The “wicked” great-aunt of Mrs. Ansley who, according to family lore, sent her sister out on a nighttime errand during an outbreak of Roman Fever. Harriet had hoped her sister would sicken and die, and in fact she did. By arranging her sister’s death, she eliminated competition for the affections of the man they both loved. Decades later, the story of Harriet’s scheme to get rid of her sister serves as the inspiration for Mrs. Slade’s scheme to get Mrs. Ansley “out of the way” of her engagement to Delphin by luring her to the Colosseum late at night.