Penelope Grove
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| Portrayed by Zooey Deschanel | |
| Full Name | Penelope Anne Grove |
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| Associated Noble House(s) | Marquessate of Pendleston, Earldom of Stanwood |
| Date of Birth | August 8, 1791 |
| Father | Benjamin Grove |
| Father's Rank | Marquess of Pendleston |
| Mother | Marianne Grove |
| Mother's Rank | Marchioness of Pendleston |
| Town Residence | {{{residence}}} |
| Year of Debut | 1810 |
| Dowry | £33,000 |
Lady Penelope Grove is the only daughter out of four children of the fifth Marquess of Pendleston, Benjamin William Grove, and his lovely late Marchioness, Marianne Marie Grove. She is currently enjoying her second Season in London with her father and eldest brother Patrick Grove, the Earl of Stanwood. She is supposed to be in search of a husband, but has decided to put that on the back burner for a bit and have fun, since men in general are dull and confusing creatures.
History
What happened before her London Life?
Childhood
Penelope is the the middle child and only daughter in a world of men. She is the jewel of the family, having always been a very amusing girl. As a very small child, Penny loved to toddle around, following anybody who would listen to her. She would hold onto the skirts of whomever was closest, be it her mother, her nursemaid, or even a servant who was bustling here or there. She was not one to discriminate, and would try to keep up with her chosen person for the day, pointing and asking questions about everything. She was most often found in her father's study, sitting with a book as big as herself in her lap, sucking her thumb and looking at the pictures.
Her parents were extremely social people in their younger years, always throwing parties and galas, and in turn befriended many other couples of the peerage with children her age. Her childhood included play dates with Charity Pritchard, Elise Hampton, Nicholas Gosling, William Gosling, and Daniel Rossington.
Growing older was not a problem for Penny. She grew from an amusing child to a calm and intelligent young lady. She never morphed into that rebellious stage as many of her friends did, and instead focused on her lessons. She loved all subjects and had just as pleasant a time with her harp, singing, and dancing as she did with her languages, history, and mathematics. Despite her parents' best efforts, Penelope is not particularly accomplished. She can only play simple tunes on the harp, her singing ability will certainly not win her any admirers, and her dancing is fair at best. Where she does excel, however, is in her artistic talents. She enjoys nothing more than trying a new style of drawing or painting, though she can hardly ever get her family to sit still long enough for her to take their likeness properly.
Her mother's death was not a surprise to the family, though no less of a tragedy. She had been ill for some time and died peacefully in her sleep, though Penelope's world was suddenly anything but peaceful. The generally steady tempered girl would throw sudden fits of emotion, turning the family's idea of her on it's head. In the time just after her mother passed, Penny began to take up strange hobbies. Sometimes she would lock herself in her room and draw what she could remember of her mother over and over again. Other days she would play her mother's favorite tune on her harp repetitively. Less frequently, but no less of a despondent act, she would forget herself and accidentally call her the late Marchioness' name, only to look up to the hollow faces of servants pitying her. Her father and brothers put up with a full year of this behavior before light slowly began returning to her features. Four years later, and Penelope is outwardly back to her bright, usual self, though her person is perhaps ever so slightly aged.
Family
Immediate
Benjamin Grove - Father
Marianne Grove nee Bridges - Mother (deceased)
-Patrick Grove - Brother
- Phillip Grove - Brother
- Percival 'Percy' Grove - Brother
- Rebecca Garrison - Governess and Chaperone
Extended
Lady Anna Grove - Aunt, sister of Benjamin
Lady Doris Danver nee Grove, Baroness Farston - Aunt, sister of Benjamin
Lord Camden Danver, Baron Farston - Uncle
- The Honourable Charles Danver - Cousin
- The Honourable Claire Danver - Cousin
Lady Moriah Edmondson nee Bridges, Viscountess Morrension - Aunt, sister of Marianne
Lord Edmund Edmondson, Viscount Morrension - Uncle
- The Honourable Harry Edmondson - Cousin
- The Honourable Sarah Edmondson - Cousin
- The Honourable Alexander Edmondson - Cousin
Mr. Humphrey Bridges - Uncle, brother of Marianne
Mrs. Diana Bridges - Aunt
- Miss Emmaline Bridges - Cousin
- Miss Ruthie Bridges - Cousin
Present
Now, at the ripe age of nineteen, Penelope has come to London for a second Season. She has been brought to London for the obvious reason of being married off, however as she grows and finds herself at more lavish parties, she's not so sure being married to a wealthy noble is what she wants. She is starting to yearn for something more than the easy luxury she has become used to, she longs for adventure.
She is growing older, and everyone around her seems to be becoming increasingly aware of it. Her father is losing his mind to dementia, her brother staying with her in London sees every man as a potential threat to her womanhood, and her governess/companion Miss Garrison and herself are beginning to grow apart. She doesn't know what she wants nor does she know how her life will pan out, and she can't help internalizing her fears for the future.