Lady Delacour
She is portrayed in the story to be a very fashionable woman. Belinda looks up to her and sees her as a role model. She and Belinda begin a friendship and she learns a lot through Belinda - she becomes kinder to her husband, Lord Delacour due to Belinda's advice. However, she is also shown to be a jealous woman and this is what causes Belinda to move away to the Percival family. However, she is actually a gentle woman inside and comes to her senses when Belinda comes to her aid during her breast cancer scare and the two reunite as friends.
Belinda Portman
Belinda is a young girl of about 17 years of age. She is portrayed in the book as a gentle and loving girl who is patient, nice and forgiving. She is sent to live with Lady Delacour by her aunt, Mrs. Stanhope. She sees a friend in Lady Delacour and a role model and they both start a friendship. However, she is driven away by the jealousy of Lady Delacour and moves to the Percival family. Her forgiving nature is again seen when she forgives Lady Delacour for pushing her away.
Clarence Hervey
He is portrayed in the book to be a charming and witty young man with a good heart. He likes Lady Delacour and keeps company with her and soon he also startes to adore Belinda. However, he already has a potential spouse in mind - Virginia. He has been bringing up Virgina to be the perfect wife. However, as the story progresses, he becomes more and more drawn to Belinda. Eventually, he ends up marring Belinda.
Lady Anne Percival
She is the opposite of Lady Delacour and is a kind and gentle woman who has a love for literature and does not judge very easily. She looks after Belinda when shes comes to stay with the Percival family and she teaches Belinda many things - Belinda views her as the ideal mother who is loving and caring. However, throughout the story, Lady Delacour is seen to be jealous of her and suspicous of her actions. However, it can be noted throughout the story that Lady Anne Percival is a kind woman and looks after Mr. Percival well. Lady Delacour and Lady Anne Percival eventually become friends.
