Rumors

Currently Circulating Rumors regarding London's elite can be found here (sorted by character's surname). Some rumors are rated on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being known by everyone including the subjects themselves and 1 being known by almost no one, except perhaps the rumor starter himself. Others have no rating and are considered well known. Ratings are flexible and may be edited at will. For additional fun, try mixing and matching characters and rumors.  ;)

Remember: These are rumors. Some of these rumors are completely true, others are only partially true, while still others completely false.

Annabelle Beacham

Belle's father was an admiral in the navy. He was actually a bit of a war hero, distinguished himself in the American Revolution. (Rated 7)

Stephen Brydges

Stephen probably had his name in the papers off and on, so anyone who bothered to read those sections on naval developments might recognize his name. (Rated 6)

Arthur Dalrymple

The fact that he has a broken engagement is widely known. (Rated 10)
The circumstances of Arthur's broken engagement are unknown. (Rated 1)
Who broke off the engagement is also a secret. (Rated 1)

Anthony Dunford

Anthony Dunford has a two-year-old son in Jamaica. (Rated 6)
(In Conjunction with Above) His name is James (Rated 4)
(Alternative to Above) His name is George. (Rated 5)
(In Conjunction with Above): Anthony Dunford was married in Jamaica, but his poor wife died of a fever. (Rated 3)
(Alternative to Above): Anthony Dunford was married in Jamaica, but following the deaths of his father and brother, his wife was deemed unsuitable by the duchess and paid a substantial sum to get lost at sea. (Rated 3)

Elizabeth Dunford

Lizzie Dunford was expelled from seminary after taking up with a footman. (Rated 6)
Lizzie Dunford was secretly engaged last summer to Mr. Charles Johnson, of Kent. (Rated 2)
Lizzie Dunford has absolutely no intention whatsoever of marrying this Season, despite all her minxlike flirtatious looks.

Marcus Fairmont

Marcus raced a lady on horseback through Kensington Gardens (Rated 7). The lady was blonde. (Rated 5).
Marcus still carries a torch for Viola Fitzgerald (rated 4), for Claudia Morton (rated 2).
Marcus' mother Camilla is sick of greiving the loss of her much loved husband and would like to move on with a new lover. (Rated 3)
Marcus would have proposed to Miss Grace Torrington but his best friend Jack O’Donaghue beat him to it and the girl, eager to be married, accepted. (Rated 5)

Rosalind Fairmont

Rosalind Fairmont is taking her sweet time in finding a husband because no one is good enough compared to the gentleman she loves back home in Ireland. (Rated 5)
(In Conjunction with Above) He's a handsome stablehand. (Rated 4)
(Alternative to Above) He's a dashing friend of her deceased father. (Rated 5)
Rosalind's mother Camilla is sick of greiving the loss of her much loved husband and would like to move on with a new lover. (Rated 3)

Olivia Fitzgerald

Olivia is in love with her country neighbour, Sir William Devenish. (Rated 1)
Olivia is in love with her country neighbour, Charlie Devenish. (Rated 4)

Viola Fitzgerald

Reasons for Viola's three year absence from the London season and decision not to marry include:
She had an affair with Geoffrey Stapleton (rated 8);
She has a love child with Geoffrey Stapleton in the country (rated 4);
Her family has lost all its money (rated 7).
Francis Hopkins-Lawrence proposed to Lady Viola Fitzgerald at her musicale. (Rated 7)
She murdered her best friend Lady Priscilla (who died in childbirth) because she was in love with Priscilla's husband. (Rated 6)
She was married by proxy in youth to a foreign royal and has been waiting for her husband to return to claim her. (Rated 6)
Viola and Julia, Duchess of Pennington mutually hate each other. (Rated 9)

Hugo Fotherington

Hugo may be getting a promotion soon (Rated 8)
Hugo is home from Spain due to some backfired prank (Rated 7)
Hugo is hiding from some señorita's family (Rated 4).

Rebecca Garrison

Rebecca is not married because she suffers from some kind of delicate ailment and can never bear children. (Rated 2)
Rebecca is married and has three children. She has abdicated from that dreary life, leaving the children with her sister, and has run away to start fresh with the Groves.

Nicholas Gosling

Nicholas Gosling has a daughter tucked away in his family estate (Rated 3)
(In Conjunction with Above): Her name is Nichola. (Rated 2)
(Alternative to Above): Her name is Violet. (Rated 2)
Nicholas likes blondes. (Rated 10)

Cassandra Gosling

Cassandra died of a broken heart when she discovered her husband's mistress. (Rated 3)

William Gosling

William Gosling has an illegitimate son. (Rated 8)
William Gosling has an illegitimate son who is currently in Town with his mother. And William doesn't know yet. (Rated 3)
William Gosling is sleeping with two women. Who are both married. And are sisters. (Rated 7)
William Gosling is sleeping with the very newly widowed Lady Eliza Atwood/his landlord's wife Mrs. Kirk/an unknown Marchioness/all of the above (Rated 7)
Lady Pike's young twins are not Lord Pike's, but actually the offsrping of William Gosling. (Rated 6)
Will Gosling belongs to an exclusive, underground society consisting of nobles from across the country. They practice bizarre rituals and indulge in general debauchery. (Rated 6)
William Gosling ruined Anniemarie Thwaites, the rich little ward of old Lord Locklere, sometime during the week of April 14th. (Rated 5)

Julianne Grafton

Julianne had an affair with a country squire's son. (Rated 5)
(In Conjunction With Above) Julianne was ruined by the squire's son. (Rated 3)
Julianne is the illegitimate daughter of Lady Raulings and a Russian archduke. (Rated 2)
Julianne is engaged in a social battle with Lady Juliet Landon (Rated 8).

Benjamin Grove

The Marquess of Pendleston, though a good man, is quite obviously and rapidly losing his mind. (Rated 3)

Patrick Grove

The Grove family is relying on Patrick to lead them now and that he doesn't really want to. (Rated 5)
He's come to London with the idea of perhaps finding a wife. (Rated 6)
He came to London to escape an entanglement with a friend's sister. (Rated 5)

Penelope Grove

Penelope is the author behind several popular novels. (Rated 2)

George Hackett

George Hackett has come to London to look for a wife. (Rated 10)
George's father is dying. (Rated 8)
George got entangled with a woman whilst in Italy. (Rated 4)
George is having an affair with a married lady. (Rated 1)

Georgiana Haworth

Georgiana is pregnant. (Currently rated 2)

Julia Hissop

Julia accepted the Duke of Pennington's offer of marriage mere weeks after he was rejected by her society rival, Lady Viola Fitzgerald. (Rated 8)

Victor Kincaide

It's no real secret that Victor is on the lookout for a bride. (Rated 9)

Juliet Landon

Lady Juliet Landon has formed an army of debutante warriors to fight against Lady Julianne Grafton in the battle for the title incomparable. (New recruits welcome) (Rated 7)

Henry Layton (deceased)

The first Lord Parry was murdered. (Rated 4)
The first Lord Parry is still alive. (Rated 3)
The first Lord Parry worked as a spy against the French. (Rated 2)
The first Lord Parry worked as a spy for the French. (Rated 2)
The first Lord Parry had an affair with Lady Emerson. Who is French. (Rated 3)

Henry Layton

Henry enjoys reading philosophy. (Rated 9)
Henry is a spy. (Rated 2)
Henry has sung professionally on the stage. (Rated 5)
Henry is in love with Charity Pritchard. (Rated 4)
Henry is in love with Viola Fitzgerald. (Rated 5)
Henry is in love with Henry. (Rated 10)

Phoebe Layton

Lady Phoebe converted to Catholicism and resides happily in a convent in Bavaria. (Rated 8)
Lady Phoebe lost her character in her first season and keeps a faro-bank in Edinburgh with her widowed sister, Lady Kirkfries. (Rated 7)
Lady Phoebe is locked up in Crantock Abbey by her evil great-uncle the Marquess of Crantock where she is forced to eat rats. Her brother visits her once a year. (Rated 6)
Lady Phoebe was won off her brother in a card game by a dashing Italian Count. She is locked up in his castle in the Appenines. (Rated 4)
Lady Phoebe is a French spy. (Rated 4)
Lady Phoebe was kidnapped by pirates and sold to a sultan as his fortieth wife. (Rated 2)

Jane Middleton

The former Lord Essex, Henry Sterne, sold his daughter to a merchant in exchange for his debts, and then the shame made him commit suicide. (Rated 5)

Oscar Moncrieff

Lord Avening has a bride in Asia, the daughter of a Mongolian chieftain, whom he has left behind but is in correspondence with. (Rated 5)

Daniel Rossington

Lord Daniel Rossington's sudden absence from England last season had nothing to do with his desire to tour the continent, but instead over heartbreak. (Rated 8)
His sister-in-law, the Duchess of Welby, died just before his departure (Rated 10).
Lord Daniel Rossington has at least one illegitimate child running around Europe. (Rated 6).
(In Conjunction With Above) The boy has been rumoured to live either in Germany, Italy and France. (Rated 5).
(In Conjunction With Above) His name changes between Matthew and Richard. (Rated 5).

Walter Roydon

Though there have been rumours of duels, no one can produce bodies or injuries to account for Walter's having fought anyone on any account. (Rated 8)
Walter Roydon has various illegitimate children. Estimates range between 3 and 30. (Rated 10)
(In Conjunction with Above): One of them is William Gosling.

Geoffrey Stapleton

Geoffrey has a private income. (Rated 7)
Geoffrey is the real identity of popular novelist Adam Lane. (Rated 1)
Geoffrey has a peculiar skin disease that means he rarely removes his gloves. (Rated 3)
Geoffrey is in love with Viola Fitzgerald (rated 9); had an affair with her (rated 8); has married her in secret (rated 3); has a love child with her (rated 4).

Felicity Staunton

Felicity has no fortune to speak of. (Rated 7) Felicity is always snappy at Marcus Fairmont because she is secretly in love with him (Rated 3)

Katharine Steele

Katharine Steele is back in town not only for her sister's debut but also for a new husband herself. (Rated 6)
Katharine Steele is back in town not only for her sister's debut but also to take a lover. (Rated 6)
Katherine Steele has certain talents that would drive many men out of their wits. ;) (Rated 1 in polite society; closer to 4 or 5 in less genteel company.)

Thomas Sterne

Captain Sterne has killed a man in a duel. (Rated 8)
Thomas' brother Richard is a very mysterious and reclusive man who spends most of his time traveling to exotic locations. (Rated 8)
(Alternative to Above): In one of his trips, Lord Essex contracted an unknown disease which has rendered him quite mad. (Rated 6).

James Tibbord

Old Mr. Tibbord was murdered because he threatened to expose a competitor's involvement in a smuggling ring. (Rated 5)

Charlotte Tolson

Miss Charlotte Tolson has been romantically linked to much of English society in India (receiving at least 3 proposals!), and has also been linked to members outside of Anglo-Indian society. (Rated 7)
Charlotte was the belle of Bombay society. (Rated 5)
(In Conjunction with Above): But that was India and who really cares about that in London? (Rated 4)

Edward Tolson

Mr. Edward Tolson had once considered abandoning his title and wealth to join the East India Company as a soldier, but as the only son of the current Baron Middleton, had been forcefully coerced out of such a path. (Rated 7)
Edward was so loathe to leave India as he had fallen in love with a native, the daughter of his Amah.

Louisa Westcott

Louisa has a background in trade. (Rated 6)
Lousia's marriage is already an unhappy one, with no romance at all except Louisa's love affair with interior decorating fabrics. (Rated 1)

Helena Wriothesley

Croquembouche is the sole descendant of Marie Antoinette's favourite King Charles Spaniel. (Rated 2)