Tobias Pembroke comes from a family of brilliant minds but has often found himself dimming his own light a little bit in order to fit in. While his younger sister went across Europe to pursue multiple academic degrees and claw her way closer to being recognized as a doctor, Tobias followed after her as watchful guardian and dry-humored confidant. His interests were not far removed from hers (or that of his father), and he worked hard to find the time to seek out apprenticeships that would allow him to learn more about pharmacology and medicine in a way that felt more grounded in practice than the theoretical restrictions his sister faced. What he’s unlikely to admit, however, is that being an apothecary gives Toby just another reason to stay connected to his sister within the scope of her world, preparing small tinctures to alleviate some of her milder symptoms and bonding over plants and their medicinal benefits. The pair of them have been inseparable much of their lives, but now that Euphemia is back in London and finding her own footing, Tobias yearns to spread his wings and explore life as his own man (at least … part of the time).

Whether he can actually handle the freedom without losing himself to it remains to be seen, but if he’s anything like the rest of his family, there’s little that Tobias Pembroke can’t do once he sets his mind to it.