Name: Elizabeth (Eliza) Dahlby
Age: 15
Occupation: Student (and charge of Abbey Goodwin)
Appearance: Eliza, at 15, is possessed of the gangly, fidgety long-limbed awkwardness of adolescence. Her hair is dishwater blonde and utterly straight, normally held back in a bun that is forever coming out; her eyes are hazel and rimmed by thick eyelashes, and her skin is usually sunburned. Her lips are full and her nose pert. She will likely grow into a woman of some beauty if she can get past her coltish ways. As befits a young girl of relatively good breeding she is always seen in fashionable dress -- though somewhat modest in cut. She would prefer to wear pants, as they are more practical. Her favorite color is blue.
Personality: Fidgety and busy-handed, Eliza is always doing something: scheming, tinkering, or doing anything to quiet her restless mind. She is also girlishly forward and honest, something that, while good in theory, is relatively poor in execution, especially among the aristocracy and their genteel tongues. For all of that, she is a practical soul (on the inside). One must be when taking care of younger siblings and overseen by a dry-witted governess.
She isn't a bad student, but she is easily distracted. Her current fascination is with the elite of Wardwood, especially one young poet named Paul Blair. Since developing the crush on him Eliza has taken pains with her appearance: winding her hair with ribbons, wearing the fashionable dresses Abbey would never get her to wear otherwise (though she trips on the hems), and awkwardly pursuing more 'feminine' hobbies, like flower-arranging or needlepoint. She is nonetheless too impatient to be good at either one of these things.
History: Eliza is the eldest daughter of Horace Dahlby, though she knows him as 'Father' or 'Sir'; she does not often see him, though her rooms are filled with trinkets and gifts he lavishes upon her and her other sisters. She does not seem to understand or be affected by Mr. Dahlby's successes and failures; her life is a rarefied, closeted one, and she has not even been outside of Palisade. Most of her time is spent in Abbey, her governesses', care. Eliza helps take care of her two little sisters, Jennie and Claire.
