# Penelope Betteredge — The Moonstone character guide

> Penelope Betteredge in The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Penelope, Penelope Betteredge

**First appearance:** 0007-i

## Snapshot

Gabriel Betteredge's sensible daughter and a housemaid at the Verinder estate, she is the one servant who is consistently kind to the isolated Rosanna.

## Who they are

Penelope moves easily among the servants and shares her father's plain-spoken, observant temperament, but she is never quite intimate with anyone, including Rosanna. She is the only woman in the house who treats the reformed thief with steady decency, though even she keeps a certain reserve. Her position as her father's confidante and the household's quiet witness makes her a useful pair of eyes on the tensions gathering around the diamond.

## Relationships

### [Franklin Blake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/characters/franklin_blake)

_social_

Penelope, Gabriel's daughter and a maid in the Verinder house, has a friendly and respectful acquaintance with Franklin.

### [Franklin Blake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/characters/franklin_blake)

_social_

Penelope, Gabriel's daughter and a maid in the Verinder house, has a friendly and respectful acquaintance with Franklin.

### [Franklin Blake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/characters/franklin_blake)

_social_

Penelope, Gabriel's daughter and a maid in the Verinder house, has a friendly and respectful acquaintance with Franklin.

## In the story

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/ii)

Betteredge's daughter; becomes Miss Rachel's maid and comments on her father's writing.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/iii)

Gabriel's daughter; suggests starting the story with a date and reports the Indians' suspicious actions with the boy.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/iv)

Betteredge's daughter, kind to Rosanna but not intimate with her.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/vii)

Reports Rosanna's strange conduct to her father and suggests the explanation of love at first sight.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/viii)

Betteredge's daughter; keeps a journal; observes Rachel's behavior and Rosanna's actions.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/ix)

Betteredge's daughter; reports Rachel's refusal of Godfrey and expresses her dislike of Godfrey, favoring Franklin.

### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xi)

First to discover the theft; questioned twice by Superintendent Seegrave and becomes distressed at being suspected.

### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xii)

Gives evidence about the paint on the door, confirming it was clean at midnight, and her dress is examined for paint stains.

### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xiv)

Briefly interviewed by Cuff; reports that he must have been crossed in love, and had previously noted Rosanna's interest in Franklin Blake.

### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xvii)

Expresses concern about Rosanna's state and urges her father to intervene.

### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xix)

Finds Rosanna's farewell note in her room and sends it to her father.

### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/xx)

Reveals that Rosanna Spearman's suicide was due to love for Franklin Blake; keeps the secret for Rosanna's and Franklin's sakes.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/i)

Daughter of Gabriel Betteredge; she answers the door at Aunt Verinder's house and refuses Miss Clack's tract.

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/iv)

Mentioned in Rosanna's letter as having informed her that the paint on the door was dry by three in the morning.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/v)

Betteredge's daughter; informs Rosanna of Rachel's plan to leave and Franklin's likely departure, and mentions the quarrel between Rachel and Franklin.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/chapters/vii)

Mentioned as the maid who entered Rachel's room in the morning.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/characters/penelope_betteredge
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_moonstone_se/characters