Characters

Rex Whistler

Mural artist, portrait artist, book illustrator, theatre set designer, outsider accepted into the 1920s Bright Young Things set
Sensitive, passionate, could be witty, great fun and also very serious

Caroline Paget

Aristocratic rebel actress, Daughter of the Marquis of Anglesey
Confident, fun, aloof - often "like the moon, cold and out of reach"

Edith Olivier

Mentor and patron of young writers, poets and artists
Adores Rex, but must suppress her desire for him

Stephen Tennant

Centre and most notorious son of the Bright Young Thing set of the 1920s
Best friends with Rex at art college, but becomes romantically involved with Siegfried Sassoon

Lady Patricia Douglas

Becomes involved in a menage a trois with Rex and Caroline
Beautiful, sensitive, passionate, madly in love with Rex, but ultimately troubled by his obsession with Caroline

Siegfried Sassoon

WW1 soldier and poet, becomes Stephen Tennant's lover and eventually Rex's friend
Serious, possessive, troubled

Cecil Beaton

Aspiring Photographer at heart of Bright Young Things set
Stylish, charming, yet could often be vain and sardonic

David Herbert

Caroline's cousin, son of the owner of Wilton House, in the Bright Young Thing set
Pursued Caroline much to Rex's annoyance and with some success, could be quite self-centred and selfish

David Cecil

Young historian, friend of Edith and Rex's. Closest friend of Rex in later years
Good reliable friend, calm influence, kind, good friends with Edith as well

Laurence Whistler

Rex's younger brother, glass artist and poet

Talulah Bankhead

The famous American actress, Rex meets through theatre set design work and becomes his first sexual partner
Disruptive and provocative, pursued men and women equally, had flings with Audrey and Caroline also

Pempie Dudley-Ward

Rex's first love, falls in love after painting her portrait over a week

Hestor Sassoon

Rex has a very brief fling with at Hestor's insistence

Imogen Gage

Rex's final love, an old friend of Stephen Tennant's who he reconnects with just before heading off to Normandy to fight

Winston Churchill

Rex has two notable encounters with Winston

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