Ann Talbot
Lady Ann Cranleigh (née Talbot) was the wife of Charles Cranleigh, having previously been engaged to his brother, George. She was almost identical to Nyssa, a fact which the Fifth Doctor exploited to trick Nephthys.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Early life[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ann Talbot had relatives in Worcestershire, namely Percy, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) and was dedicated to charitable pursuits. George and Charles Cranleigh competed for her affections (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) and she fell in love with George, whom she intended to marry. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) She stayed the night at Cranleigh Hall several times. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
George's disappearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
Following George's disappearance in Brazil (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) or Venezuela (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) in 1923, Ann entered into a relationship with Charles, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) whom she did not love the same way that she had loved his brother. Charles, however, promised that he would make her love him. She began to have nightmares whenever she stayed at Cranleigh Hall and was told that they would subside once she came to terms with George's death, but she knew that she would never forget him. She took to locking the bedroom door during her visits to Cranleigh Hall to feel safe, with Charles laughed at. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
On 11 June 1925, Ann was introduced to Nyssa, who was practically identical to her, by Charles and initially assumed that she must be a Talbot from Worcestershire. She provided fancy dress for the Fifth Doctor, Tegan Jovanka, Adric and Nyssa for a party, giving her double with a costume identical to her own so that they would be indistinguishable. At the party, she was grabbed by George, who had put on the Doctor's costume complete with a mask, and fainted after watching him kill James. She subsequently accused the Doctor of attacking her and he was arrested, but she learnt the truth of George's survival from Madge and Charles and mourned him after he kidnapped Nyssa and fell to his death. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
Marriage[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ann married Charles, (PROSE: The Sands of Time [+]Loading...["The Sands of Time (novel)"]) which Madge hoped would put an end to her charity work, (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) in a church ceremony officiated by a bishop in 1926. A reception was held at Cranleigh Hall and was attended by the Fifth Doctor, whom Ann asked to bring Nyssa, Tegan and Adric for a visit when possible. Whilst she danced with the Doctor, he asked her for her assistance in defeating Nephthys.
The Doctor temporarily left a comatose Nyssa, with Nephthys's reasoning in her mind, in 1926 and collected Ann in 1996 to pose as Nyssa's older self. This had the desired effect of confusing Nephthys, who could sense her reasoning in the sleeping Nyssa but not in the older Ann, and caused her to travel backwards and forwards in time until she died. After a brief reunion with Tegan, Ann was returned to Oxfordshire. (PROSE: The Sands of Time [+]Loading...["The Sands of Time (novel)"])
Personality[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ann enjoyed lemonade (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) and found brandy unpleasant. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
Ann had a small face, a slight body and dark hair which she wore in a bob. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) She was indistinguishable from Nyssa aside from a small mole on her shoulder and her differing haircut, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) although Charles Cranleigh was also able to tell them apart from Ann's eyes. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
In her old age, Ann appeared shrunken, but she still resembled the young Nyssa. (PROSE: The Sands of Time [+]Loading...["The Sands of Time (novel)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Vanessa Paine served as Sarah Sutton's body double in Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"].[1]
