The Dead Secret · Character

Mr. Orridge

A newly settled country doctor, well-meaning but inexperienced, who must find a nurse for a stranger's newborn and stumbles into the Frankland family's hidden history.

supporting

Also known as young Mr. Orridge, the inexperienced Mr. Orridge

First appearance: i fifteen years after

As a supporting figure in The Dead Secret, Mr. Orridge is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Mr. Orridge in i fifteen years after Book page

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Orridge has just bought the West Winston practice and is still learning the neighborhood's tangled loyalties when a lady is taken ill at the Tiger's Head and her hired nurse collapses. Earnest, slightly bumbling, and quick to consult others, he turns to the motherly Mrs. Norbury for help and finds himself the reluctant keeper of confidences he never sought. His ordinary professional rounds become the doorway through which the novel's buried secret first reaches the light.

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The fuller portrait of Mr. Orridge sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Mr. Orridge in i fifteen years after

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Mr. Orridge sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Local and Peripheral Figures
Porthgenna Tower Circle
Protagonist

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of Rosamond’…

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Relationships

Mrs. Jazeph
professional · positive
Rosamond Frankland
professional · positive
Mrs. Jazeph
professional · positive
Mrs. Jazeph
professional · positive
Rosamond Frankland
professional · positive
Rosamond Frankland
professional · positive

Mrs. Jazeph
Mr. Orridge is the physician attending to Mrs. Jazeph during her illness, showing professional concern.
Rosamond Frankland
Mr. Orridge serves as the family physician to Rosamond and her household.
Mrs. Jazeph
Mr. Orridge is the physician attending to Mrs. Jazeph during her illness, showing professional concern.
Mrs. Jazeph
Mr. Orridge is the physician attending to Mrs. Jazeph during her illness, showing professional concern.
Rosamond Frankland
Mr. Orridge serves as the family physician to Rosamond and her household.
Rosamond Frankland
Mr. Orridge serves as the family physician to Rosamond and her household.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Mr. Orridge in i fifteen years after

In the story

Mr. Orridge appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Twenty-Third of August, 1829
The doctor who attends Mrs. Treverton; he enters after her death and instructs a servant to inform the captain.
III: Mrs. Jazeph
The inexperienced doctor attending Rosamond Frankland; observes Mrs. Jazeph's physical and emotional reactions with medical interest.
IV: The New Nurse
The doctor; examines Rosamond, gives directions to Mrs. Jazeph, and later decides a proper nurse is needed from London.
V: A Council of Three
Listens to Rosamond's account, doubts Mrs. Jazeph is mad, and offers to investigate the nurse's conduct at her mistress's house.
VI: Another Surprise
Visits Mrs. Norbury to investigate Mrs. Jazeph's conduct and learns of her dismissal.
I: An Old Friend and a New Scheme
Helps dissect the letter; opposes Rosamond's travel on medical grounds due to her cold.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mr. Orridge unlock in the free preview.

See Mr. Orridge in i fifteen years after