Harcourt is the youngest adult son of the Carrolby family, wealthy horse breeders in Andoran. Harcourt receives a stipend from the family business, but two older brothers who stand to inherit when their mother passes away impede his involvement in the venture. Harcourt sought a means of advancement that avoided family infighting and negotiated a deal with his aging mother. He would join the new colony, establish himself, hire workers to build stables, and import horses to the island at later date, thus expanding the family business to Ancorato and beyond.