in order of appearance
Thomasina Coverly
aged thirteen, later sixteen
Septimus Hodge
her tutor, aged twenty-two, later twenty-five
Jellaby
a butler, middle-aged
Ezra Chater
a poet, aged thirty-one
Richard Noakes
a landscape architect, middle-aged
Lady Croom
middle thirties
Capt. Brice, RN
middle thirties
Hannah Jarvis
an author, late thirties
Chloë Coverly
aged eighteen
Bernard Nightingale
a don, late thirties
Valentine Coverly
aged twenty-five to thirty
Gus Coverly
aged fifteen