Earl Moriarty (モリアーティ伯爵 Moriāti Hakushaku) is the father of Albert James Moriarty and the original William James Moriarty, and the adoptive father to the orphans William and Louis.
Appearance[]
Earl Moriarty is an adult man with short, black (dark brown in the anime) hair, and green eyes. He also has a fairly light moustache. His eldest son, Albert, inherited most of his looks from the Earl, having the same green eyes, similarly colored hair, and even a similar hairstyle.
His younger son, William, on the other hand, shares little semblance with his father, taking after his mother instead.
Personality[]
The Earl deeply cares about his social status and how he will look in the people's eyes. Even though he has no interest in adopting anyone, wanting to look good in the people's, and especially the Duchess', eyes, he decides to adopt an orphan. Later, he refuses to throw them out without a reason as he may look bad in the nobility's eyes.
Despite his charitable acts, the Earl, like the rest of his family, holds disdain for the lower classes and would frequently bad mouth them along with his youngest son and wife. This causes his eldest son, Albert, to hold a great deal of contempt for the the Earl and the rest of his family.
History[]
At a party, Duchess Pénières commented how she would be taking in an orphan and save him. As another noble decided to do the same, Earl Moriarty feeling pressured into having to do charity, decides to do the same to not look bad in the eyes of the other nobility.
Moriarty tells Albert to find an orphan who was well behaved and wouldn't cause them trouble. Learning that Earl Moriarty wanted to take in an orphan, Countess Moriarty wonders why as they already have two sons. She quickly realizes it was due to the Duchess, and the Earl wanting to make a good impression, but Moriarty refuses to change his mind.
Per Albert's request, Moriarty adopts William and Louis. Moriarty impresses the nobility and Duchess Pénières for not only taking two orphans, but even helping and paying for the operation of Louis, who was sick. Countess Moriarty learns they will be taking two orphans and argues with her husband again, especially as one of them is sick and William complains he may get his disease. The Earl still refuses to change his mind.
According to William, who told his mother in an attempt to rile her up, Earl Moriarty cheated on his wife with the duchess.
Earl Moriarty dies when the adopted William and Louis, along with Albert, burnt down the Moriarty mansion. Unlike his wife and son, his death remains consistent between both the manga and anime; dying in his sleep as the mansion burns around him.