Cottage by the Sea (65 page)

   This book, a work of fiction, required a surprising amount of research and was ultimately accomplished thanks to the efforts of many others besides its author.

   As mentioned in the dedication, I am profoundly grateful for the enthusiasm and hospitality extended by the late Edd North and his wife (and my cousin-by-marriage) Gay Cousins North, who lived in a charming Cornish village west of Plymouth. As soon as they read my short proposal for the novel, they wrote to say they had found the "perfect location" to set the story and urged my husband and me to "journey across the Pond" immediately.

   In May of 1994, during Cornwall's exuberant spring, we explored the region around Dodman Point, Mevagissey, and Gorran Haven. In the course of this heavenly excursion, we were treated to a delicious afternoon cream tea by Julian and Delia Williams, the owners of the magnificent Caerhays Castle, mentioned briefly in the story. (Yes, Caerhays has two secret doors.) The Williamses' sumptuous private rhododendron gardens and their family nursery business, Burncoose Gardens near Gwennap and Redruth, both provided the inspiration for "Barton Hall Gardens and Nurseries."

   In August of that year, I returned to the Fowey region of Cornwall and rented a stone cottage next to a creek through The National Trust, a half mile from where Daphne du Maurier wrote her first novel,
The Loving Spirit,
in 1931. The real "Hall Walk," incidentally, is a National Trust path that begins at Bodinnick across the river from Fowey and ends— via Penleath Point—at the footbridge at Pont Pill. Revisiting many of the du Maurier novels during the previous year and a half has been a joy, and I envy anyone about to indulge in reading her work for the first time.

   On this second trip to Cornwall I enjoyed the company of my pal, novelist Cynthia Wright, and was treated to the vast knowledge of local history, flora, and fauna provided by Dr. John Gask and his wife, Dilly, who made steak-and-kidney pie for us in their cliff-side house in Cawsand and pointed out the sights around historic Plymouth.

   Those interested in the lore of eighteenth-century smuggling activities should secure a copy of
Smugglers' Britain,
by Richard Platt (printed and published by The Ordinance Survey of Great Britain, Cassell Publishers, Ltd.), and visit the seaside village of Polperro. Colorful fishing boats still crowd the harbor, and following a tour of the small smuggling museum featuring items associated with the "Free Trade," don't miss the crab sandwiches at the riverside eatery, The Bakehouse!

   I spent an entire day at Boscundle Manor, near St. Austell, learning about the rigors of running a small, first-rate country inn from owner Mary Flynt. Dinner there is just as delicious as described in the scene where Christopher Stowe and his ex-wife break bread together for the first time since their divorce. Reservations are a must.

   En route from Dover to the village of Polruan, my dear friends Randolph and Valerie Kent offered their customary hospitality and did not object when I borrowed their names. Heading home to California via the Hampshire village of Stockbridge, Fiona and Bill Orde likewise warmly welcomed me to their home, where Bill provided the necessary background about his favorite vehicle, the British Land Rover.

   In London Susanna and Anthony Jennens not only offered shelter and superb cuisine, but also—along with Lindsay and the late Cephas Goldsworthy—filled my head with the elegant cadences of the King's English. From them and other English citizens, I beg forgiveness for any slipups of British phraseology by citing George Bernard Shaw's epigram that Britain and America are two countries divided by a common tongue.

   I must acknowledge, however, my reliance on the wonderful lexicon
British English A to Zed
by Norman W. Schur, a witty collection of nearly five thousand Briticisms and Americanisms (Harper Perennial).

   In addition to my British friends already named, sculptress and Cornwall fanatic Hazel Court Taylor, an English transplant to California, reviewed the manuscript for blatant "Yankisms" and was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the "psychic" subject matter. From the first she had urged me to set the story in "enchanted Cornwall" and recommended a number of books on parapsychology.

   Works by Raymond Moody, Jr., Dick Sutphen, Bruce Goldberg, Betty J. Eadie, Candace Pert, Robert H. Hopcke, and especially Norman Doidge, M.D. (whose
The Brain that
Changes Itself
suggests that our thoughts can alter the structure and function of our brains) were of significant importance as I developed a plausible theory about the various paranormal experiences that unfolded in the life of my heroine, Blythe Barton Stowe.

   
Real Moments,
by Barbara De Angelis (Delacorte Press), provided intriguing insights regarding the journey of "A life, well-lived," and offered an effective plan for people faced with putting life back together after traumatic events.

   During the course of my seventeen years as a health and lifestyle reporter for KABC Radio in Los Angeles, I had occasion to interview a number of experts engaged in cutting-edge research in brain function and chemistry at UCLA. I owe them thanks for my basic understanding of the "Mind-Body Connection" and the effect of stress on health. My personal speculations concerning wide-ranging theories of "Genetic Memory," however, are entirely my own inventions.

   My thanks must also go to "cowgirl" Kathy Brody, friend, horsewoman, and station manager of KJVI-TV in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, who set me straight on rodeos and bronc riding. Some of Grandma Barton's best quips came from Kathy's lips. I also put words in Lucinda Barton's mouth, thanks to inspiration found in
Never Ask a Man the Size of
His Spread: A Cowgirl's Guide to Life,
by Gladiola Montana (Gibbs-Smith Publisher).

   Ruth Bracken, who earned a master's degree in landscape design and is a production designer of feature films and commercials in Los Angeles, gave unstintingly of her time, and, as it turned out, offered inspiration to the process of developing the character of Blythe Barton. She spoke eloquently on the challenges that face professional women in the Hollywood entertainment industry.

   Among a long list of friends and colleagues, writer, teacher, and friend of many years Elda Minger allowed me to pick her brain when mine appeared frozen, and, as always, was perceptive and supportive. Barbara Thornburg, of the
Los Angeles
Times Magazine, and Alayna Grey of the Santa Lucia Preserv
e in Carmel Valley, California, generously volunteered their knowledge of "western style." Lawyer and historic preservationist William C. Borah extended support, kindness, and encouragement at critical moments while this work was being written, and Carol Adams, of Adams World Cruise Specialists, arranged my lecture tour on board Holland-American Line's spectacular ship the
Statendam,
which docked in August of

1994 a mere day's drive from my beloved Cornwall.

   As with my previous two historical novels,
Island of the
Swans
and
Wicked Company,
I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the staff and administration of the Henry E. Huntington Library, Art Galleries and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, where I have been a reader in British-American studies since 1983. The late William A. Moffett, director of the library, welcomed me into his office for chats about everything from smuggling to smallpox epidemics in eighteenth-century Britain, and I shall greatly miss his enlightened spirit. Fellow readers and authors

   Barbara Babcock, Pat Barlow, the late Josette Bryson, Harriet Koch, Mary Fry, Karen Langlois, Karen Lystra, Martin Ridge, Elizabeth Talbot-Martin, Jeanne Perkins, Diane Worthington, the late Catherine Turney, and Paul Zall offered their scholarly expertise and encouragement during the researching and writing phases.

   Ann Skipper, served as my "resident reader" on the first edition and did her customary marvelous job giving me her reactions to early drafts of the work. Her husband, Peter, was my local expert on Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.

   On this new edition, my sister, Joy McCullough Ware, provided yeoman's service as my second set of eyes while I honed the manuscript to add snippets of new material about brain function, chemistry, and recent findings in the scientific literature about the power of our minds to make us sick or well. As these changes were integrated into the story, she was a total ace at spotting "dropped stitches" in logic and continuity.

   Computer whiz Sam Reynolds did a fantastic job helping to create the Barton-Trevelyan-Teague genealogy chart. Thanks, too, to Folio Literary Management and my stalwart agent, Celeste Fine, for guiding this edition of
A Cottage by
the Sea
to its happy new home.

   This Author's Note would not be complete without paying homage to the late editor, Beverly Lewis, who responded enthusiastically to the kernel of an idea for this "unorthodox historical novel," and then helped me make sense of it. I will forever be indebted to her discerning observations, sage suggestions, and unflagging loyalty during the process of bringing it to print. Shauna Summers, now at Bantam Books, knows how grateful I am for the part she played as well. Carolyn Nichols, formerly of Ballantine Books, has my heartfelt thanks for having offered this novel—and me—a place in her line-up the first time around.

   And finally, journalist, television news producer, and these days, Internet marketing guru—and my beloved husband— Tony Cook, whose grandmother was born in England (and whose cousins and friends are "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"—not to mention wonderful fun), cast his critical eye on the original manuscript, first published in 1997. More than a decade later, his astute editorial suggestions continue to be gratefully received, as are the cups of tea he cheerfully supplied throughout the revision process of both editions.

1. At the beginning of
A Cottage by the Sea
, Blythe's betrayal is magnified by the paparazzi following her divorce and Chris's subsequent remarriage. And in truth, tabloids, magazines, and blogs run stories like Blythe's daily. Why are these stories so fascinating for readers? In your opinion, is it okay for the private lives of celebrities to be made public for entertainment purposes, or are these stories an invasion of privacy? Does reading about the tabloids from Blythe's perspective change your point of view?

2. Blythe heads to Cornwall for refuge from the events of her personal life. But in her isolation, she finds the story of her namesake, Blythe Barton Trevelyan, which forces her to think about her own story. How are these two love triangles, separated by over two hundred years, similar to one another? In what ways are they different? Even though Blythe sought escape from her scandal, is her discovery of this similar, older story beneficial?

3. Long before Blythe found Ellie and Christopher together, Blythe's relationship with her sister was clearly strained. What led to their tumultuous relationship, and what drove Ellie to act as she did? With whom do you empathize in this situation? Have you experienced a contentious relationship with a sibling?

4. Blythe is initially perplexed by her connection to the BartonTrevelyan-Teague genealogy tree and the vision she sees in Valerie Kent's crystal ball, and she rejects Valerie's offers to

explore this further. Why is Blythe wary, and what eventually changes her mind? Would you react similarly in this situation, or do you share Lucas's skepticism about the paranormal?

5. When considering the parallels between her story and Blythe Barton Trevelyan's, Blythe wonders, "Wasn't there more to it than simply that Ellie and Ennis were bad, or that Chris Stowe and her eighteenth-century namesake were highly sexed and faithless? Was she, Blythe Barton, utterly blameless in this twenty-first century?" In this moment, Blythe seems to recognize that no situation is simple or entirely black and white. Ultimately, where do you believe the blame falls in these two love triangles? Have you ever been in a situation where you later were able to see multiple sides to the same story?

6. In the eighteenth century, marriages were largely arranged for financial gain, with little to no thought of romantic love. As such, women like Blythe Barton were often forced into marriages with men they did not want to marry. How does Blythe choose to handle her fate? Do you think she made wise decisions, or should she have acted differently in order to preserve harmony within her family? Could Blythe's story have ended differently?

7. From the image of the baby in the crystal ball to Blythe's unborn child at the end of the novel, children play a pivotal role in the lives of the characters, especially the women. What impact does pregnancy—and even more specifically, the timing of pregnancies or lack thereof—have in Blythe Barton Trevelyan and Blythe Barton Stowe's lives?

8. Although the wounds of her divorce are still fresh, Blythe ultimately helps Christopher by signing over her portion of the forest property, under her terms. Why does she choose to do this? Do you see her actions as a sign of strength or weakness? How does her encounter with Christopher change the way Blythe views their former relationship?

9. Throughout
A Cottage by the Sea
, several characters are coping with grief—from Lucas and Dicken's loss of Lindsay to Blythe's continued guilt over her brother's death. How does grief affect these characters' actions and, often, complicate their interactions? In your opinion, is there ever a right or best way to deal with loss?