Charlotte Moira Farrell

Charlotte Moira Farrell

Resides: Grad Trogir, Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia
Born: June 1, Penzance, Cornwall, UK

Charlotte Moira Farrell, aged 14, is the only child of Dermot and Amelia Farrell. Dermot is an aeronautical engineer and travels a lot. Some of this has to do with designing aircraft, and some of it has to do with chasing women, which is why Amelia divorced him shortly after their daughter was born. Amelia North Farrell is American by birth but lived in Cornwall for many years. She is a frightfully successful author of romance novels under the nom de plume “Desiree Duncan”. Charlotte holds British citizenship – by virtue of her birth in Penzance – as well as dual Irish and US nationality.

The girl never attended a proper school prior to being sent to O&P, being always tutored at home. While the education was of good quality, she suffers somewhat from a lack of socialization and can be uncomfortable in group settings. She is a very good student in most subjects; indeed, she is often more interested in her schoolwork and her dance practise than in the frivolities which often appeal to girls her age.

As a small child, she was much taken with “Dora the Explorer” and this has led to a somewhat adventuresome, if solitary, spirit. She may have outgrown “Dora”, but caves, coves, flora, fauna, mines and ruins abound in West Cornwall (and more lately, along the Dalmatian Coast) and the girl has investigated many of them. Her mother is sometimes unaware of the extent of her wanderings.

In appearance, she stands 152 cm tall (5′) and weighs 46 kg (101 pounds), with brown hair and hazel eyes. A somewhat narrow jawbone brought prosperity to her orthodontist, and Charlie (as she is often called) has at times been self-conscious about this.

While enrolled at O&P, Charlotte became aware that her father’s past indiscretions had a consequence: Sofija Jana Farrell, her half-sister. Weary of being an only child – and bursting with curiosity – she traveled to Croatia to meet her slightly younger sibling. They became inseparable and it wasn’t long before the same fate befell their respective maters. Amelia and Elisaveta’s nuptials were celebrated in the Penzance Registry Office, resulting in a rather unusual genealogical headache.

The girls’ family tree bore further fruit when Dermot Farrell – domesticated at last – wedded Margareta Carlsen, a widowed Danish radiologist. This had the result of adding three step-siblings to the tribe: Oskar (18), Niels (15), and Julie (14). And if that weren’t enough, one more daughter, Brigid – usually known as ‘Monster’ – followed.

More recently the family decided that the Adriatic Coast offered more fertile opportunities than those available in West Cornwall. For Sofija, this meant a chance to join the Croatian U-15 National Basketball Team and for Charlotte, dance study at the Hrvatsko Narodno Kazaliste – the Croatian National Theatre. And so they packed their bags and relocated to the ancient city of Trogir.

Charlotte was always privately tutored and this worked well academically. However, her tutor recently accepted a post with another family and Mrs Farrell was unable to locate a sufficiently qualified replacement.

Good and bad subjects :
She does quite well with English, History and Geography.
She does slightly less well with Modern European Languages and Natural Sciences.
She struggles a bit with Maths and consequently, Physical Sciences.
She finds the Arts interesting but not always compelling. She was, however, required to stick with ballet and there are signs that the persistence may yet prove fruitful.
She’s quite fit (hikes, bikes, climbs and swims well) but has little experience with organized athletic competition.

Experiences of punishment in school :
Minimal, since she was taught at home. Her most recent tutor would put the girl over her knee for a hand spanking when such attention was required (which was seldom), and she kept a tawse hanging in plain sight from the side of her bookshelf. Its visible presence proved sufficient incentive to Charlotte and the thing was never actually employed.

Reason why she’s being sent to Oaks and Pines :
Apart from the difficulty in securing a new tutor, her mother became convinced that Charlotte needed to be in an environment that was less solitary. A boarding school, where she would be constantly in company with girls her own age (more or less), seemed a good solution.