Our new season is now open: Spring 1677 !
George Hardwick III
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| Full Name: | George Hardwick the Third |
| Nationality: | English |
| Title: | Earl |
| Estate Name: | Chichester |
| Age: | 28 b.10th October 1648 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height | 6' |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Colour: | Dark Brown |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Circles: | Political, Arts Fashion & Proper |
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| London: | Town: Half Moon House Pall Mall Country:Hardwick House in Dulwich, south of London |
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| London: | Wilhelmina Boyle Academy of Arts |
Reputation: «...The Earl of Chilchester is widely acknowledged for his talent for the arts, this eligible young lord is known to uphold exceedingly proper morals. Accepting of everyone, even commoners, the earls has a quietly steadfast approach to everyday life, while wistfully holding on to dreams of a more perfect world.....»
Physical Attributes
George is a lean fellow, with angular features, and large dark brown eyes, his hair is darker still. His fingers are fine and long, with fingernails buffed to a muted sheen. His knees are on the knobbly side, in fact he could perhaps do well with a bit of fattening up all over.
Upon some manner of personal quirk, George wears a pearl necklace over his cravat rather than a cravat pin.
Initial Impression of Personality
In the first stare of Fashion, George takes meticulous attention to his costume and cutting a fine impression. His preferences are influenced by the continent; and one might note a Parisian patch upon cheekbone, Portuguese lace as his cravat, Florentine silk stockings….
Personality wise he casts a reserved first impression, relaxing into a sporting manner as he becomes comfortable with new acquaintances.
Contents |
Background
On October the 13th George was born first child to Mary Christabel and George Hardwick II. The birth was not easy upon his Mother and for many years it was said that there would be no further branches added to the Hardwick family tree. This suited George well enough, he was spoilt by his mother, and his father praised him for the very least achievement.
Nine carefree summers rolled by, when George noticed a change within the household. Everyone fussed about his Mother, and his father asked after her health so often it seemed ridiculous. But then the reason for this appeared one morning; a little baby girl bundled up in sheets in his governesses arm’s. He never saw his mother again, he barely remembered the funeral, though from others he later heard of a temper shown where he insisted upon wearing her pearls that day.
As his sister grew older, George discovered the fun in having a sibling. Mirtel Christabel admired him above all else, and he cared after her as a benevolent deity… never failing to surprise her with the most charming items. George had a knack for finding the best presents, and as she grew older still, he would take her upon the most enjoyable day trips into town.
It was one such day when he was about 18, that he wandered off to to have a few hands of a card game. Just how the time disappeared he refused to say, but that when he returned to where he’d left Mirtel she was gone, as was the family carriage. With anxiety striking to his heart, he commandeered a horse (though he hated to ride), and made haste towards home – fearing he'd not find her, that she might have been abducted. In the dark he saw it; the tumbled carriage – and then he heard her exhausted cries.
While the doctor looked after her injuries, George's II and III argued loudly into the night, both upset over Mirtels accident. He should never have told what he'd been up to, for that was the final straw, words were said that coudl not be forgotten – a rift that would never been mended divided the men that night, and George packed his trunks and left the next day setting his sights upon Italy. He took his mothers pearls with him.
He wrote to Mirtel often, and kept up his habit of sending presents, and a though never once did he ask after his father, Mirtel naively kept him informed of their lives progress. Years passed by, George found he particularly enjoyed Rome – he had ever enjoyed art as a child, and now came to spend balmy afternoons making studies of the masters, while spending the evenings in red wine and excess. His generous allowance (which is father continued to pay him just to ensure the lad did not return) financed his various obsessions.
In April of his 25th year, Mirtel’s letters took a new tune of concern for the father; who had taken to death bed. George farewelled his current fair-weather friends, and returned to England immediately – to care for his sister at this time.
It was well past time that Mirtel ought to be debut’s at court, and so it was that he declared one day that they were to travel to London together – he with the intention of purchasing a townhouse, and she to consider her options for a future husband.
Season IV ~ April-May 1676
Minirecess 3-6 May
The blur of days continued within the Opium den, George vaguely aware of the passage of day to night midst his drug infused escape from reality. Dream mixed with memory; he looked up to see his father snorting in disgust. Somebody rummaged in his pocket provoking a groan of pleasure of physical touch.
"Time to leave." A voice abruptly announced. George fumbled for his wallet to pay for his next hit, but it was gone. "I'm not in the business of charity." the Mistress said firmly, and her customer was taken out the back exit.
Lichen is so complex... George mused as he stared at the fence, the dim sounds of London slowly becoming clearer hour by hour. The growl in his belly finally drove the disheveled Earl to arise to his feet, to try manage him way back to the Red Lion, where Mrs Golightly's food might restore him, at least partially, from the ravages of the past week.
When George got to the Red Lion, his manservant rushed to him in dismay. "My hands are dirty?" George uttered in confusion as he looked at his upturned hands, "These cant be mine."
"Don't worry sir, they will wash." He was taken inside to bathe, and to sleep off the remnants of over excess.
Minirecess 15-19 May
George invites the Boyles to the country house for a couple of days. He spends a bit of time with Mina, while endeavours to pick Mr Boyles brains late into the evening as he tries figure how he's going to bring the Labour Board from an idea into a reality. He gets advice on hiring of a clerk.
He spends idle moments trying to compose a letter to Merriweather, but each effort ends up being thrown into the fire.
George returns to London on the 17th, and hires the recommended clerk.
On the 18th he goes about confirming arrangement's for the barge party on the Thames.
Recess IV (June-October'76)
During the clarity of vision following that fateful morn, George Hardwick swore off the drink or opium, blaming his actions as influenced by his excess during the days of grief. He refused to take even the pain killers the doctors prescribed for him, and punished himself for his sins through his suffering. Detoxification of his body was gruelling, yet as the days passed he begun to cope better… a dark shadow seemed to often pass him at the corner of his eye.
It was during the week of his recovery at Dulwich when he had a visit from Mr Boyle, who was much agitated. He told George of Mina’s emptied grave and the doings of Able and Forensi.. George behaved suitably alarmed and concerned at the blight cast over Mina’s name posthumously. “I shall see matter right.” He promised Boyle. George saw a light glow around Boyle then, and felt a need to move further away from him for fear of the light touching his skin, might it burn?
Now George had witnessed Boyle’s own suffering enough to know that the man had been neglecting his business, and now he addressed that very thing. While he’d once been the petitioner within their relationship, he now took a directive posture. With the concern of a friend, a friendship deepened by shared grief, he advised that Peter see to his flailing company. While he tried to help, he found his own spirits somewhat buoyed, this was perhaps the most practical penance to pay.
So it was that George gave a pledge to act as Peters London factor, as he encouraged the man to carry on to see to the new Warehouses in Bristol and George would keep in advised of progress. He crossed himself as he vowed to the duty.
Left alone again, George wondered what he might do. Feeling bothered with a tickly feeling at the back of his neck, like somebody was watching him, he quickly turned around, but nobody was there.
When he was well enough he went to see Reverend Able. He wondered upon requesting confession, but his bravery failed him, and instead he asked only after Mina. His eyes drifted to the font of holy water at the chapel, and he wondered if he touched it would it hiss upon his fingers, his evil fingers? There were scant facts that Able could supply, more, George saw the man knew quite nothing enough to cause real concern. “It is grave robbers, that is all, though that in itself is bad enough. I shall speak with this Forensi, and warn him away from making more fuss. It is the last thing men and women of our faith need, than to have accusations that we are vampires bandied about.
The presence grew stronger, George could feel it. Mina, Mina followed him, even when he left town in search of Forenzi. George found the man some weeks later, the man having ‘stalked’ some manner of trail that brought him within but a few miles of where Georges own sister was visiting. George approached the man, cloaked, and late late at night, beginning with a request to rid himself of a haunting, though his real intent was to halt the mans stories of Mina being a vampire. How Forensi managed to ‘read’ George as vulnerable, one might only guess, but next thing George knew he found himself clinging to the mans every word, as Forensi spoke of absolution, and that spirits only lingered when there was business unfinished.
What begun with the intention to rid Forenzi from this case, resulted in George’s hiring him to act as a medium between himself and the spirit of his lost fiancée… who lingered just outside of his field of vision, watching him, and waiting.
It did not take many troubling séances, before George made his full confession to Forenzi in private. “What might I do to bring peace to her soul, and my own?” George begged. Forenzi’s eyes were seen to glitter in the candle light, as he had the Earl promise to follow his instructions to a t, as he explained that the costs would be high, but the reward worth every cent. George willingly handed over his money. And for his troubles, received ‘spiritual guidance’ that commenced with his travelling to Ireland immediately, there to cross the extremities of the isle from due west to due east, there to conduct a ceremony in the first light of dawn. Many other strange instructions George was given, each in exchange for a large payment to the provider of penance. “How many more steps are there?” George asked after returning, “Patience milord, patience.” Forenzi replied, before sating George need for Mina’s forgiveness with yet another obscure message from the dead.
Recess V (Nov '76-April'77)
George heads to Bristol after the Windsor season, and catches up with Mr Boyle, his eyes taking in the methods the extremely successful businessman uses. He is pleased to see that Mr Boyle is adjusting to the death of his daughter, and suspects that his young wife might be the reason for that. George is not so rude as to ask if a child is expected, but Mrs Boyle is looking somewhat plumper.
Christmas sees George retuned to Chichester, for a family Christmas with Mirtel. He sees that the town people have a 100 pounds for a Christmas party in the town hall. There were bright lights and fireworks. Mirtel and George make a cameo appearance.
He gives Mirtel a present - some sheet music she so wanted.
George continues a correspondence with the Spaniard Toledo. He is pleased to hear the man will be companying Don Juan to London (though doesn't tell Mirtel, as Toledo is a sensitive issue between them still.)
Damien arrives to Chichester around the 18th. He's caught a cold which is a bit of a downer, when George caught it off him. The cold progressed to an ear infection, so that after he'd gotten better from the cold his hearing in his left ear never does return.
The loss hardly bothered George, for he was having such a good time with his sweetheart. Fun times - pleasant distractions from George's usually dark thoughts. He gives Damien a present, a fancy but lewd walking stick inset with a diamond. Damien keeps suggesting a riding lesson, which George agrees with, but is always otherwise occupied. Riding holds dark memories for George.
Come March, George and Damien travel to Dulwich. He settles in the newly arriving artists to their wing, and Damien into their wing. The weather is warming more time spent outdoors. Alas, George gets caught out, and Damien gives him a riding lesson. George knows how to ride, he rose daily up till the day of Mirtels accident - the issue had ever been the memories that came back upon him when atop a horse. Yet perseverance seemed to help. George still doesn't like riding, but he no longer breaks out in a cold sweat.
Family
Parents
- George Hardwick II, Earl of Chilchester - deceased
- Mary Christabel Hardwick - deceased
