Mrs. Varley is the housekeeper for the Featherington family.
History[]
Marina's Arrival and Pregnancy[]
When Marina Thompson arrived at the Featherington estate to stay with their family for the duration of the social season, Mrs. Varley realized a month later that she must be pregnant as she had not bled on her sheets during her stay.[1]
Later on, Mrs. Varley was one of the people Mrs. Wilson told about Lord Berbrooke’s illegitimate son. At first, she was dismissive, stating that "every baron has a bastard", but changed her tune when Mrs. Wilson added that he sent the mother away to live off scraps before she had even given birth. Mrs. Varley was appalled and declared she would tell other servants, while a maid from another household overheard the whole exchange and went to tell others.
Lady Featherington confined Marina to her own bedroom, pretending she was ill. Mrs. Varley helped maintain her confinement, which she told Marina was her own doing.[2]
Desperate to get Marina to start looking for a quick match to marry, Lady Featherington conspired with Mrs. Varley to replicate George's handwriting and write Marina a letter, taking no responsibility for her baby and denying their love. It worked and Marina was convinced that George had never loved her.[3]
When Lady Featherington became suspicious of her husband's actions, she enlisted Mrs. Varley's help to keep a lookout while she searched her husband's office for evidence of something.[4]
After Colin and Marina's engagement was abruptly called off, Daphne came to see Lady Featherington and Mrs. Varley announced her arrival.[5]
Mrs. Varley accompanied Lady Featherington when she went to Lady Bridgerton to inquire about why she and her daughters were not invited to the ball. Lady Bridgerton said Lady Featherington might take the time to explain to her daughters how that happened. While this conversation was happening, a carriage arrived at the Featherington house and Mrs. Varley informed them that it was carrying Mr. Crane. When they greeted him, they learned it was not George, Marina's lost love, but his brother Philip, who came with news that George had died on the battlefield.
While preparing for the ball, Mrs. Varley reminded Lady Featherington that they still had no credit at the modiste, meaning the girls would have to wear dresses they'd worn before. When Lord Featherington came home with his winnings from a rigged fight, Lady Featherington told Mrs. Varley they'd take the money to the modiste first thing and their daughters would have new dresses after all.
When Lady Featherington and her daughters returned home after the ball, Mrs. Varley told them there was news. Some men were there who said Lord Featherington was dead. Mrs. Varley then looked into who would inherit the Featherington estate as Lord Featherington had no male heirs. When she found the name, she brought it to Lady Featherington.[6]
Helping Portia[]
In the aftermath of Archibald's death, while waiting for the heir to arrive, Mrs. Varley helped Portia make their ends meet, taking on a large household role as other staff were cut and selling their belongings to make money to pay their expenses. When they returned from the queen's ball, she informed them that the new Lord Featherington had arrived.[7]
Jack immediately started making changes to the house to suit his needs. Mrs. Varley told him not to decorate a shelf with antlers and guns, but he insisted.
After Philippa's wedding, Mrs. Varley came into Jack's office to tell him the Finches were asking to speak to him. Once he was gone, she admitted to Portia that she was charmed by his smile.[8]
When Portia worried that Jack's interest in Cressida Cowper would lead to her and her daughters being cast out into the streets, Mrs. Varley made a joke that made Portia realize she needed to find someone malleable for Jack to marry, so that they wouldn't be cast out onto the streets.[9]
After Portia manipulated things to force an engagement between Jack and Prudence, she learned that Jack actually didn't have any money and was planning to use Cressida's dowry to pay for everything. Without it, their funds got dangerously low and Mrs. Varley told Portia about all the bills that were due. After discovering that Jack's fake ruby necklaces could pass as real, Portia told Mrs. Varley that there was no need to dismiss any staff, though Mrs. Varley was quick to remind her that one necklace didn't make a fortune. When the Featheringtons failed to get invited to any balls, Portia checked with Mrs. Varley, who confirmed that they hadn't missed an invitations.[10]
As they prepared for Anthony and Edwina's wedding, Mrs. Varley, on instruction from Portia, put one of Jack's counterfeit necklaces on Prudence, wanting her to show it off so people would ask about the mines.[11]
As Jack began taking investments from the men of the ton, Mrs. Varley reported that they'd received several invitations to social events.[12]
With all the money they'd brought in, Portia was eager to spend it. She had Mrs. Varley prepare for a ball and send out invitations. Mrs. Varley asked about the Sharmas and Bridgertons and Portia said to invited them, though she didn't expect them to come.[13]
1815 Social Season[]
The Featheringtons rejoined society at the start of the 1815 season in good standing, though Mrs. Varley was concerned that Portia's cover story about an aunt leaving them a fortune wouldn't hold up. This was threatened to be revealed when Walter Dundas came to see Portia and told her he'd be investigating the note that Jack left, apparently leaving the estate and title to the firstborn son of one of her daughters.[14] Portia worried when she learned the Kent estate had gone to Nicky Mondrich, a boxer's son. She worried about who would get their home if her daughters didn't produce an heir in time. Mrs. Varley told her not to worry as one of the girls would make good.[15] Wanting to help the girls produce a male heir, Mrs. Varley concocted a potion for them to drink, saying it had worked for her mother, who had five boys.[16]
Mrs. Varley later told Portia that Dundas had returned to speak to her, but she told him Portia wasn't home.[17]
Once Penelope and Colin got engaged, Mrs. Varley helped Portia start to plan the wedding.[18] On the day of the wedding, she helped Penelope get ready.[19]
When Prudence and Philippa decided they wanted to throw a ball, they went to Portia to ask her to help pay for it, but Portia sent them away. Mrs. Varley went with them, saying she had experience doing more with less. While Mrs. Varley was planning the party, Penelope came to her and gave her money to pay for everything Prudence and Philippa wanted, but allowed Portia to take the credit for it.
During the ball, as the queen left, Philipp had Mrs. Varley release the butterflies, which filled the room.[20]
Personality[]
Relationships[]
Familial[]
She has five brothers and claims her mother used a potion to have each of them and she took it every time, except when she had Mrs. Varley.[16]
Professional[]
Career[]
She is the Featherington housekeeper.
Notes and Trivia[]
- Mrs. Varley is good at forging handwriting and has done so at Portia's request several times. She forged George Crane's handwriting to trick Marina into believing that George denied their relationship.[3] Later, she forged Jack Featherington's signature on a document.[13]
Gallery[]
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A more complete gallery with pictures of Mrs. Varley (Netflix) can be found here. |
Appearances[]
| Bridgerton, Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "Diamond of the First Water" | #04 | "An Affair of Honor" | #07 | "Oceans Apart" |
| #02 | "Shock and Delight" | #05 | "The Duke and I" | #08 | "After the Rain" |
| #03 | "Art of the Swoon" | #06 | "Swish" | ||
| Bridgerton, Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Capital R Rake" | #04 | "Victory" | #07 | "Harmony" |
| #02 | "Off to the Races" | #05 | "An Unthinkable Fate" | #08 | "The Viscount Who Loved Me" |
| #03 | "A Bee in Your Bonnet" | #06 | "The Choice" | ||
| Bridgerton, Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "Out of the Shadows" | #04 | "Old Friends" | #07 | "Joining of Hands" |
| #02 | "How Bright the Moon" | #05 | "Tick Tock" | #08 | "Into the Light" |
| #03 | "Forces of Nature" | #06 | "Romancing Mister Bridgerton" | ||
References
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