# Floretta Turnbull — The Hidden Staircase character guide > Floretta Turnbull in The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Floretta, Miss Floretta **First appearance:** 0001-ii-a-warning-of-trouble ## Snapshot The more fragile of the last two Turnbulls, she loses an heirloom pin in the few minutes it takes to answer the iceman and is certain something unnatural took it. ## Who they are Floretta lives in the family mansion on a shrinking income and a large reserve of nervousness, jumping at every creak and apologizing stiffly when caught off guard. Her vanished diamond bar pin — dropped on the dresser, gone within ten minutes — becomes the first theft Nancy can examine up close, complete with an untouched screen and a locked room. Her fear makes the house feel genuinely haunted, even as the evidence starts pointing somewhere very human. ## Relationships ### [Nancy Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/nancy_drew) _friendship_ Floretta Turnbull, Rosemary's aunt, is grateful for Nancy's help and becomes a friendly ally in solving the family troubles. ### [Rosemary Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/rosemary_turnbull) _family_ Floretta is Rosemary's aunt, and they share a close, protective family bond, often working together against the mystery. ### [Nathan Gombet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/nathan_gombet) _rivalry_ Floretta Turnbull distrusts Nathan Gombet and views him as a threat to her family's well-being. ### [Carson Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/carson_drew) _professional_ Carson Drew provides legal assistance to Floretta Turnbull, maintaining a professional and respectful relationship. ### [Nancy Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/nancy_drew) _friendship_ Floretta Turnbull, Rosemary's aunt, is grateful for Nancy's help and becomes a friendly ally in solving the family troubles. ### [Nathan Gombet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/nathan_gombet) _rivalry_ Floretta Turnbull distrusts Nathan Gombet and views him as a threat to her family's well-being. ### [Rosemary Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/rosemary_turnbull) _family_ Floretta is Rosemary's aunt, and they share a close, protective family bond, often working together against the mystery. ### [Nancy Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/nancy_drew) _friendship_ Floretta Turnbull, Rosemary's aunt, is grateful for Nancy's help and becomes a friendly ally in solving the family troubles. ### [Rosemary Turnbull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/rosemary_turnbull) _family_ Floretta is Rosemary's aunt, and they share a close, protective family bond, often working together against the mystery. ### [Carson Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/carson_drew) _professional_ Carson Drew provides legal assistance to Floretta Turnbull, maintaining a professional and respectful relationship. ### [Carson Drew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/carson_drew) _professional_ Carson Drew provides legal assistance to Floretta Turnbull, maintaining a professional and respectful relationship. ## In the story ### [VI: The Ghost Calls Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/vi-the-ghost-calls-again) Agitated over the loss of her diamond bar pin, an heirloom, which vanished while she let the iceman into the kitchen. ### [VII: What Can It Mean!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/vii-what-can-it-mean) Clinging to her sister in fear, she protests calling the police and begs Nancy to take the case. ### [The Anonymous Message](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/ix-the-anonymous-message) Is ill and bedridden from the stress of the haunting, but expresses doubt that anyone can help. ### [An Unfruitful Search](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/x-an-unfruitful-search) Feels better and dresses for luncheon; appears nervous and tense during the evening, sitting rigidly on the built-in sofa. ### [A Cry in the Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xi-a-cry-in-the-night) Frightened and hesitant, she follows Nancy and Rosemary during the search. ### [The Theft](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xii-the-theft) Laments the loss of the family heirloom; believes a ghost is responsible; too nervous to sleep after the theft. ### [Another Surprise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xiii-another-surprise) Discovers her three black silk dresses stolen and two canaries on a picture frame; expresses fear and belief in bad omens. ### [XVI: A New Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xvi-a-new-clue) Floretta shares the history of the neighboring stone house and expresses nervousness about the rainy night. She is unaware of Nancy's plan to visit Gombet. ### [Under Cover of Darkness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xvii-under-cover-of-darkness) Asleep upstairs with her sister, unaware of Nancy's departure. ### [Inside the Other House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xviii-inside-the-other-house) Referenced as one who told Nancy about Gombet's taxidermy hobby. ### [The End of the Passage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxi-the-end-of-the-passage) One of the victims of Gombet's thefts and nocturnal visits. ### [The Next Move](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxii-the-next-move) Hesitant but follows Nancy into the secret passages; learns her dresses and diamond pin were stolen via the hidden panel. ### [Notifying the Police](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxiii-notifying-the-police) Accompanies Nancy and expresses fear of shooting during the confrontation. ### [Nancy Leads the Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxiv-nancy-leads-the-way) Mentioned as waiting in the roadster with Rosemary during the action. ### [Captured](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/chapters/xxv-captured) Grateful to Nancy, insists she accept the silver urn as a reward. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters/floretta_turnbull - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_hidden_staircase_se/characters