Sumith Prasad
In Netflix’s action crime series ‘The Gentlemen,’ Geoff is the keeper of the Halstead estate, the ancestral property of the protagonist Eddie Horniman. His sister Charly is away from home, attending a university, while he teams up with Geoff to safeguard his family. Eddie and Charly’s mother Lady Sabrina Horniman starts getting involved in her son’s affairs by joining forces with Geoff. The regular meetings between them lead the two to recollect their memories, especially ones concerning Charly. When a member of the Ward family rides a horse, Sabrina asks the groundskeeper whether it was hard for him to see Charly grow up in front of him, hinting at a mysterious connection between the two! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Charly is Geoff’s Daughter
Charly is the daughter of Geoff and Sabrina Horniman. The groundskeeper seemingly had an affair with Sabrina, the lady of the estate and the wife of the then-duke Archibald Horatio Landrover Horniman. While the duke was away from the house, engaging in his whims, Geoff and Sabrina might have formed an intimate extra-marital relationship, which led them to welcome their own baby Charly. While Charly talks about her childhood, she mentions how Geoff was the main male presence in her life, which indicates the absence of Archibald in the estate. From Freddy’s childhood memories, it is clear that the duke was a patriarch who might have never cared about the women in his house.
Still, Geoff didn’t meddle with the supposed relationship between Charly and Archibald, allowing the latter to be the father of the girl. Since Geoff hasn’t been anything more than a groundskeeper, he feared whether Charly would be ashamed to identify herself as the daughter of a nobody and the result of an illegitimate affair that would affect the reputation of her mother. Believing that the truth wouldn’t benefit either Charly or Sabrina, Geoff removed himself from the bond between a father and daughter. Still, Archibald’s absence in the estate allowed him to remain a constant presence in the life of his child.
That was how Geoff taught Charly to ride a horse among several other things. As Charly’s father, it was easy for him to fill the void created by Archibald in her life. The period they got to share before she left the estate for her studies convinced Charly that Geoff was the greatest man she had ever known. After growing up, Charly accepts Geoff without any inhibition and regret as she reaches a stage in her life in which she can appreciate and value genuine love over Archibald’s titles and the Halstead estate’s prestige. Charly’s pregnancy is a significant detail commendably integrated into the storyline of the real father and daughter.
Charly gets pregnant without getting married. Even as her delivery date gets closer, she doesn’t reveal whether the father of her baby is still in the picture. She is seemingly convinced that nothing matters as long as she can accept and love her baby. Likewise, for her, it doesn’t matter whether her father is a groundskeeper. Since Geoff has been loving and taking care of her, he is her father, even if the world around them and their loved ones are not even aware of their real relationship. Considering that the groundskeeper has always been there for her, he remained a father figure in her life. Therefore, Charly may not find it hard to accept herself as his actual daughter.
The relationship between Geoff and Charly also explains the former’s loyalty towards the Halstead estate. Even when the Hornimans became “land-rich but cash-poor,” he didn’t leave them. With his experience, he could have sought better treatment and fortunes elsewhere. However, he chose to remain closer to his daughter so that he could love and take care of her. This connection can also be the reason why he doesn’t hesitate to join Eddie while the latter walks into trouble for the prosperity of his family.
Read More: Why Doesn’t Bobby Glass Sell His Business at the End of The Gentlemen?
