Ernest Sinclaire, a character in the Desire & Decorum series, is the master of Ledford Park and one of your love interests. He is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 1.
Appearance
Mr. Sinclaire has curly brown hair, gray-blue eyes and slightly fair skin. He wears a white shirt with a white scarf around his neck, a beige vest, and a navy jacket with brown trousers.
Personality
Mr. Sinclaire appears to be a guarded, pessimistic individual who judges people easily, although this turns out to be a misconception on your part later on. He tells you that he cannot bear pretension, and believes idle conversation is a waste of time.
As you grow closer to him, he comes out of his shell a little. As Mr. Chambers says in Book 2, Chapter 6, "For a man of few words, he certainly seems to have many for you, my lady".
Chapters
Desire & Decorum
Book 1
- Chapter 1: The Journey Ahead
- Chapter 3: Threading the Needle (Mentioned)
- Chapter 4: Best Foot Forward
- Chapter 6: An Intimate Affair
- Chapter 8: Ill Repute
- Chapter 10: On Your Marks
- Chapter 11: The Clock Runs Out
- Chapter 13: A Better Place
- Chapter 14: Fight or Flight
- Chapter 15: A Cut Above
- Chapter 16: Season's End
Book 2
- Chapter 1: Betrothal & Betrayal
- Chapter 2: A Royal Introduction
- Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning
- Chapter 5: Celebration
- Chapter 6: A New Set of Rules
- Chapter 7: Moonlit Deception
- Chapter 8: Hunt Or Be Hunted
- Chapter 9: Until Dawn
- Chapter 10: In the Balance
- Chapter 11: A New Horizon
- Chapter 12: The Deep End
- Chapter 13: Changing Tides
- Chapter 14: Before the Bell Tolls (Determinant)
- Chapter 15: Eye of the Storm
- Chapter 16: The Final Vow
Book 3
- Chapter 1: Family Matters
- Chapter 2: Ashes to Ashes
- Chapter 3: A Mother's Touch
- Chapter 4: Sugar & Spice
- Chapter 5: Double Trouble
- Chapter 6: Keep Your Enemies Closer
- Chapter 7: London Calling
- Chapter 8: The Price of the Past
- Chapter 9: Fifth Time's the Charm (Mentioned; Physical Appearance Determinant)
- Chapter 10: By Royal Appointment (Determinant)
- Chapter 11: The Game is Afoot
- Chapter 12: Tower of Terror
- Chapter 13: Love and War
- Chapter 14: Anticipation
- Chapter 15: With This Ring
- Chapter 16: A Joyous Union
- Chapter 17: Wife or Death
- Chapter 18: 1817
Desire & Decorum: First Winter
- Chapter 1: Deck the Halls
- Chapter 2: All I Want for Christmas
- Chapter 3: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
- Chapter 4: Sleigh Ride
Relationships
Vincent Foredale
The Edgewater Estate has had a long relationship with neighboring Ledford Park. When Ernest became master at Ledford Park, the Earl helped him with estate business. In Book 1, Chapter 4, Ernest states if it were not for the Earl, he doesn't know if the Sinclaires would still own the property.
In Book 3, Chapter 4, Ernest tells of the day that he inherited Ledford Park. Vincent offered his deepest condolences and gave him Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Vincent told the younger man that he needed to give himself time to grieve. He quoted his favorite from the book, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." and told him the challenge before him would shape him more than any other he has faced in the past.
Your Character
He is one of your love interests. Their first encounter is in the country village of Grovershire when he passes you and Briar. He doesn't seem very impressed initially, but you soon start to win him over. At his dinner party in Chapter 6, he defends you from being ridiculed by Felicity Holloway. In Chapter 11, he saves you from being assaulted by Duke Richards. In a premium scene of the same chapter, he is able to open up about how he discovered that his wife had an affair with the Duke. In Chapter 13, you can choose to sit next to him during your father's funeral and be comforted by him. If you told your father about your interest in Mr. Sinclaire, you will mention it to him and he will be glad to hear about his support. In Chapter 15, you can choose to wear his mother’s favorite dress to the Duke’s ball. In Chapter 16, when you need to get married in order to fulfill the terms of your father's will, you are able to choose him and declare your love to him. If you do, he will say that he loves you, too, and asks you to be his wife. Depending on your choices, you are able to kiss for the first time and, in a premium scene, spend time alone in the gardens. Before you can tell anyone about your engagement, your grandmother declares your betrothal to Duke Richards.
In Book 2, you can continue your romance with Mr. Sinclaire as well as your other love interests. If you chose to confess your love for Mr. Sinclaire in Book 1, you are not bound to it and can change your mind. If you choose to declare your love for Mr. Sinclaire in Book 2, Chapter 8, he will challenge Duke Richards to a duel for your freedom. In Chapter 9, he asks Mr. Harper to be his second, and when you two are alone, he rewrites his will to leave Ledford Park to you under the stipulation that Duke Richards cannot touch it. It is his wish that if he were to fail, that you have a place of your own to retreat to when Edgewater is under the Duke's thumb.
In Book 3, you can help him improve his relationship with Percival and he turns to for advice concerning a potential adoption of Percival as well as the options for restoring Ledford Park. If he is your love interest, you will get married in this book. If you also have enough Manners, you are able to see the future in which you two expect a child.
Duke Richards
Six years ago, Mr. Sinclaire discovered the Duke having intimate relations with his wife. They had been having an ongoing affair for a year. When she found she was pregnant with his child, she tried to seek support with the Duke, but he refused to acknowledge her. So, Mr. Sinclaire took her back, and she died in childbirth with the Duke's baby. This made Mr. Sinclaire hate Duke Richards.
Roselyn
Roselyn was Mr. Sinclaire's wife. She had an affair with Duke Richards and died in childbirth. According to him, she just married him for money and not for love. He didn't forgive her for her betrayal but he couldn't turn her away when she had nowhere to go. He states in his experience that having a large estate helps in that they were rarely forced to interact with each other. If you ask him if he loves Roselyn, he tells you that he doesn't because someone else has made him see what his heart longed for.
Percival
Percival is the son of Roselyn and Tristan Richards. Ernest took care of him for several months until he gave the child to Roselyn's family as he thought this was the best option. In Book 3, you find out that Gideon uses Percival for his own plans and manipulates him to see Ernest as villain of a bedtime story. You can encourage Ernest to adopt Percival.
Gideon Payne
Although it is not stated if Gideon Payne was responsible for the fire that destroyed Ledford Park, it is assumed after the events of Book 3. Mr. Sinclaire's steward told him that a knocked over oil lamp was the cause of the fire in his study, but Mr. Sinclaire remembers bringing his lamp back to his bedroom the night before he left for Bath and knows the lamp shouldn't have even been in his study.
Gallery
Other Looks
Miscellaneous
Trivia
- He is shown on the covers of Desire & Decorum, Book 1, Desire & Decorum, Book 3 and Desire & Decorum: First Winter.
- He is known as one of the most eligible bachelors and as one of the wealthiest landowners. Lady Grandmother says that he is worth 7000 pounds a year. Today, the networth would be £325,676.40 or $429,663.57.
- He is a playable character in Book 1, Chapter 11's premium scene.
- In a premium scene of Chapter 5 of Desire & Decorum, Book 2, it's revealed that his family had a summer cottage by the sea that his family would visit when he was a boy.
- In a premium scene in Book 2, Chapter 14, it is revealed that he is afraid of spiders.
- In Book 2, Chapter 5, it's revealed that he has a sweet tooth.
- During the duel against the Duke in Book 2, Chapter 9, he asks Mr. Harper to be his second because Mr. Harper has military training, and also because the Duke cost Mr. Harper his job.
- If you choose anyone other than him, he will be that LI's second because of his history with the Duke, and also because he is familiar with dueling etiquette.
- In the holiday special, he mentions that his family has a special wassail recipe that goes back to the early 18th century.
- The name Ernest is of German origin and means "serious".
- The surname Sinclaire is French and English origin, which means "Saint Clare". Saint Clare of Assisi (a city in Italy) is the patron saint of eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, television, good weather, and needleworkers.