(Hi all! I'm Samantha and I am so excited to be a part of Romancing Jan! Also, photos are stolen from the internet for now.)

Tabitha, or Tabby Cat as her father and close Confidant called her, was born on August 8th 1788 in Paris France. She is the only daughter of Duke Richard de Beauchamp and Duchess Cecilia de Beauchamp. Her mother experienced complications during a subsequent pregnancy, and neither mother nor child survived. Her father chose not to remarry and instead chose to focus his energy into making sure he could provide the best life for his daughter and set her up with the skills and allegiances that she would need to succeed in society. As a diplomat, he traveled all over and would bring young Tabitha with him. Through these travels she picked up many skills as well as languages. Through visits to Austria, Tabitha became well acquainted with Marie Louise, eldest daughter of Francis II, and they formed a strong bond, their companionship reaching deeper levels than just friends, although only their closest family and friends knew. When Marie Louise was set to marry Napoleon, it broke both of their hearts, but they understood the duty she had to her people. They spent every moment leading up to the impending wedding together, after which her father whisked Tabitha away to England in hopes that she will find love again and be able to make a future for herself rather than dwelling in the past. While the two young women still write to one another, it's nothing like how it was in the past and can't ever be again or everything they have done and sacrificed for Austria would have been for naught.