Eleanor Clare

Eleanor Clare

Portrayed by Felicity Jones
Full Name	Eleanor Catherine Clare
Associated Noble House(s)	Marquessate of Avening
Date of Birth	4th January 1795
Father	Edward Clare
Father's Rank	Gentry
Mother	Catherine Clare (nee Bentley)
Mother's Rank	Gentry
Town Residence	{{{residence}}}
Year of Debut	1812
Dowry	£15,000

Eleanor Clare is the only daughter of Edward and Catherine Clare. She is sixteen years old, has a fortune of £15,000 and is not yet out. Since her father remarried Miss Selina MacAlistair Eleanor has been at boarding school near Bath. She has recently joined her step-mother in London where she has met her guardian, Lord Avening. Eleanor's reserve and painful shyness conceals a keenly intelligent observer.

Family

Edward Clare - father
Catherine Clare (deceased) - mother
Selina Clare - step-mother

Oscar Moncrieff, Marquess of Avening - guardian and paternal second-cousin
Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff - paternal first cousin once removed

Background

Childhood: 1795-1806

Eleanor was born into a happy family, a long desired child. Her father, though ten years older than his wife, was a kind man though not especially clever and his wife all that was sweet and lovely. Mr. Clare was one of the wealthiest men in Somerset, owning Shotley Park, an estate just outside Bath, and his wife the only child of Sir Roland Bentley of Clifton Hall in Kent. When Eleanor was only 4, however, Mrs. Clare died in complications surrounding the birth of Eleanor's younger brother. The boy died a week later as well. From that time on, Eleanor and her father, equally heartbroken, devoted themselves to each other. As Mr. Clare's health worsened and he became afflicted with gout, Eleanor was a source of comfort to him.

As time went on, however, and the Clares visited Bath more often and Eleanor grew older, Mr. Clare began to think of remarrying. His daughter would need a mother when she became a young lady and he began to long for some more grown up companionship. In the Autumn of 1805 he married Miss Selina MacAlistair, a young, pretty and apparently modest young woman who had shown a suitable devotion to his daughter. Eleanor instinctively hated her new step-mother and Mr. Clare was soon persuaded to send her to school.

School: 1806-1811

Eleanor has been at a select seminary for young ladies just outside Bristol since the age of 11. At school she learned all the feminine accomplishments, including dancing, drawing and music. However, her excessive shyness meant that she never became more than competent at anything involving performance. She plays the pianoforte nicely but despite having a tolerable voice, sings very badly. Her drawing again is pretty but nothing extraordinary. She enjoys reading poetry and improving books and has a strong religious conviction. She is also physically tough and rather stronger than her demeanor would suggest. She enjoys outdoor sports such as pall mall.

Eleanor made a few friends with like-minded girls but she was not wildly popular. Her best friend was Rebecca -.

1810 to the present

Mr. Clare died in 1810 while Eleanor was at school. In his will, he left her guardianship to his cousin Lord Avening but he was content to leave her in school and her care to Mrs. Clare. This would have continued at least until summer 1811 and possibly longer depending on how long she spend at school if the seminary had not been struck by an outbreak of diphtheria and forced to close. All healthy girls were sent home and in April 1811 Eleanor was abruptly sent to London to her step-mother.

Since arriving in London she has met her guardian Lord Avening and his sister, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff. Despite not being out, Eleanor found herself included in an invitation to the Brixton House Party because of her connection to Lord Avening. There he proposed that she came and lived with him.

Eleanor did not decide immediately whether to accept Lord Avening's offer, but the decision was forced on her on Wednesday 24th April 1811 when she found Captain Sterne in her step-mother's apartments. Unable to endure living in such circumstances, she ran away and subsequently lived with her guardian and Lady Gwendolyn.

Relationships

Friends

Elise Hampton: Best friend from childhood. Her estate, Jubilee Court was close to Eleanor's grandparents' estate, Clifton Hall. They have not seen each other for many years.

Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff: Eleanor doesn't know her guardian's sister very well yet but she is inclined to like her and looks forward to spending more time with her.

Lady Imogen Rathbone: Lady Imogen always seemed a friend of her step-mother's in Bath but here in London, Eleanor finds her quiet good humour very pleasing.

Lady Elizabeth Dunford: Eleanor doesn't know her well yet but wants to like her because she likes her brother.

Harriet Fforde: Eleanor likes Miss Fforde but is subconsciously envious of her flirtation with the Duke of Claitonborough.

Lord Wyck: Eleanor met Lord Wyck at Brixton and found him a very gentlemanly man, almost paternal.

Evander Whinging: Eleanor spoke to Mr. Whinging briefly at the Brixton masquerade and despite both being very shy, they got along well.

Susannah Hutchinson: Eleanor met Miss Hutchinson when walking in the park and though they did not speak much, Eleanor liked her.

Georgiana, Lady Louth: Eleanor met Lady Louth with Miss Hutchinson and was very grateful to her common sense in sorting out a dispute between her step-mother's maid and Miss Hutchinson's.

Crushes

Anthony Dunford, the Duke of Claitonborough: Eleanor met him in church where they shared a strangely intimate conversation. She doesn't know what a crush is, but she definitely has one.

Enemies

Selina Clare: Eleanor's relationship with her step-mother is strained. Eleanor thinks she is responsible for sending her away to school and separating her from her father.

Captain Sterne: Eleanor always distrusted Captain Sterne, but after seeing him in a state of undress with Selina, this dislike has boiled over into absolute loathing.

Eleanor is played by Rose.

Thread Tracking

Tuesday 9th April

• Eleanor's arrival[1]
• St George's Church[2]: Meeting the Duke of Claitonborough in church

Wednesday 10th April

• A Walk around the Park[3]: Selina and Eleanor meet Pandora in the park

Thursday 11th April

• Morning Calls on Mrs Clare[4]: Oscar calls on Selina and Eleanor
• The Art of Observing[5]: Oscar and Eleanor meet Lady Newburry and St John at the art gallery
• In Search of the Enchantress[6]: Eleanor escapes from Selina and Thomas in Hyde Park
• A Prettyish Kind of Wilderness[7]: Eleanor runs into Lord Sylvester

Sunday 14th April (Easter Sunday)

• St George's: Easter Sunday[8]: Eleanor realises who the Duke is
• St George's: Music and Merit[9]: Conversation with Lizzie, Harriet, and Imogen
• St George's: After the Service[10]: Eleanor is introduced to Lady Gwendolyn

Tuesday 16th April

• Spring Has Sprung[11]: Meeting Georgiana, Sukey, and Polly in Hyde Park

Wednesday 17th April

• A Letter to Miss Clare[12]: Correspondence between Eleanor and Elise