▁Gill ian ▁Sp encer ) ▁and ▁Mer ed ith ▁or ▁" Mer rie " ▁( origin ally ▁Tr ish ▁Van ▁De vere ). ▁The ▁family ▁inhab its ▁Victor ' s ▁inherited ▁family ▁estate , ▁L lan f air . ▁His ▁wife , ▁Eugen ia ▁Rand olph ▁Lord , ▁died ▁while ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁Mer ed ith ▁and ▁was , ▁ultimately , ▁unable ▁to ▁produce ▁his ▁desired ▁male ▁he ir ▁to ▁his ▁estate ▁( a ▁picture ▁of ▁her ▁hang s ▁above ▁the ▁mant le ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ▁library ▁in ▁early ▁episodes ). ▁Victor ▁thereby ▁goes ▁about ▁gro oming ▁his ▁el dest ▁child , ▁V iki , ▁to ▁assume ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁running ▁the ▁estate ▁by ▁h iring ▁her ▁as ▁an ▁editor ▁for ▁his ▁newspaper . ▁ ▁Victoria ▁des per ately ▁see ks ▁her ▁father ' s ▁appro val ▁and ▁g lee fully ▁assumes ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁he ir ess ▁to ▁the ▁family ▁fortune . ▁Victor ▁eventually ▁grows ▁we ary ▁of ▁Victoria ' s ▁adm iration ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁star ▁rep or ters , ▁working ▁class ▁executive ▁editor ▁Joe ▁R iley ▁( Le e ▁P atter son ). ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁years , ▁Victor ▁is ▁also ▁unh appy ▁at ▁the ▁growing ▁relationship ▁of ▁his ▁younger ▁daughter , ▁Mer ed ith , ▁with ▁up ward ly - mobile ▁doctor ▁Larry ▁W ole k ▁( Paul ▁Tul ley , ▁Jim ▁Storm ). ▁He ▁med d les ▁in ▁the ▁personal ▁relationships ▁of ▁his ▁daughters , ▁causing ▁a ▁r ift ▁between ▁him ▁and ▁Victoria . ▁In ▁November ▁