Lunete d'Aubin
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| Portrayed by Marina Aleksandrova | |
| Full Name | Lunete Eugénie d'Aubin |
|---|---|
| Associated Noble House(s) | Comte d'Aubin |
| Date of Birth | 20th May 1794 |
| Father | François d'Aubin |
| Father's Rank | Comte d'Aubin |
| Mother | Marie-Claire d'Aubin (née de Razillac) |
| Mother's Rank | Comtesse d'Aubin |
| Town Residence | {{{residence}}} |
| Year of Debut | 1811 |
| Dowry | £20,000 |
Lunete d'Aubin is the only daughter of the Comte and Comtesse d'Aubin. She was born in their rented estate in Cheshire and despite having French blood, has never seen France. She is the younger sister of Jean-Laurent d'Aubin. She is almost seventeen years old and has been brought to London to gain experience of society, with Lady Eastborough sponsoring her. Lunete is bold, unpredictable and is untroubled by a desire to fit in with the English haute Ton. Her favourite companion is her cat, Louis Le Chat Soleil.
While in England, Lunete has adopted the English title of Lady Lunete which reflects her equivalent rank. However, were she to return to France, she would simply be known as Mademoiselle d'Aubin.
Lunete is played by Rose.
Family
Comte d'Aubin - father
Comtesse d'Aubin - mother
Lord d'Aubin - brother
Background
The Comte and Comtesse d’Aubin had already had one son before leaving France and, upon discovering her ladyship’s pregnancy nearly ten years later, hoped for a spare. A spare they certainly got but of the wrong sex. It is said that Marie-Claire sighed in disappointment upon seeing her baby daughter for the first time. Nevertheless, Lunete was a human being and her parents were not heartless. She saw them every tea time when she was brought down from the nursery and when she grew old enough to be more interesting, kept her mother company on occasion at the tea table or in driving about their Cheshire estate.
However, the true mothering in Lunete’s infancy came from her French nursemaid, Mme. Aringot, an emigrée herself who had come over to England with the family initially as Jeannot’s nurse. Aringot had a heart as capacious as her bosum and it was from her that little Lunie learned French lullabies and soaked up stories of the homeland she had never even seen, all tinged by Aringot’s own regret and longing. It was from her and the other French maids that she initially learned a deep, painful nostalgia for the France of the past. She grew up bilingual, hearing French from her parents, though they encouraged her to reply in English so that she might fit in better to her adopted country, her brother and her maids, and English from everyone else.
Lunete loved her French nursemaid and her companions but she did not fair so well with the succession of cold, English governesses appointed to oversee her education who followed. She was an indifferent pupil in all areas save those that related to France. History and geography she learned well and nobody is quicker at putting together a map of Europe or has poured over so many volumes of European history in an attempt to understand her place in it. Languages as well she took to easily. Italian was mastered without much additional effort, for where she was unsure of the grammar, she simply looked to French. She speaks it fluently and with an excellent accent. German was a little more of a challenge but she is tolerably proficient. In the gentler arts, however, she is lacking. She had no patience for endless technical lessons so her drawings remain childish and unfinished and her musical skills extend only to playing the pianoforte well enough to accompany the folksongs which she sings in a light but untrained soprano voice. Dancing was of no interest to her until her fifteenth year when she began to see herself as quite a pretty girl and began to express some interest in the opposite sex. At this point, she began to develop more of an appreciation for feminine accomplishments and worked to become a more graceful dancer. She made some effort to improve her drawing and music but found the process so frustrating at this late stage that it has had little effect. Sewing is something that she does out of necessity but hates every moment of it, mainly due to the fact that she always comes away with her fingers pricked all over.
Close only to her indulgent brother who has been often away and her bad-tempered tortoiseshell cat, Louis le Chat Soleil, Lunete has lived a solitary life and has grown up finding her own company sufficient. She has really never had female friends of her own rank for happy as she is in the company of her French maids, they still have to do whatever she says. On the other hand, her parents have retained their wealth from when they escaped from France, and she has never lacked material luxuries. She has had whatever dresses, trinkets or books she has wanted and a pony to ride on. At home, so long as she does not disturb Maman or Papa, she has been given whatever she desires.
The one deviation from life in the country were the several visits to her brother's friend Monty's home in Surrey during school holidays in the summer. Little Lunie enjoyed these visits because she was given the attention she did not receive at home. Mirabel, much older than her, used Lunete as a living doll to practice dress, hair arrangements and motherhood on which Lunete rather enjoyed. It became clear that her open and guileless way of stating uncomfortable truths got her attention, petting and praise for being such a darling, precocious, little child. As for "Monsieur Monty" as she calls Jeannot's particular friend, she has treated him as another brother to glare at.
For the last year, what Lunete has desired has been to go into society. London could never compare to the Paris of her imagination, of course, but she has grown bored of being confined to the rainy countryside of northern England and one measily rented English house – not even as big as her home in Normandy, of which she has only seen pictures. Moreover, London has men and Lunete is very keen to meet men. Her parents have not paid sufficient attention to their daughter to be fully aware of her character but they do feel that she is in need of socialisation and considering that she is very nearly seventeen, the latest governess just gave notice in despair and Jeannot can squire her about town, they have decided to give her a season. She doesn't need to marry yet but it might be beneficial to give her a wider range of company, particularly that of girls her own age.
Relationships
Friends
Louis Le Chat Soleil: Lunete is devoted to her cat. They understand each other like no person does.
Jean-Laurent d'Aubin: Lunete's brother is her best human friend. No matter how much she insults him, she is devoted to him and he to her.
Lord Alderhan: While she spends most of her time scoffing at her brother's best friend and would never admit to feeling anything more friendly than unimpressed indifference, Lunete is extremely fond of Monty.
Lady Eastborough: Lunete looks up to Lady Eastborough as she might have done to her own mother.
Enemies
Lovers
Thread Tracking
Friday 10th May
- From Lunie to Jeannot[1]: Lunete writes of her imminent arrival in London
Wednesday 15th May
- The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba[2]: Lunete arrives in town and greets her brother and Monty
- Square Dance[3]: Meeting Edmund in the nearby square
Haverleigh Party
- The Lady of the House[4]: Arrival at the party
- Found Family[5]: Meeting Clementine and Alexandra
- Just keep your eyes on me[6]: Dancing with Monty
- I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger[7]: Jeannot introduces Lunete to Fred Lazenby and his sister
- I must give one smirk[8]: With Jemima
Thursday 16th May (Fitzgerald Ball)
- They have their exits and their entrances[9]: Arrival at the ball