Harper Arlington

**Harper Arlington** is the wife of Daniel Arlington IV and mother of Darlington. She is a professor of Renaissance Art and currently lives in New York City with her husband, having been estranged from her son since he was 15.

## Biography

### Pre-Series

Harper studied and became a professor of Renaissance Art. At some point, Harper met and married Daniel Arlingtion IV. The couple would have one son— the fifth Daniel Tabor Arlington—whom they called Danny. Her father-in-law Daniel Tabor Arlington III, speculated that she and his son only liked the *idea* of having a baby and showing Danny off to their friends. In any case, when Daniel III offered to buy an apartment in New York City for the couple in exchange for being allowed to raise Danny in Black Elm, Harper and Daniel IV readily agreed.

Harper and Daniel IV visited Black Elm semi-frequently, with the occasional gift for young Danny, they often did so to ask for money from her father-in-law. While the couple both had their careers, they relied on Arlington money to maintain their expensive lifestyle. As Westville started to gentrify, Harper and her husband would visit more often to try to convince the Old Man to sell the land, arguing that the upkeep of the house is a financial waste. Her father-in-law would entertain these discussions during their visitations, which often lasted three days, but would ultimately refuse to sell the land. His stubborn refusal led to heated arguments between the three of them. She and her husband once threatened to take Danny with them to New York, but nothing came from this empty threat as they couldn't afford expensive schools without Arlington money and most of all, didn't want a child interfering with their lifestyle. The tenuous parental relationship she had with Darlington became more nebulous when he was a teenager, irritated by his parents bothering his grandfather for money.

When Daniel III got diagnosed with cancer, she and her husband moved into Black Elm. Harper and Daniel IV were in conversation with Daniel III's lawyer and other individuals to control the Arlington estate and assess Black Elm's worth. A live-in nurse was hired for the Old Man and the long-time housekeeper Bernadette was replaced by a cleaning crew. Harper in particular made sure that Black Elm's kitchen was fully stocked with her preferred healthy foods.

After Daniel III slipped into a coma and could not be revived, Harper and Daniel IV realized that Black Elm was now legally owned by Danny. Harper would enter Danny's bedroom on the third floor tower to inform him that, if he agrees, they can all profit from Black Elm being sold to Yale University and that Danny would be able to live with them to New York. She was unaware that Danny had visited New York city before only to leave before notifying his parents of his presence. Harper tries to tell him that the house is financially worthless and that because he's still a child, Danny doesn't realize how keeping Black Elm is ultimately a bad decision. When Danny responds coldly to her, Harper gives up on being nice, callously reminding him that his inheritance is meager and unable to support Black Elm as well as college.

A few days later, Harper and Daniel IV left Black Elm and didn't come back, intending for Danny to languish in the house. The couple left their son alone for more than six weeks. They came back to Black Elm on Christmas with gifts and groceries, expecting Danny to have changed his mind. However, Daniel V refused to left his parents in. The couple and Darlington have remained estranged since.

### Hell Bent

Harper and her husband, Daniel Arlingtion IV, arrived in their Range Rover to talk to Darlington at Black Elm, and were frustrated to have to wait while Alex Stern and Pamela Dawes panicked inside. Her husband stated that they should've called ahead, but Harper complains that Darlington would not have answered anyways.

When Alex finally opened the door, Harper questioned who Alex was, and nonchalantly stroking Cosmo where he lay in her arms, Alex apathetically answered that she, Alexandra, was house-sitting for Darlington while he was in Spain and that he certainly doesn't want the two of them there. Both Harper and her husband are affronted by this. Daniel tries to lie and say that Danny always answers their calls, but Alex dismisses this with her own lie about their son wanting to set boundaries. Harper calls Alex a bitch and that she'll be hearing from their attorney, marching back to the Range Rover. Daniel stayed behind to get in a last comment, but unbeknownst to his wife, had provoked Darlington's grandfather to manifest himself and curse him out. Daniel followed his wife to the Ranger Rover, where it sped off.

## Personality

Harper Arlington prioritizes luxury and sophistication. Her son Darlington described her as glib but brilliant, in reference to her expensive pretensions.

## Physical Appearance

Harper Arlington was tall, lean, and regularly dressed with sophistication.

## References

1. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 2 (Last Fall)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Ninth House* Chapter 13 (Last Fall)
3. ↑ *Ninth House* Chapter 11 (Winter)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Hell Bent* Chapter 15