Matilda Everett

Appearance
She has long, straight, brown hair that she hates with a passion, wishing that she could just chop it all off. With this in mind, she usually just ties it up and hopes for the best. Her eyes are a dark hazel, though sometimes they seem black. She has very pale skin and is very plain to look at. She has never been considered a beauty by anyone, rather plain and dull to look at. She has given her future very little thought, although her aunt desperately wants her to marry. She knows that she has to marry at some point, and although deep down she wants to marry, finding the right man to settle down with was becoming a hard thing to do.

Personality
Tilly is adventurous and shy. She likes exploring new places and her adventurous attitude and behaviour has made her, on more than one occasion, forget about her chores around the farm, thus causing strife between her aunt and uncle, as her uncle always takes her side in an argument. With her father's death, she withdrew inside of herself and stopped be as outgoing as she used to be. Instead of seeking out company, Tilly prefers the openness of the outdoors, and knowing that nothing is expected of her. As the niece of farmer, she has no great future and has resigned herself to this. The most that she can hope for is to marry a dairy farmer, or cattle drover, who will take her as she is, with a very small dowry.

Her aunt is desperate for Tilly to marry and to leave the farm. She finds the child unusual and weird, and her shyness annoying when she tries to get Tilly to talk to people. Her uncle is a kind and generous man who loves Tilly like his own, as he and his wife are unable to have children. He can say no harsh words to Tilly as he knows how much she grieves the loss of both her parents. He remembers her as the way she used to be. Outgoing and friendly, and hopes, that if she is left alone to her grief that it will subside and the old Tilly will shine through.

History
Born in a small village in the north of England, Tilly had a sad childhood. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father never re-married, making her an only child. Her father doted on his daughter, giving her everything she wanted. In his eyes, she was his Princess and he was determined that nothing would ever upset her. As Tilly grew older, he began to notice that she looked a lot like her mother, and this fuelled his desire to see that no harm ever came to his precious daughter. Tilly loved her father dearly, and saw how the other fathers of their village treated their children and was gladdened that hers was so different. Her father was a carpenter, and was always carving her wooden animals to play with on the floor of his workshop whilst he worked away.

Her happiness was short lived, as her father followed her mother into the afterlife when she was six years old, leaving her alone with only her aunt and uncle. On her father's deathbed, he made his brother, Midea, promise to take care of Tilly and raise her as his own daughter. Midea agreed and as he and his own wife were unable to have children, he loved her dearly. After her father's funeral, Midea took Tilly with him to his farm in the south where she spent the rest of her childhood helping Midea, and her aunt Gladys, run it by doing chores. These included helping with the harvest, taking care of the mule, helping to plant crops, watering crops, cooking and helping her aunt keep the house in order.

As she got older, she began to explore the nearby areas, never straying too far from the farm or village, but straying enough to make it an adventure. She also forgot to do some of her chores when she went exploring, causing strife amongst her aunt and uncle. Midea did not mind her missing her chores sometimes, telling his wife that she will only be young once, and that she may as well enjoy it whilst she can. His wife however disagreed with him. Although not exactly resentful of her niece, she has no great love for the wilful child. Gladys calls her untamed, and wild, and despite her best efforts to find someone to marry Tilly, thinks her efforts are wasted and not appreciated.

Although she has no objections to marriage, finding a man to marry has proved difficult in the area that she lives in now. A fever swept through the village wiping out most of the inhabitants. Her family was blissfully safe from the fever, as they lived a good two miles away from it. However, the people of the village began to say that it was the `dark arts' that had caused the Everett family to be left alone by the fever. They accused Tilly of being a witch and being in league with the Devil, because ever since the child came to her aunt and uncle's home and the village, only good things seem to happen to them and bad things to the village. Her uncle's crops grew faster and yielded more in value, and whilst Tilly was to be blamed for the fever, the villagers thought that she was the cause of it all. Though no one has publicly declared her to be a witch, and trailed her accordingly, this is only out of respect for her aunt and uncle, who the village respects. Also, they know that if they upset Midea he stop supplying them of some of their food.