The Skin Game

Patriarch of the Hillcrist family, embodying old-money respectability and a commitment to tradition. He places great importance on land and lineage, and his actions are colored by a desire to safeguard the family’s honor amid pressures from the Hornblowers. He navigates the moral grey areas created by the land deal and the resulting secrets.

A matriarch within the Hillcrist household who upholds social propriety and reputation. She worries about how the Hornblowers’ plans may affect the family’s standing and the fate of their estate. Her cautious stance reflects the tension between public decorum and private loyalties.

A Hillcrist employee who uncovers a dark secret about Chloe, the Hornblower daughter-in-law. He becomes a pivotal figure in pressuring the Hornblowers to deed the land, while contending with the ethical implications of sharing or withholding the information.

Pregnant daughter-in-law of the Hornblowers, whose past life triggers fear of exposure and marital strain. Her secret drives much of the drama, culminating in a tragic turn that deeply impacts both families.

Chloe’s husband and a member of the Hornblower family. He is drawn into the moral conflict surrounding the land deal and the secret, and his reactions contribute to the story’s escalating tension and impending tragedy.

The elder Hornblower, patriarch of the nouveau riche clan. He taunts the Hillcrists with visions of land expansion and confronts the old-guard values with ruthless ambition, epitomizing the conflict between wealth growth and social reputation.