Jemima Fairlie is the youngest daughter of Thomas Fairlie, old university friend of Mr. Purcell and current professor of Classics at their alma mater. Given her father's profession, it is little wonder that Jemima grew up curious and eager for study. Her father taught her Greek and Latin alongside her regular classes with governesses and tutors. She always had something new to learn, and nothing made her happier, except, perhaps, for her father's colossal Bloodhound, Admiral (She calls him Addy). Jemima has traveled to Europe a few times with her father. They spent most of their time in Greece and Italy, where she helped her father with his research. She has a keen eye for detail and is a bit of a perfectionist, which makes her quite harsh on herself, but also gives her an edge when it comes to academics. Jemima never found favor amongst girls her own age. She never fancied herself too good for them, nor them too good for her, but, nonetheless, no friendship ever seemed to last. Fortunately, Jemima has three older siblings, two brothers (Gideon and Silas) and a sister (Phoebe), who are fiercely loyal to her and provide her with all the love and companionship she could hope for. Around her family, Jemima is peppy and outspoken, sometimes even allowing her usually well-tended temper to spark. She has a lot of pent-up aggression, but very few people get to see that side of her - Jemima isn't very fond of it
Jemima plays the piano and has an interest in learning to compose her own music. Despite her father's interest to see her well-educated, it is entirely to make her an appealing and useful wife, preferably to another academic. To him, there's no use in letting Jemima learn to compose, since the effort it would take for her to learn would not be worth the rewards. Though Jemima's upbringing might seem permissive to some, when her father denies her something, he'll never budge.
