Katherine Hilbery

Katherine is the main protagonist of the novel. At twenty-five, she is at the appropriate age to marry and start a family of her own, but she is unsure if she wants to proceed with the life her family and upperclass English society expect of her. Katherine is tall, beautiful, and has a habit of daydreaming. She is interested in mathematics despite her family's association with literature and poetry, and she often questions to what extent she must embody the reputation bestowed upon her through her famous grandfather. Katherine is often insubordinate, leaving her house to explore the city and often arriving late for meals and meetings. But she also blends very well into the social fabric of her environment, and often seems to take control of domestic situations with particular care. She does not always speak delicately, and as such, some characters find her cold or...