Lady Allendale
Character Profile
| Name: | Lady Allendale |
| Date of Birth: | |
| Service: | n/a |
| Rank: | |
| Nationality: | British |
| Billets: |
Biography
Lady Allendale was William Laurence's mother and she was far closer to him than her husband, Lord Allendale. She often fretted about her youngest son, because of his chosen professions. She found a kindred spirit in Temeraire, who also cared deeply for her youngest son. She was also amused that Temeraire had been able to get Laurence interested in reading books, something she herself had no success achieving.
After Laurence's quarrel with his father, Lady Allendale continued to write to him even though she was unable to get the letters "franked" by her husband. (As a lord, Lord Allendale had the privilege of sending mail for free if it was marked with his seal.) Laurence thus had to pay the postage himself in order to receive the letters. After some time, Lord Allendale relented on this point.
When Admiral Roland met Lady Allendale, she was struck by her ladyship's sense of noblesse oblige, a trait that Laurence shared with his mother. For example, when Temeraire offered to take Laurence's family to safety in Scotland, Lady Allendale gently explained to him that it was their duty to stay with their tenants and servants.
Like her husband, Lady Allendale was initially under the impression that Emily Roland was Laurence's "by-blow" (illegitimate child). She sent Emily a gift, a necklace of garnets set in gold. Emily's mother, Admiral Roland, found this situation highly amusing. However, once Lady Allendale met Admiral Roland and learned she was Emily's mother, it can be assumed that her ladyship figured out fairly quickly that Laurence was not the father. Emily's birth obviously pre-dated Laurence's entry into the Aerial Corps by some years, and it was unlikely he would have made Admiral Roland's acquaintance before that.
