Irene Gilbey

 was a student at the university that was also attended by Gavin Scott and Toby Wilton.

Irene was deaf. She used lip-reading to understand what people were saying. She and Gavin became friends, although he was in love with her. She had an affair with Mr Frisby, a professor at the university. She later married Toby. (PROSE: The Least Important Man)