A group of twenty two minor characters arrive with Radley Staff and Terrence Dechantagne from Birmisia in The Drache Girl.  Of those, undboubtedly the most important to the rest of the series is Loana Hewison.  I always found it funny that as I was working on the book, my wife always disliked Loana.  I’ll admit I wouldn’t want to be married to her, but she does fill her role in the story.

Mrs. Fandice pulled Staff away from the Rutans to introduce him to her niece.  Loana Hewison looked so completely unlike Mrs. Fandice that anyone would have questioned whether they were related and sure enough, it seemed that their connection was only through marriage. 

“Aunt Rosalyn is my mother’s sister-in-law, that is to say her brother’s wife,” said Miss Hewison, who was without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the room.  Statuesque and striking, she wore a brilliant peach colored dinner gown.  Her long hair was arranged in a very complex style, with each strand seemingly a different shade from very light blond to coppery red.  As Staff spoke to her, he realized that not only was her hair multihued, but so were her eyes.  One eye was deep brown and the other eye was hazel.

“When my Uncle Henri passed on, my parents sent me to live with Aunt Rosalyn,” the young woman continued.  “And when she had the chance to go to Birmisia, well, I just had to join her.  It’s so exciting.  Imagine—a whole new world.”

“I hope you like it as much when we get there,” said Staff.  “You will easily be one of the most beautiful women on the continent.”  At which point, Mrs. Fandice steered her niece away to another part of the room.