Mrs. Parkes

Mrs. Parkes, the Rawlings's housekeeper, is "one of the servers of this world, but she needed someone to serve." She does her job well, but cannot handle the responsibility of making any household decisions while Susan is away. She impedes Susan's freedom until Sophie is hired.

Matthew Rawlings

When the story opens, Matthew Rawlings is in his forties, as is his wife Susan. He is a "sensible" man who seems to have made all of the right choices in life. He married in his late twenties and only after he had experienced other relationships, unlike his friends who married young and "regretted lost opportunities." He chose Susan because he thought that they were "well matched" in temperament. Matthew is known for his moderation, his humor, and his "abstinence from painful experience," and so, he has become known as a reliable friend. Others depend on him for his...