Clara Jenkins is Lucas's fiancee, the girl next door, and the love of his life. She is arguably a, if not the, main character in the book, as she's often the one pushing the story along by getting Lucas to investigate the murders.
Because we allll know he'd just ignore them if he could.
He wishes it was this easy to get rid of spirits
Clara and Lucas have been devoted to each other from an early age (and you'll actually find out why no one else ever had a chance with either of them in The Ghost Who Wasn't Dead) and, though not "gifted" herself, Clara loves getting involved in solving the mysteries brought to Lucas by the spirits.
In fact, she's a little jealous of his abilities, not that she'd ever admit as much, and can't quite understand why Lucas doesn't embrace it wholeheartedly.
Like Lucas, Clara works in the newspaper industry - a career path she most certainly didn't choose because she had a crush on him, you understand.
Yeah, I wouldn't believe that either.
Though unlike Lucas, she works as an illustrator rather than as a reporter.
Oh, and she's at a large paper in London, whereas Lucas is stuck at his local rag. She goes home to visit every other Friday, with Lucas visiting her in London the alternate weekends. It's not ideal, but it's better than the nothing they'd have otherwise.
Not that Miss Jenkins hasn't had other offers, of course. She just hasn't accepted them, much to the disappointment of her hopeful suitors.
She has, however, remained on friendly terms with at least one of them, who we'll get to in due course.
Clara has a strong sense of right and wrong, thinks justice should be served in all cases, and isn't above a little breaking and entering if the occasion calls for it.
Oh, you thought she was all sweetness and light, did you? Well, she is, for the most part, but her morals have a little flex in them if it means she can help with one of Lucas's cases - or just if it seems more insteresting than toeing the line.
She'd never do anything really bad, though, but rules are more like guidelines, aren't they?! Especially if you don't get caught...
Just as Lucas has Mrs Bird guiding his footsteps, Clara find her mentor in the form of her rather formidable manageress, Dorcas Chesterfield, a.k.a. Wolfie, who may encourage this aventurous streak in her protogee's nature and aids Clara whenever needed.
But let's keep that to ourselves, all right? No need to go upsetting Lucas.
Clara also grew up in Castlebury Magna, but moved away aged seventeen to work in London at the Illustratd Police News. She managed to sweet-talk the boss into offering Lucas a job after just a few months, but, as mentioned on Lucas's profile, this fell through because Mrs Rathbone couldn't bear to part with her son - and Clara couldn't bear to hurt a woman who had loved her like her own daughter all these years.
This isn't to say Clara is happy with Lucas staying in Castlebury all this time, but she can hardly go back on her original view, can she?! Espcially has Hettie Rathbone still sobs every time she so much as think about Lucas moving away.
And Clara was escpecially unhappy when Lucas decided to -
Well, it's complicated, but basically, he thought his life was never going to get anywhere, and he didn't want to see Clara putting her life on hold for him. So, technically they broke up several times, but neither one of them could ever see themselves with anyone else, and stayed true to each other regardless. They first got together when Clara was sixteen and Lucas eighteen, and have mostly been together ever since - because despite what Lucas thought about it, they're meant to be together and that's that.
Well, I never thought there'd be a gif to sum that up so well, but apparently Booth has my back
Clara deliberatly has almost zero physical description in the books, because I want to leave her appearance up to the reader's imagination, so it's always really cool to hear how people picture her.
But, in case you're interested, this is how I see her:
This is British actor Jenna Coleman, who played Clara Oswold in Dr Who. It's actually a coincidence that she's also how I see my Clara though, because I named my Clara after 20s actress Clara Bow.
Who is just about as classically 1920s as it comes, don't you think?
But, please don't let how I see Clara affect how you see her. Other than the fact she's shorter than Lucas (not entirely unexpected), slim (most people were in the 1920s), has bobbed hair (it was the style of the era, after all), and Lucas thinks she's the most beautiful girl in the world (awww), I've been careful to avoid mentioning how she looks.
Though I do enjoy describing her outfits from time to time, because let's face it, the fashion of the era is one of the reasons I set my books there in the first place.
Okay, I think that'll do for Clara for now. Tomorrow, we're on to a slightly less sweet, innocent, and wholesome character - though he is fan favourite, so apparently that doesn't matter too much.
Catch you then!
Love,
Saff xx
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