Mrs. Purdy (Played by Camila Ashland) was a landlady to Joanna Mills. In 1840, Mrs. Purdy arrived at Collinwood to talk to Quentin Collins about Joanna's death. Mrs. Purdy recounted how the young widow had become a friend after Quentin had cast her aside; how Joanna grew depressed and attempted suicide before being sent to an asylum; and how Joanna apparently threw herself off a cliff and her body washed out to sea. Quentin shows Mrs. Purdy the letters he recently received from Joanna, but Mrs. Purdy insisted that Joanna was dead, and that the notes could not possibly be genuine.