Post by LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH on May 13, 2010 8:20:37 GMT -5
Hi, my name is Nessie and this is my third and final character. Something you should know about me is Lady Catherine and I technically share the same name; my RL name Catriona is the Gaelic form of Catherine. ^^ .
Canon: ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by Jane Austen
Custom Title: Most seriously displeased.
PHYSICAL
Age:Late fifties
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Height:Quite a formidable figure to behold, Catherine stands at five foot seven. Despite this she is often underestimated due to her somewhat dated appearance.
Body: Catherine has never been on the large side but her obsession with fad diets in her younger years (and even now) mean that she’s skinnier than most. She also makes a big fuss over her skin, insisting on it being as pale as possible the better to show off the ‘blue blood’ running through her veins.
Other distinguishing features: Her elaborately curled hair always takes her at least an hour to perfect. If a hair is out of place it drives her crazy; she always wants to look her absolute best no matter the occasion. Her hair is going slightly grey but she has regular appointments with a personal stylist to keep it glossy and brown; she refuses to age gracefully.
Wardrobe: Lady Catherine, being as high up on the social ladder as she is, certainly dresses the part. She is almost always in a skirt and heels, if not a dress suit. She is particularly partial to Chanel and has the same Chanel suit in many different colours. On occasion she will break from the norm and attempt to dress more casually, but casual for Catherine is a dress shirt and well tailored trousers. She doesn't own a single pair of jeans (or trainers for that matter). She's as fussy about her clothes as she is about her hair; if there's even the slightest crease in her suit or a wrinkle in her stockings she'll go ballistic. [/ul]
Play By: Kelly Bishop
PERSONALITY
General personality:
Lady Catherine is what one would go so far as to say as a prime example of the worst shortcomings of the upper classes. In other words, she's arrogant, egotistical, nosy, bossy and incredibly haughty with it. She frowns on anyone below her in status, often 'forgetting' that she married to gain her elite title and was in fact born in the high class. When you don't address her as 'Lady Catherine' and call her simply 'Mrs. de Bourgh' or, heaven forbid, just 'Catherine', she will probably snub you and despise you forever. She has a habit of stating her opinions and ideas in a very decisive tone, indicating that she is not used to having her opinion contradicted. Lady Catherine is very intimidating what with her habit of looking down her snooty nose at people but she is often underestimated due to the fact she tends to dress in pastels. This is a big mistake to make; she has one of the worst tempers in New York City. To make matters worse the slightest little thing will set her off, from her morning coffee being too cold to the weather report hinting at rain. Some people think Lady Catherine is really a nice person inside but she just hides it outside a tough shell, others think she only became so dislikeable and moody after the death of her husband...who knows? Maybe someday they'll find out.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: “I am most seriously displeased.”, “I will not be interrupted!”
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths: Bossing people around, getting her way, the ability to talk the hind leg off a donkey
Weaknesses: Her pride, her inability to see others opinions/points of view, money
BACKGROUND
Family:
Father: Neville Fitzwilliam (deceased)
Mother: Rachel Fitzwilliam (neé Beckett) (deceased)
Sister: Anne Darcy (neé Fitzwilliam) (deceased)
Brother: (Name unknown, father to Colonel Fitzwilliam)
Nephews: Fitzwilliam Darcy (alive and well)
Colonel Fitzwilliam (the same)
Niece: Georgiana Darcy (the same)
Husband: Sir Lewis de Bourgh (deceased)
Daughter: Anne de Bourgh (alive but sickly)
Education:
Lady Catherine was educated at the best school her parents vast wealth could afford. At first she hated it, being bossed around and told what to do by her teachers, but as she grew older she found her place as leader of a small group of girls who talked about hair, clothes and their pet ponies. Lady Catherine's prowess at lording her wealth and influence over others came to light during these years. She was never exactly popular (although she regarded herself as such) but she was looked up to and deferred by those around her (if only so they stayed in her good books). She was due to attend university but decided to marry her high school sweetheart Lewis de Bourgh instead.
Occupation:
Lady Catherine has never done a day's work in her life; she married young and into a class and household where no work was required of her
Worst past experience:
Lady Catherine has many past experiences she would consider bad; her rivalry with her sister for Mummy and Daddy's affections, her wedding day nearly being ruined because the flowers were red roses instead of white, when someone else bought the shoes she'd had her eye on for about half a second... The list is exhaustive. However if she had to pick the worst experience of her life so far it would probably be the de Bourgh family's initial disapproval of her character. That stung.
Best past experience:
Most certainly marrying Sir Lewis de Bourgh. Not so much for his character, personality or looks (although he certainly had them) but for his money. Catherine felt she had finally found her true place in society, among the best of the best, the richest of the rich. If only Annie could see her now.
Image:
Lady Catherine is perceived by most people as arrogant, rude and conceited, full of 'dignified impertinence'. However there are a select few who dote on her and see her as the epitome of kindness and charity (chief among them Mr. Collins). As she is head or a member of several important charitable organizations she tries to give such an impression to everyone, stressing in conversation about her devotion to helping those less fortunate than herself (though in truth despite her positions in these societies she does little to uphold their motto's).
History:
Catherine Beatrice Fitzwilliam, as her name suggests, was born into a family of high social status and superior rank. She was the loudest of the Fitzwilliam's three children to be certain, and could throw a spectacular tantrum if she didn't get her way. She had a terrible temper even at a young age, and was the terror of her siblings.
As she grew older her temper remained the same but she was less likely to indulge in fits of fury. Instead she restricted herself to sneers and snide remarks; this proved useful when she entered high school (a private school with an excellent reputation, nonetheless) when it came to snubbing those she deemed unworthy of her company (quite a few people, as it turned out). It was during this time that she became the unofficial leader of a small group of girls whose frequent topics of conversation included what was 'in', hairstyles and, to a great extent, ponies, of which all the girls had one.
Except Catherine.
Not that she was about to let them know this. She lied about 'her' pony ('Whinny'fred/Winifred) and none of the girls ever found out. A pony was the one thing Neville and Rachel Fitzwilliam weren't going to shell out money for; if Catherine had one then Anne and her brother would want one too, and they most certainly didn't have the time or inclination to run a ranch out of their (admittedly large) grounds.
Aside from her lies about ponies and frequent catty comments about other girls' dress sense, Catherine was in fact a pretty good student. She passed all her classes (although she struggled with Maths) and did her homework on time, at least (though whether it was her who did said homework or her after school Maths tutor is a point of debate).
It was during her high school years that Catherine made an acquaintance of Lewis de Bourgh. He was quite a soft spoken and reserved young man, easy for Catherine to twist round her little finger if she so chose (which she most certainly did). It was evident that Lewis didn't mind her particular style of affections (i.e bossing him about) and in fact seemed to appreciate being given such direction. Nor did he seem to mind Catherine's obsessions with clothes, fad diets and having a manicure almost every fortnight. He was a very charitable young man and, even during the hectic last few weeks before school ended, kept up with his various charitable organizations of which he was a member.
A few weeks after graduation, Lewis departed from the area and was said to have made his way to London. Upon his return the knowledge was circulated that he had been knighted, making him an all the more eligible young man. Needless to say Catherine felt very smug about being of such a close acquaintance with him.
It was not long after this that Sir Lewis de Bourgh plucked up the courage to ask for Catherine's hand in marriage. His parents, it was said, were most seriously displeased at the idea of him marrying below his newly gained status, but their prejudices were seen to have been unfounded; upon meeting Catherine they took an instant liking to her and the wedding was arranged for early the next year.
It was two years into their marriage before the de Bourgh's decided they wanted to start a family of their own. Catherine had amused herself the past two years with all the delights and delicacies of the elite lifestyle (not to mention henpecking her husband) while Lewis shrugged it off as just being her way and continued with his charity work, in which he encouraged Catherine to be a participant.
Anne de Bourgh was born late in the de Bourgh's second year of marriage. Catherine was delighted at having a daughter of her own, intending to raise her with all the luxuries she could afford (including a pony). However it soon became apparent that Anne de Bourgh would be unfit for many activities let alone riding a horse. She was of a sickly constitution from birth, very pale and wan, and her mother's love of dressing her in pink did little to help her complexion.
Soon however the task of looking after the child became too much for the self-serving Catherine de Bourgh and she hired a nanny, Mrs. Jenkinson, to do the job for her. She still fawned over her daughter and boasted of her apparent beauty and talent to anyone who would listen, but it was clear that Anne had turned out to be a disappointment to her mother.
It was not long after Anne turned five that her father passed away. To all outward appearances Lady Catherine was distraught but in truth she was not as cut up by her husband's death as many would have expected. She wore black for the customary period, made an eloquent, seemingly heartfelt speech at his funeral and visits his grave every fortnight, although the latter may just be to keep up a good public image.
After Sir Lewis died Lady Catherine took it upon herself to continue his charitable endeavours and was surprisingly good about it. As head of one of the committees she over-ruled her fellows on one occasion to procure a job for an unemployed clergyman by name of Mr. William Collins; the man was eternally grateful and showered her Ladyship with praise (a feat which he still manages today).
At present Lady Catherine resides at the estate of Rosings Park in the suburbs of New York City with Mrs. Jenkinson and her daughter. She commutes to the city centre on an almost daily basis, if not for one of her many charity or club meetings than for one of her beauty regimes or some retail therapy (she seems to indulge in a lot of the latter two). Her current goal in life is to see her daughter as happily married as she was, though whether her plans will come to fruition is anyone's guess. One thing is for certain; if they don't, Lady Catherine will be most seriously displeased.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
"What do you call this?"
The voice was shrill, clipped, authoritative; the sort of voice that is incredibly difficult to ignore, even if you want to. The owner of the voice was none other than Lady Catherine Beatrice de Bourgh of Rosings Park and, unfortunately for the shopkeeper to whom she was speaking, her Ladyship was in the foulest of tempers.
"I-It's a caramel latte madam..." the terrified waitress stammered, eyes wide in the face of the older woman's evident displeasure.
Lady Catherine's own eyes widened at the young woman's turn of phrase and she bristled with indignation. How dare she? Madam, indeed!
"Young lady, do you know who I am?"
The waitress dithered, not sure whether the question required an answer or whether it was simply rhetorical. At the impatient look on the other's face, however, she decided it best to attempt a reply.
"N-no...I-I'm very s-sorry...I-"
"And so you should be! I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park and I expect to be treated with the respect that title deserves! Why on Earth have you brought me a caramel latte when I specifically asked for vanilla? And why," here her Ladyship paused and pointed accusingly at the innocent packet of white sugar on the plate beside the coffee cup. "Have you brought me sugar?"
A look of recognition had dawned on the waitress' face at the name de Bourgh but her fearful expression returned as Lady Catherine continued in her tirade.
"Y-You asked for a c-caramel latte, mad....er...your Ladyship..." she replied, flipping through her notepad to find the page on which she'd written Catherine's order.
"I most certainly did not!" cried Lady Catherine, snatching the pad of paper from the stunned girl's hands and rifling through it herself. "See! Look there!" She pointed to where her order had been written, scrutinizing it to see the words she wanted.
The waitress, utterly bewildered, looked at the pad of paper too.
"That s-says caramel...not v-vanilla..."
And indeed it did.
Unfortunately for the waitress Lady Catherine was not accustomed to having her opinions challenged. She looked at the pad again and saw that the waitress was right, but she wasn't about to admit it.
"Whatever happened to the customer is always right?" she asked, turning back to the waitress with a raised eyebrow and practically throwing the pad back to her. "I said I wanted a vanilla latte, I have here a caramel one. Rectify the situation at once or I'll have a word with your employer!"
The waitress dared to heave a sigh. She hated her job.
"I'll go and get you a vanilla latte immediately, your Ladyship," she said, picking up the offending cup of coffee and taking a few steps backwards.
Lady Catherine seemed pleased, going so far as to crack a small smile.
"Don't forget," she said with great finality as the waitress backed away. "No sugar. If I see even a grain of the stuff I shall be most seriously displeased."
Catherine Beatrice de Bourgh
| Elite |
| Elite |
Canon: ‘Pride & Prejudice’ by Jane Austen
Custom Title: Most seriously displeased.
PHYSICAL
Age:Late fifties
Gender: Female
Appearance:
Height:Quite a formidable figure to behold, Catherine stands at five foot seven. Despite this she is often underestimated due to her somewhat dated appearance.
Body: Catherine has never been on the large side but her obsession with fad diets in her younger years (and even now) mean that she’s skinnier than most. She also makes a big fuss over her skin, insisting on it being as pale as possible the better to show off the ‘blue blood’ running through her veins.
Other distinguishing features: Her elaborately curled hair always takes her at least an hour to perfect. If a hair is out of place it drives her crazy; she always wants to look her absolute best no matter the occasion. Her hair is going slightly grey but she has regular appointments with a personal stylist to keep it glossy and brown; she refuses to age gracefully.
Wardrobe: Lady Catherine, being as high up on the social ladder as she is, certainly dresses the part. She is almost always in a skirt and heels, if not a dress suit. She is particularly partial to Chanel and has the same Chanel suit in many different colours. On occasion she will break from the norm and attempt to dress more casually, but casual for Catherine is a dress shirt and well tailored trousers. She doesn't own a single pair of jeans (or trainers for that matter). She's as fussy about her clothes as she is about her hair; if there's even the slightest crease in her suit or a wrinkle in her stockings she'll go ballistic. [/ul]
Play By: Kelly Bishop
PERSONALITY
General personality:
Lady Catherine is what one would go so far as to say as a prime example of the worst shortcomings of the upper classes. In other words, she's arrogant, egotistical, nosy, bossy and incredibly haughty with it. She frowns on anyone below her in status, often 'forgetting' that she married to gain her elite title and was in fact born in the high class. When you don't address her as 'Lady Catherine' and call her simply 'Mrs. de Bourgh' or, heaven forbid, just 'Catherine', she will probably snub you and despise you forever. She has a habit of stating her opinions and ideas in a very decisive tone, indicating that she is not used to having her opinion contradicted. Lady Catherine is very intimidating what with her habit of looking down her snooty nose at people but she is often underestimated due to the fact she tends to dress in pastels. This is a big mistake to make; she has one of the worst tempers in New York City. To make matters worse the slightest little thing will set her off, from her morning coffee being too cold to the weather report hinting at rain. Some people think Lady Catherine is really a nice person inside but she just hides it outside a tough shell, others think she only became so dislikeable and moody after the death of her husband...who knows? Maybe someday they'll find out.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: “I am most seriously displeased.”, “I will not be interrupted!”
Likes:
- Getting her own way
- Talking incessantly (often about how 'generous' she is)
- Reading glossy magazines
- Drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee
- Getting manicures/pedicures/facials
- Complaining
- Bossing people around
- Shopping for ridiculously expensive things she doesn't technically need
- The theatre/arts
- Lording her status over others
Dislikes:
- When people don't listen to her
- Being called a snob
- People who lack taste/refinement (i.e most people except her)
- Untidiness/scruffiness
- Chewing gum
- Most television shows
- Fast food
- Loud music
- Bad hair days
- Mr. Collins on occasion (one can only take so much deference)
Strengths: Bossing people around, getting her way, the ability to talk the hind leg off a donkey
Weaknesses: Her pride, her inability to see others opinions/points of view, money
BACKGROUND
Family:
Father: Neville Fitzwilliam (deceased)
Mother: Rachel Fitzwilliam (neé Beckett) (deceased)
Sister: Anne Darcy (neé Fitzwilliam) (deceased)
Brother: (Name unknown, father to Colonel Fitzwilliam)
Nephews: Fitzwilliam Darcy (alive and well)
Colonel Fitzwilliam (the same)
Niece: Georgiana Darcy (the same)
Husband: Sir Lewis de Bourgh (deceased)
Daughter: Anne de Bourgh (alive but sickly)
Education:
Lady Catherine was educated at the best school her parents vast wealth could afford. At first she hated it, being bossed around and told what to do by her teachers, but as she grew older she found her place as leader of a small group of girls who talked about hair, clothes and their pet ponies. Lady Catherine's prowess at lording her wealth and influence over others came to light during these years. She was never exactly popular (although she regarded herself as such) but she was looked up to and deferred by those around her (if only so they stayed in her good books). She was due to attend university but decided to marry her high school sweetheart Lewis de Bourgh instead.
Occupation:
Lady Catherine has never done a day's work in her life; she married young and into a class and household where no work was required of her
Worst past experience:
Lady Catherine has many past experiences she would consider bad; her rivalry with her sister for Mummy and Daddy's affections, her wedding day nearly being ruined because the flowers were red roses instead of white, when someone else bought the shoes she'd had her eye on for about half a second... The list is exhaustive. However if she had to pick the worst experience of her life so far it would probably be the de Bourgh family's initial disapproval of her character. That stung.
Best past experience:
Most certainly marrying Sir Lewis de Bourgh. Not so much for his character, personality or looks (although he certainly had them) but for his money. Catherine felt she had finally found her true place in society, among the best of the best, the richest of the rich. If only Annie could see her now.
Image:
Lady Catherine is perceived by most people as arrogant, rude and conceited, full of 'dignified impertinence'. However there are a select few who dote on her and see her as the epitome of kindness and charity (chief among them Mr. Collins). As she is head or a member of several important charitable organizations she tries to give such an impression to everyone, stressing in conversation about her devotion to helping those less fortunate than herself (though in truth despite her positions in these societies she does little to uphold their motto's).
History:
Catherine Beatrice Fitzwilliam, as her name suggests, was born into a family of high social status and superior rank. She was the loudest of the Fitzwilliam's three children to be certain, and could throw a spectacular tantrum if she didn't get her way. She had a terrible temper even at a young age, and was the terror of her siblings.
As she grew older her temper remained the same but she was less likely to indulge in fits of fury. Instead she restricted herself to sneers and snide remarks; this proved useful when she entered high school (a private school with an excellent reputation, nonetheless) when it came to snubbing those she deemed unworthy of her company (quite a few people, as it turned out). It was during this time that she became the unofficial leader of a small group of girls whose frequent topics of conversation included what was 'in', hairstyles and, to a great extent, ponies, of which all the girls had one.
Except Catherine.
Not that she was about to let them know this. She lied about 'her' pony ('Whinny'fred/Winifred) and none of the girls ever found out. A pony was the one thing Neville and Rachel Fitzwilliam weren't going to shell out money for; if Catherine had one then Anne and her brother would want one too, and they most certainly didn't have the time or inclination to run a ranch out of their (admittedly large) grounds.
Aside from her lies about ponies and frequent catty comments about other girls' dress sense, Catherine was in fact a pretty good student. She passed all her classes (although she struggled with Maths) and did her homework on time, at least (though whether it was her who did said homework or her after school Maths tutor is a point of debate).
It was during her high school years that Catherine made an acquaintance of Lewis de Bourgh. He was quite a soft spoken and reserved young man, easy for Catherine to twist round her little finger if she so chose (which she most certainly did). It was evident that Lewis didn't mind her particular style of affections (i.e bossing him about) and in fact seemed to appreciate being given such direction. Nor did he seem to mind Catherine's obsessions with clothes, fad diets and having a manicure almost every fortnight. He was a very charitable young man and, even during the hectic last few weeks before school ended, kept up with his various charitable organizations of which he was a member.
A few weeks after graduation, Lewis departed from the area and was said to have made his way to London. Upon his return the knowledge was circulated that he had been knighted, making him an all the more eligible young man. Needless to say Catherine felt very smug about being of such a close acquaintance with him.
It was not long after this that Sir Lewis de Bourgh plucked up the courage to ask for Catherine's hand in marriage. His parents, it was said, were most seriously displeased at the idea of him marrying below his newly gained status, but their prejudices were seen to have been unfounded; upon meeting Catherine they took an instant liking to her and the wedding was arranged for early the next year.
It was two years into their marriage before the de Bourgh's decided they wanted to start a family of their own. Catherine had amused herself the past two years with all the delights and delicacies of the elite lifestyle (not to mention henpecking her husband) while Lewis shrugged it off as just being her way and continued with his charity work, in which he encouraged Catherine to be a participant.
Anne de Bourgh was born late in the de Bourgh's second year of marriage. Catherine was delighted at having a daughter of her own, intending to raise her with all the luxuries she could afford (including a pony). However it soon became apparent that Anne de Bourgh would be unfit for many activities let alone riding a horse. She was of a sickly constitution from birth, very pale and wan, and her mother's love of dressing her in pink did little to help her complexion.
Soon however the task of looking after the child became too much for the self-serving Catherine de Bourgh and she hired a nanny, Mrs. Jenkinson, to do the job for her. She still fawned over her daughter and boasted of her apparent beauty and talent to anyone who would listen, but it was clear that Anne had turned out to be a disappointment to her mother.
It was not long after Anne turned five that her father passed away. To all outward appearances Lady Catherine was distraught but in truth she was not as cut up by her husband's death as many would have expected. She wore black for the customary period, made an eloquent, seemingly heartfelt speech at his funeral and visits his grave every fortnight, although the latter may just be to keep up a good public image.
After Sir Lewis died Lady Catherine took it upon herself to continue his charitable endeavours and was surprisingly good about it. As head of one of the committees she over-ruled her fellows on one occasion to procure a job for an unemployed clergyman by name of Mr. William Collins; the man was eternally grateful and showered her Ladyship with praise (a feat which he still manages today).
At present Lady Catherine resides at the estate of Rosings Park in the suburbs of New York City with Mrs. Jenkinson and her daughter. She commutes to the city centre on an almost daily basis, if not for one of her many charity or club meetings than for one of her beauty regimes or some retail therapy (she seems to indulge in a lot of the latter two). Her current goal in life is to see her daughter as happily married as she was, though whether her plans will come to fruition is anyone's guess. One thing is for certain; if they don't, Lady Catherine will be most seriously displeased.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
"What do you call this?"
The voice was shrill, clipped, authoritative; the sort of voice that is incredibly difficult to ignore, even if you want to. The owner of the voice was none other than Lady Catherine Beatrice de Bourgh of Rosings Park and, unfortunately for the shopkeeper to whom she was speaking, her Ladyship was in the foulest of tempers.
"I-It's a caramel latte madam..." the terrified waitress stammered, eyes wide in the face of the older woman's evident displeasure.
Lady Catherine's own eyes widened at the young woman's turn of phrase and she bristled with indignation. How dare she? Madam, indeed!
"Young lady, do you know who I am?"
The waitress dithered, not sure whether the question required an answer or whether it was simply rhetorical. At the impatient look on the other's face, however, she decided it best to attempt a reply.
"N-no...I-I'm very s-sorry...I-"
"And so you should be! I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park and I expect to be treated with the respect that title deserves! Why on Earth have you brought me a caramel latte when I specifically asked for vanilla? And why," here her Ladyship paused and pointed accusingly at the innocent packet of white sugar on the plate beside the coffee cup. "Have you brought me sugar?"
A look of recognition had dawned on the waitress' face at the name de Bourgh but her fearful expression returned as Lady Catherine continued in her tirade.
"Y-You asked for a c-caramel latte, mad....er...your Ladyship..." she replied, flipping through her notepad to find the page on which she'd written Catherine's order.
"I most certainly did not!" cried Lady Catherine, snatching the pad of paper from the stunned girl's hands and rifling through it herself. "See! Look there!" She pointed to where her order had been written, scrutinizing it to see the words she wanted.
The waitress, utterly bewildered, looked at the pad of paper too.
"That s-says caramel...not v-vanilla..."
And indeed it did.
Unfortunately for the waitress Lady Catherine was not accustomed to having her opinions challenged. She looked at the pad again and saw that the waitress was right, but she wasn't about to admit it.
"Whatever happened to the customer is always right?" she asked, turning back to the waitress with a raised eyebrow and practically throwing the pad back to her. "I said I wanted a vanilla latte, I have here a caramel one. Rectify the situation at once or I'll have a word with your employer!"
The waitress dared to heave a sigh. She hated her job.
"I'll go and get you a vanilla latte immediately, your Ladyship," she said, picking up the offending cup of coffee and taking a few steps backwards.
Lady Catherine seemed pleased, going so far as to crack a small smile.
"Don't forget," she said with great finality as the waitress backed away. "No sugar. If I see even a grain of the stuff I shall be most seriously displeased."
