Kitty is the last surviving child of Army sergeant Andrew Chantry (KIA in India) and local seamstress Lavinia Chantry. Having lost five children before her, the widow is desperately pinning all her hopes on Kitty, instilling a sense of urgency for advancement into her daughter.

Not that Kitty needs much encouragement. An ambitious, cheeky girl with a reckless streak and a wild imagination fueled by tales of faraway places and glittering palaces, Kitty excels at sweet-talking and cajoling others to do her chores, so she can spend her time on better pursuits: reading pulpy chapbooks, gathering gossip material or riding horses.

Kitty grew up at the Criddle farm, becoming best friends with Janet Criddle, a shier, gentler soul. In the last couple of years Kitty has grown into a summery exuberance. She's a merry lass of average height, generous curves and sing-song voice. Her ginger ringlets have a tendency to escape the prison of her cap; her freckled upper bossom, to spill over the dyke of her stays. When not working, she is often spotted at the inn, chatting to the most exotic-looking guests or hanging out with stable lad Kit.

Janet's recent marriage has been a blow for Kitty, and a debacle for Lavinia. The widow had been trying to manoeuvre her daughter into the squire's bed, hoping to secure a better life for her, only to see that one chance vanish before her very eyes. Caught between the happiness of her best friend and the disappointment of her mother, Kitty has kept her outward gayness while she cries inside. Never one to dwell on the past, she's forcing herself to focus on her new life as a lady's maid at Fox Hall, turning her charms on the noble guests - grasping after her last chance of climbing those steep, steep steps of the social ladder...