Eloise in Adelaide: Character Analysis of Adelaide's Closest Friend

Overview: The Friend Who Shows Up When It Matters Most {#overview}

Eloise is Adelaide Williams's closest friend, a presence that spans from high school into adulthood. She is the person Adelaide calls immediately after her first dates with Rory Hughes, the friend who correctly guesses Adelaide's pregnancy before any test result is shared, and the woman who, after Adelaide's suicide attempt, calls Rory to deliver a stern warning to stay away. Eloise functions as both emotional anchor and moral compass in the novel, offering the kind of steady, unconditional support that Adelaide struggles to find in her romantic life. Where Rory is guarded and noncommittal, Eloise is present and direct; where Adelaide idealizes love, Eloise models a partnership built on years of mutual trust.

Plot Role: The Steady Presence in Adelaide's Story {#plot-role}

Eloise's role in the narrative is defined by her availability during Adelaide's most significant moments. She is the first call Adelaide makes after her initial date with Rory, when Adelaide is convinced she has met her soul mate. She is the friend who arrives in London during Adelaide's pregnancy, correctly guesses the news, and accompanies her to the doctor's appointment. When Adelaide miscarries, Eloise offers to fly back immediately. At her own bachelorette party, she provides Adelaide space to confess fears about raising a baby alone. After Adelaide checks herself into A&E for suicidal thoughts, Eloise calls Rory and orders him to stay away from her friend.

Eloise also serves as a narrative counterweight. Her engagement to Nico on the Brooklyn Bridge, and her wedding in Mykonos, create a parallel to Adelaide's own romantic uncertainty. Adelaide's reaction to Eloise's engagement—fear that she will never be loved the way Eloise is loved—reveals the depth of Adelaide's insecurity and the degree to which she measures her own worth against her friend's happiness.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions {#motivations-and-traits}

Eloise's primary motivation is protective loyalty. This is shown most explicitly in her warning to Rory at the speakeasy, where she tells him Adelaide has a heart of gold and that she will destroy him if he hurts her. The same motivation drives her later phone call to Rory after Adelaide's hospitalization, when she reminds him of that earlier warning and tells him to stay away.

Her protectiveness is not blind, however. In London, she privately worries whether Rory will truly support Adelaide, observing their dynamic without voicing her concerns. She recognizes Adelaide's tendency to make excuses for the men in her life and to rationalize poor behavior, but she does not push her friend away from those patterns. This restraint is a deliberate choice: she understands that some truths must be discovered by the person who needs to learn them.

Eloise is also characterized by her perceptiveness. She correctly guesses Adelaide's pregnancy at dinner, before Adelaide has shared the news. She reads the dynamic between Adelaide and Rory at the speakeasy and senses Adelaide's unease. Her observation that Adelaide runs herself ragged for other people and deserves someone who will show up for her is one of the novel's clearest articulations of Adelaide's central problem.

Chronological Arc: From Confidante to Crisis Responder {#chronological-arc}

Eloise's arc in the novel moves from background presence to active intervention. Early in the story, she is the friend Adelaide calls after dates, the person who hears about Rory's charm and Adelaide's conviction that she has found her soul mate. These phone calls establish Eloise as Adelaide's primary confidante, the person who receives the unfiltered version of Adelaide's emotional life.

Midway through, Eloise becomes engaged to Nico, and her wedding planning creates a parallel to Adelaide's own romantic uncertainty. Her engagement prompts Adelaide to reflect on her fear that she will never be loved the way Eloise is loved. The wedding itself, in Mykonos, is a moment of intense emotion for Adelaide, who weeps through the ceremony.

In the later chapters, Eloise's role shifts to crisis responder. She guesses the pregnancy, offers support after the miscarriage, and ultimately intervenes after Adelaide's suicide attempt. By the novel's end, she is helping Adelaide reclaim spaces tainted by memories of Rory, visiting Fortnum & Mason to make new memories. This arc—from confidante to protector to healer—mirrors the novel's broader movement from romantic idealization toward self-reclamation.

Relationships: The Anchor in Adelaide's Life {#relationships}

With Adelaide: The friendship is the novel's most stable relationship. Eloise is described as having loved and cared for Adelaide like a sister since high school. She calls Adelaide her very own Jo March and asks her to be Maid of Honor. The relationship is characterized by mutual affection and a clear understanding of each other's patterns. Eloise knows Adelaide well enough to guess her pregnancy, and Adelaide trusts Eloise enough to invite her to the doctor's appointment.

With Nico: Eloise's relationship with Nico is presented as the novel's model of healthy partnership. Nico has known and loved Eloise for nearly a decade, watching her grow from a shy teenager into a passionate, ambitious woman. Their engagement on the Brooklyn Bridge and their wedding in Mykonos serve as counterpoints to Adelaide's turbulent relationship with Rory. Nico's concern for Adelaide—expressed through his coffee-ground readings and his private confession to Eloise that he fears for Adelaide's future—adds another layer to the couple's role as observers of Adelaide's decline.

With Rory: Eloise's relationship with Rory is wary from the start. At the speakeasy, she warns him directly. After Adelaide's hospitalization, she calls him and delivers a stern ultimatum. Her distrust is validated by the novel's events, which show Rory's ambivalence and his eventual failure to commit to Adelaide.

Key Decisions and Consequences {#key-decisions-and-consequences}

Eloise's most consequential decision is her phone call to Rory after Adelaide's suicide attempt. The call serves multiple purposes: it establishes a boundary, it communicates the seriousness of Adelaide's crisis, and it removes Rory from Adelaide's recovery space. The consequence is that Rory is left shaken, realizing he has lost Adelaide for good.

Her decision to keep her worries about Rory private during the pregnancy is also significant. She observes the dynamic between Adelaide and Rory but says nothing, choosing not to add pressure to an already fragile situation. This restraint reflects her understanding that some truths must be discovered by the person who needs to learn them.

Her decision to invite Adelaide into her wedding planning, and to name her Maid of Honor, has the consequence of giving Adelaide a role and a purpose during a period of romantic uncertainty. The wedding itself becomes a moment of both joy and grief for Adelaide, who weeps through the ceremony while sending Rory photos he does not answer.

Theme and Symbol Connections {#theme-and-symbol-connections}

Eloise connects to the theme of female friendship as support. She is the friend who shows up, who offers to fly back after a miscarriage, who stays up late before her own wedding to comfort Adelaide. Her presence is a counterweight to the romantic idealization that drives Adelaide's relationship with Rory.

She also connects to the theme of self-worth and identity. Eloise's marriage to Nico, and Adelaide's reaction to it, highlights Adelaide's fear that she will never be loved the way Eloise is loved. Eloise's stability serves as a mirror for what Adelaide is missing, and her final act—helping Adelaide make new memories at Fortnum & Mason—is a symbolic reclaiming of spaces that Rory had claimed.

Eloise's role in the aftermath of Adelaide's crisis connects to the theme of mental health and diagnosis. Her phone call to Rory is part of the broader support network that surrounds Adelaide as she begins treatment for bipolar disorder type two.

Questions and Answers {#questions-and-answers}

1. How does Eloise first learn about Rory?

Adelaide calls Eloise immediately after her first date with Rory, telling her she has never felt this way before. Eloise is the first person Adelaide confides in about the relationship, and she continues to receive these calls after subsequent dates.

2. What warning does Eloise give Rory at the speakeasy?

Eloise tells Rory that Adelaide has a heart of gold and that if he hurts her, she will destroy him. She is half joking but also direct, telling him to take care of Adelaide. Rory laughs uncomfortably and promises he would never dream of hurting her.

3. How does Eloise react to Adelaide's pregnancy?

Eloise correctly guesses Adelaide is pregnant at dinner, confirms the news, and is invited to the doctor's appointment. She privately worries whether Rory will truly support Adelaide but says nothing at the time, choosing not to add pressure to an already fragile situation.

4. What does Eloise do after Adelaide's suicide attempt?

Eloise calls Rory on his work phone, reminds him of her earlier warning, and sternly orders him to stay away from Adelaide. She tells him she will send her husband to his door if necessary and that he is not to contact Adelaide in any way.

5. How does Eloise help Adelaide reclaim memories of London?

At Fortnum & Mason, Eloise encourages Adelaide to make new memories that are entirely theirs, telling her to reject the boy who tainted the space. They order scones and sundaes and talk about everything except Rory, beginning the process of rewriting Adelaide's associations with the city.

For more on the novel's broader themes and ending, see the ending explained page or explore common questions.