Katharine Steele

Katharine Steele

Portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard
Full Name	Katharine Elaine Grafton Steele
Associated Noble House(s)	Marquessate of Raulings, Earldom of Carrington, Duchy of Wycombe
Date of Birth	February 18, 1789
Father	Thomas Grafton
Father's Rank	Marquess of Raulings
Mother	Theodora Grafton
Mother's Rank	Marchioness of Raulings
Town Residence	{{{residence}}}
Year of Debut	1807
Dowry	£30,000
Year of Marriage	1807
Spouse	Gregory Steele
Spouse's Rank	Earl of Carrington
Year of Widowhood	1810
Issue	None

Katharine, Countess of Carrington, born Lady Katharine Grafton, is the widow of Gregory Steele, the late Earl of Carrington and sister to debutante Lady Julianne Grafton. She is played by Liz.

Early Life (1789-1806)

Katharine Elaine Steele was born the first daughter of Thomas Grafton, 2nd Marquess of Raulings and his second wife, Theodora Grafton. She was born at Raulings Park in Leicestershire on February 18, 1789. She is the couple's fourth child, with older brothers Henry and Richard (twins born January 1786) and an infant brother Lord Thomas Grafton (stillborn, March 6, 1787) preceding her. She was followed by two sisters, Lady Theodora Grafton (born April 19, 1790 and died June 2, 1790) and Julianne (born February 14, 1792). The couple each had a son from a previous marriage: William Grafton, Earl of Bridgeton, from her father's first marriage and John Quinn, Duke of Wycombe, from her mother's first marriage.

Her parents hired tutors for her and her younger sister. Lord and Lady Raulings saw to it that their daughters had some of the best education available, sending for an Austrian music master to teach them how to play a pianoforte, a Paris-educated French master, and a Flemish watercolorist, just to name a few.

For their part, Kate's four older brothers viewed their sister as yet another brother. True, she wore dresses and used a funny saddle, but she could keep up with them on fox hunts and footraces at Raulings Park. This resulted in her being viewed as an entirely separate species than the youngest Grafton child (Julianne) and Kate always felt closer to her brothers than her only sister.

London Debut (1807)

As time passed, however, Kate's interests began to fall more inline with those more appropriate to a young noblewoman. She began to enjoy staying inside and working on samplers with her sister. She began passing up opportunities to go riding with her brothers for staying in and accepting callers with her sister and mother. By the time she turned eighteen and debuted in London in 1807, Kate had morphed into a veritable diamond of the first water.

She was declared a hit by the granddames and had her fair share of suitors, receiving no less than five marriage proposals in her first two months on the scene. Despite a fleeting discussion between Lord Raulings and Viscount Linley for her hand, it was the much older Earl of Carrington who won her hand. Nearly twenty years her senior, Lord Carrington was intelligent, mature, and attentive (at first). He never made Kate feel silly for not knowing things her education neglected and seemed to appreciate her strengths. The pair was married in a lavish July ceremony in 1807 in Westminster Abbey . He was 37; she was 18.

Married Life (1807-1810)

The earl showered Kate with gifts of jewelry and gave her free rein to redecorate his townhouse in London as she saw fit. In return, the earl had a beautiful young woman on his arm and in his bed. Carrington's father had died of a weak heart; the new countess proved to everyone that this Earl of Carrington was healthy as a horse.

The first few months of her marriage were the happiest of her life, and Kate fell deeply in love with her husband. Kate occasionally worried over him, having heard of her late father-in-law's health problems and feeling certain that staying out late and carousing then returning to her nearly every night couldn't be good for him, but Carrington always waved away her concerns.

Six months into her marriage, a friend saw fit to inform Kate that Carrington had not dismissed his mistress, a French opera singer, as he had initially promised her. When she confronted him, she was informed in no uncertain terms that he would always be discreet, but he was not going to dismiss Mademoiselle Moreau. Kate was deeply hurt, for this was the first time she realized that she was more in love with her husband than he was with her. Over time, however, she came to realize that her relationship with her husband would never be perfect and that she could live with that, as long as she still had Carrington. Mistresses would come and go, her friends told her, but wives were forever. Despite their troubles, the earl and his countess continued to present an amicable face to Society, throwing lavish dinner parties and balls. Most importantly, he never embarrassed her publicly, something Kate never could have tolerated.

"The Scandal" and Its Aftermath (July 1810-April 1811)

At the beginning of the Season of 1810, however, all that changed. Whilst in the middle of a passionate meeting with Mademoiselle Moreau in a carriage one summer afternoon, the earl suffered an apparent heart attack. In the midst of his death throes, he presumably flailed around the carriage so much that he landed forcefully on the door, which flew open and dumped the half-naked earl in the middle of Grosvenor Square. The incident quickly became fodder for the gossip sheets, having been witnessed by many of Society's most prominent members.

Kate was devastated by the scandal and retreated to the country, after being forced to return to London for the funeral by her parents. Since then, many of her friends have abandoned her and taken to whispering about her at parties, occasionally with Kate in the room. At the urging of her family and the upcoming debut of her younger sister, Katharine returned to London in hopes of restoring her social standing, though she doubted there would be anyone who would be able to overlook what she now thinks of as "The Scandal".

Present Day

Kate has been pleasantly surprised by her reception by Society. While there are those who seem to delight in her fall from grace, such as the Duchess of Pennington, it seems that Kate's own popularity has been buoyed by that of her sister. She is also slowly discovering that a widow may do many more things than a debutante or even a married lady.

On April 6th, she escorted her sister to Decker's, where she made the acquaintance of another of Society's outcasts, Lady Newburry. Following Decker's, the two joined their mother at Madame Lambert's for the final fitting of Julianne's dress for her debut at Almack's where they made the acquaintance of Lord and Lady Louth.

Kate attended Sunday services with her family on April 7th, where Lady Newburry requested that she sit for a sculpture. She responded that it would be necessary to seek her father's approval before agreeing. After services, she accompanied her family to Raulings House, where she, her sister, and her mother received a call from Lord and Lady Louth. Later that afternoon, she called on the viscountess and agree to sit.

On April 8th, following an early morning ride in Hyde Park in which she met her old beau-turned-friend Lord Linley, Kate made something of a cake of herself when she misinterpreted the Earl of Cumberland's words in Hyde Park. Embarrassed, she invited him and his siblings to join her family at Drury Lane that evening, however she suffered a stomach complaint later that day and penned a note requesting that he join them at a later time. The earl later found himself unable to remain in London and presumably left for the country.

The next day, April 9th, Kate went for an uneventful ride in Hyde Park. She then went shopping on Bond Street, where she lamented her particularly long fingers but purchased a new pair of gloves anyway.

On Wednesday, April 10th, Kate spent the day preparing for her sister's debut at Almack's that evening. Upon arrival, Kate spoke with Major and Mr. Fotherington before narrowly dodging an attempt to extract her from the group by the Duke of Bridgewater. The group, which also included Lord Selwyn and Julianne, then moved toward the refreshment table until the beginning of the first dance. Electing to sit the first dance out, danced the 2nd with Lord Selwyn, the 3rd with Mr. Trevethyn, the 4th with the Duke of Claitonborough, the 5th with her brother Lord Henry, the 6th with Lord Louth, the 7th with her brother Lord Bridgeton, and the 8th with Lord Linley. She then took a rest during the 9th before standing up with Mr. Stapleton for the 10th, Major Fotherington for the 11th, Mr. Hopkins-Lawrence for the 12th, and Lord Emerson for the 13th. She took another appreciated rest during the 14th before dancing the final dance with the Duke of Leighton.

The day after Almack's, Kate took herself out for a solitary walk in Hyde Park, only to be joined by Lady Jane Middleton and Lady Worth, then later by Sir Phillip Vaudrey.

Nothing of note took place for Kate April 12th or 13th, but on the 14th of April, Easter Sunday, Kate attended services with her family before retiring to Steele House to prepare for that evening's famed (and themed) Emerson Ball. As per her sister's request, Kate donned a blue peacock-themed dress, so as to coordinate with her sister's choice of a white peacock. Initially regretful of her decision to attend, Kate soon changed her mind upon meeting the very charming and very kind Mr. DeLancey. Her opinion of Lord William Gosling however alternated between irritation and amusement throughout their dance. She was also obligated to introduce not only Lord William's brother, the Duke of Leighton, to her sister, but also Lord William himself. After that exhausting exchange, Kate passed the rest of the evening pleasantly and with little distraction or unnecessary theatrics.

Tuesday, April 16th, brought not only Lady Viola's Musicale but also an unexpected Bond Street arrival: Kate's scandal-prone cousin, Miss Palmer, who had spent the last four years in a convent in France. Fortunately Major Fotherington was present and able to escort her home following her shock.

On April 19th, Kate left London for the Brixton's houseparty in Hampshire, having spent a fair amount of time on her wardrobe selection the previous evening. Upon arrival, she met with Lord Wyck, a distant acquaintance of her late husband's. Unbeknownst to Kate, a few years ago, Lord Carrington had made a careless comment late one evening at the clubs regarding Kate's apparent aptitude for intimacy.

After washing up and changing clothes, Kate ventured into the duchess' rose garden, where she was soon joined by Lord William Gosling and Miss Beacham. Though Kate had not yet met Miss Beacham, she recalled her previous encounter with Lord William at Almack's and strongly disapproved of his behavior with the clearly innocent Miss Beacham. She further disapproved of the failure of Miss Beacham's chaperone for the weekend, Lady Tessington, to accompany her charge with Lord William. Kate thus privately appointed herself Miss Beacham's chaperone for the weekend and soon found herself promising to arrange a pall mall match the following day, with herself, Miss Beacham, Lord William, and the Duke of Leighton as players. The trio agreed upon a system of boons to make the game more interesting, and Kate and Miss Beacham got to know one another better after Lord William departed.

That evening, Kate joined Lord William and the duke in conversation and engaged in a surreptitious game of alphabet tiles with Lord William, intending to glean further information about his intentions toward Miss Beacham. She made the surprising discover that Lord William, while of a mercurial temperament, could also be an entertaining companion, when he wasn't being obnoxious. Likewise, Kate's esteem for the duke grew, and she left the conversation with an improved impression of both Goslings.

After leaving the Gosling brothers, Kate joined in conversation with Lord Wyck, Lady Tessington, and her old friend and cousin, the Duchess of Pennington. She was displeased and discomforted to discover they were discussing which of their fellow guests they did not like. Moreover, Lord Wyck made a few remarks that both confused and alarmed Kate, though she was not certain why.

On April 20th, Kate joined Miss Beacham and the Gosling brothers on the terrace, but not before encountering Captain Brydges. A comment by the captain was misinterpreted, leading to a cool and curt dismissal of him by Kate. Following Miss Beacham's remarks about Captain Brydges, Kate realized she might have been too harsh with the captain and decided to be pointedly nicer to him the next time they met.

The opportunity presented itself that evening when she found herself in the captain's company near the refreshment table, after noticing that Miss Beacham had left the ballroom with him earlier. After realizing his identity, she managed to couch her apologies in nautical terms, thus easing her conscience while simultaneously saving face. The niceties out of the way, she was able to quiz him about the last time he saw her new friend and discovered he and Miss Beacham had parted ways in the orangery, which was her next stop. Unable to find Miss Beacham there, she stepped onto the terrace to plan her next move, where she happened upon an overwrought Miss Beacham emerging from the side of the house. After instructing Miss Beacham to return to her room, Kate set out to find Lord William and discover exactly what had transpired between him and Miss Beacham. Despite Miss Beacham's assurances that nothing of consequence had happened, she still wanted to speak to the man himself. After receiving his word that Miss Beacham's honor was intact, the conversation turned to other topics and Kate revealed that Lord William "puzzled" her. She also discovered that despite herself, she liked Lord William. The particular form of liking, however, remained undetermined.

Kate returned home to London April 21st and spent the rest of Sunday and Monday recovering from what had turned out to be a trying weekend. Her recuperation was interrupted, however, by an unexpected visit from Lord William on Tuesday. His call alone was enough to unsettle her, but her response to his initial conversation - amusement and entertainment - was also unexpected. Luckily for Kate, Lord William proved true to form by managing to enrage her both by insinuating she was a meddler and that Miss Beacham was both an adult and able to take care of herself. Disgusted by his idiocy, she indirectly threw him out of her house.

The Fates seemed to have conspired against Kate the rest of the week, as she managed to run into Lord William yet again on her next venture from the house: a trip to the theatre with her brother Wycombe and his wife on April 25th. Though she had hoped to avoid the duke's brother for the rest of the Season, he managed to startle her into rudeness in the hallway and in an attempt to be polite, Kate accepted his accompaniment back to Wycombe's box. However, they did not return directly to the box and instead went to the deserted lobby where they played a careful chess game of suggestion, insults, and bravado, culminating in a kiss. Kate, overwhelmed, fled back to her brother's box. She could not, however, find it in herself to regret her actions nor the response they provoked in Lord William.

Lineage & Family

Katharine Grafton	Thomas Grafton 2nd Marquess of Raulings (born 1753)	Julian Grafton 1st Marquess of Raulings (1722-1793)	Charles Grafton 4th Earl of Bridgeton (1690-1745)	George Grafton 3rd Earl of Bridgeton (1648-1700)
		Caroline Hissop (1729-1791)	James Hissop 3rd Duke of Pennington (1698-1754)	Edward Hissop 2nd Duke of Pennington (16??-17??)
	Theodora Dillard (born 1764)	Henry Dillard 3rd Earl of Breckhampton (1744-1800)	Theodore Dillard 2nd Earl of Breckhampton (1708-1776)	George Dillard 1st Earl of Breckhampton
			Lavinia Astor (born before 1744)
		Virginie Bruguière (1747-1805)	Jean-Claude Bruguière	François Bruguière 5th Comte du Saint-Marcel
				Jeanne Lambert
			Madeleine Rousseau	Charles Rousseau
				Clarice Desmarais

Kate is a first cousin of Lord Daniel Rossington, through her father's sister Miranda. Miranda, Dowager Duchess of Welby, was born Lady Miranda Grafton, twin sister to Kate's father's sister Lady Francesca.

Kate is a first cousin, once removed, of the Duke of Pennington and, through marriage, his wife the Duchess of Pennington, through Kate's grandmother, Caroline (neé Hissop) Grafton. The duke is the son of Caroline's brother, making Lord Raulings the duke's first cousin.

Kate is a second cousin of Lady Viola and Lady Olivia Fitzgerald, through her great-grandfather's sister Dorothea. Lady Dorothea Grafton, daughter of Charles Grafton, married Sir James Freye, father of Lady Viola and Lady Olivia's mother, Madeleine Freye Fitzgerald.

Kate is a distant cousin of Miss Winter, Lady Rosalind Fairmont, and Lord Foxford, through her great-grandmother, Lavinia (neé Astor) Dillard.

Trivia

Kate takes her tea plain, without milk or sugar.