Emma is a witty, literate twenty-year-old who recently returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian's. She relies on classic literature, particularly works by John Milton and William Shakespeare, to endure her difficult circumstances and process her ongoing grief. Driven by a desire to reclaim her rightful inheritance, she confronts the restrictive legal and social structures of the 1880s using resourcefulness and sharp observation.

Archibald is Emma's petty, financially irresponsible cousin-in-law. As the widower of Emma's great-aunt, he serves as Emma's legal fiscal guardian, a position he exploits to control her estate and fund his extravagant wardrobe and gambling habits. He harbors a deep grudge against Emma over a past incident that left him with a facial scar.

Lady Eugenia is Emma's formidable, wealthy maternal aunt. She operates with strategic precision and views family relationships through a lens of duty, social advantage, and strict hierarchy. She attempts to control Emma's social life, enlisting her as a foil to help secure a husband for her daughter, Arabella.

Arabella is Emma's wealthy and socially secure cousin. Despite her elevated status in London society, she remains deeply loyal to Emma and frequently conspires with her to bypass their restrictive family members. She provides both emotional support and practical assistance, including smuggling Emma's treasured family heirlooms out of Spencer House.

Mary is Emma's pragmatic and unconventional best friend from school. She works as one of London's first typists for the Edison Telephone Company, earning a degree of financial independence rare for women of her era. To navigate the strict rules of her boarding house, she cleverly hires an actor to pose as her cousin and chaperone.

Young Hawkes is the unconventional vicar of St. Crispian's church, described as a handsome misfit who delivers spellbinding sermons. Years prior, he offered Emma a gesture of support by giving her a card inscribed with the word "Imperterritus" (fearless). He maintains a quiet observation of the community and holds a subtle understanding of Emma's character.

The Tenant is a tall, bearded man with a noticeable limp who rents the incredibly narrow Lapis Lazuli Minor apartment. He is a quiet observer who shares a silent, charged glance with Emma through their respective windows. His presence fulfills a local ghost's prophecy about a "man of war" arriving at the house.

Agnes is the young cook at Lapis Lazuli House who was burdened with all kitchen duties after the previous cook quit. She is superstitious, easily terrified by the neighborhood ghost, and highly perceptive of the household's shifting power dynamics. She quickly aligns her loyalty with Emma rather than Archibald.

Parian is the disapproving butler of Lapis Lazuli House who remains loyal to Archibald Flat. He enforces Archibald's petty rules, such as dictating that Emma must take her meals in the garret, and runs a secret distillery in the kitchen of the walled-off apartment.

Matilde is Emma's cousin who previously employed her as a companion in Bournemouth. She refuses to pay Emma's three years of salary, falsely accusing her of stealing the family silver to justify the withheld wages. She is responsible for burning Emma's previous journals.

Mr. Penury is Emma's banker who oversees her estate. He reveals that Archibald systematically squandered Emma's fortune through gross negligence and immediately turns legal control of the remaining funds over to Emma.

Maxwell is Emma's childhood friend who died in Afghanistan three years prior to her return to London. Emma frequently reflects on his loss, sees his resemblance in strangers, and writes him letters as a way of processing her ongoing grief.

Evelyn is Maxwell's brother. He corresponds with Emma to warn her that his family is considering exhuming Maxwell's body from Afghanistan to rebury it at their family home in England.

Jack is a handsome actor whom Mary Bairrage hires to pose as her cousin and chaperone. His employment allows Mary to circumvent the strict social rules of her boarding house, though Emma immediately distrusts him as a potential confidence man.

Miss March is an independent, 36-year-old artist who lives in St. Crispian's. She travels freely and represents a model of established creative and social freedom for unmarried women in Emma's circle.

Madame Tasset is a skilled London dressmaker. She collaborates with Emma to design an extensive, high-quality wardrobe in bold silks, actively helping Emma reject the subdued aesthetic typically assigned to a mere companion.

Mrs. Killoran is a resident of St. Crispian's who subscribes to "The List," a paid service for the direct return of misplaced items. Her wandering wig frequently appears in the kitchen of Lapis Lazuli House.

Mr. Green is a local man in St. Crispian's who warmly greets Emma upon her return. He expresses the community's collective relief that she survived her time away and promises to have his wife send over baked goods.

Mrs. Simpkins is a resident of St. Crispian's who attends the local church. She compliments Emma on her sea-green eyes, fondly comparing them to those of Emma's late father.

The Roman is a spectral centurion who patrols the neighborhood of St. Crispian's. He points to Lapis Lazuli Minor and delivers a cryptic prophecy to Agnes about a "man of war" arriving at the house.

Damian is Emma's cousin and the son of Lady Eugenia Spencer. He is part of the aristocratic family tree that Emma maps out in her journal to contextualize her inheritance and social standing.

Father May is the former vicar of St. Crispian's church. Seven years prior, he spent three months preparing the congregation before departing for the United States, leaving Young Hawkes in his place.

Mr. Graves is the proprietor of the local bookshop in St. Crispian's. He treats Emma coldly because, at age thirteen, she sold her father's annotated library to a competing dealer to pay for her schooling.