. 1783)
Nephews and nieces: Henry (b. 1805) and Madeleine (b. 1808) to Richard and Cordelia
Aunt: Mrs. Dorothy Greystone (b. 1756); widowed; sister of Madeleine

BACKGROUND

Viola was born and brought up in Rotherham Hall in South Yorkshire with her two brothers and younger sister. She was educated by governesses to a high standard and has all the traditional accomplishments. She speaks fluent French and Italian, reads Latin tolerably, plays the piano and harp and sings. She paints screens and embroiders. She is a skilled rider and enjoys hunting. Although her mother is not fond of town, she was presented at court aged 17. With a fortune of £45,000 she is a very eligeable catch. She disliked the London debutante scene very much but on her mother's orders survived three seasons before the Countess gave up and allowed her to stay at home.

This season was to be her sister's debut and Viola was looking forward to attending in a more accompanying context, but Olivia has persuaded her parents to delay it for a year. Outwardly, Olivia's reasons are that she does not feel ready for a season. Viola suspects it has more to do with her having formed an attachment to their close neighbour Sir William Devenish. As it is, Lady Rotherham decided not to attend the season if she need not but Viola has been persuaded to accept an invitation by her maternal Aunt Greystone to spend some time in London. Her parents dispair of her marrying and want her to have one last attempt to catch somebody. Viola, however, has no intention of marrying anybody and is returning to town out of boredom and in the hope of laughing at the scrambling husband hunting that she feels (happily) she is too old to take part in.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Medium height.
Average weight.
Figure: Curvy
Straight, dark brown hair.
Brown eyes with fine, curving eyebrows which are often raised.
Dark complexion with intelligent expression.
Handsome without being typically pretty. Intelligence gives her interest but it is dimished by arrogance.

PERSONALITY

Viola is very rich, very accomplished, intelligent, handsome and aware of it. She has grown up as the eldest daughter in the family, waited on hand and foot. She is used to her superiority and this has given her arrogance and the expectation that she will never be contradicted. She was always a country girl, unhampered by the confines of polite city life. She is more used to rushing about the countryside on horseback than kowtowing to ladies and gentlemen of the ton. She is used to her independence and has no intention of relinquishing it. Though she would not go out unchaperoned, her companion- whether the footman or her aunt- is usually daunted by her forceful personality and is little more than cipher. This is not to say that Viola is not well-mannered. She knows how to behave socially and is capable of playing the game very well, having sussed out the rules early on. However, that is all it is to her.

She feels no necessity to get married since she is so rich and finds the endevours of young women and their mamas to be pathetically comical. Similiarly, her remaining single after three seasons was not from lack of proposals. Merely that she has no interest to marry anyone except her superior in intelligence and consequence. She has not yet found him and does not suppose she ever will. The prospect does not upset her. She has never been in love. However, perhaps her determination not to marry except where she pleases stems from a very subconscious romanticism inspired by her parents' successful marriage. She would be horrified to hear her decision put in such a bald term as "will only marry for love", but this is what it comes down to.

The only man she has ever felt anything more than liking for is Mr. Stapleton. She met him in her first season and he fell in love with her. His lively and mocking manner of declaring himself along with his lack of fortune and rank did not attract her, however, and their relationship turned into a deep friendship. Viola is the only person in London who knows his identity as a novelist.

Viola is not humourless at all and when she chooses can be very agreeable and witty. However, her view of the world is often satiric and at the expense of people she believes stupid or dull. They do not always pick up on it. She has no time for affectation or anything that resembles it, despite the fact that she is often hypocritical herself. She would say that the fact she is aware of her hypocrisy makes her better than the others.

All the same, she is not wholly obnoxious, though she could do with being taken down a peg or two. She is certainly a clever, engaging and attractive young woman and when she finds somebody worthy of being liked, she loves them wholeheartedly and will champion them unreservedly. The problem is that it happens so very rarely. Perhaps her standards are too high.

[Viola Fitzgerald [Rose]]

((I hope it's ok to put this here!))

Viola's NPCs

Dorothy Greystone

Mrs. Greystone is Viola's maternal aunt. Widowed from a young age and childless, she has lived most of her life on her own in London. Naturally of a gossiping, sociable nature, she is acquainted with most of the important society dames of Town, including the Marchioness of Emerson and the Baroness of Northumberland, and knows all there is to know about London society and its members. However, her increasing age has meant that of recent years she has been more likely to attend a quiet evening of bridge than a lively society ball or dinner. She is more than happy to have her Viola to stay, glad of this one opportunity to be a chaperon and return to more youthful society, though her efforts to see her stubborn niece well married may be a little extreme. Her male escort to events tends to be a certain Major Wallace, a friend of her late husband's. The Major is an eldery, deaf old man with a passion for trout fishing, and their closeness is somewhat inexplicable, but nobody would dare question it and there are some who might wonder if Mrs. Greystone might not in the fullness of time become Mrs. Wallace- surely it would be more convenient for all parties.

Thomas

Thomas is a groom in Mrs. Greystone's household, currently employed to chaperon Lady Viola on her rides. He is a pimply, unprepossessing youth of 16, unfortunately terrified of horses, who was employed because his father, before his death in an unfortunate accident three years previously involving a farrier's anvil, a leather bridle and two bales of hay (it was a traumatic event for all involved you may be sure), had also been a groom.

Caroline

Viola's lady's maid. A native of Yorkshire, Caroline grew up in the village of Rotherham and was employed by the Earl since the age of 10. Now 20, she is a plump, attractive, down-to-earth red-head. Viola knows she could have exchanged her for any number of French maids since her debut, but Caroline's discretion, dry humour, natural flair for fashion and familiarity with the family has recommended her to her mistress and she is in no hurry to part with her.

[Viola Fitzgerald [Rose]]

Relationships

Family
Fitzgerald, Cordelia (not-in-game): Not much love between the sister-in-laws. Cordelia looks down on Viola as a spinster, and Viola finds Cordelia cold. A polite and outwardly respectful relationship exists however.
Fitzgerald, Madeleine (not-in-game): Viola has a warm relationship with her mother, though not really in each other's confidence.
Fitzgerald, Olivia (Rose): A close sibling relationship, though obviously not without disagreements.
Fitzgerald, Richard Snr. (not-in-game): Affection between father and daughter, but Viola has sometimes felt under pressure to be the "perfect eldest daughter".
Fitzgerald, Richard Jnr. (not-in-game): Viola's least close sibling. Richard is more serious and driven than her other siblings and sometimes patronises her. However, there is affection between them.
Fitzgerald, Robert (not-in-game): Viola's favourite brother. They are close in temperament and intelligence and have a close and loving relationship. Viola worries about him a great deal when he is away in the wars.
Greystone, Dorothy (NPC): A good deal of affection but Viola sometimes feels stifled by her aunt's well meaning attempts to see her “well-settled”.

Friends
Dalrymple, Arthur (Vikki): An old dancing partner and friend. Neither has been romantically interested in the other and Viola considers him one of her oldest friends.
Devenish, Charlie (Rose): Almost a younger brother to Viola. Very close- grew up together. Viola loves to tease him. She is rather used to dominating him.
Edgeworth, Cassandra (Francesca): Knew Cassandra from a young age due to proximity of estates. Not very close due to age gap.
Edgeworth, Tristan (Francesca): Remembers him as a boy climbing trees with Charlie and her brothers. Not seen him in years.
Fairmont, Marcus (Alexandra): Old dancing partners. Enjoyed flirting together. Marcus eventually proposed marriage in Viola's third season, which she rejected. Still, their goodnatured relationship prevented there being too much bad feeling.
Fairmont, Rosalind (Alexandra): Met once or twice when her brother was in London but she was not out at the time so Viola has little recollection. Likes her and hopes she will become a friend.
Grove, Patrick (Katherine): A dance partner. Viola likes him and the feeling is mutual as there is no romantic interest between them.
Hampton, Elise (Lin): Has met her twice now and likes her. Feels a little protective of her as she is younger.
Haworth, Georgiana (Vikki): Met her a couple of times but likes her sense and her humour. Hopes she will become a good friend.
Layton, Henry (Rose): Old friend and flirting partner but he never courted her.
Pritchard, Gabriel (Lin): Met several times now and gets on very well with him. Thinks he's attractive but hardly in love with him. Finds him surprisingly easy to confide in.
Stapleton, Geoffrey (Shar): Her best friend from London. The only person to know his secret identity as an author. Trusts his judgement more than anybody else's. Never been in love with him, though he was with her.
Staunton, Felicity (Betsy): Met at picnic. Likes her a lot and hopes to become friends.
Trevethyn, Alexander (Cosmo): Another dancing/flirting partner with no serious romantic interest.

Acquaintances
Bromley, Anne (Chrystal-Lee): Seen around in town and probably been introduced. Has some sympathy for her situation but not much patience with her attitude.
Buckingham, Christiana (Nadia): Met once at Almack's. Seems nice. Would be happy to know more of her.
Clarke, Emily (JoLynn): Met at picnic. Doesn't like her much.
Hackett, George (Rose): Met once or twice in society. Thinks him dull as ditchwater.
Fforde, Harriet (Shar): Knows her at sight and the odd conversation. Finds her engagement to Arthur a mystery and inclined to dislike her on his account.
Fotherington, Mark (Shar): Dancing partners. A bit of flirtation. Doesn't know him that well.
Gosling, William (Alexandra): Told to keep away from him by her mother because of his rakish qualities, but finds she rather likes him.
Haworth, Clarence (Shar): Thinks he's a bit stuffy and gets the impression he doesn't approve of her. Still, that his wife seems to like him is in his favour!
Landon, Juliet (Izzie): Met at picnic. Doesn't see what the fuss is about.
Leveson, Amelia (Jen): Met at picnic. Thinks she is silly and giggly.
Leveson, Sylvester (Jen): Met at picnic. Another wannabe rakes. *rolls eyes*
Pritchard, Charity (Lin): Met once and liked. Hopes she will become a friend.
Quartermaine, Demelza (Vikki): Has met several times and rather admires her (from a distance) but knows the feeling isn't mutual.
Sterne, Thomas (Aida): Danced with once though seen him around many times. Doesn't like his attitude to her and is suspicious, though warmed up to him once he stopped trying to flirt with her.
Tolson, Charlotte (Izzie): Met at picnic. Quite likes her modesty but doesn't really know her.
Trevethyn, Mireille (Cosmo): Met once. Approved of her as a companion in society but did not completely warm to her, at least not at first. Would like to meet her children.
Werlington, Daphne (Lin): Met her a few times when she was first in society.

Suitors/Lovers
Fairmont, Marcus (Alexandra): See “Friends”
Hopkins-Lawrence, Francis (Liz): Met once and is pretty sure he is going to propose to her soon. Thinks he's an idiot.
Stapleton, Geoffrey (Shar): See “Friends”

Enemies/rivals
Hissop, Julia (Liddell): Fellow debutante and rival. Married the Duke Viola refused. They still make snide comments at each other.
Pritchard, Blake (Lin): Has not been able to meet without being insulted. Absolutely loathes him. That he is rather attractive only fuels her fury. Hardly on speaking terms.

Please don't post plotting here. If any of this information seems wrong, or if I have missed anybody off, please PM me.

Updated 17/08/09.

[Viola Fitzgerald [Rose]]

Thread Tracking

Monday 8th April

AM
A midday walk with a purpose: Viola, David Boyd
Viola goes riding in Hyde Park and meets a family friend from home.

Morning calls: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Charity Pritchard, Elise Hampton, Blake Pritchard, Lady Emerson, Georgiana Howarth
Viola makes morning calls on a friend of her aunt's. She gets along well enough with Charity and Elise but does not hit it off with Lord Emerson at all. He noticeably fails to ask her to dance at Almack's. She meets Lady Louth for the first time.

Letters to Olivia: Viola, Olivia
Viola sends and receives letters with her sister.

EVENING
Supper time: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Major Wallace
Viola endures supper with her aunt and her aunt's escort.

Hold hands with temptation: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Sebastian Debenham, Violet Edgerton, Geoffrey Stapleton
Viola arrives at the theatre in a bad mood, catches the eye of a moody aristocrat, finds him less interesting than supposed, is forced into conversation with a sulky debutante and is finally rescued by her dearest friend, Geoffrey whom she hasn't seen for three years.

Viola's box: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Geoffrey Stapleton
Viola invites Geoffrey to sit with her during the play. They catch up.

Intermission: Viola, Geoffrey Stapleton, Georgiana Howarth, Clarence Howarth, Arthur Dalrymple
In the interval Viola meets her friends (and the Louths properly for the first time) where they discuss the play and make fun of Miss Edgerton.

Tuesday 9th April

AM
Dodging the showers: Viola, Elise Hampton, Gabriel Pritchard, Francis Hopkins-Lawrence
Viola meets Elise and Gabriel riding in Hyde Park. They get along and then Elise introduces Viola to Francis whom she very much hope is not going to fall in love with her. Gabriel escorts her home and they become firm friends.

PM
Afternoon: Viola, Mireille Trevethyn
Viola buys Sense and Sensibility and is offended by Lady Brenchley not speaking to her.

Wednesday 10th April

AM
Morning calls: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Georgiana Howarth, Geoffrey Stapleton, Charlie, Mireille Trevethyn
Viola receives morning calls. She gossips with Georgiana and Geoffrey before Charlie arrives from Yorkshire. He brings a note from Lord Emerson. Afterwards Lady Brenchley calls. They talk about children and Viola likes her a bit better.

ALMACK'S
Mrs. Greystone's party arrives: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Julia Hissop, Charlie, Gabriel Pritchard
Viola arrives at Almack's, sees her society rival from three years ago and enjoys meeting Gabriel again, though finds him a little bit immature.

She wonders...?: Viola, Gabriel Pritchard, Charity Pritchard, Georgiana Howarth, Clarence Howarth, Arthur Dalrymple
Viola and Gabriel meet up with Charity, Arthur and the Louths. Then they swap partners and go dance.

First dance - Public Opinions: Viola, Arthur Dalrymple, Charlie, Thomas Sterne
Viola dances with Arthur. They generally get on well apart from when Harriet Fforde comes up. Viola meets Captain Sterne.

Hit and Miss - third dance: Viola, Thomas Sterne
Viola dances with Thomas. She doesn't like him and his attempts to flirt with her. Nevertheless he confides his engagement to her.

Twirling the fourth set: Viola, Gabriel Pritchard, Thomas Sterne, Blake Pritchard
Viola dances with Gabriel in which they discuss marriage. They are approached by Blake at the end. Awkwardness ensues.

The Prince's Snuffbox, 5th dance: Viola, Tristan Edgeworth
Viola catches up with her old friend from home Lord Latimer. She discovers that his sister is debuting and that his mother's had another baby.

Yon Town, 6th dance: Viola, Francis Hopkins-Lawrence
Viola does not like Mr. Hopkins-Lawrence but finds it hard to be horrible to him during the dance.

Out of place - eighth dance: Viola, Edouard Loring
Viola dances with Lord Denholme. She thinks he is handsome but rather intense. She doesn't understand half of what he's talking about.

Every savage can dance, 1oth dance: Viola, Blake Pritchard
Viola's long dreaded dance with Blake. It is painful. They go into supper together. It is also painful. Yet kind of fun...

The clock struck twelve, 13th dance: Viola, Marcus Fairmont, Rosalind Fairmont
Viola dances with her old suitor Lord Foxford and is relieved he doesn't seem still interested in her. She meets his sister for the first time.

Thursday 11th April

AM
Roses say I'm sorry; candies say I love you; tulips...?: Viola, Gabriel Pritchard
Viola receives flowers from Gabriel. She acknowledges that she is attracted to Blake.

A splash of purple: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Marcus Fairmont, Rosalind Fairmont
Viola receives flowers from Lord Foxford and an invitation to a picnic from his sister.

Morning after the night before: Viola, Mrs. Greystone, Thomas Sterne, Francis Hopkins-Lawrence
Viola is forced to talk to Captain Sterne again. He tells her his engagement is broken off. Mr. Hopkins-Lawrence calls and gives her chocolates.

PM
Picnic party in the park: Viola, Rosalind Fairmont, Juliet Landon, Charlotte Tolson, Amelia Leveson, Marcus Fairmont, Sylvester Leveson, Felicity Staunton, Emily Clarke
Viola attends Lady Rosalind's picnic and meets lots of rather uninteresting debutantes. She quite likes Miss Tolson however. Very good food.

New acquaintances: Viola, Rosalind Fairmont, Felicity Staunton, Emily Clarke, Amelia Leveson, Geoffrey Stapleton
Viola, Rosalind and Felicity break away from the rest of the picnickers to be snarky. But they are soon followed by Miss Clarke and Lady Amelia. Before things can get too bad, however, Geoffrey appears.

A Surfeit of Suitors: Viola, Geoffrey Stapleton, Francis Hopkins-Lawrence, Blake Pritchard
Viola and Geoffrey leave the picnic and walk towards Viola's coach when they bump into Mr. Hopkins-Lawrence. Then Blake drives up. Poor Viola.

Sunday, 14th April

AM
St. George's, Hanover Square: Easter Sunday: Most people, specifically Viola, Olivia Fitzgerald, Charlie Devenish, Henry Layton, William Gosling
Church service.

After the service: Viola, Henry Layton, William Gosling, Julia Hissop
Outside the church, Henry and Viola try to catch up, Viola's introduced to William Gosling and then sees her society rival Julia.

Updated 17/08/09.