A Poisoned Season

Cast of characters

Lady Emily Ashton ("Kallista") — Daughter of Earl Bromley, widow of the Viscount Ashton (Philip), and a scholar of Greek language and art

Colin Hargreaves — A gentleman of independent means who is frequently called upon by Buckingham Palace to investigate matters requiring discretion

Cécile du Lac — A French woman of a certain age, an iconoclast and patron of the arts

Ivy Brandon — Emily's childhood friend, a perfect English rose

Robert Brandon — Ivy's husband, an up-and-coming politician and very traditional gentleman

Margaret Seward — Daughter of an American railroad tycoon, a Bryn Mawr-educated Latinist with little tolerance for society's rules

Lady Catherine Bromley — Emily's mother, wife of Earl Bromley, former lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria

Charles Berry — A gentleman newly arrived in London who claims to be a direct descendant of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI

Jeremy Sheffield, Duke of Bainbridge — Childhood friend of Emily's whose twin goals are to avoid marriage and to be the most useless man in England

David Francis — A gentleman and patron of the arts

Beatrice Francis — David Francis's wife

Lady Frideswide — A terrifying society matron bent on seeing her daughter married to the Duke of Bainbridge

Lettice Frideswide — Lady Frideswide's daughter, who is not in the least interested in marrying the Duke of Bainbridge

Lord Basil Fortescue — Queen Victoria's most trusted political adviser, widely considered the most powerful man in the Empire

Mrs. Reynold-Plympton — A lady who takes great interest in politics

Lady Elinor Routledge — Longtime friend of Emily's family, widow of the Chancellor of the Exchequer

Isabelle Routledge — Lady Elinor's extremely romantic daughter

Lord Thomas Pembroke ("Tommy") — the Viscount Langley, eldest son of the Earl of Westbrook

Lady Elliott — A devoted friend of Lady Bromley's and one of London's most fiercely judgmental society ladies

Michael Barber — A sculptor

Jane Stilleman — Beatrice Francis's maid

Molly, Bridget, and Gabby — Maids at the Savoy hotel

Meg — Emily's maid

Davis — Emily's incomparable butler