Born in 1862, Maggie is twin sister to Minnie Aldridge. She is as far from the traditional image of a Victorian young lady as you can get.

Scatty brained, yet highly intelligent, she spares little thought for what society decrees as 'normal'. Maggie is kind, caring and loyal, completely oblivious as to how others see and regard her.

Often carried away on a whim, she neglects the many day-to-day necessities which has led her parents to all but disown her.

She becomes extremely enthusiastic about her particular passions to the exclusion of all else.

She is loyal to her sister, although frequently gets her in to trouble.

The sister's father is brutal in his discipline. Although he has high hopes that Minnie will one day marry into a respectable upper class family - he has wiped his hands of Maggie and despises her with a vengeance.

There is a very dark secret which has remained buried deep within Maggie's subconscious relating to her father.

She has an older brother who is a successful banker. He is married with a family of his own.

She has recently met Sebastian Witherspoon who has asked for her hand in marriage.

Her father, furious at her disobedience at leaving the house to attend a performance by the acclaimed clairvoyant, Madam Tantara, has cast her out of the family home. She has taken up temporary lodgings with Sebastian's mother and father.