CHARACTERS

THE FALCONERS

Philip Henry Rosewood Falconer, founder of the dynasty; a head butler

Esther Marie Falconer, his wife and co-founder of the dynasty; a head housekeeper

THEIR SONS

Matthew, his eldest son and heir; a stall owner at the Malvern Market

George, a noted journalist on The Chronicle daily newspaper

Harry, a chef and owner of a café, the Rendezvous

THEIR GRANDCHILDREN (MATTHEW’S OFFSPRING)

James Lionel, an ambitious young businessman on the rise

Rosalind, a seamstress

Edward Albert, assistant to his father on the stalls

THEIR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

Maude Falconer, Matthew’s wife and mother of his children; a seamstress

THE VENABLESES

Clarence Venables, Esther Falconer’s brother-in-law, great-uncle of James Falconer; owner of a shipping company in Hull

Marina Venables, Clarence’s wife and younger sister of Esther Falconer, great-aunt of James Falconer; a noted artist

THEIR CHILDREN

William, eldest son and heir, working at the Hull shipping company

Albert, second son, working at the Hull shipping company

THEIR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

Anne Venables, Albert’s wife

THE MALVERNS

Henry Ashton Malvern, owner of the Malvern company, a big business enterprise and real estate company

Alexis Malvern, his only child and heir; a partner in the business

Joshua Malvern, his brother and business partner

Percy Malvern, his cousin who runs the wine business in La Havre

THE TREVALIANS

Sebastian Trevalian, head of the Trevalian private bank

HIS DAUGHTERS

Claudia, his eldest daughter and heir

Lavinia, a debutante

Marietta, a debutante

HIS SISTER

Dorothea Trevalian Rayburn, an art collector and board member of the bank

HIS SON-IN-LAW

Cornelius Glendenning, Claudia’s husband; a banker

THE CARPENTERS

Lord Reginald Carpenter, a publishing tycoon and proprietor of The Chronicle

Lady Jane Cadwalander Carpenter, his wife

THEIR DAUGHTERS

Jasmine, a debutante

Lilah, a debutante