A ninety-five-year-old antique dealer in Brisbane, Australia, who has spent her life haunted by a feeling of abandonment. Found on a boat dock at age four with nothing but a small white suitcase, the revelation of her adoption at age twenty-one severely fractured her sense of identity. She eventually travels to Cornwall, purchasing a property called Cliff Cottage to search for her birth parents and uncover her origins.

Nell's granddaughter, who inherited her grandmother's antique business and the mysterious Cliff Cottage in Cornwall. Left on Nell's doorstep by her mother at age ten, she shares her grandmother's profound sense of isolation. Grieving an immense personal loss, she journeys to England to complete Nell's search for the truth about their family history.

An imaginative storyteller and author of fairy tales, later known as the Authoress. After a poverty-stricken early childhood, she is abruptly relocated to her family's wealthy Cornish estate, Blackhurst Manor. She finds solace in a hidden walled garden and channels her experiences into dark, enchanting stories that mirror the reality around her.

The beautiful, chronically ill daughter of the Mountrachet family. Confined largely to her sickroom, she yearns for a normal life, a husband, and a family of her own. Her friendship with Eliza provides a crucial lifeline to the outside world, pulling her out of her isolation.

The formidable mistress of Blackhurst Manor who masks her humble origins behind an imperious, aristocratic facade. She is fiercely protective of her daughter, Rose, and views Eliza's wild nature as a direct threat to her family's social standing and stability. She manipulates those around her to maintain strict control over the estate.

The master of the Mountrachet estate and an amateur photographer. Born with a physical disability that earned him his parents' disdain, he developed intense, unhealthy attachments to the women in his family, beginning with his sister Georgiana and later extending to his niece Eliza.

A handsome, talented artist from a humble background who gains wealth and prominence as a society portraitist. Despite his commercial success, he feels creatively stifled until he encounters Eliza's fairy tales, which inspire him to pivot toward illustration.

A local Cornish gardener who assists Cassandra in restoring the overgrown grounds of Cliff Cottage. A former doctor who abandoned medicine after suffering a profound personal loss, he finds solace in physical labor and shares Cassandra's fascination with Eliza's fairy tales.

A young, talkative maid employed at Blackhurst Manor when Eliza first arrives. She introduces the young girl to local Cornish folklore and legends, elements that later heavily influence Eliza's published stories.

A dockmaster in Maryborough, Australia, who discovers an abandoned four-year-old girl and takes her into his home. He raises Nell as his own daughter but struggles with the weight of the secret, eventually revealing the truth to her on her twenty-first birthday.

A lifelong resident of Tregenna and Robyn's grandfather. He possesses a deep knowledge of the Mountrachet family's dark history and the local superstitions surrounding Blackhurst Manor.

Ben's energetic, extroverted daughter who works at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She enthusiastically hosts Cassandra during her stay in London and assists in tracking down artistic clues related to the mystery.

Eliza's twin brother, who works as a chimney sweep. He and Eliza invent games to distract themselves from their harsh reality under the thumb of their cruel landlords.

A former lawyer and a steady father figure to Cassandra. He drafts Nell's will and delivers the news about the secret property in Cornwall, setting Cassandra's journey in motion.

Nell's daughter and Cassandra's mother. Raised in Chicago before returning to Australia, she maintains a strained, distant relationship with Nell and eventually leaves her own daughter behind to start a new life.

Hugh's wife, who helps raise Nell as their own daughter after she is found on the Maryborough Dock. Her inability to conceive a child makes her deeply grateful for Nell's sudden appearance in their lives.

Eliza and Sammy's mother, and Linus's sister. She fled her wealthy, aristocratic family to marry for love, raising her children in a London slum before passing away from illness and leaving them to fend for themselves.

A menacing henchman employed by the Mountrachet family. He spends years tracking down Georgiana and her children, acting as a ruthless agent to enforce Adeline and Linus's will.

A local history buff and former museum worker in Tregenna. She crosses paths with both Nell in 1975 and Cassandra in 2005, providing essential historical context about the Mountrachet family to both women.

The owner of the Blackhurst Hotel, the modern iteration of the Mountrachet estate. She acts as a helpful resource for Cassandra, sharing old scrapbooks and paintings that once belonged to Rose.

An older woman who grew up next door to Eliza Makepeace in a London slum. She provides Nell with crucial memories of Eliza's storytelling abilities and later sends a letter revealing key details about Eliza's final days in England.