JOHN PENROSE

[Morrigan]

John Arthur Penrose

25 . private income . london
born 30/03/1881

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relatives

The Hon. Sir Richard Penrose - Father (d. since 1891)
The Hon. Lady Clara Penrose (née Beaumont) - Mother
Isabella Penrose - Sister

Charles, Lord Carmarthen - Cousin once removed
Lady Elizabeth Penrose - Second cousin
Lord Edward Penrose - Second cousin
Lady Katherine Penrose - Second cousin
Lady Annabel Penrose - Second cousin

sexuality

Heterosexual

relationship status

Unattached

Appearance

TALL . HANDSOME . ROGUISH . INFORMAL . CONFIDENT

Tall, darkly handsome and possessed of a rather seductive intensity, John has the looks to be very much a ladies' man. He stands near six foot and is of a solid, fine build, accentuated by his penchant for wearing well-cut dark shirts and abandoning his day jackets whenever possible. His dark hair has a slight curl to it and he keeps it long enough to require its tying back with a length of dark ribbon, which is a look that most people either love or hate. His mother, certainly, objects to the length of his hair, but he stubbornly refuses to change it. He also has a blasé attitude towards facial hair, which means a dark stubble on his solid jaw is not uncommon with John. He has darkish grey-blue eyes.

John carries himself with a confidence born out of a privileged childhood, a natural disposition for self-assurance and the trappings of wealth. Although not as expensively dressed as his cousins at Kingsgate, John is certainly a well-turned out young man, the fine cut and style of his clothes always up to date in fashion, and the fabric of a very high quality. He certainly cuts a dapper figure in a tailcoat and white bowtie, and has always been something of a hit with the ladies because of his slightly rugged, slightly maverick good looks combined with the rakish smile that doesn't often leave his face. The look is, of course, not for everyone, with some particularly sniffy comments about his appearance containing the words "unkempt", "indecorous" and "careless". None of this, however, makes much difference to John, who unabashedly dresses as he pleases without much concern.

personality

CHARISMATIC . CHEEKY . DEBONAIR . NONCONFORMIST . JOVIAL . FUN-LOVING . EASYGOING

Charming and dashing, John has always been welcomed at Kingsgate as a favoured cousin, even though his father was not well liked by Charles Penrose. He has a way of putting others at ease and amusing them with his flair for storytelling, as he always has a witty anecdote up his sleeve. He is generally regarded as something of a free-wheeling loveable rogue, hard to pin down and prone to flightiness - evidenced by his continued bachelorhood despite his popularity. He is not against the idea of marriage at all; on the contrary he would like to have a wife and family home, yet each time a potential courtship looked to become a long-term commitment, John tended to become evasive and distance himself through an innate restlessness which dislikes the idea of being tied down.

Fewer people know that John also has a relatively hot temper, and has been known to commit acts which he would never ordinarily do in fits of rage. He is a flirtatious character and quite hot-blooded, which means he has never exactly been averse to flings in places where he ought not to have strayed. His genial, good-humoured personality coupled with a natural charm mean he is good at getting out of scrapes, but one can't help but imagine he may land himself in serious trouble if he does not give up his philandering ways. Perhaps out of personal knowledge of the wiles of cavalier men, John designates himself as guardian of sorts of his younger cousins, suspiciously mistrusting a lot of the suitors who enter the house while he is in residence.

history

Belonging to a still affluent but comparatively poorer strand of the Penrose family, John is the only son and eldest child of Lord Carmarthen's first cousin, the Honourable Sir Richard Penrose, who was the untitled younger son of the seventh Earl of Carmarthen. Richard, less than a year younger than his elder brother, married some years before him, and immediately started his family with his young bride, Clara Beaumont, now Penrose. Their first child, John, was born the March after the wedding, which was a duration of less than nine months and raised a few eyebrows. However, this was to be the last child born to them for a long period, as ill health and trouble conceiving prevented further pregnancies for some time. John therefore grew up and was tutored alone in the house, which allowed him to develop a certain self-sufficiency.

The family lived in a fine country house, of smaller scale than Kingsgate, but nonetheless a fine and well-staffed house about ten miles from the ancestral home and paid for by a combination of Richard's money and Clara's considerable inheritance. John's early education was undertaken by tutors at home, but when he was ten, he was sent to boarding school, though not before the news was broken that his mother was at last pregnant again. While John was in his first term at school, his sister was born: a girl, whom his parents named Violet. John did not meet her until he was home at Christmas, but from then on he was highly affectionate and protective of his younger sister, willingly spending time with her each time he came home. The family did not, however, often visit Kingsgate, as Richard had quarrelled with his cousin Charles when John was a baby. John's first visit was when he was eight, for their cousin Maria's wedding, and he would go to Kingsgate every few years from then on.

However, it wasn't until he was eighteen and his father died that he started becoming a regular guest at Kingsgate. Despite his animosity towards Richard, Charles Penrose was fond of his cousin's son once he became a young man at university. Thus John, his widowed mother and his sister became frequent visitors at Kingsgate, which has always been one of John's favourite places to be. His agreeable nature endeared him to both Lord and Lady Carmarthen, while their four children each looked up to him as something of a dashing hero while they were growing up since as far as they could tell, their second cousin was an exciting, independent man with the freedom to do as he pleased and travel far and wide, bringing back exotic stories and souvenirs from his explorations. Some of that was true, for John did like to roam about and tell the children stories, although you can be sure there were plenty of exaggerations in there.

At twenty, John became engaged to a young woman whose mother was close friends with his own mother at her behest. She was the mildly pretty eldest daughter of a wealthy knight by the name of Lady Sarah Elliott, but John, while courteous and polite to the girl, had not the slightest attraction to her and did not look forward to marrying her. Because of this, John stalled and delayed proceedings as much as he could, using necessary trips overseas and up north to avoid having to discuss dates, guests and wedding cakes with Lady Sarah and their mothers. Then, many months into their engagement, with the wedding still up in the air, a weary and disenchanted Lady Sarah grew seriously ill in the winter. She died before the month was out. John, on hearing the news when he returned burdened by a great sense of guilt that he had made her die an unmarried young woman loyally, hopefully and sadly waiting for him to return and marry her. Her death was not his fault, but he knew with great self-disgust that her unhappiness at the end of her life was.

John has not entered into an official relationship with a woman since, although his mother is anxious for him to marry. His sister, Violet, is now fifteen and he divides his time between looking after her interests and visiting Kingsgate. A marriage, however, must surely be imminent, since John is set to inherit a tidy sum and property, and is certainly at an age well due to be wed. But his independent streak has only grown stronger in recent years and he's not so sure he wants marriage at all.

other information

> really excellent shot
> quite athletic, generally outdoorsy
> no musical interest or talent
> decent sketching ability, but little patience for it
> minor interest in literature and theatre

rp sample

"How is she, John?"

"She's dead."

A long pause followed. Lady Clara seemed unmoved, but John recognised the stiffness of her expression as a disguise for the bitter disappointment that lay beneath. John stared at her coolly, his own jaw tight and his eyes hard. Lady Clara folded her hands in her lap and drew in a long breath.

"I am sorry to hear it."

"I'm sure you are. Now the Elliott manor won't be in Penrose hands, you must be devastated," John said bitterly.

"Do not talk to me in that manner, John. I am trying to ensure your future is one of prosperity and security. Lady Sarah would have done that."

"She was a person, Mama. She wasn't just a walking coin-purse! And I, I brought her nothing but unhappiness and loneliness in her last months. I should not have left her alone, I should have..."

"Should have married her? Yes. You should have. It would have made for a happier situation for us all, your sister included. But it is too late for such things. You must carry on and make the best of things, John. I hope you see that now."

John looked at his mother, his fingers curling and uncurling into a fist at his side. He turned away from the slight, birdlike woman seated on the red velvet chaise, and grasped the brass doorknob harshly.

"I see exactly what I must do, Mama." he said in a low voice, and left the room, leaving his mother to her cold evaluation by the fireside.

He wouldn't be pushed into a betrothal he did not want again.

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