Flora Owen -- Connections

Madame Flora Owen

30s? Who really knows? Flora isn’t telling

Flora was an apprentice modiste when she caught the eye of Miles Owen. Due to his skill in logistics and familiarity with the sea due to his enlistment in the Royal Navy, Owen was tapped by the East India Company to expand their enterprises. Owen’s skills considerably enhanced the fortunes of the East India Company, and by extension his own. As both the warehouses of the East India Company and Flora’s modiste were in Cheapside, it was not surprising that they should cross paths.

When Owen and Flora married, Flora left her position at the modiste but continued to be an avid consumer and student of fashion. She still designs and sometimes constructs her own garments and accessories. Her knowledge of the fashion world proved her to be a helpful unofficial advisor to the East India Company.

While she has never officially been a woman of business, Flora does have a potential fashion scheme due to a relationship she made with an artisanal manufacturer in Jodphur. She is cautiously seeking a potential importer / merchant to partner with in this venture.

Flora accompanied her husband on several ocean voyages sometimes going as far as India but often sojourning at other ports and reuniting on the return journey. Inspired by these travels, Flora has taken up painting & sketching and has some flare for it. She recently had begun holding “art salons” at her London townhouse. In addition to lively conversation, life drawing, drinking, smoking and other discrete activities are rumoured to occur. These salons began quite soon after the death of her husband. Too soon some might say.

While Flora and Miles had an amiable marriage, they were often separated. They had "an understanding" and both took lovers with some regularity. Recently widowed, Flora is not interested in another marriage but certainly is open to "liaisons" with likeminded individuals. It is even rumoured that Flora traded a night of passion to clear her debts at the whist table. While Flora is generally excellent at whist, she does occasionally lose. Or did she win?

Other things to know about Flora:

Dabbles in the occult.

Excellent whist player

Has 2 dachshunds – Beatrix and Ollivander

Bold fashion sense

Potential Flora connections:

Art Salon attendees. Especially looking for non-male attendees (as I have a few men already). Also models who will pose in the classical fashion (nude), paid or volunteer.

Fellow travelers. Flora spent much time traveling while her husband was away. Her favorite places were Paris, Italy (Florence / Venice mostly), and she has visited India a few times.

Naval / East India Co employees / agents

Former / Current / Future lovers. While not a young ingenue, Flora is still a handsome, witty lady who can turn the right eye.

Party People. Flora loves to gamble, drink, smoke. While she doesn't belong to society or have a title, she certainly has the money to party at the best places.

Are you a catty, disreputable spinster? Flora might be an entertaining whist partner.

Open to suggestions as well.