Characters / The Ruby Red Trilogy

Main Characters

Gwendolyn Shepherd

The sixteen-year old protagonist of the Ruby Red Trilogy and the Ruby in the Cycle of Twelve. She's the sister of Nick and Caroline and the eldest daughter of Nicholas Shepherd and Grace Montrose although it's later revealed that her biological parents are Lucy Montrose, Grace's niece, and Paul DeVilliers.

• Alcohol Hic: Gwen starts hiccuping after getting drunk on Lady Brompton's special punch.
• Always Someone Better: Gwen feels this way about Charlotte.
• Animal Motifs: Ravens. Each time traveller has a specific animal assigned to them, and ravens are frequently mentioned in Aunt Maddie's prophecies regarding Gwen.
• Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Gideon's Archie and Charlotte's Veronica.
• The Chosen One: The Last Time Traveler born. The moment of her birth relaunched the Count's otherwise inactive aging process, while Gwen herself is immortal as a child of two Time Travellers.
• Cool Big Sis: Towards her younger siblings, Nick and Caroline.
• Cursed with Awesome: As fun as time travelling may seem, uncontrollable skips in time are definitely not fun.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Drinking on Duty: Gideon is not happy with her when she drunkenly performs 'Memory' in front of an 18th-century audience.
• Dub Name Change: In the English version, her name is changed from Gwendolyn to Gwyneth.
• Generation Xerox: A Montrose-DeVilliers relationship of Gwen and Gideon mirrors the one of Grace and Falk, As well as the one of her parents, Lucy and Paul.
• Happily Adopted: By Nicholas and Grace
• The Heroine: Gwen is the central character and the protagonist of the trilogy.
• I See Dead People: She can see ghosts and is even friends with some of them, such as James and Xemerius. Gwen is the only character in the trilogy who has this power.
• Kissing Cousins: Gwendolyn, by being the daughter of Paul DeVilliers, is Gideon's distant cousin.
• Kiss of Distraction: At the ball in Emerald Green Gwen kisses Gideon to distract him from her past self who's hiding behind the curtain.
• Playing Sick: In Emerald Green Gwen pretends she is ill so she can stay home as well and foil Charlotte's plan, however, her mother makes her go to school. It works for her later when she wants to avoid going to the ball in the 18th century.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
• This Is My Boomstick: Decides to take her mobile to the past and tries to impress Lord Brompton and Rakoczy. They don't really believe that she is from the future, though they are shocked when she takes a picture.

Gideon De Villiers

A nineteen year-old time traveler and the Diamond in the Cycle of Twelve.

• Above the Influence: When Gwen is drunk after the soiree, although he admits that he's tempted.
• Anguished Declaration of Love: To Gwen in Emerald Green, when Gwen is dying. Well, kind of dying.
• Break her Heart to Save Her: Lies to Gwendolyn about faking his feelings for her, so that the Count couldn't have used him to take advantage of her.
• Deadpan Snarker: Has his moments.
  What a fun trip! Belgium is such a wildly exotic country. Don't we all just dream of spending three days in Belgium sometime?
• Defrosting the Ice Queen: Despite being a Jerkass at the beginning, he gradually warms up towards Gwendolyn.
• Deuteragonist: The second major character after Gwen.
• Elegant Classical Musician: He can play the violin and the piano.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although he's usually a Jerkass Deadpan Snarker, especially towards Gwendolyn, and as the story progresses he shows his nicer side.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy

Robert Leopold, Count de St. Germain / Mr. Whitman

• Aristocrats Are Evil: Played straight, although it is rumored that St. Germain was born as a bastard and renamed himself as a Count.
• Bad Boss: St. Germain is the Founder and the First Grand Master of the Guardians, who uses his underlings in his quest for immortality.
• Big Bad
• Faux Affably Evil: When Gwen meets him at Mrs Brompton's soiree, St. Germain seems to be a cool old guy. In his Mr. Whitman persona he fits the Bitch in Sheep's Clothing trope.
• Grandfather Paradox: Kills his ancestor, Lancelot DeVilliers, although it didn't really cause too many issues, since the murder took place after Lancelot's kids were born.
• Hot Teacher: As Mr. Whitman. Gwendolyn and Lesley (and possibly Charlotte) are the only girls in their class who aren't in love with him.
• Immortality Seeker: The reason why he wants to collect the blood of all the twelve time-travellers is to receive the Philosopher's Stone.
• Pragmatic Villainy: St. Germain doesn't consider himself a classical Big Bad. All he wants is immortality and in order to achieve it he needs to get rid of Gwen.

Xemerius

A gargoyle who can only be seen by Gwendolyn.

• Snarky Non-Human Sidekick

Leslie Hay

A student at St. Lennox and Gwendolyn's best friend.

• Beta Couple: With Raphael.
• Book Dumb: Despite being quite intelligent, she and Gwen don't usually do remarkably well at school.
• Genki Girl: To a larger extent than Gwendolyn.
• Race Lift: She is white in the books, but played by black actor Jennifer Lotsi in the movie.
• The Smart Guy: Does an extensive research about the Guardians, Count St. Germain and Isaac Newton.
• Uncatty Resemblance: She is said to look like her Golden Retriever Bertie, mostly because of her hair color.
• Youthful Freckles

Montrose Family

• Big Fancy House
• Fiery Redhead: Most notably Lucy, and also Grace in her younger years.
• Multigenerational Household: 81 Bourdon Place is owned by Lady Arista, who lives there with her sister-in-law Madeleine, her daughters Glenda and Grace, and her grandchildren Charlotte, Gwen, Nick and Caroline. And Mr. Bernard.
• Quirky Household: Lampshaded by Gwendolyn on several occasions.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: The DeVilliers-Montrose relationship have been rumored to be ill-fated. Eventually downplayed: even though Grace and Falk broke up years ago, there is a slight Ship Tease, Lucy and Paul are Happily Married, while Gwen and Gideon are an Official Couple.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Almost all the Montroses are redheaded, except for Gwendolyn (who got her raven-black hair from her father).

Charlotte Montrose

Gwen's cousin, meant to become the twelfth (and last) time traveler in the Circle of Twelve before it was revealed that it was Gwen who had the Time Traveling gene.

• The Ace: In comparison to Gwendolyn being Book Dumb, Charlotte not only excelled at dancing and fencing, but according to Mr. Whitman received excellent grades at school.
• Alpha Bitch
• Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Gideon's Archie and Gwen's Betty.
• Break the Haughty: After learning that Gwendolyn is the Ruby in the Cycle of Twelve, and not her.
• Evil Redhead: While Charlotte definitely does not belong to the bad guys, she definitely has some AlphaBitch vibes.
• Ice Queen

Jerkass Woobie: Imagine losing your boyfriend to your rival/cousin who replaced you about supernatural powers to travel in time.

• Playing Sick: In Emerald Green. Charlotte does it so she can search Gwen's room while Gwen is in school.
• The Resenter: Most of the time she acts as an AlphaBitch towards her cousin.

Glenda Montrose

Charlotte's mother and the second child of Lord Lucas Montrose and Lady Arista Bishop.

• Abusive Parents: Implied that she is emotionally abusive towards Charlotte. Her high expectations might be the cause of Charlotte's haughty, stuck-up attitude, especially to Gwen.
• Evil Redhead
• Grand Dame: Surely strives to be one.

Grace Montrose

The youngest child of Lord Lucas Montrose and Lady Arista Bishop, sister of Harry and Glenda, and the mother of Nick, Gwen and Caroline.

• Betty and Veronica: Implied that in her youth she was the Archie to Falk's Veronica and Nicholas's Betty.
• Cool Aunt: Lucy has a Big Sister Worship thing towards her.
• Good Parents
• Mama Bear: Towards all her three children, especially that she lied to the Guardians for sixteen years in order to protect Gwen from the Count.
• Ship Tease: With Falk DeVilliers. Especially that they used to be a couple in high-school.

Madeleine Montrose

The younger sister of the late Lord Montrose who is a seer.

• Cloudcuckoolander
• Cool Old Lady: As opposed to her sister-in-law.
• Maiden Aunt: She is Lucas Montrose's unmarried sister who still lives in Lady Arista's house.
• Seers: Madeleine has got metaphorical visions of the future from time to time.

Lucy Montrose

• Fiery Redhead
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Before Gwen and Gideon realize the Count's true motives, the two of them plus the majority of the Guardians view Lucy and Paul as traitors.
• Teen Pregnancy: [ Became pregnant with Gwendolyn at the age of about seventeen. And by the time they move into their new home in Emerald Green, Lucy is already pregnant with their next child.

Arista Montrose nee Bishop

Gwen's maternal grandmother and the wife of the late Lord Montrose.

• Grand Dame
• Ice Queen: Arista's signature trait.
• Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Gender-flipped. While Lucas is an energetic Cool Old Guy, Arista is The Stoic, Emotionless Girl.

Lucas Montrose

Gwen's late grandfather.

• Cool Old Guy
• Posthumous Character: He has been dead for several years prior to Ruby Red. Although he does an appearance when Gwen visits him in the past.
• Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Gender-flipped. While Lucas is an energetic Cool Old Guy, Arista is The Stoic, emotionless girl.

Harry Montrose

The eldest son of Lord Lucas Montrose and Arista Bishop and Lucy's father. As we learn in Emerald Green, he is Gwen's maternal grandfather as well.

• Aloof Big Brother: Implied to have been that to his two sisters.
• The Ghost: Despite being mentioned several times, he does not make any appearances in the books.

DeVilliers Family

• Blue Blood: The Devilliers are descended from a Belgian nobleman.

Paul DeVilliers

Falk's younger brother and Gwen's biological father.

• Hero with Bad Publicity: Before Gwen and Gideon realize the Count's true motives, the two of them plus the majority of the Guardians view Lucy and Paul as traitors.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: As almost all members of the DeVilliers family, Paul can be definitely counted as a pretty boy
• Teen Pregnancy: Fathered Gwendolyn at the age of nineteen. And by the time they move into their new home in Emerald Green, Lucy is already pregnant with their next child.

Raphael Bertelin

A new student at St. Lennox and Gideon's younger brother.

• Beta Couple: With Leslie.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The Foolish Sibling to Gideon's Responsible Sibling.
• New Transfer Student: He transfers to Saint Lennox from his old school in France midway through the series. He's not happy about having to wear a school uniform and is bothered by the British Weather, but other than that he doesn't seem to mind the transfer too much.

The Guardians's Lodge

A secret organisation founded by Count St. Germain, whose goal is to uncover the secret of the chronograph by collecting blood from all twelve time travelers.

Falk DeVilliers

The current Great Master of the Lodge after the death of Lord Lucas.

• Betty and Veronica: Implied that in his youth he was the Veronica to Grace's Archie and Nicholas's Betty.
• Silver Fox: Lampshaded several times that Falk, despite being in his fourties-fifties, is still quite a looker.
• Ship Tease: With Grace Montrose. Especially that they used to be a couple in high-school.

Marley

One of Rakoczy's descendant and a newly admitted member of the Lodge.

• Butt-Monkey
• Ship Tease: With Charlotte, in "Sapphire Blue" and "Emerald Green".

Miro Rakoczy

A Romanian aristocrat and one of the closest confidants of Count St. Germain.

• The Dragon: The Count's most trusted friend and right hand.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette

Others

James Augustus Peregrine Pympoole-Bothame

Charles

Glenda's former husband and Charlotte's estranged father.

• Disappeared Dad: Although it's never stated, the books heavily imply that he doesn't maintain much contact with his daughter.
• Gold Digger: Glenda believes that the only reason Charles married her was her father's title.
• Henpecked Husband: Heavily implied in Emerald Green.

Nicholas Shepherd

Grace's late husband and Gwen's father.

• Missing Dad: Died when Gwendolyn was about ten.