So here's a minor plot, to add more connections and backstory. Payne and Beetle are old friends from childhood, who were divided by history. A century ago, Payne's family was fairly powerful itself: not a noble house, but a merchant house that one had to reckon with. But that was before the Heterodynes came through. With their horde of Jaegermonsters, they laid waste to the entire district that formed the backbone of the Payne Estate.
The remaining Paynes eventually wound up in the service of the Beetles, living in Beetleburg; Payne and Beetle grew up together. They were close, and helped each other through their breakthroughs. But Payne could never completely get past his distrust and resentment of the Heterodynes, and when Beetle eventually reconciled with the Heterodyne Boys, Payne couldn't quite deal with it. Intellectually, he knew that Bill and Barry weren't like the rest of their family, but he couldn't quite deal with it. So he went off to join the circus, and only a few years later wound up taking over the running of the place.
Originally, the Circus was a variety show, full of fake Muses and suchlike, but a few years after she joined, Marie came to realize that all the demand was for Heterodyne Shows. So he swallowed his pride, and began running the Circus as one. He accepted that the Boys had their hearts in the right place, and were basically decent sorts. Still, his distrust of the family ran deep, and only deepened when the Boys went away and it all fell apart. He sees the consequences of casual heroism, and considers it rather foolish. But he takes comfort from the fact that the Heterodynes have left the scene, and by now it appears to be permanent. There is some small point of pride that his family outlasted theirs.
Of course, Agatha knows nothing of this. But this plot is designed to complicate her relationship with Payne when he finds out. Note that, as of game time, he has no idea who she really is.
LATER: Payne should actively need something from Beetle, to sharpen this plot. He should be clear that he needs to go seek out Silas, at least, to address this need. What, exactly, does he need?
Characters In Game: Agatha Beetle Payne
All Characters: Agatha Beetle Payne