The Story of Ivy · Character

Miles Rushworth

A wealthy, all-powerful man who adores Ivy, keeps a deathbed promise never to love a married woman, and breaks it the moment she needs comforting.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Rushworth, Rushworth, Mrs. Miles Rushworth

First appearance: II

As a supporting figure in The Story of Ivy, Miles Rushworth is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A wealthy millionaire and amateur billiard-player; Ivy is seen strolling with him in the garden, and Mrs.

In the storyPrologueOpen this moment free

Rushworth is the employer whose favour keeps Jervis Lexton in a job invented for him, and the patron whose arrival transforms Ivy's prospects. He arrives home full of two women, his dead sister and Ivy, and tormented by a promise to his father never to fall in love with another man's wife. His wealth, his conscience, and his hunger for Ivy make him the prize she schemes toward and the moral weight the story presses against her.

See Miles Rushworth in Prologue Book page

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Character Web

24 connections

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

Relationship types

Romantic
Social
Other

Character groups

Main household & mystery
Protagonist
Background & supporting cast

+19 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

This is the story's dramatic climax because Ivy experiences a psychological peak of "utter, numb despair" afte…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Ivy Lexton
romantic · positive
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet… How this plays out →
Lady Flora
social · positive
Ivy Lexton
romantic · positive
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet… How this plays out →
Ivy Lexton
romantic · positive
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet… How this plays out →
Lady Flora
social · positive
Lady Flora
social · positive

Ivy Lexton
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet rival suitor to Roger.
Lady Flora
Lady Flora and Miles are social peers, moving in the same aristocratic circles with polite acquaintance.
Ivy Lexton
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet rival suitor to Roger.
Ivy Lexton
Ivy and Miles share a romantic connection, with Miles often serving as a stabilizing yet rival suitor to Roger.
Lady Flora
Lady Flora and Miles are social peers, moving in the same aristocratic circles with polite acquaintance.
Lady Flora
Lady Flora and Miles are social peers, moving in the same aristocratic circles with polite acquaintance.

Relationship notes

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

See Miles Rushworth in II

In the story

Miles Rushworth appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Prologue
A wealthy millionaire and amateur billiard-player; Ivy is seen strolling with him in the garden, and Mrs. Hampton hopes he will find Jervis a job.
II
A wealthy, authoritative man who takes an interest in Ivy and proposes a yachting trip.
III
Wealthy yacht owner who idealizes Ivy, struggles with his attraction to her while still considering marriage to Bella Dale.
IV
Confesses his love for Ivy, reveals his father's promise, and resolves to go to South Africa with his sister to avoid temptation.
V
Occupies Ivy's thoughts and desires, though he is not physically present.
VII
Miles is the good-looking bachelor who escorts Ivy to the theatre and supper, and she thinks of him with joy and comfort after Jervis's death.
Chapter VIII
Miles Rushworth is a friend and employer of Jervis, currently in South Africa. Ivy plans to cable him for support.
XII
Sends a telegram offering financial and legal support, which Ivy interprets as a sign of his enduring devotion.
XIII
The client who arranged the £2,000 payment to Ivy and is a friend of the deceased Jervis Lexton.
XIV
Ivy's secret correspondent, sending long cables of sympathy and disguised passion from afar.
XVIII
Sends a cable to Ivy announcing his sister's death and his imminent return, which fills Ivy with ecstasy.
XXI
Sends a telegram from Paris saying he hopes to be with Ivy tomorrow evening.
XXII
Returns from Calais, torn between love for Ivy and grief for his sister; learns of Ivy's impending arrest and arranges her escape.
Epilogue
Rushworth leaves Ivy alone in her bedroom after promising her a place of safety, setting her flight in motion.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Miles Rushworth unlock in the free preview.

See Miles Rushworth in II

See Miles Rushworth in Prologue