Mayhem at Moonstone Manor

A dashing but financially ruined aristocrat who made his fortune in silver mining, only to lose it all in the stock market crash. Sterling was once engaged to Lady Constance's daughter and has returned to Moonstone Manor after a ten-year absence. Charming and smooth-talking, he hides his desperation behind a veneer of confidence. He owes significant gambling debts to dangerous people and desperately needs the inheritance.

Lady Constance's goddaughter and a celebrated stage actress known for her dramatic roles and even more dramatic personal life. Ruby grew up at Moonstone Manor and was treated like family. She's passionate, temperamental, and known for her fiery temper. Recently, her career has been declining, and she's been involved in a scandalous affair. She expected to inherit the manor but fears Lady Constance may have discovered her darkest secret.

A mysterious art collector and dealer with impeccable taste and questionable ethics. Dorian has done business with the Ashworth family for years, acquiring and selling rare paintings and artifacts. Smooth, cultured, and impossibly charming, he seems ageless and unnervingly calm. Rumors suggest he's involved in the black market trade of stolen art. He was Lady Constance's advisor on her extensive art collection and may know where certain valuable pieces are hidden.

An ambitious investigative journalist who has made a career exposing the secrets of high society. Scarlett arrived uninvited, claiming to be researching a story about the Ashworth family's connection to a decades-old scandal. She's sharp, observant, and unafraid to ask uncomfortable questions. Some suspect she's being blackmailed to suppress a story, while others believe she's the blackmailer herself. Her real reason for being at Moonstone Manor may be more personal than professional.

The stoic and loyal butler who has served the Ashworth family for thirty years. Jasper knows every secret of Moonstone Manor and has witnessed countless family dramas unfold. Despite his position, he was educated at Oxford before family misfortune forced him into service. He's protective of the family's reputation and has been unusually nervous since Lady Constance's death. Some say he knows more about her demise than he's letting on, and he was mentioned in her will—an unprecedented gesture.

Lady Constance's young personal maid who started working at Moonstone Manor only six months ago. Violet is quiet, observant, and seemingly innocent, but she was the last person to see Lady Constance alive. She's been unusually evasive about that night and has been caught sneaking around the manor at odd hours. Despite her humble position, she dresses slightly above her station and has recently come into some unexplained money. Her references before arriving at the manor are mysteriously vague.

The Ashworth family's solicitor and financial advisor for twenty years. Montgomery is meticulous, proper, and obsessed with order and procedure. He's responsible for reading Lady Constance's will and has hinted that it contains shocking revelations. However, there are whispers that he's been embezzling from the estate for years and that Lady Constance discovered his crimes just before her death. He's been making frantic phone calls and seems terrified that certain financial records might surface.

Montgomery's rebellious daughter who married a jazz musician against her father's wishes and was subsequently cut off from the family fortune. Penny is a free spirit who rejects the constraints of high society, yet she's returned to Moonstone Manor, apparently at Lady Constance's invitation. She's been living hand-to-mouth and desperately needs money, but claims she's only here to reconcile with her father. However, she's been seen arguing with several guests and searching through private papers in the study.

A distinguished physician and Lady Constance's personal doctor for the past fifteen years. Victor signed her death certificate, ruling it natural causes, but his hands shake when discussing it. He's a respected member of the medical community, but there are rumors of a gambling addiction and substantial debts. He was called to the manor the night Lady Constance died and was alone with her for some time. He's been acting paranoid, insisting her death was natural despite questions from others.

A trained nurse who worked with Dr. Morley before abruptly leaving his practice. Ivy was hired by Lady Constance as a private nurse in her final months, despite the doctor's objections. She's competent and caring, but there's something calculating behind her gentle demeanor. She has access to medications and medical knowledge, and she was in the manor the night Lady Constance died. She's been receiving mysterious letters and seems to be waiting for something—or someone.

A charismatic American businessman and self-made millionaire who met Lady Constance during her travels abroad. Maxwell claims to be an old friend, but no one in the family remembers her mentioning him. He's brash, confident, and out of place among the British aristocracy, yet he seems to know intimate details about the family. He's been making offers to purchase Moonstone Manor and has hinted at having documents that prove a claim to part of the estate.

Lady Constance's granddaughter and the youngest member of the family present. Opal is an aspiring artist who studied in Paris and returned home only recently. She's modern, outspoken, and dismissive of family traditions, which put her at odds with her grandmother. Despite their conflicts, she was devoted to Lady Constance and is devastated by her death. She's been painting obsessively since returning to the manor and has created disturbing images that seem to predict the evening's events.

The groundskeeper of Moonstone Manor who has maintained the estate for over twenty years. Silas is a man of few words who knows every inch of the property, including secrets buried in the gardens and hidden passages in the manor. He's fiercely loyal to the Ashworth family and protective of the estate. However, he's been seen arguing with Lady Constance shortly before her death, and he has a criminal past that he thought was buried forever. He seems to be guarding something in the old garden shed.

A mysterious young woman who arrived at Moonstone Manor claiming to be Silas's niece from America. Jade is educated, well-spoken, and clearly not from a working-class background despite her claims. She's been asking questions about Lady Constance's past and the history of the manor. Some guests have seen her with old photographs and documents, and she seems to be searching for something specific. Her true identity and purpose at the manor remain unclear, but she becomes visibly agitated when certain topics are mentioned.