Delilah Witherington
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| Portrayed by Lindsay | |
| Full Name | Delilah Anne Witherington |
|---|---|
| Associated Noble House(s) | Baron Caldwell |
| Date of Birth | February 8th 1786 |
| Father | Virgil Thomas Witherington |
| Father's Rank | Baron |
| Mother | Louise Anne Witherington (nee Prommett) |
| Mother's Rank | Baroness |
| Town Residence | {{{residence}}} |
| Year of Debut | 1804 |
| Dowry | Minuscule |
Delilah Witherington is a former character, played by Lindsay.
Family
- Virgil Thomas Witherington; Baron Caldwell (father, b. 1751)
- Louise Anne Witherington, nee Prommett; Baroness Caldwell (mother, b. 1757, d. 1786)
- Thaddeus Roland Witherington (brother, b. 1779)
- Philomena Avis Prommett (aunt, b. 1747)
Background
Delilah Witherington's childhood was not a pleasant one, starting at the exact moment of her birth. Though complications during labor are not uncommon, Delilah's brother, Thaddeus, firmly believes that she was the cause of their mother's untimely death, or as he would less delicately put it - Delilah murdered her. And while her dear father would never utter something as horrid, sometimes she wonders whether he also believes this to be true.
With her mother deceased, her father's behavior quickly began to spiral out of control. First with drink and then with gambling. Barely two years had passed and Lord Caldwell had accumulated a rather tidy debt. With no other options left, he was forced to allow Delilah's Aunt Philomena - a cold woman not noted for her nurturing ways - to care for the children as governess in exchange for room and board. Her father had never been fond of his wife's elder sister and now that she would be living under the same roof as him, he managed to spend less time at home. As a result, Delilah's relationship with her father began to disintegrate.
Secluded from much of society, Delilah did not have many playmates and was not encouraged to foster an imagination. Her education continued at home and she was never sent off to seminary, though naturally her father found means for Thaddeus to attend university. Despite this being the natural way of the world, she held a grudge against her father for it, believing that Thaddeus is and always would be his favorite child.
Around Delilah's thirteen birthday, her grandfather passed away, allowing her father to inherit the title and his estate. She was fascinated by her grandfather's library and often would sneak out of bed in the middle of the night to read through his large collection on a variety of subjects not considered suitable for ladies. Books soon became her only escape from her miserable home life, in which she was neglected by her father and practically tortured by her brother, and despite the strict upbringing from her governess aunt, Delilah allowed herself to become entranced through her secret studies.
When Delilah debuted in London, the year she turned eighteen, her dowry was quite minuscule, though she was thankful that her father had saved something for her at all. Her sharp tongue and haughty manner (her only means of defense from Thaddeus and Aunt Phil) quickly had much of society looking down on her, and she was certainly not considered a diamond of the first water. Before long, Delilah's season had come and past and it was obvious to all that she was such unsuitable marriage material that could they have even afforded her another season, they would have chosen against it.
Over the years, her father's health has started to decline and as Thaddeus' inheritance seems to draw closer as well as Delilah's evident spinsterhood, he has made it quite clear that he will not provide adequate income for his sister, based on the large debts accumulated by their father, and that she must find a means to her own survival by her twenty-sixth birthday.
Physical Description
Delilah is rather plain and average looking by most standards. Even standing on her tippy-toes, she barely manages to reach an even five foot and her figure is neither curvaceous nor shapely, much more comparable to a wooden board. She finds her dull brown hair to be rather unmanageable at most times and firmly believes the only appealing trait about herself is the color of her eyes, which are an icy shade of green.
Personality
The first word that comes to mind when asked to describe Delilah would be shrewd. There is nothing around her that she does not observe and take in, processing all the tiny scraps of information she gleans as to how she can use them to her advantage at a later time. Her curious nature has landed her in trouble quite often, as well as her tendency to speak whatever it is that is on her mind.
Though Delilah is not above lying to get things done to her standards and prefers this method to most, she has an uncanny knack for speaking the truth with such an innocence about her that it is almost possible to believe she means to malice to others with her words. That is until she allows her temper to get the best of her and lashes out that razor-sharp tongue of hers.
Because of her abundance of snide comments, one should be wary of a conversation with her unless they 1) possess a heart of steel 2) have knowledge or information she wishes for herself or 3) do not care how poorly others may look upon them for conversing with someone of such poor manners as Delilah.
Her upbringing may not have been the best, but due to her own endeavors, she is rather knowledgeable. She loves learning, though often times forgets, nay neglects to keep much of her intelligence under wraps. Delilah would prefer to be known as a beastly woman with a keen mind than have her intellect wasted away on things of trivial female nature.
Delilah has a perverse sense of humor and enjoys toying with others, whether it be their minds or their emotions. While her personal experiences with the opposite sex are rather limited, she is a quick study from simply observing the actions of others. What she lacks for in appearance, she is more than capable of making up for with her unbecoming flirtatious behavior.
Despite her hard outer shell, there is a softer side to Delilah Witherington, though she would be loathe to admit this well-kept secret to anyone. There are very few who have seen her showing moments of tenderness that were not directly related somehow to her own benefit. But, if one were to take the time to break down the walls she has placed around her heart, they would find a very vulnerable child yearning for someone to love, and who in return would love her unconditionally.
She's currently in London with her Aunt Phil, visiting some relatives and is supposed to be actively seeking employment as a lady's companion as her family believes no man in his right mind would marry her. She plans to prove them wrong.