Character Relationship Map: Haunted

Characters

• Professor David Ash (played by Aidan Quinn) — protagonist

  English professor and parapsychology researcher who travels to Edbrook House to investigate claims of paranormal activity. Haunted by his past guilt over his twin sister Juliet's death, he becomes ent...

• Christina Mariell (played by Kate Beckinsale) — protagonist

  One of the three Mariell siblings who initially welcomes David to Edbrook House. She flirts with him and shares a romantic encounter, but is later revealed to be a ghost who perished in a 1923 house f...

• Simon Mariell (played by Alex Lowe) — supporting

  One of the Mariell siblings who died in the 1923 house fire. Revealed to have engaged in incest with his brother Robert and sister Christina within their parents' bed. He appears as a vengeful ghost a...

• Kate (played by Geraldine Somerville) — supporting

  David's assistant who greets him upon his return to London. She serves as a grounding presence in the real world, unaware that Christina's ghost continues to trail them through the fog.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Christina Mariell → Simon Mariell (Family Sibling) — Their sibling bond continues in ghostly form.

  The plot identifies Christina and Simon as two of the Mariell siblings who died in the 1923 house fire.

• Professor David Ash → Christina Mariell (Romantic Interest) — Their attraction becomes a dangerous emotional bond before Christina's ghostly nature is revealed.

  Christina continuously flirts with David, and David becomes infatuated with her. They kiss and make love in her bedroom.

• Professor David Ash → Kate (Professional Assistant) — Kate is David's professional connection to his normal life.

  Kate is identified as David's assistant and greets him when he returns home by train.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Professor David Ash → Simon Mariell (Conflict Ghostly Enemy) — Simon is part of the hostile ghost group opposing David.

  Simon appears with the other Mariell siblings and helps prevent David from escaping before the mansion is set ablaze.

Story Analysis

A skeptical paranormal investigator confronts ghosts, buried guilt, and a deceptive romance before finding release through his twin sister's spirit.

Plot Progression

1. The Skeptic Enters Edbrook — David's research and childhood guilt establish his resistance to supernatural explanations. An urgent request brings him from Oxford to Edbrook House, where Christina becomes his guide.
2. Desire Among The Ghosts — David examines the house while Christina's flirtation draws him into an intimate relationship. Strange experiences and a confession about the lake make the haunting increasingly personal.
3. The Dead Are Revealed — The transformed house and impossible tombstone expose the Mariell siblings' deaths. David's attempt to leave with Christina ends in a fatal crash that reveals her supernatural identity.
4. Fire And Forgiveness — David returns to Edbrook and confronts the truth behind the old fire. The ghosts attack him in the burning mansion, but his twin sister's ghost rescues him and releases his guilt.