Alice Rucastle

Alice Rucastle was the daughter of Jephro Rucastle and his first wife. She was imprisoned by her father, but was later rescued by her fiancé, whom she married.
== Story ==
It was never revealed as to what Alice's childhood and teenage years were like, and her early relationships with her parents also remain a mystery. However, it is reasonable and logical to deduce that Alice did have a good familial relationship with her mother, given how her mother had left her a considerable fortune in her will. 
From the moment her father married again, Alice was said to be never happy at home - she was ignored completely and had no say in anything. However, it was never revealed or confirmed as to whether her father, or her stepmother, or her half-brother, or all three of them had been physically abusive towards her. As revealed by Mrs Toller, one confirmed fact would be that Jephro exploited Alice's exceptionally patient and quiet disposition by using - without even asking first - her inherited fortune as he saw fit.
Things between Alice and her family took a turn for the worse when she met and fell in love with Mr Fowler, a seaman whom she met at a friend's house. Not wanting to be deprived of his rights to her money even after she got married, Jephro tried to get Alice to sign a paper that would enable him to use her money whether she married or not, but she adamantly refused.
Jephro's cruel, relentless persistence over the matter caused Alice to become ill with brain-fever, and for six weeks her recovery was in complete doubt. Because of the fever, her beautiful hair had to be cut off, but she managed to recover - though her illness left her, in Mrs Toller (one of the two Rucastle servants)'s words, "all worn to a shadow".
Despite all of this, Mr Fowler remained faithful and true in his love for Alice, which caused Jephro to put her under house-arrest. Hence, Mr Fowler took to constantly loitering about the house, hoping for a chance to meet with or at least catch a glimpse of Alice. Jephro retaliated by purchasing a mastiff, which is deliberately let loose at night on the grounds to prevent Mr Fowler from endeavoring to communicate with her. Later on, Jephro even hired Miss Violet Hunter to impersonate Alice to convince Mr Fowler that she no longer desired his attentions.
However, Mr Fowler refused to give up. After blockading the house, he managed to meet with Mrs Toller, and - through both money and heartfelt pleas - successfully persuaded her to help him and Alice elope.
As revealed in the conclusion, Mr Fowler and Alice were married, by special license, in Southampton the day after they successfully ran away from the Copper Beeches, and he was now the holder of a government appointment in the Island of Mauritius.
== Physical Appearance ==
Alice was said to resemble Violet Hunter in terms of height and figure, and even her hair was also identical to that of Violet's in terms of colour and thickness.
de:Alice Rucastle
Category:British characters
Category:Characters: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes