Who is Dr. Maud Bailey from Possession: A Romance and what is their importance?

Dr. Maud Bailey runs the Women's Resource Centre at Lincoln University. She is a beautiful but untouchable woman. She had a romantic relationship with Fergus Wolff that left her disappointed and preferring celibacy to romance. Maud is an expert on Christabel LaMotte and a leading feminist scholar. She is tall, blonde, wears little make up, and is very graceful. Maud teams up with Roland Michell when he tells her of his discovery, and they work to solve the mystery together. They are an unlikely pair, but they become more attracted to one another as the story progresses. Maud learns when the mystery is solved that she is a direct descendent of both Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte. She transforms throughout the book from a cold and remote person to a trusting lover and the heir of an important discovery.