Dorothea Darling

Dorothea Darling

Portrayed by Frances O'Connor
Full Name	Dorothea Darling, Lady Flemming
Associated Noble House(s)	Viscountcy of Flemming
Date of Birth	5th September 1779
Father	Zachariah Scarborough
Father's Rank	The Honourable
Mother	Josephine Scarborough (nee Huntsman)
Mother's Rank	Lady
Town Residence	2 Cavendish Square
Year of Debut	1795
Dowry
Year of Marriage	1798
Spouse	Xavier Darling
Spouse's Rank	Viscount Flemming
Issue	Henrietta (1800), Christopher (1800), Diana (1801)

Dorothea, known to family and very close friends as Dot, is the middle child and eldest daughter of Zachariah Scarborough (the younger son of the Baron of Bathurst) and his wife Josephine. She is acting as chaperone to Miss Emily Grey, her first time in this role. She is very capable, her niche in the family being that of the organiser. She is played by Sharpie.

Family

The Darlings

Lady Flemming and her twin son and daughter, c. 1810

Xavier Darling, Viscount Flemming - Husband

Henrietta Darling, Daughter (b. 1800)

Christopher Darling, Son (b. 1800)

Diana Darling, Daughter (b. 1801)

The Scarboroughs

Zachariah Scarborough - Father, d. 1806

Josephine Scarborough (nee Huntsman) - Mother

Nathaniel Scarborough - Brother

Uriah Scarborough, Baron Bathurst - Paternal Uncle

Agnes Scarborough, Baroness Bathurst - Aunt

Edward Scarborough - Cousin, d. 1810

The Greys Emily Grey - Cousin to Xavier Darling, protégée of Dorothea

The Leiths

Leonora Leith (nee Scarborough) - Sister

Quentin Leith, future Viscount Banbury - Brother-in-law

Thomas Leith - Brother-in-law

Anna Leith, Niece (b. 1801)

Baldwin Leith, Nephew (b. 1803)

Gilbert Leith, Nephew (b. 1804)

Percy Leith, Nephew (b. 1807)

Esther Leith, Niece (b. 1811)

Childhood (1779-1795)

Dot grew up on the family's estate in Devon, the middle child of three. Her childhood was a happy one, although Dot suffered the classic 'middle child syndrome': Her brother is the eldest and the sole male heir and her sister was the family beauty, so Dot carved out a niche for herself as the organiser who needs to be needed.

Two things happened in 1795 that brought an end to Dot's carefree childhood: Her brother Nate was accepted into the Navy as a midshipman, and Dot made her debut in Bath (a much closer place than London).

Bath and Marriage

During her come-out season in Bath, Dot was courted by a young officer of the _th Foot, who was attentive and personable. He proposed to her, offering to take her to Gretna Green if her parents would not approve the match, which made her realise how unsuitable their personalities were. Not long after this, she was introduced to Xavier Darling, Viscount Flemming. They were married by the end of the Season, Dot returning with him to his home of Loxwood Park.

Personality

Dorothea has always been the type of person who tries to organise those around her. She began this habit when relatively young, which her mother was glad to allow her to do.

She is relatively close to her older brother, although that closeness is demonstrated on his side by his teasing and on her side by her trying to organise his life according to her pre-defined notions. She wants those around her to be happy, and tries to create that happiness in her own way.

She runs her own home with the efficiency that has come to characterise her, creating a peaceful haven in a house where everyone knows their place and the staff are expected to keep to the mistress' high standards. She is a great believer in the saying 'a place for every thing, and every thing in its place', and tries to apply this wherever she goes.

Her great hope is that her brother, especially, will settle down and make a good match, and she already has designs on throwing Nate and Miss Grey together in the hope that they may discover a mutual liking and respect for each other, which will settle two not-quite problems in one neat package.

Dorothea is a fond mother to her three children and wants the best for them, as every mother does, although she has decided that they are old enough to be left at home at the family's country estate in the care of their governess while she joins her brother at his residence in Town.

She cares deeply for those around her, which shows in the way that she manages them – or rather, the way that she does her best to manage them. Despite the fact that both her husband and her brother are older than she is, Dorothea treats them both somewhat as though they are over-grown children and she is their indulgent mother... at least, when it comes to their activities in the house and among their social circle.

Dorothea is not always as serious as she may seem to be at first, having a lively sense of humour, and she appreciates a good joke in the correct time and place. Her humour asserts itself mostly in dry wit, told with a straight face and the only hint that she may be joking is the amused gleam in her eyes.

She carries herself with that poise and elegance that comes from her confidence in herself and the position she holds in Society. She is a keen hostess and looks forward to entering Society as a matron with the responsibility of bringing Miss Grey out as a suitable match for some young gentleman. She enjoys the social whirl very much indeed when she is in Town, preferring to have people around her rather than sit in solitude, and does not understand why other people would choose to hide themselves away with a novel rather than take part in the dinner-parties and card-parties she herself enjoys.

The Season of 1811

This is Dot's first Season in Town in some years, and she is looking forward to it, although not without a little trepidation, as she is chaperoning Emily Grey, a cousin of her husband's. She is determined to make the best match she can for her charge.

She is also concerned about her brother and hopes that he will come to an understanding with a suitable girl - maybe even Miss Grey.

Threads

29th April

• The Descent Dot and Emily arrive in London

30th April

• A visitor plus two Nate, Dot and Emily call on Imogen Rathbone and the Countess of Huntingdon
• Nate has a nightmare

1st May

• Talk of paint and paper A conversation between Dot and Emily
• Amongst the Porcelain
• Save a Dance for me At Almack's

2nd May

• The Mad Hatter's party Dot and Nate talk
• A spy of the domestic persausion Dot takes advantage of Nate's absence...

3rd May

• Calling on a Countess Dot calls on Lady Carrington
• Life imitates art far more than art imitates life Dot meets Mr Bartram

5th May

• Sunday finery After church on Sunday

6th May

• Coffee, kippers and Tatler tattle Conversation over breakfast
• One lady calling Dot calls on the Duchess of Pennington
• Surpassing the love of women Dot eavesdrops on Nate and Charles Banbury

7th May

• the morning after the night before Dot confronts Nate
• Starting on a high note Dinner at Emerson House before heading to the opera
• No sleep till Berkeley Square Conversation with Nate and Victor Kincaide
• [1] The Heir, his sister, the Countess and the country miss] Conversation between Nate, Kate, Dot and Emily

8th May

• Send me into a dream, a dance Lord Gabriel Pritchard asks to dance with Emily

9th May

• Walk of Shame Nate returns home after a night at Charlie Banbury's and is caught out
• Nerves and jitters Charlie Banbury calls on Dot
• Compose yourself Demelza Quartermaine and her niece call

10th May

• Exit stage right, pursued by a bear Nate and Dot discuss costumes for the upcoming ball
• Uneasy silences are hard to fill The guests arrive for dinner
• Conversation over the dinner table The dinner party

11th May

• Domestic felicity or sibling melancholy Dot learns of Nate's quarrel with Charlie Banbury
• To Cmdr Banbury Dot sends a note to Charlie
• Mending and rebuilding Charlie calls on Nate with potentially disastrous consequences

13th May

• A party of pleasure A trip to Greenwich with Nate, Emily, Lady Carrington and Captain Stephen Brydges
• A party of three Conversation with Dot, Nate and Kate

16th May

• They have their exits and their entrances Arriving at the Fitzgerald Ball
• Time for the Reckoning Conversation between Emily and Dot
• Dance your cares away Captain Arthur Cartwright
• One chum, two chums, old chums, new chums Conversation with Frederick and Sophia Lazenby, Nate and Dot

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