Watch For Me by Twilight is a very special story. Firstly, it is centred on Cassie Aldrich’s preparations for her Living History weekend at the wonderful Hartsford Hall in Suffolk – which is also the background to Kate and Theo’s romance in Watch For Me by Candlelight. And secondly, it is also a tribute, of sorts, to three very brave young men.
Cassie’s Spa area itself was inspired by parts of three National Trust properties: Lanhydrock in Cornwall, Upton House in Warwickshire and Standen House in West Sussex. All three properties have wonderful outdoor pools, which the owners used for entertainment and family fun. Upton House also has a Picture Gallery, converted from their squash courts, but Standen House is probably the one Cassie could relate to the most. At Standen, an outdoor swimming pond was recently discovered by some groundsmen, when they almost fell into it during some undergrowth clearance. Apparently, the National Trust also have plans to restore the pool for public use, which should be very exciting and a lot of fun for future visitors!
Then we come to the young men who inspired the rest of the story. The first man is someone I encountered many years ago at a stately home. In the house was a painting of the family, posed just before World War Two. There was a young man sitting with them, who wasn’t a member of the family, but he was accepted as one. He’d been very close to them, and was in love with the daughter of the house. He asked her to marry him. She refused. He joined up in a fit of pique and was killed shortly afterwards. The young man was a famous poet, but I have never managed to find out his name again, although their story has haunted me ever since and I’ve wasted far too many hours on the internet trying to find him. I wish I’d written his name down when I was there – so I live in hope that one day someone will tell me his name. Whoever the young poet was, he inspired this story.
The second man is someone I stumbled upon during my hours of research. Drummond Allison was a Lieutenant in the army, and he was killed in action at the age of 22 in 1943, leading a daylight infantry charge on Monte Camino, Italy. He was also a poet and had something of an eye for the ladies. However, he wrote many poems to his mysterious muse Cynthia, and her identity has always been a little bit of a mystery – until a photograph of Drummond in his uniform turned up in a lady called Cynthia Clarke’s possessions. You can read more on Richard A Warren’s blog about it, and more on Tim Kendall’s War Poetry blog about Drummond. Also, the historian Dr Ross Davies was very helpful with my enquires into Drummond and has written a book about him entitled Drummond Allison: Come, Let us Pity Death (2008).
The third person is far less well known. He’s a member of my own family, and was a Bombardier in 113th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery. His service number was 376175. James Edwin Brown was born in 1894 and died on Monday, 26th November 1917. He lies in Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery and is commemorated on the war memorial in Swalwell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. He was 23 years old, and died alongside Gunner WJ Callow, who was 36. James left a young wife, May Blanche, who was 22 years old. Their son, James Richard John, had been born earlier that year, and they had only been married since the summer of 1916. Before he became a soldier, James worked in the Tyneside shipyards. May was my Gran’s aunt, and my Gran was named after her, which I think is rather lovely.
All of these strands fed into Watch For Me by Twilight in some way, and to make this book work, I must thank my wonderful publishers Choc Lit, my fabulous editor, cover designer and the wider Choc Lit family who give unending support. Huge thanks also to the Tasting Panel who passed this story, even when it was just a contemporary novella and a third of the size it is now! I hope the extra bits work for you. Particular thanks to Lucy M, Jennie A, Ann C, Jenny W, Linda W, Jo L, Elaine R and Isobel J. And massive thanks as always to my family and friends who put up with the endless whinging and demands for sustenance as I worked through my edits. Thank you, I love you all!