Name: Lady Jessica Silver
Eye Colour: Green, Hair Colour: Raven
Haired, Bust: Average, Waist: Hourglass
Origin: Fallen Lady Manners: 5 Charm: 5 Wits: 3 Spite: 2 Performance: 1 Prowess: 2
Good At: Polite Conversation, Recognising
Pedigree, Witty Banter
Legend: 0 Reputation: -1 Wealth: 11 Infl uence: 3 Scandal: 1
Lady Jessica Silver was at one point described in Town and Country magazine as ‘the most eligible spinster in England’. That was until she ran off with a drummer boy from the King’s German Legion.
It was quite the scandal amongst the upper classes but any press reports of it were suppressed by her infl uential father to spare her shame. When, inevitably, soldier boy abandoned her Jessica was astonished to fi nd her family welcoming her back with open arms. Her father explained that he, contrary to her perception of him, was a modern man with modern morals to match. As the scandal was prolifi c enough to shock the upper classes, there was no way that he would be able to fi nd a suitable husband for her in the conventional way.
Instead he wrote her a cheque and put her in touch with a very special old Lady friend Mrs Emily Harcourt. She was expecting some sort of governess, nurse or midwife trainer.Not the Courtesan who took her father’s virginity. She panicked and ran back home. Her father reassured her that the profession was seldom lifelong and that through it she may fi nd someone eligible who would be bold enough to marry her. This was reassuring. Though not a pious Lady by any means Jessica believed deeply that sex must be an expression of love and that money cheapens
However her inability to control her own spending and love of money means that idealism is soon becoming a thing of the past. In the fi rst days of her career she was intent on making it as short as possible. Restricting herself to unmarried men and ending up begging to be ‘saved.’ None of them were so inclined and were quickly frightened off. As she started to lose custom she was slowly convinced by her sisters to relax a little. Her recent move to 69 Frothington Road represents a big step on the road to accepting the lifestyle scandal forced her into.
She is as straight as a die and although she has the prejudices of her upbringing and station she is not spiteful enough to be in your face about them.
Relationships
Lilly: “A strange woman Mrs LaVonte but
then stage folk are often highly strung to say the least. I mean for example the other day she was going on about her Cordelia making the Prince of Wales cry. I asked if Cordelia was a Lady friend and she swore at me. It was a perfectly innocent question considering the company we keep but she snapped in to obscenity. What’s that about?”
Bella: “I thought I was a slut for running off
with a foreign drummer boy. Then I met Miss Bifford. She has had such an extraordinary life and she’s an exceptional storyteller that never fails to get me and the other girls giggling. She would be the fi rst to admit that she lacks a bit of class but she makes up for it with plenty of character. I do feel uneasy about women who consent to share their beds with other women but Miss Bifford puts my uptight little mind at rest. Such a shame about her poor little daughter. I don’t think 69 Frothington Road is the best place for her but Miss Bifford wouldn’t be Miss Bifford without her darling little cripple to fawn over.”
Nora: “The perfect fi gure of a young
woman hides a vicious and dare I say overly ambitious personality. I try my best to like Miss Noble, I really do, but dear Lord she does make it diffi cult at times. I do hope she is more polite to her Gentleman friends than she is to her Sisters. Well from what I hear she has to be. Talking and posturing is her foremost skill. She is apparently really poor in the bedroom. Not that I have any fi rsthand experience of course, ahem! Anyway she does have a somewhat embarrassing lack of modesty that can put off the other Ladies’ Admirers. She has the most curious scars on her back but whatever you do don’t mention them. She’ll bite your head off.”
Hattie: “Miss Harker is the most kind
hearted, noble and Christian woman it has ever been my privilege to meet and yet she’s always beating herself up about the pettiest of things that I’m sure God will overlook even without all the desperate prayer and selfl essness. She said she lost the love of her life to the gallows. How dreadful! I wonder what he did? Not that I’m saying it was his fault or anything just... you know... Anyway dreadful! Whilst she such a darling she’s not a lot to look at. Seems her Admirers see beyond that though.
Lucy: “I think the others give Mrs McBrien a
bit of a hard time. Yes she’s not really one of us. Common, foul mouthed, Irish, papist and errr... unusually inclined but she has done remarkably well for herself. Her marriage sounded idyllic: A real Cinderella story. I wonder what happened?”