Henrietta Foredale

Henrietta, a character in the Desire & Decorum series, is the Countess of Edgewater and the wife of Vincent. She is the mother of Edmund and Harry and your character's stepmother. She is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 1.

Appearance

Henrietta has long and wavy blonde hair tied up in a bun with blue eyes and light skin. She wears a purple dress with gold featuring as patterns on the sleeves and as chains along her chest.

Personality

By all accounts, Countess Henrietta is an exceptionally unpleasant person. She is incredibly rude to almost everyone she encounters, especially those with no rank or title. She makes her distaste for your character not even remotely secret, due to your upbringing and the threat you pose in taking over Edgewater. Briar tells you that the servants say she is vicious and cutting even to her own husband and son.

Chapters

Desire & Decorum

Book 1

Chapter 1: The Journey Ahead
Chapter 2: Ties That Bind
Chapter 3: Threading the Needle
Chapter 4: Best Foot Forward
Chapter 12: In Sickness and In Health
Chapter 13: A Better Place
Chapter 14: Fight or Flight (Mentioned)
Chapter 15: A Cut Above
Chapter 16: Season's End

Book 2

Chapter 1: Betrothal & Betrayal
Chapter 2: A Royal Introduction
Chapter 3: Homeward Bound
Chapter 6: A New Set of Rules
Chapter 7: Moonlit Deception
Chapter 8: Hunt Or Be Hunted
Chapter 10: In the Balance
Chapter 13: Changing Tides
Chapter 15: Eye of the Storm
Chapter 16: The Final Vow

Book 3

Chapter 1: Family Matters
Chapter 2: Ashes to Ashes
Chapter 3: A Mother's Touch
Chapter 4: Sugar & Spice
Chapter 5: Double Trouble
Chapter 6: Keep Your Enemies Closer
Chapter 9: Fifth Time's the Charm
Chapter 10: By Royal Appointment
Chapter 12: Tower of Terror (Mentioned)
Chapter 13: Love and War (Mentioned)
Chapter 15: With This Ring
Chapter 16: A Joyous Union
Chapter 17: Wife or Death
Chapter 18: 1817 (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)

Desire & Decorum: First Winter

Chapter 1: Deck the Halls
Chapter 2: All I Want for Christmas
Chapter 3: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Chapter 4: Sleigh Ride

Relationships

Edmund Marlcaster

Edmund Marlcaster is her son from her first marriage. She wants him to become the next Earl of Edgewater after her husband dies. Her relationship with her son is very controlling, often speaking for him and never letting himself talk.

Harry

Harry is the son she had with Vincent. He was always expected to take over as Earl of Edgewater from his father, but he died after being thrown off his horse while hunting with friends. When your character asks about him during the sewing circle in the third chapter of Book 1, she curtly ends the conversation and appears to still be grieving his loss.

Rupert

Rupert was Henrietta's father-in-law after she became married to Vincent. Both of them played a huge role in preventing your character's parents from reuniting, intercepting the letters from Mary and keeping them hidden from Vincent.

Vincent Foredale

Vincent Foredale, the Earl of Edgewater, is her second husband. They had a son together named Harry, who died prior to your character's arrival to the estate. It is mentioned throughout Book 1, that their marriage was not a happy one and that Henrietta was only invested in having either Edmund or a child with Vincent that would secure Edgewater and her status.

Your Character

Henrietta immediately detests your character due to the threat she poses in claiming Edgewater as her own. She refuses to accept your character as Vincent's natural daughter and takes every opportunity to belittle your character at every turn. She goes to great lengths to discredit your character throughout the first book in her attempt to have her son, Edmund, take over as the heir to Edgewater's estate. Alas, she is ultimately unsuccessful once your character becomes engaged to Duke Richards.

Tristan Richards

She and her first husband was initially friends with the Duke, as their land bordered with Duchy Karlington. Duke Richards had even bought a toy for Edmund when he was first born. Little did the Marlcasters know that the Duke's true intention was to seize their land for himself, which he was ultimately successful in doing once Henrietta became a widow. She has vowed to ruin him ever since.

Other Looks

Miscellaneous

Trivia

In Book 1, Chapter 2, Luke Harper reveals that Henrietta paid Vincent Foredale's father to marry Vincent.
In Book 1, Chapter 3, she says "Riddle me this", a phrase often used by the DC Comics supervillain, The Riddler.
The name Henrietta is of English and French origin and means "home ruler". It's the female version of the name Henry.
In Book 3, Chapter 17, she's banished once and for all from Edgewater.
In First Winter, she apologizes to you and it is your choice whether or not to accept her apology.