Countess of Atropine Belladonna Isabella Beaulieu (a.k.a. Bella)
Physical Description
Belladonna is in excellent shape, keeping up her ballet exercises throughout her life. While she used to be very slender, she's filled out somewhat after the birth of her two sons (in all the right places, as her husband would say).
Belladonna's perfect parlour is littered with freckles, and she hides them under powder to maintain the illusion.
Mental characteristics
Belladonna was born to a drunk and a conscious mute, and was often touted as their only artistic collaboration. By the time of her birth, the novelty in her parent's marriage had worn off, and they realized they were stuck together for the rest of her lives. While her father was off having affairs and her mother holed up in her room, Belladonna was raised primarily by two of the servants: steward Pierre Le Roux and his clandestine wife, maid Josephine 'Fifi' Lacroix. Unlike her parents, they clearly adored her, and lavished secret attention on her when she was little. Fifi used to sneak into the nursery to cuddle her as a baby, to make sure she was getting enough affection. As she grew into little girl, they taught her to speak French and English, and to keep it a secret that they paid attention to her. Once, after being told to go see her father, Belladonna admitted she thought Pierre was her father -- a notion that they had to immediately and harshly dismiss for the sake of their jobs.
As she grew, Belladonna's parents sought to bring her up as close to aristocracy as she could, and employed a governess. They trained her from birth to be a beloved and to marry well, in the hopes that by marrying an aristocrat, they could regain their lost nobility. She learned the finest arts from her parents' friends: painting, dancing, singing, drawing, ballet, playing the harp, as well as how to look and act like a proper lady. At age five, Belladonna received her first marriage proposal from her friend and the son of her father's associate: Beau Bittencourt. She considered it the longest out of all the proposals she would receive (five minutes) before finally declining. There were no hard feelings between the two, and they remained lifelong friends.
She received her next proposal at age fifteen, from Monsieur Thorin Barbier, an aspiring portrait painter, and dismissed him as well. These dismissals were well-received by her father, who thought that it would benefit her to both experience and induce heartbreak. It was also at age fifteen that Belladonna met Miss Rose Wood and Miss Marigold 'Goldie' Fynch, who were both from social-climbing families and attending Lady Aphrodite's Boarding School for Beloveds. While boarding school was too lower class for her family, Belladonna took a shine to both girls. They were lovely and intelligent, Rose being a calculus prodigy and Goldie speaking seven languages. They were her closer friends in her teen years, and often stayed at her estate. With them, she was encouraged to show her intelligence instead of hiding it, and the three spent many afternoons in discussion over their favourite disciplines.
Her third proposal came at eighteen from Hendrik Trouvé, renowned violinist and the son of her mother's lead accompanist. She rejected his proposal before he'd even finished it, now having some experience with the process. At eighteen she entered the Paris social circle of balls and outings and luncheons, and by nineteen was widely regarded throughout half the city as the most beautiful woman in France. At nineteen she met the woman that the other half felt held the title: Lady Rosette Amour. Lady Rosette sought her out that season, partially out of curiosity, and partially out of interest. While Belladonna had little interest in being friends with her, Rosette bothered herself into a friendship, and by the time the season ended, they were close. Her parents adored the idea of Rosette Amour, and secretly hoped that perhaps Belladonna might marry her, given that the heiress was both noble and very wealthy. However, while Rosette might have had some interest in Belladonna, it was not reciprocated.
Her fourth proposal came at age twenty, from Mathieu Brousseau, the son of one of her father's boorish writer friends. He proposed with a promise to write an ode to her beauty every morning, which Belladonna very much doubted. She had a bet with Rosette about when she would next be proposed to, which she lost, thinking she wouldn't be proposed to again until at least twenty-one. As punishment, Rosette asked her to play a living attraction at her party: an automaton ballerina. While Belladonna rejected the idea of being stared at all night in her tutu, a bet was a bet, and she consented to be painted and put on a pedestal.
One young gentleman gawked at her for quite a while, making idle comments to himself about her beauty, before trying to peek under her skirt. She shrieked and ran to get Rosette, and returned to the man prostrate on the floor and furiously apologizing, having not realized that she was a person. Rosette, laughing, introduced her friend, William Desmonda, and explained to Belladonna that it was an honest mistake, knowing her friend would never do such a thing. Belladonna was not convinced, and swore she'd never speak to him again.
Luckily, Rosette was not so easily swayed. She poked and prodded at William to make his apologies, and over the next few months he did everything he could to earn Belladonna's forgiveness. While he was very sincere and she did believe him, she was too embarrassed to accept his apology. However, Rosette frequently invited them both to social engagements, and she was forced to interact with him. He listened to everything she had to say with the utmost attention, and seemed endlessly delighted by it all. It was clear he understood little of chemistry when she spoke of it, but he wasn't embarrassed to admit that and ask for her explanations. She learned he was an actor and a writer, and they found themselves attending the theatre together and discussing it for scandalous hours afterwards. She found herself in love with him embarrassingly quickly, and her parents encouraged it with shameless and mortifying enthusiasm. They often left her alone with him, completely unchaperoned, which would have done irreparable damage to her virtue if anyone had found out.
When Monsieur Lucian Deloffre proposed to her at twenty-one, complete with a beautiful (if idealized) sculpture of her, she declined on the fact she had already accepted William's marriage proposal. At age twenty-two the couple, desperately and disgustingly in love, married. William elected to continue to live in France with his wife instead of returning to his English estate, because neither of them had a desire to live in England. Her seventh and final proposal came from Monsieur Gérald Courbis, in a beautiful letter professing his undying love, which was rejected over letter by Fifi, who replied that Belladonna was on her honeymoon. The couple found that they were very compatible, and began scandalizing their friends and household staff with their improper, lascivious conduct.
William and Belladonna were remarkably happy for the first three years of their marriage. Then, in a tearful apology, Belladonna confessed she was pregnant. Do to his still-held belief that he was worthless and his wife would eventually realize this and leave him, William took this to mean that her child was not, in fact, his. Rather than falling into a depression as he might have done earlier, this enraged William, who felt his unending devotion to the woman didn't deserve such betrayal. The couple didn't speak for a full month before finally, after Belladonna begged him to understand, William yelled that he would never understand how she could expect him to forgive her for bearing someone else's child. She slapped him, understandably, since it was his son and Belladonna was actually under the impression that her husband was furious at her for having a baby at all. After many, many, many apologies, their eldest son, Anthony, was born three months later. They had another son, Edward, four years later on Belladonna's insistence.
Belladonna had never wanted to be a mother, and she was not suited for it. She resented the changes her children caused her body, her mental state, and her sex life, and largely relegated them to the care of nannies and maids. As they grew she began to like them more, and once they were finally old to have a proper conversation with her and not spit-up on themselves, she began to grow attached to them.
When Anthony's wife had a son, Belladonna remained a caring, if distant, grandmother, and quietly refused to accept she was old enough to be a grandmother at all.
At age seventy, Belladonna found her husband dead in their salon, having died of a heart attack. She fell to pieces, shrieking and distraught, and wailed the whole day. Anthony tried to console her, but she locked herself in her bedroom and wouldn't speak to anyone. Two days later, they found her dead with no apparent cause, having died of a broken heart. She was buried days later alongside her husband on the Beaulieu grounds.
Governess and private tutors at her family's estate, tutored by her father in painting, and several of his artist friends in dancing, singing, the harp, ballet, ballroom dance, and chemistry.
At nineteen, Belladonna was widely known throughout the Parisian social circles as the most beautiful woman in France, and has been proposed to seven times throughout her life, from age five to age twenty-one.
Belladonna is a very intelligent young woman, both artistically and analytically. She was privately tutored in organic chemistry and botany in her youth to great success, and is an accomplished harpist, ballerina, singer, and landscape painter. She can analyze a social situation in seconds, which she uses to instil subtle chaos amongst groups of socialites for her own amusement.
Personality Characteristics
To support her husband and keep him as pleased and satisfied as possible, at all times.
Loving, devoted, discreet, supportive, well-spoken
Horrifically jealous, snobbish, vindictive, petty, manipulative
Makes vicious comments under her breath when people are annoying her, mostly in French, and mostly to her husband.
Belladonna wears a thick vanilla perfume, is always immaculately made-up and dressed, and wasn't seen without her makeup on till her honeymoon. While her person is immaculate, her artistic spaces leave much to be desired, and are always chaotic.
Social
Claude Beaulieu (Father), Mirabelle Beaulieu nee Bellerose (Mother)
Pierre Le Roux (Adopted Father), Josephine 'Fifi' Lacroix (Adopted Mother)
William Desmonda (Husband), Anthony Desmonda (Eldest Son), Edward Desmonda (Youngest Son)
Verity Williams (Daughter-in-law, deceased), Patience Williams-Desmonda (Grandson)
Dr. Eileithyia Sinclair (Daughter-in-law), Elizabeth Desmonda (Granddaughter), Edward Sinclair (Grandson)
Belladonna understands social roles, but has little interest in them. She comes across as cold and disinterested, even frigid, and was nicknamed 'the ice princess' by other socialites. Even her closest friends find her a bit detached.
Belladonna moves as if she is dancing, with every gesture or step graceful and carefully calculated. She hardly ever rushes, always slow and languid in her movements. A well-bred lady, she always sits with her ankles crossed and her hands folded, and would never dream of picking up her own handkerchief. When she wants something from her husband, she's been known to pout until she gets her way (usually about ten seconds later).
Plays the harp, composes music, sings opera, paints landscapes, dances ballet, dances ballroom, fences (not well), makes endless love to her husband
Belladonna has a light, lilting voice when she's speaking to strangers, but her natural voice is low and sweet. She speaks English with a strong French accent, and often pretends to understand much less English than she does, when it suits her. She never swears and abhors vulgar speech, though those who speak French can catch her muttering vicious insults under her breath. While cold and detached with most people, she peppers her addresses to her husband with sweet endearments and words of love, and has bestowed the pet names 'Lapin' and 'Minou' on her two sons.
Husband (Vital)
Towards Belladonna Beaulieu
History
On June 14th, 1823, William attended a bacchanalian party amongst other artists, actors, singers, and dancers, hosted by his friend, the heiress Lady Rosette Amour. Belladonna was also in attendance, having lost a bet to Rosette that ended with her spending the party as one of the decorations: a living automaton ballerina. When William took a break from the festivities, he found her displayed on a pedestal, and after absently trying to locate the impressive gear mechanisms under her skirt, realized the automaton was a person when she began to scream. Though Rosette (amidst tears of laughter) explained the whole situation, Belladonna was terribly offended and vowed never to speak to him again.
Shortly after, of course, William spent a considerable amount of time trying to apologize for his conduct. Rosette promptly decided the two were meant for each other, and began orchestrating events that forced the pair to spend time together. Eventually they cultivated a shared circle of friends, and couldn't avoid each other. Once Belladonna finally forgave William for his impropriety, the two warmed up to each other quite quickly, and by the end of the year were engaged to be married.
William knew his parents wouldn't approve of his choice of wife, given that she was a) French, b) nouveau riche, c) the daughter of artistic heathens, and d) not someone they had personally picked out from him. Therefore, instead of returning to England to tell them of his engagement, he married Belladonna in 1825 without telling them.
When Belladonna became pregnant in 1828, the couple weren't aware of it until he was seven months along and kicking. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with the parentage which led to their only serious argument and ended with a horrific row that finally settled that yes, William was the father and yes, he was an idiot for thinking otherwise. While the couple had never intended to have children, they realized in hindsight that it was inevitable, what with the way they carried on. Anthony was born happy and healthy to two ill-prepared, if pleased, parents.
It was barely a few months after Anthony was born when William's parents sent him a letter informing him they had arranged his engagement to another heiress, and he was forced to return to England with his wife and new son, Anthony, to straighten the whole mess out.
A few years later, William and Belladonna had a second son, Edward, and vowed to be more careful in the future.
William and Belladonna lived very happily together for the rest of their lives, surrounded by their two sons, their adoring servants, and all of their mutual artist friends, until William's death. Three days later, Belladonna joined him, and they were buried together on the Beaulieu estate.
Nicknames & Petnames
"Mon amour", "Love", "my darling", "my dearest", "my love", "mon cher", "my dear", "darling husband", "dear wife", and, as standard, "Will" and "Bella".
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Fencing, dancing, poetry, romantic literature, the opera, the theatre, the ballet, fine food, good music, lush fabrics, beautiful art, extravagant gestures, and making love for hours on end.
Shared Acquaintances
Rosette Amour, Richard Love, Marigold 'Goldie' Fynch, and Rose Wood.
Legal Status
Married
Son (Vital)
Towards Belladonna Beaulieu
History
Anthony's birth was neither planned nor particularly wanted, and Belladonna had never considered herself as meant for motherhood. Her pregnancy was tinged with distrust and animosity, which affected how she felt about it herself. When Anthony was born, she had a hard time adjusting. She resented what having a baby had done to her body, her confidence, and her sex life, and relegated him to the care of his nanny and the maids. As Anthony grew from a baby to a toddler, she began to open up to the idea of him, and by the time he was six she decided she loved him after all.
After that, things were a little smoother. Anthony loved his mother, and he loved the moments here and there where he'd get to spend time with her. While her affections were somewhat distant, and her gestures a little formal, he felt the love in all of them. As he grew older, his devotion to his mother only strengthened, and by the time he was in his teens, he would have done anything for her. To him, she was the most beautiful, the most elegant, and the most accomplished woman in all of France.
After his father died, Anthony tried his best to console his mother, but was unsuccessful. Her death three days later, coupled with the death of his father, sent him into a deep depression for months on end.
Nicknames & Petnames
"Lapin" and "Maman"
Commonalities & Shared Interests
Anthony took after his mother in looks, with her pretty features, dark blue eyes, and gentle swooping hair. They looked so alike that his father used to joke he had no part in creating him.
Shared Acquaintances
William Desmonda
Legal Status
Mother and Son
Grandson
Towards Belladonna Beaulieu
Grandmother
Towards Patience Williams-Desmonda
Belladonna's family is nouveau riche, and dripping with wealth. She married even richer when she married into aristocracy, and there isn't a thing in the world she couldn't buy if she wanted it. Most of her personal money is spent on clothing and art supplies, as she has no need to buy her own jewelry.
