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Guest Character Profiles > Dawn Ballantyne Marita Wilcox

Dawn Ballantyne 2012

Rich widow Dawn Ballantyne was looking for company when she attended a charity bachelor auction at Lassiter's, but her bids failed to win her anything. Bar manager Kate Ramsay got chatting to Dawn, however, and a few days later, contacted her to say that she knew of a man who would be happy to spend time with her. Kate's housemate Lou Carpenter was severely in debt, with only Kate aware of his plight, so she helped him to clean up his act and impress Dawn. The only catch was that Dawn was looking for an English gentleman, so Aussie Lou put on a British accent and told her tales of his time in the UK, hobnobbing with the rich and famous. After bluffing his way through another date with Dawn, during which they attended a Ramsay Street barbecue to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Lou was surprised when Dawn asked him to accompany her on a two-month trip to the UK. She said that his contacts and knowledge of the UK would make it a trip to remember. Lou struggled to find a way out of the situation, deciding to study up on the UK in the hope that he could join her, as the $10,000 fee would clear his debts. However, after Dawn spoke of her husband and his death, and her dream of going to the UK, Lou's guilt got the better of him and he confessed that he wasn't really English. Dawn then confessed that she'd known this all along, but had been touched by the lengths he'd gone to, just to impress her, and the offer of the trip to the UK was still open if he'd like to go.