Jane Lindley

Crista

Name: Jane Lindley

Place and Date of Birth: London, 1650

Age: 354

Appears: In her twenties

Status: Vampire

Creator: Witchcraft

Character background: Born Jane Anne Poole, she started her life as the daughter of a whore. Luckily for the Poole women, they were born with enough good looks to be courted by the rich and powerful men of England. Though, despite the rank and wealth of their clients, they were still whores. Jane was her mother's third daughter. Her father could have been any number of men, though Jane's mother liked to tell a romantic tale about a handsome young nobleman who had taken to her bed before dying in King Charles II's rebellion. But, truth be told, it was likely a lie.

As Jane grew older, she fell into what had become the 'family profession' herself. Of her mother's three daughters, she was the most beautiful and had more than enough customers to keep her in nice things. It was a good life and if Jane lacked for romantic love, she more than made up for it in physical comfort. Then, she met Lord Richard Hollinworth.

He was the scion of a wealthy family of merchants. One look between the two and they fell hopelessly in love with one another. But, from the moment of its inception, the match was ill-fated. She was a prostitute and he a married man. Yet, both being naive of the danger, they continued in their disasterous affair. Jane stopped seeing anyone other than Richard and Richard vowed to put aside his barren wife and forsake his loveless marriage for her.

Then, in the spring of 1674, Jane discovered she was carrying Richard's child. And so did his wife. Mary Hollinworth had miscarried countless pregnancies and grew livid with rage that a common street whore was carrying her beloved Richard's child and she wasn't. As the months passed, Mary grew more and more enraged. But Richard's wife had a powerful and dangerous secret. She came from a family of witches that could trace themselves to the Witch Queen of England, Anne Boleyn.

As Jane grew larger with her child and Richard began to arrange for a divorce so that he could marry his mistress and legitimize his child, Mary consulted with her family and together devised a curse that would punish Jane for eternity. In the autumn of 1674, as a terrible storm clamored outside, Jane gave birth to her son. As she lie after, weak and in pain from the difficult labor, a cloaked figure stepped into the birthing chamber and pushed aside her hood.

Mary started to murmur the dire words of the curse, having first seen to it that Jane's nurses were effectively silenced. Then, she heard the baby crying from the cradle near the fire. As she looked upon Richard's son, Mary knew what would be the final blow. She lifted the crying baby in her arms and said the words of the curse to Jane as lay helplessly watching Mary steal her child. After the curse was uttered, Jane fainted.