Dorothea Darling
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| 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 | {{{residence}}} |
| 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
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
Baldwin Leith, Nephew
Gilbert Leith, Nephew
Percy Leith, Nephew
Esther Leith, Niece
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).
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.