We thought that you might like to   read the biographies of some of Anne's best loved characters.   Starting with Pitt and Monk and slowly adding another one every now and then.

Thomas Pitt.

Thomas Pitt was born in the middle of the nineteenth century on the large country estate of Sir Arthur Desmond.   His father came over from Ireland and was a gamekeeper; his mother was a local girl.

Sir Arthur's son, Matthew, was Pitt's age, and in order to spur him on in his studies, Sir Arthur took young Pitt from the village school and educated the boys side by side.   Thus Pitt gained a wider knowledge than he would have had otherwise, and the ability to speak well.   However, he never improved on his natural inclination to be extraordinalrily untidy, putting too much in his pockets and leaving his hair too long.

While Pitt was still young, his father was wrongly accused for theft and deported.   Pitt never saw him again.   Sir Arthur allowed Pitt and his mother to remain on the estate, but naturally in greatly reduced circumstances.   This experience was partly responsible for Pitt leaving the village and joining the London police force where his intelligence and hatred of injustice made him an excellent detective.   However, his individuality and allowance of his own opinions and emotions to govern his judgement, sometimes exasperated his seniors.

He consistently declined promotion, because he preferred dealing with cases rather than administration, and did not wish the restrictions of responsibility.

Because of his background   he has seen much poverty and lack of privilege so he has empathy with the London poor he encounters.   But he also enjoys advantages in life, and without being aware of it, is ambitious to better himself.

He meets and falls in love with Charlotte Ellison, who is of a very good family.   They marry and are extremely happy, but she has occasional difficulties adapting to a drastically reduced income and social station, and is aware of how much she has given up.   They also both know that she has gained a life far richer in excitement, knowledge and sense of adventure.

Pitt's successful attacks on the secret society of the Inner Circle lost him his position as Superintendant of the Bow Street Police Station.   He found himself without a job.   He was offered work in the Special Branch, originally created to deal with the Irish troubles, then broadened to deal with anarchy and threats to the state in general.   He had no choice but to accept.   To begin with he found it very diferent, but gradually he developed a skill, and was often dealing with murder as before, just in a slightly different guise.   Because of it's secret nature, Charlotte is involved less, but still makes a contribution of wisdom and feminine knowledge.   Great Aunt Vespasia has not lost her touch either.