Louisa Westcott
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| Portrayed by Christina Cole | |
| Full Name | Louisa Westcott (nee Marcham) |
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| Associated Noble House(s) | Barony of Wadebridge |
| Date of Birth | January 13th, 1790 |
| Father | George Marcham |
| Father's Rank | Gentleman |
| Mother | Harriet Marcham (nee Gregson) |
| Mother's Rank | Gentleman's wife |
| Town Residence | Wadebridge House |
| Year of Debut | 1807 |
| Dowry | £25,000 |
| Year of Marriage | 1808 |
| Spouse | Matthew Westcott |
| Spouse's Rank | Baron Wadebridge |
| Issue | none |
Louisa Westcott, Lady Wadebridge, began life as the daughter of a wealthy tea merchant and his wife. Due to fortunate circumstances, she was lucky enough to obtain, and accept, a proposal from Matthew Westcott, Baron Wadebridge. Unfortunately, their marriage quickly turned sour. Louisa is determined to prove that she is more than just a Cit, and make her mark upon the ton.
Louisa is a retired character played by Betsy
Contents
Family
George Marcham, Father (b. 1750)
Harriet Marcham (nee Gregson), Mother (b. 1762)
Joseph Marcham, Brother (b. 1781)
Caroline Marcham, Sister (b. 1783, d. 1790)
Background
Louisa was born the youngest of three children to George and Harriet Marcham of London. George made his fortune in the tea trade; the family was from no nobility but grew to become very wealthy indeed. Shortly after Louisa was born, her sister Caroline passed away due to an illness. This event caused her parents to coddle her a bit, as they attempted to keep her closer and protect her. Her childhood was very comfortable, with all the niceties expected for a family of sizeable means. She was raised with the expectation that, even though she was not of noble birth, she was just as good as the daughters of earls and viscounts, if not better.
She attended a girls’ seminary in Dorset through her teenage years. She was noted for her excellent elocution, her skills in embroidery, and her very sharp tongue and pert opinions. She took lessons in Italian and French, and enjoyed learning to play the harp. She was a popular girl at school, with many friends. She worked extra hard to exceed all expectations and prove herself an accomplished young lady – even for a girl of no breeding. She debuted in London at the age of 17, and was presented at court under the sponsorship of the Dowager Baroness Craythorne. She attracted very little notice, and never was able to attend Almacks (which caused tears for both Louisa and her mother), despite a very large dowry. She fell in love with a soldier, who soon went away, and she came to realize (with some prodding on her mother’s part) that love was not all there was to consider in life.
At the age of 18, she visited a school friend in Cornwall over the Christmas holiday. While there, she met Matthew Westcott, heir to the barony of Wadebridge, when they were partnered together in a game of cards. She was attracted by his eyes and quiet, brooding demeanor – and he was heir to a lordship. He was very handsome and stately, and his attentions to her were returned in kind. They spent several weeks in each others' company, after which Mathew came to London to propose and ask her father’s permission. They were married on St. Valentine’s Day. Her parents were incredibly pleased, as was she – what did it matter if he had no money at all? He would be a baron, after all, and now she would be a baroness.
But married life was like waking up after a month and a half of dreaming. Her husband’s father died shortly after the wedding, leaving not only the barony to Matthew and Louisa, but care of Matthew’s two sisters, Margaret and Christina, both of whom made their disdain of Louisa clear from the beginning. With the help of Louisa’s dowry, Margaret was married off to a clergyman. Christina continues to live under their care, and Louisa will be chaperoning her through the season.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the new Lord and Lady Wadebridge’s marriage crumbled very quickly. The two barely knew each other to begin with, and the stress of the coming months made the two extraordinarily bitter. They have been known to have giant rows, full of screaming and thrown objects. At the moment, they barely speak to each other.
Physical Description
Louisa is on the short side, just under five feet tall. Her hair is a dark blonde, and her eyes are blue. Her face has a kittenish shape to it, giving her a playful look. She is neither thin, nor plump, but somewhere in the middle. She wears the latest fashions, even those that other women wouldn’t be so daring to try, and is never seen except that she is primped and polished.
Personality
Louisa has always had a quick wit and sharp tongue, though she knows how to hold it. In general, she is very free with her opinion, giving it sometimes without being asked. She is not unpleasant, however, and in fact is a very generous and attentive (perhaps sometimes too attentive) friend. She enjoys being social and fills her days with social calls, luncheons, dinner parties and soirees. She is known as an excellent hostess.
She has always felt that she has to fight to prove she is just as good as the other ladies of the Ton, because of her “Cit” background. She is inordinately proud. She is known to put on plenty of airs and graces, and enjoys dressing in the height of fashion, with the choicest fabrics and jewels in a very affected style. She is not above dropping names in conversation, and makes her connections as widely known as possible. Though she can be a good friend, those who cross her are privy to all her scorn, and she can be a terrible enemy to have. At worst, she can be a shrew.
Her relationship with her husband has devolved so much that it is hard for her to remember a time when she ever loved him. She knows that she liked him well enough to marry him, but the man she is married to now does not resemble the man she married two years ago. All the love she expected fizzled a long time ago, and she has come to accept that he married her not for love, but for her dowry. Her resentment over this is compounded by the fact that he never defends or supports her when his sisters are rude or unkind to her. She feels that she has bought respectability and good breeding for her family, and is pragmatic enough to know that she cannot always have total happiness as well.
She would like to reconcile with her husband, but does not think that is possible; she may take a lover, but she does not think Matthew would turn a blind eye. She feels incredibly trapped, and finds some sort of solace in social outings. She still enjoys needlework, and has a pretty (though untrained ) singing voice. She finds plenty to distract her from her unhappy marriage.
