Lydia Thirthwood
age: 20
gender: female
occupation: assisting her father with the books
appearance:Long red hair with gentle curls, inherited from her Irish father. She often has it down and loose, and prefers it that way, though will pin it back -- since that is what society dictates as proper. Vibrant blue eyes inherited from her English mother. She has a rather pale complexion naturally, but it has been tanned some by her time spent out in the woods. Rather slight in size. Another trait inherited from her mother.
At home she'll usually wear one of many outfits for men she has had modified. Skirts are hardly conducive to exploring the woods, as she often likes to do. Her father prefers it too, when he's too busy to worry about molding her into a "proper" woman. He often treats her like a boy. She doesn't mind.
Out in society she dressed to the nines. Properly dressed. Modest. Well, as modest as high fashion can be. Corsets, unfortunately, are still popular. Lydia prefers the empire waists. It's a good thing, breathing. Something that is difficult to do in a corset and layers of lace and who knows what else.
likes: singing, adventures, traveling with her father, reading, swordplay -- whenever her father remembers to hire a teacher
dislikes: sewing/embroidery, little dogs -- those things will be the death of her hearing, babies
personality: Lydia doesn't like to sit around the house being idle, even if it is the fashionable thing to be. Very energetic and the no-nonsense sort. So it irks her when she has to practice her embroidery or her curtsies when she could be out exploring the wood or reading a book under her favorite willow tree. However, she's gotten better at hiding her discomfort. Possibly even
liking dresses, though she would never admit it to anyone.
She enjoys her other studies. The book oriented ones. But only because they teach of far-off lands. Lands she'll one day visit. To prepare for this awaited trip, she spends many hours practicing the different languages. She's fluent in three, four including Common. Another is her father's language and the other two are completely foreign (Sunderland's equivalent of China and Russia). For the cultures, she and her father have made up a game. Each week the manners used in the house are from a different country, even though household are not exempt from this. Some of the servants mutter more than others, but it's all quite light hearted.
Very stubborn though, when she does or does not want to do something, which can also lead her to be a bit rash in judgement. This is sometimes a good thing, since Lydia ends up making most of the household decisions while her father is away. But her maid, who is such a sweet tempered thing, often is tearing her hair out in worry for her mistress when she refuses to go to one social event or the other.
history: With her mother gone at a young age -- an unfortunate riding accident -- her father was left to do the raising. And, being preoccupied with his travels, he tended to neglect the more respectable standards of society. That activity was often left to the caretakers of the house, as well as her governess who would appear from time to time. Lydia liked her governess, and was a bit sad when she had to leave and return to her home town for family reasons.
Extended family relations were a bit strained for Lydia, due to the mixed blood marriage between her father and her mother. Her mother's family did not approve of their daughter marrying such a
eccentric man. After the death of her mother, the tiny channel of communication between Lydia and them withered away. Though they did send a present whenever it was expected, but only for appearance sake. On the other hand, her father's family did approve of him marrying into such a stuck-up family but eventually warmed to Lydia's mother, slightly. They, after her mother's death, welcomed Lydia with warm arms and condolences. But, because of the travel distance between the two countries, it was hard to stay in touch. So that outlet, too, receded.
With that, her family became her household. The butler was like her uncle. A bit dry and not afraid to voice his opinions. Her maid became a second mother, coddling her and helping her through adolescence. The hostler was the mischievous older brother, keeping her secrets and sometimes egging her on.
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