Viola Fitzgerald
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| Portrayed by Hayley Atwell | |
| Full Name | Viola Mary Fitzgerald |
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| Associated Noble House(s) | Earldom of Rotherham |
| Date of Birth | 15th September 1787 |
| Father | Richard Fitzgerald |
| Father's Rank | Earl of Rotherham |
| Mother | Madeleine Fitzgerald (nee Freye) |
| Mother's Rank | Countess of Rotherham |
| Town Residence | {{{residence}}} |
| Year of Debut | 1805 |
| Dowry | £45,000 |
Lady Viola Fitzgerald is the older daughter of the Earl of Rotherham. She is twenty-three years old and has a dowry of £45,000. Although unmarried, she is a formidable member of the Ton, well-known for her scathing wit, musical abilities and habit of rejecting eligible suitors. Her greatest ambition is to be an Almack's patroness. She is a closet romantic.
Family
Richard Fitzgerald, Earl of Rotherham - father
Madeleine, Countess of Rotherham - mother
Robbie Fitzgerald - brother
Olivia Fitzgerald - sister
Richard Fitzgerald, Lord Surrey - brother
Cordelia, Lady Surrey - sister-in-law
Henry, Madeleine and Mortimer - nephews and niece
Dorothy Greystone - maternal aunt and chaperone in 1811 season
John Fitzgerald - paternal uncle
Emma Fitzgerald - aunt
John, Lucy, Helen, Percy - cousins
Christopher Carlisle - cousin
Background
1787-1804: Early Years
Viola was born at Rotherham in Yorkshire and apart from occasional trips to Harrogate for assemblies and plays and to Southampton in 1803 to allow Olivia to recover from pneumonia, did not leave it until her debut in 1805.
She had a relatively liberal and happy upbringing in a happy household. She got on well with her siblings, particularly her brother Robbie and spent a good deal of time with the Fitzgeralds' close neighbours, Will and Charlie Devenish.
In terms of education, Viola had the advantage of excellent governesses and became an accomplished woman, displaying a particular aptitude for music. She plays the harp superbly, the pianoforte more than competently and has a sweet and well-trained mezzo-soprano voice. She speaks French and Italian fluently and is competent at embroidery though she does not enjoy it. She showed an interest in reading frivolously from a young age and quickly developed a taste for novels, narrative poetry and comic plays. Viola started a tradition of acting plays at Christmas time within the family at the age of eleven and read Tom Jones at the age of fourteen. Her favourite book is Fanny Burney's Cecilia and her favourite play Much Ado About Nothing. Her artistic skill is almost non-existent. She spent a good deal of time outdoors in her youth and is an excellent rider.
In the summer of 1804 Viola became romantically attached to Will Devenish and they started a secret love-affair. She was torn between her growing feelings for Will and her sense of propriety and duty. Though intense at the time the affair was not consummated and faded away after Will returned to school in the autumn. As far as Viola knows it remained secret. In fact, her mother suspected it.
1805-1807: London Seasons
Viola made her debut in London in 1805, chaperoned by her mother. Her unconventional beauty, wit, charm and accomplishments made her an instant hit and she was crowned incomparable of the season. Her only rival was Miss Julia Dancy who went on to marry the Duke of Pennington, himself a rejected suitor of Viola's. Viola quickly found herself surrounded by admirers, none of whom she wished to marry, even though some were eligible. Her motivation was that she intended to marry to improve her situation. Being already wealthy, socially elevated and surrounded by a family she loved, this was a tall order.
Among her suitors was one Geoffrey Stapleton who fell in love with her and was rejected by her, on the grounds that he was not sufficiently rich or well connected. They became great friends however and his proposals and her refusals became a standing joke. He also revealed himself to her as the popular novelist Adam Lane.
Her best friend in her first season was Lady Priscilla Tanaquil, a rather silly girl who worshipped Viola. She married Sir Roland Taylor in 1805 and Viola was made godmother to her son, Harry. Priscilla died in 1807 in childbirth.
As well as Geoffrey, Viola tended to have more male than female friends. In 1807 during her third season, she was surprised to receive a proposal from one of them, Lord Foxford. She had not believed his admiration serious.
1808-1810: Rustication
Viola's cynicism about the marriage mart and the London season in general had grown through her three seasons and she missed her siblings and the freedom of country life. This growing distaste combined with the shock of Lord Foxford's proposal and Priscilla's death made Viola reluctant to return to London the following spring. As she had now had three unsuccessful seasons (at least in terms of contracting a marriage) and Lady Rotherham disliked London herself, little effort was made to persuade her to return.
After three years of little society and less male admiration, Viola was easily persuaded by her aunt Mrs. Greystone to return to London to accompany her sister for her debut.
1811: Current Season
Viola returned to town intending to take a semi-chaperonal capacity. However, she is not very good at relinquishing her limelight and has found herself just as popular as ever and is actually enjoying being the centre of the universe again, though she does feel very much older than most of the other unmarried ladies, both literally and in terms of maturity. For the very first time, she is starting to feel that remaining single is holding her back in society.
She has renewed her friendships with Mr. Stapleton, Lord Linley, Lord Foxford and Lord Parry in particular. She has also made friends for the first time with a circle of intelligent and well-bred ladies: Lady Louth, Lady Rosalind Fairmont and Miss Staunton.
Among Viola's new acquaintances are the Pritchard family, although she had met the Dowager Marchioness of Emerson previously at the 1805 Emerson House Party. Viola took an instant and mutual dislike to the current Marquess, Blake Pritchard who behaved very rudely towards her on several occasions. Their antagonism came to a head on the 11th April (Maundy Thursday!) when Mr. Hopkins-Lawrence, a fop and Viola's latest suitor, challenged Lord Emerson to a duel over his behaviour towards Viola. Fortunately Mr. Stapleton was able to prevent it from taking place, but it created a scandal and cemented Viola's dislike. However, they do have distinct sexual chemistry which Viola is unable to ignore. At the Emerson Ball on the 14th April, the Marquess apologised to Viola and has since then been behaving much more civilly.
Viola's first social event of the season was a musical soiree on the 16th April which everyone who was anyone attended. A buffet supper was served and the roast beef was exceptionally popular. She attended the Brixton House Party that weekend with rather dramatic consequences for her relationship with Lord Emerson. First, she sang a duet with him and ended up on the terrace in his company. Then she went riding with him and her sister, though Olivia's horse went lame and she spent most of the time tete-a-tete with the marquess, which left her in a flurry of confusion. Finally, things came to a head at the Masquerade, which she attended as a seductive sultana. She drank a considerable amount of wine, flirted heavily with a disguised Lord William Gosling and ended up yet again in close proximity with Lord Emerson. Following these events, she returned to London determined to behave with propriety and sort out her feelings for him once and for all. So far she has failed spectacularly at this latter resolution.
Relationships
Friends
Sir William Devenish: Viola and Will were best friends in childhood. This blossomed into romance and then subsided back into friendship, though it was never quite as strong.
Charlie Devenish: Viola treats Charlie as an extra younger brother, which gives her the excuse to tease him and boss him about. Fortunately he doesn't seem to mind or at least does nothing to stop her. She is genuinely fond of him though.
Geoffrey Stapleton: Viola met Geoffrey in her first season making him one of her oldest friends and probably the person she most cares about after her family and Will and Charlie. This has not stopped her from repeatedly rejecting his offers of marriage.
Henry Layton, Lord Parry: Another close friend. Viola and Henry have a similar outlook and consequently get along very well. Henry's complete lack of romantic interest in her (so far) has moreover been refreshing.
Arthur Dalrymple, Lord Linley: Another friend from Viola's first season. Viola likes him very much as a social friend but they have not been in each other's confidence.
Tristan Edgeworth, Lord Latimer: Viola has known Tristan from childhood and has always considered him a good friend.
Lady Cassandra Edgeworth: Same as Tristan. Cassandra is closer to Olivia so Viola has always looked on her as a slightly younger cousin.
Frederick Lazenby: The son of a friend of her father's, Frederick has been a friend of Robert's for quite a long time.
Sophia Lazenby: Viola knows Miss Lazenby a little from the connection of their parents and finds her a pleasant young woman.
Marcus Fairmont, Lord Foxford: Viola and Marcus always got on well and Viola feared that he might hold a grudge after she refused him. Fortunately this has not proved to be the case.
Lady Rosalind Fairmont: Viola only met Rosalind in the 1811 season and doesn't know her very well but is inclined to approve of her, apart from her apparent involvement with Lord Emerson.
Georgiana Haworth, Lady Louth: Viola has only met Georgiana a few times but instinctively likes and trusts her. She hopes they will become better acquainted.
Felicity Staunton: Viola hardly knows Felicity, having only met her at Lady Rosalind's picnic but likes what she has seen so far.
Lady Priscilla Taylor (deceased): Viola's best female friend in her first season, Priscilla was more of an adoring entourage than a true friend but Viola did remain fond of her and was very upset at her death. She is godmother to her son.
Lord Gabriel Pritchard: Rosalind instantly liked Gabriel and while an initial attraction didn't last, she enjoys his company, though she finds his immaturity somewhat annoying.
Suitors
Viola is one of the most proposed to ladies in town. The following men have definitely asked her to marry them:
Sir William Devenish (1804)
The Duke of Pennington (1805)
Geoffrey Stapleton (on more than one occasion 1805-1811)
Lord Foxford (1807)
Francis Fopkins Hopkins-Lawrence (1811)
It is speculated that there were many more!
Lovers
Sir William Devenish: Viola's first love and first (and only) kiss. The relationship was intense while it lasted, but they are now back to being good friends (though not quite as good as they were).
Lord Emerson: Since meeting Lord Emerson in the 1811 season, Viola's feelings towards him have ricoched between resentment and dislike for his careless manners and physical attraction. Since the Brixton House Party, however, his behaviour has been much more consistent and he appears to be considering courting her. It is becoming harder and harder to resist him, though she has not forgotten the initial impression he made on her.
Lord William Gosling: Viola never considered Lord William romantically until they met in disguise at the Brixton masquerade and sparks flew. Since then she has become aware of an annoying attraction to him. She cannot imagine where it might go and rather hopes - nowhere.
Enemies
One does not get to be this popular without making a few enemies.
Julia, Duchess of Pennington: As Miss Dancy, Julia was Viola's rival for position of Incomparable in 1805 and then married a rejected suitor of Viola's. Neither has forgiven the other.
Thomas Sterne: Thomas seems to like Viola but his reputation precedes him and Viola is very suspicious of his interest.
Harriet Fforde: Miss Fforde was never a threat to Viola, except musically but since her broken engagement to Lord Linley, she's been someone Viola's tried to avoid so that she doesn't have to take sides.
Viola is played by Rose.