The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place

Penelope Lumley

Miss Penelope Lumley is a graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and a firm believer in the philosophical saying of its founder, Agatha Swanburne. Though only fifteen years old, Penelope has become the governess of three lively children who, as it turns out, have quite a few canine tendencies! She adores animals, obscure poetry, and the Giddy-Yap, Rainbow! books.

The Incorrigible Children

The children were discovered on the Ashton estate by Lord Ashton himself during a hunting expedition. Their origins are quite a mystery. The children are:

Alexander, the eldest Incorrigible, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips. He has a particular fascination with navigation.

Beowulf, the middle child, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels. His hobbies include art and gnawing.

Cassiopeia, the youngest and wildest Incorrigible, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite. She is fierce and has an aptitude for mathematics.

Lord Fredrick Ashton

Lord Ashton is an avid hunter who stalks such animals as fox, deer, hares, badgers, and all manner of birds. Though he is newly married to Lady Ashton, he spends quite a bit of time at his gentlemen’s club rather than at home.

Lady Constance Ashton

Lady Ashton is quite fond of chocolates and flowers. She is young, pretty, and a bit on the spoiled side. Although she is now the guardian of three young children, her maternal instincts leave something to be desired.

Widow Hortense Ashton

The Widow Ashton is Lord Fredrick’s formidable mother. She wears a pince-nez, is kind to Penelope and the children, and strikes fear into her daughter-in-law, Lady Constance. She remains in mourning for her late husband, Lord Edward.

Admiral Faucet

Admiral Faucet is the Widow Ashton’s distinguished-looking beau. A famous explorer of Parts Unknown, he has white mutton-chop sideburns, carries a walking stick, and wears a pith helmet. He would be the first to remind you that his name is pronounced faw-say.

Judge Quinzy

Judge Quinzy, the new chap in Lord Fredrick’s gentlemen’s club, remarkably manages never to show what he is thinking. He has coarse, jet-black hair, a shapeless nose, and thick glasses, though he walks with an energetic, feline spring. He may not be who he claims to be.

Charlotte Mortimer

Miss Charlotte Mortimer is the headmistress of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and a friend and mentor to Penelope, whom she calls Penny. Upright and enigmatic, Charlotte takes her name from Charlotte Brontë, the creator of that other famous governess, Jane Eyre.

Simon Harley-Dickinson

Simon Harley-Dickinson, a special friend of Penelope’s, is a London-based young playwright who comes from sailor stock and has a knack for navigation. He inspires the observation in Penelope that “boys must be a thoroughly delightful species.”

Mrs. Clarke

Mrs. Clarke, head housekeeper of Ashton Place, is a kind-faced, square-built woman of middle age. A friend to Penelope, she wears a great ring of keys upon her ample hips and eventually takes up jogging to get herself in better shape.

Old Timothy

Old Timothy, the enigmatic coachman, has worked for the Ashtons since Lord Fredrick was a boy. The silent type, Old Timothy is gruff, wizened, and full of secrets, and he always seems to turn up at the most unexpected times.