Penelope

Penelope was hoping to show off her new lover to Elizabeth Holland, but he had written her a note saying "Not sure if i can make it to your party tonight. My apologies, if this is the case. -HS"(pg 32) Penelope had singled out Elizabeth holland as her principal rival and thus her only possible best friend. After receiving this note she went into a rage that was not entirely fair to her maids helping her to get ready. Isaac Phillips Buck was Penelope's right hand. a better way to describe him would be her partner in crime. Penelope was wearing her signature color, red of course to the grand reveal of her families grand new home. She was certain that the Schoonmakers couldn't not come to Richmond Hayes' ball. He would be arriving shortly, she knew it! She was right and soon after Henry Schoonmaker walked through the intricate archway. She walked to greet him and as she left she called to Buckie, "Thats the man I'm going to marry."

Diana

Diana Holland is Elizabeth's younger sister. She is known to misbehave, so at the Hayes party she is being followed, but she manages to write a note in the ladies' dressing room and slipped it to Webster Youngham's assistant. Her note said "Cloakroom, one o'clock. Bring ciggies." In the cloakroom, she was looking for her French Lieutenant's coat. She had come dressed as the heroine in her favorite novel, Trilby. She appears for the first time as an artist's model dressed in a petticoat and slippers but of course Diana could not get away with that. She was surprised that she got away with the simple cotton bodice and red-and-white striped skirt she had come in. As the clocked clanged one, she felt the chest of a man and a pair of hands on her hips. She tried not to smile to much as she turned around to face James Haverton because this was the most exciting thing that had happened to her all night. "I hope you brought cigarettes." (pg 25) she said. He told her how much trouble he could get into for doing this, mischief shining in his eyes. she liked that. "You're pretty"(pg 26) he told her. she thought about the facial features she shared with her beautiful sister and how different they looked. She had small features and a round mouth like all the Holland women. but unlike her sister she had dark hair, she liked to think that it added a certain mystery. and her eyes, they were described as vivid. And like her sister she had her mothers chin. she hated her chin. "Oh I'm all right." He handed her a cigarette, "You're more than all right" she asked him if he was an architect was he also an artist? he asked why and she said, "Well to kiss of course." 

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen- Elizabeth

It is 1899 in Manhattan, filled with scandal and drama. Everything Diana and Elizabeth do is under the microscope. The book opens at Elizabeth Holland's funeral. All of New York's finest are there. All of her family. Except one. Her sister Diana has not yet arrived so the procession starts and when the church door bands open and Diana runs in with a fading smile there is cause for suspicion. Why would she be smiling at her sisters funeral? The book is told from the perspective of five people: Diana Holland, Elizabeth Holland, Penelope Hayes , and Henry Schoonmaker and Lina Broud. 

Elizabeth has just returned from a summer in Paris and she has barely gotten off the boat when her mother forces her to a costume party at the Hayes' new home on Fifth avenue. At the party Louisa Holland claims that everyone has been asking about her. She says it would be a good thing is one of her daughters dance partners would propose. Elizabeth responses by saying "Well, you are lucky I'm still so young, and we still have years before I even have to begin picking one of them." "Oh no... the one thing we do not have is time." (pg 12) Elizabeth gives her mother a strange look and goes to dance with Percival Coddington. As soon as Mr. Coddington approached her, she realized that he was dressed in a shepherd costume; just like she was. Percival could not dance, he could barely walk without tripping. But being the lady she was she danced with him and tried to make small talk. As she turned to give her mother a reassuring look, she saw her standing with two men. One was her father's accountant and the other was William Schoonmaker. While she danced with Mr. Coddington, Elizabeth was thinking about what seems to be a lover. She wonders what he has been doing while she was in Paris.