by Ellie Dean
A month had passed since that day of revelation, and Peggy had been well aware of the need for Rosie and Eileen to set aside their feud and recover from their deep disappointment that Mary had left Cliffehaven to be with Barbara and Joseph before she went to college. She knew that hard work was a good cure for all ills, and had encouraged them to help her remove all trace of Tommy from the spare room.
The walls had been freshly painted, the curtains and bedding thoroughly washed, and the stained carpet which was riddled with cigarette burns was taken down to the corporation rubbish dump. Once the floorboards had been scraped and newly varnished, Rosie had managed to purchase a pink rug from the Saturday market which exactly matched the roses clambering up the pretty curtains. It was now a perfect guest room, and Rosie had confided in Peggy that she hoped that one day Mary might come for a visit.
Peggy had fretted over everyone, for she’d known how deeply saddened Eileen and Rosie were that Mary hadn’t wanted to stay and perhaps forge some sort of relationship with them, but Peggy secretly thought she’d done the right thing. Such revelations would take time to absorb and understand, and the girl needed the security and love of the woman who’d more or less raised her to help her through. Barbara had, to all intents and purposes, been Mary’s mother, and it was right that they should be together.
As for Rosie and Eileen, they were beginning to pick up the threads of their lives again, their sorrow for what might have been soothed by the many letters that came from Mary, who seemed to understand that it was necessary for all of them to stay in touch.
It was now February, and Peggy was in such a happy mood that she went about the house singing to herself. There was so much to be grateful for despite the absence of Jim and the almost daily air-raid warnings. Cordelia was fully recovered; Fran and Robert had become inseparable; Suzy and Anthony were blissfully happy in their tiny cottage; and dear little Rita seemed to have wings on her heavy boots now she and Matthew were planning their engagement.
She came into the kitchen with a broad smile on her face and picked up Daisy, who was scuttling around the floor on all fours. Giving her a big kiss, she danced round the kitchen and sang along to the music on the wireless.
‘Goodness me,’ said Cordelia as she came in wearing her best suit and hat. ‘Someone’s happy this morning.’
Peggy kissed her. ‘Oh, I am,’ she said. ‘It’s a beautiful day; I’ve had another two airgraphs from Jim; Danuta’s finally written to say she’s well; everyone’s in love or at least happy with their lot; and you and Bertram are off to have a lovely lunch at the golf club.’
Cordelia looked at her over her half-moon glasses and tried to look stern. ‘You’ll get caught out one day with all your matchmaking, Peggy Reilly. And if you think Bertram and I are giddy about one another, then you’re sorely mistaken.’ She glanced at the clock and frowned. ‘He’s late – and that’s most unlike him. I do hope he hasn’t forgotten about our lunch.’
‘Of course he hasn’t,’ said Peggy as she gently placed Daisy back on the floor. ‘He’s probably just—’
The loud rap on the door made her grin. ‘That’s probably him now. I’ll go and let him in while you put on your coat.’
She was humming as she went skipping into the hall. Opening the door, her smile widened at the sight of Maud from the local nurseries holding an enormous bunch of spring flowers.
‘These are for you, Peggy,’ she said. ‘Picked fresh this morning after I received a lovely telephone call long distance. There’s a note with them. TTFN.’
Peggy opened the little card that was tucked between the blooms. ‘To dearest Peggy,’ she read. ‘With many thanks for everything you’ve done for me. With fondest love, Mary. Xx’
Peggy blinked back her tears and eyed the note and the flowers with the deepest pleasure. It was always good to know that one of her chicks remembered her.
Welcome to the World of
Read on for an insight into Sealed With A Loving Kiss, an interview with Ellie and more about the world of Cliffehaven and the characters from the Beach View Boarding House series …
Dear Reader,
I do hope you enjoyed reading Sealed With a Loving Kiss, and that you’ve happily returned to the trials and tribulations of Peggy and Ron and the rest of the family. It’s always a joy to return to Cliffehaven to renew my acquaintance with the Reillys and their evacuees, for it’s as if I’ve come back home to a warm welcome – especially from Harvey.
The inspiration for Mary’s story was triggered by a photograph of Coventry Cathedral after it had been bombed, and my imagination began to work on a story. At first I was going to set it in Coventry, but I’ve only visited there once, so don’t really know it as well as I know Sussex. The idea of a tin trunk being discovered in the ashes of a bombed-out rectory intrigued me – is this going to reveal something very ordinary, or would it be more like Pandora’s Box and once opened, bring only chaos and confusion? Of course it had to be the latter, otherwise there would have been no story and, as it turned out, a great many loose ends that have been running through the series could be tied up, and mysteries explained.
Mary’s relationship with her parents also intrigued me, for no matter how cold or cruel parents can be, a child will always love them and do all they can to gain their approval. This is something that is quite personal to me, as my own childhood was rather fractured, and it is a theme I have returned to several times over the years.
Thank you for reading my Beach View Boarding House series, and I hope you continue to enjoy the stories as we progress through the war and beyond.
Interview with Ellie
1. What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always loved reading and making up stories. I am an only child, raised by my grandmother and her sisters, who opened up the world of books to me. Yet it was the family story which always intrigued me, and I knew that one day I would have to sit down and write it. I eventually achieved this, and it was the start of me realising that storytelling was something I could really do well. The rest, as they say, is history!
2. Describe your writing routine and where you like to write.
I have black coffee for breakfast, at least two cups, and make a point of reading the newspaper before doing the Sudoku, and the cryptic crossword. This gets me into a working frame of mind and wakes up my brain. I have an office in my house which overlooks paddocks and the South Downs, and I sit down there before ten every morning. I check my emails and Facebook, and then read through what I’ve written the day before. Editing this gets me into the next scene that I want to write. I work through from ten until around six, five days a week. If a deadline is looming however, then I might work over the weekend and at night. I find that sometimes I do my best work after midnight!
3. What themes are you interested in when you’re writing?
The theme of family, and of the intricate threads which bind people together or tear them apart. People react differently to situations, and I find it fascinating to watch my characters evolve throughout the book.
4. Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration comes from everything and anything. A conversation overheard – a newspaper article – a line in a book – or a song.
5. How do you manage to get inside the heads of your characters in order to portray them truthfully?
Once I have the plot and the title, then I must have the actors playing their parts. I wait for them to come to me, to show themselves and tell me about their lives. It might sound weird, but that’s how I work. It’s like meeting new friends. You don’t know everything about them immediately, but as they talk, you can discover who they are, where they come from, their social background, their aspirations, their failures etc. As an author I become this person, with their viewpoint, their likes and dislikes and the reactions they will have to any given situation. An author must evolve into these characters to make them fully rounded, and it doesn’t matter what gender they are – people are
very similar underneath the skin.
6. Do you base your characters on real people? And if not, where does the inspiration come from?
I don’t actually base my characters on anyone, but there are certainly shades of people I’ve known and loved or disliked intensely. People like to think I’ve based a character on them, but that isn’t so – and yet I might have picked up a habit of theirs, or the way they say things, which leads them to think that it is them.
7. What’s the most extreme thing you’ve ever done to research your book?
I flew a Spitfire. It was a simulator, unfortunately, but it certainly gave me the feeling of flying – and I got a certificate to prove it!
8. What aspect of writing do you enjoy most?
I love doing most of it. Working out a story, plotting it, finding my characters and taking them through the trials and tribulations of the book to a satisfying end. I enjoy the research too, for I’ve learned a huge amount about the Second World War, and I’m constantly surprised by what I uncover. The writing is harder – and it seems to get harder the more I do it. Probably because I’m aware of the pitfalls, and because, at times, it feels as if I’m trying to knit fog – but once I have written THE END, the joy is in the editing. With the story complete, it’s great to go through it again and turf out all the things that shouldn’t be there, and to make it as good and as polished as possible.
9. What’s the best thing about being an author?
Not having to get dressed in the morning to go to work – or to go outside when the weather is foul or to battle with commuter traffic.
10. What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Learn your craft. Do your apprenticeship by writing, writing and writing – and reading. Persevere – take advice and don’t get precious about your work. The publishing world is tough, so be prepared to develop a very thick skin.
11. What is your favourite book of all time and why?
There are so many favourites, it’s hard to choose. Exodus by Leon Uris was the first adult book I read when I was about eleven, and it inspired me to one day write a brilliant story. Delicious by Nicky Pellegrino because I adore Italy and the Italians, and this book is redolent with the scents of olive oil, garlic and herbs!
12. If you could be a character in a book, or live in the world of a book, who or where would you be?
I’d be the female captain of a pirate ship, sailing the Caribbean and being romanced by someone dashing and handsome - like Ross Poldark!
The characters
PEGGY REILLY is in her early forties, and married to Jim. She is small and slender, with dark, curly hair and lively brown eyes, and finds it very hard to sit still. As if running a busy household wasn’t enough, she also does voluntary work for the WVS, makes tea and sandwiches for anyone in need and is always there to listen and to sympathise.
She and Jim took over the running of Beach View Boarding House when Peggy’s parents retired to a bungalow further along the coast. Peggy has three daughters and two sons, and when war was declared and the boarding house business no longer became viable, she decided to take in evacuees. Peggy can be feisty and certainly doesn’t suffer fools, and yet she is also trying very hard to come to terms with the fact that her family has been torn apart by the war. She is a romantic at heart and can’t help trying to match-make, but she’s also a terrible worrier, always fretting over someone – and as the young evacuees make their home with her, she comes to regard them as her chicks and will do everything she can to protect them.
JIM REILLY is in his mid-forties and was a projectionist at the local cinema until it was bombed. He was a young Engineer in the First World War, in which he served alongside his brother, Frank. Jim is handsome, with flashing blue eyes and dark hair, and of course the gift of the Irish blarney, which usually gets him out of trouble. He likes to flirt with women and although he would never be unfaithful to Peggy, she still keeps a close eye on him. Jim also likes to make a dishonest quid here and there, and is not averse to dabbling in the black market. He’s shocked and horrified that he has once again been called up to fight in another war, and this is heightened by the fact he’s been sent to India.
RONAN REILLY (Ron) is a sturdy man in his mid-sixties. Widowed several years ago, he’s fallen in love with the luscious Rosie Braithwaite who owns The Anchor pub, and although she isn’t averse to his attentions, she’s keeping him at arm’s length. Ron is a countryman, a poacher and retired fisherman who tramps over the fields with his dog and ferrets and frequently comes home with game in the deep pockets of his coat. He doesn’t care much about his appearance, much to Peggy’s dismay, but beneath that ramshackle old hat and moth-eaten clothing beats the heart of a strong, loving man who will fiercely protect those he loves.
ROSIE BRAITHWAITE is in her fifties and in love with Ron, but as her husband is in a mental asylum, she is unable to get divorced. She took over The Anchor twenty years ago and has turned it into a little gold-mine. Rosie has platinum hair, big blue eyes and an hour-glass figure – she also has a good sense of humour and can hold her own with the customers. She runs the pub with a firm hand, and keeps Ron at bay, although she’s not averse to a bit of slap and tickle.
CORDELIA FINCH has been living at Beach View for many years. She is in her late seventies and is rather frail from her arthritis. But Cordelia has a twinkle in her eye and loves being an intrinsic part of the lively household. She enjoys singing along to the wireless and having too many sherries in The Anchor. As deaf as a post, she regularly forgets to turn on her hearing aid which can lead to many a convoluted conversation, and although she tries very hard with her knitting, it usually turns out to be a disaster. She adores Peggy and looks on her as a daughter, for her own sons emigrated to Canada many years before and she rarely hears from them. The girls who live at Beach View regard her as their grandmother.
HARVEY is a brindled lurcher, with a mind of his own and a mischievous nature – much like his owner, Ron. Clever and intuitive, he hunts for game with Ron, and once war has been declared, proves to be a heroic rescuer of people trapped in the ruins of their homes. He sleeps on Ron’s bed, steals food from the table and has recently blotted his copybook by seducing a pedigree whippet and producing a son, Monty. Harvey adores everyone but Doris.
DORIS WILLIAMS is Peggy’s older sister and married to the long-suffering Ted who is manager of the Home and Colonial store. She lives in the posh part of town, Havelock Road, looks down on Peggy and the boarding house and is a terrible social climber. She’s a leading light – or would like to be – in Cliffehaven society, is on the board of several charities – because it brings her into contact with Lady Chumley – and insists upon calling Peggy Margaret because she knows it winds her up like a clock.
ANTHONY WILLIAMS is the son of Doris and Ted, and before the war was a teacher at a private school. He’s now working for the MOD, and has recently got married to Suzy who was a lodger at Beach View Boarding House.
RITA SMITH came to Beach View after her home in Cliffehaven was flattened by an air-raid. Her father is away in the army, her Italian neighbours who took her in have been interned and so she goes to Peggy, whom she’s known since childhood. Rita is small and an energetic tomboy who is a fully qualified mechanic, having been taught from an early age by her father. She has a motorbike which she roars about on, and can usually be seen in heavy trousers and boots, and a First World War leather jacket and flying helmet. She works for the Fire Service, and in her spare time has been organizing motor bike races to raise money for a Cliffehaven Spitfire.
FRAN is from Ireland and works as a theatre nurse at Cliffehaven General alongside Suzy. She has been living with Peggy since before the war, and has become an intrinsic part of the family. Fran is a little inclined to wear her heart on her sleeve, and has already had an unfortunate run-in with an over-persuasive and very married American serviceman. She’s a dab hand at hairdressing, much to Ron’s disgust – but has proved to be a very talented violinist. She pla
ys the violin at The Anchor for the sing-songs, and has fallen in love with Robert who was Anthony and Suzy’s best man.
PEGGY’S CHILDREN
ANNE is married to Commander Martin Black, an RAF pilot, and they have two small girls. Ann has moved down to Somerset for the duration, and although she is teaching at the local village school and getting on with her life, she misses Martin and of course her mother, Peggy.
CICELY, (Cissy) is a driver for the WAAF and is stationed at Cliffe Aerodrome. She once had ambitions to go on stage, but finds great satisfaction in doing her bit, and has now fallen in love with a young Spitfire pilot.
BOB and CHARLIE are Peggy’s two young sons of fourteen and twelve, who are also living in Somerset for the duration.
DAISY is the youngest child, born the day Singapore fell. She can sleep through air-raids, can throw awful tantrums and simply adores pulling Ron’s wayward eyebrows. She and Harvey are best of friends.
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