The Land of My Dreams 1916 - Characters

 

 SPOILERS!!

These are the characters in the book for future reference:

• Edward Hunter (1869) (47 years old) is a banker in London and every day he commutes from his home at the Elms in Northcote to work. Edward has always proved to be loyal and steady. In the last book he met a French woman, Elise, who came to him for financial advice. Elise is a young widow, and she and Edward have a good friendly relationsip.  These regular visits become a fixture, especially when Edward feels pushed away by his wife after the death of their son Bobby and when David is wounded and has to recover painfully.  Even though nothing untoward has happened between them yet, I am afraid that they are close to go beyond the point of no return.  
• Beatrice (Beattie) Hunter (1872) (44 years old), nee Cazalet. She is Edward's wife and is involved in the community and volunteers for the war effort. Something that affected her terribly wass when her son David enlisted. We discover that there is a reason why Beattie loves David most above her other children. David is the fruit of the relationship Beatrice had with an officer when she was still in Ireland. The officer, Louis, left without any notice, and she found herself pregnant. Edward was a young man who had been interested in her, so she managed to marry him without him learning that she was still pregnant, but she suspects he has always known. In the book Beattie and Louis get reacquainted and they start an affair. Beattie doesn't tell him about David, though. Beattie doesn't mourn much for Bobby when he dies, but when David is wounded, she is totally torn to see him look so frail and depressed. Louis has also gone to France, but when he returns, they resume their affair. The only one to know about Beattie's secrets is Nula. 
• David Hunter (1894) (22 years old) is the Hunters' oldest son. When war breaks out, he volunteers, causing his mother to feel upset, but his father is proud. David is in love with his friend Oliphant's sister, Sophy. When he is on leave, he declares his love to her and asks her to marry him, and even though she seems not to have considered the idea before, she accepts his proposal. David has also befriended a woman during his time training as an officer, Antonia Weston, and they have a good relationship. When he goes to the front, they keep writing to each other. In this book we discover that David is not Edward's son, and during the Battle of Somme he is injured in the leg, and he returns a broken man. Now he is at home convalescing, but he is depressed as he knows he will never be the same man he used to be. 
• Diana Hunter (1895) (21  years old) is the Hunters' eldest daughter. He was enganged to Charles Wroughton, Lord Dene, the heir of an old aristocratic family in the area, but he died in action, which leaves Diana devastated. Charles's brother, Rupert, who was rude and unkind to her, starts to socialise with him, and he asks her to marry him. Diana doesn't love him, but she thinks he can be Lady Dene and do the things she and Charles planned. So she agrees to marry Rupert, and even at some point he tells her that he is marrying him because she won't marry anyone else after Charles, and he is already 'married' to Erskine, his friend, she thinks he is talking nonsense, and Rupert tells her that he was just joking. They marry and now Diana is pregnant. 
• Bobby Hunter (1896) (20 years old) is another son. He decides to enlist following his brother's steps. Bobby is very cheerful and happy-go-lucky. Bobby decides to join the RAF and becomes a pilot. In this book he dies in action. 
• Sadie Hunter (1898) (18 years old) is the Hunters' other daughter, and she is very fond of horses. She helps in some stables close to her home to prepare them for war. Sadie seems to be interested in a young vet, John Courcy. Sadie also starts volunteering in the hospital set for the war, keeping company to the injured soldiers. 
• William Hunter (1900) (16 years old) is another son. He belongs to the Boy Scouts.
• Peter Hunter (1906) (10 years old) is the Hunters' youngest child.
• Nails is the Hunters' dog. 
• Ethel Lusby is the Hunters' underhouse parlour maid. Ethel is sassy and flirtatious. She flirts with many men, hoping to find the man who would give her a home, but at the same time she plays with them. Ethel's family history is quite complex. She was born to a widowed mother, who didn't give her much love. She had two much older siblings: Edie ran away with a tinker, but her brother, Cyril was kind to her, and it was thanks to his advice that Ethel went into service, but Cyril died shortly afterwards. At the beginning of the war Ethel went to visit her mother, who was bedridden and sick, and she kept saying that she was not her mother. Then she revealed that her real mother was Edie.  Annie died. In the last book Ethel met Eric, a man who passed the exams and became a train driver. When she went to meet him in London, they were bombed, and Eric died and Ethel was injured. Eric's death left Ethel devastated, and she starts thinking that nothing makes much sense. She starts seeing married Andy Wood again, and she lets him have his way with her. Ethel decides to leave the Elms and goes to find Edie, who tells her that her father was Cyril. Edie is not kind to her, and she can tell that Ethel is pregnant. When we see Ethel again, she is desperate and returns to the Elms. Cook throws her away, but Beattie takes pity of her and lets her stay in the nursery room. Frank, the young gardener, asks her to marry him, and she agrees. Then she loses her child and tells him that she won't marry him. The reason is that she is ashamed of her origins, being the daughter of incest. Ethel stays in the Elms as a personal maid and nurse of David. Then Frank pursues in courting her, and she agrees to see him on her days off. 
• Joan Dunkley is the Hunters' cook. She is usually called Cook, and she is in charge of the servants. She is very strict in her views about decency. 
• Nula Wilkes is the sewing maid who used to be the children's nanny. Nula is the only one who knows about Beattie's past as she was a servant in her family's home when Beattie was young. Nula helped her when she got pregnant. When she hears about Beattie getting reacquainted with Louis, she is not happy, but she reluctantly brings her his letters. 
• Ada Cole (41) is the Hunters' head house parlour maid.  After meeting Corporal Armstrong, she is now in a arelationship with him. W
• Emily Conaghan is the kitchen maid. She is quite naive and romatic at heart. Cook often tells her off. 
• Lillian is the new maid who replaces Ethel when she goes away. At first, Lillian feels like a fish out of water and cries herself to sleep. Then Ada starts helping her, and soon Lillian realises how lucky she is to be working at the Elms.
• Munt is the gardener and is a man of old-fashioned, strict views.
• Ginger is the new bootboy working for the Hunters. He is quite vocal in his opinions. 
• Mrs Chaplin is the charwoman who comes to the Hunters' a few times a week.
• Frank Hussey used to work for Munt and now he is a gardener in a neighbouring property. He looks up to Munt despite the man's difficult personality. He is friendly to Ethel, and when she returns pregnant and desperate, he proposes to her. Yet, when she loses the child, she refuses to marry him. Yet, Frank pursues and in the end she agrees to see him on her days off. Frank also beats up Andy Wood because he thinks he deserves to have a good lesson after what she did to Ethel. 
• Laura Hunter (1872) (44 years old) is Edward's sister. She is single and for years she worked as a secretary much to Edward's dismay. In 1914 she lost her job as her boss couldn't keep her as he was going through financial problems. Laura is sympthetic to the suffragetts' cause, and in one of the gatherings she met Louise, who becomes a good friend to her. Laura and Louise learn to drive, and they start driving to help in the war. Then they become aware of the new Police Women Service, and they decide to become policewomen. In this book Laura wants to do something else and she joins a group of women who will volunteer to travel to France to help the wounded, and she will drive the ambulance. This makes her fall out with Louisa, who is in a delicate stage after her brother died.
• Louisa Cotton is Laura's friend. She also sympathesis with the suffragettes and has been a secretary in the association. She is single and used to live with her aunt until she decided to move in with Laura.  She and Laura join the Police Women Service. Louisa has a terrible row when her brother, who was a sailor, died when his ship hit a mine. Louisa returns to her aunt, who took Jim's death hard, and when Laura tells her about going to France and work as an ambulance driver, she is disapproving and refuses to join her in this new project. 
• Sonia Palfrey, nee Hunter (1874) (42 years old) is Edward's sister. She is worried when her eldest son is called up. 
• Aeneas Palfrey  is Sonia's husband and has a biscuit factory.
• Donald Palfrey (1893) (25 years old) is Sonia and Aeneas's oldest son. He worked in the factory with his father, but he has been called up and goes to war. 
• Mary Palfrey (1897) (23 years old) is Sonia and Aeneas's daughter. She and Audrey are twins.
• Audrey Palfrey (1897) (22 years old) is Sonia and Aeneas's daughter . She and Mary are twins. When Donald is called up, she tells her father that she can take Donald's place in the factory. At first, Aeneas doesn't take her seriously, but he eventually gives her the opportunity to prove her worth. It seems that Aeneas is very happy with her work now. 
• Douglas Palfrey (Duck) (1901) (15 years old) is Sonia and Aeneas's son.
• Jack Hunter (1872) (44 years old) is Edward's cousin, and he is now at war.  In 1915 Jack is injured in Ypres, but he recovers. When he goes home on leave, Beth feels that her husband has changed. At the end of this book he goes home on leave, and he seems to be better than the last time Beth saw him. 
• Beth Hunter (1876), nee Cargill (38 years old) is Jack's wife.
• Rupert Wroughton (26) is Charles's brother. He is very different to him in personality: he is boisterous, sociable and shrirks responsibilities. When Diana and his brother got engaged, he was very nasty to her, calling her terrible names.  When Charles died, he was shattered and seemed to show Diana some kindness. Then he asks Diana to marry him. He doesn't offer love, just all the things that should have been Diana's if she had married Charles. Diana surprisinly agrees to marry him. We discover that Rupert needs a wife and an heir, but the person he is in love with is his friend, Erskine. Some days before the wedding Rupert even tells Diana the truth, but she thinks he is talking nonsense. Rupert and Diana get married, and now they are expecting their first child. 
• Lady Violet Wroughton is Charles and Rupert's mother, and she disapproves of Diana when she and Charles get engaged.  When Charles dies, she is devastated and little by little she starts to realise that Diana could have been good to Charles. When Rupert gets engaged to Diana, she is not happy, but Rupert doesn't let her rule his decision. 
• Madame Elise de Rouveroy is a French refugee, whose husband and stepson were killed in the war. She goes to Edward for financial advice, and when Edward tells her that there is no money, he offers to sell her jewels. Elise and Edward become friendly, and they  meet and haev dinner regularly. The relationship between them become closer after Edward loses his son and Beattie refuses his offer of comfort. 
• Major Louis David Rathvilly Plunkett was Beattie's first love, and he got her pregnant and then left. He never knew she was pregnant, and Beattie has never forgotten him. When he gets back into her life, Beattie does not hesitate to become his lover. 
• Freddie Oliphant (Jumbo) is David's best friend. He comes from Scotland, and he  also enlisted alonside David. They both decide to train as officers.
• Sophy Oliphant (18) is Freddie's sister. David has always been in love with her. When David is on leave, he declares his love to her and asking her to marry him, and she accepts. Yet, it seems that she just said yes from impulse. When David is wounded and returns home, he tells her that she is free to break off the engagement, but Sophy refuses. 
• John Courcy is the vet working for the army. Sadie first met him when he incidentally ran Nails over. Sadie and he work together in Mrs Cuthbert's stables. In this book he has to join the Veterinary Corps and is sent to France. 
• Private Stanhill is a new addition in Mrs Cuthbert's horse farm. He used to be a teacher but resigned to join the army. Then he was injured, so he is sent to help with the horses. He has no knowledge about horses, but he is patient. Sadie is surprised how good he is around horses. He and Sadie become good friends. 
• Antonia Weston is a young woman who David meets when she is training to be an officer. Antonio runs a small tea room for soldiers, and she and David become good friends. They have many interests in common, but David claims he is in love with Sophy. When he goes to the front, he keeps writing to her. When Oliphant writes to tell her about David being wounded months later, she goes to see him, and her visit seems to do him good. 
• Erskine Ballantine is Rupert's friend, and he and Rupert often go out together. They are actually lovers. Erskine tries to be exempted from war, but his request is turned down. 
• Sergeant Andy Wood is a man who Ethel dated for a while but then he discovered he was married and had children. After Eric died, she succumbed to Andy's tireless pursuit, and she got pregnant. Frank, who is in love with Ethel, beat him up after he knew what he had done to Ethel. 
• Corporal Len Armstrong is the soldier who starts seeing Ada. 
• Mr Weston is Antonia's father. He used to be the headmaster in a boarding school.
• Olive Marlow, Obby, is a woman who Diana met when she and Charles were courting. She meets her again at a party, and they strike up a good friendship.
• Lord Forbesson is a friend of Edward's. He works for the war office.
• Warren (28) is Edward's secretary. In this book he is called up and Edward finds himself without his right hand, and his replacement is not the same. 
• Annabel Cuthbert is the woman who owns the stables where Sadie gives a hand. Now the army has extended the stables and she houses some voluntary girls. 
• Mrs Honoria Fitzgerald is the rector's wife and tends to be bossy and determined in her views about how the ladies' committee need to help in the war and organise activities. 
• Dr Fitzgerald is the vicar. 
• Mrs Fanny Oliver is a parishioner and is the chairman in the Northcote branch of Red Cross.
• Annie (Lady Agnes) is the woman who Laura meets at Diana's wedding. She talks to her about her plans to go and help in France with other women. She has turned a car of hers into an ambulance, and she offers Laura to be the driver.
• Edie Lusby is Ethel's real mother. Edie ran away with a tinker when Ethel was young. Ethel goes to find her and she discovers that Edie has had a long line of husbands and partners, none too good to her. She lives in squalor, and has several children of different relationships, and she even had two children who died. Edie tells her that Ethel's real father was the man she thought of as her brother, Cyril.
• Cyril Lusby was Edie's brother, and Ethel discovers that he is her real father. Cyril died years ago, and Ethel  can't deny that he was good to her, made her go to school, and made her go into service.
• Mrs Milly Dawson is a woman who offers Beattie voluntary work in a canteen for servicemen, and Beattie accepts. It is in the canteen that Beattie bumps into Louis
• Farringdon is one of Bobby's fellow pilots, and he writes to the Hunters when Bobby died. 
• Sister Heaton is the nurse who Edward hires to help David when he first comes home after the hospital.
• Jim Cotton is Louisa's brother, but he dies when his ship sinks after hitting a mine. His death leaves Louisa devastated. 
• Lady Betty Frampton works with Beatty at the canteen. She has something against officers, because she never serves them.
• Solange is Elise de Rouveroy's maid. 
• Podrick is a groom at the stables where Sadie works.
• Horsey (Dobbin) (20) is Bobby's friend. He fails the physical and goes into the Intelligence Corps. He is engaged to marry.
• Mary Talbot is Dobbin's fiancée.
• Mr Muchison is Edward's new secretary. He is older than Warren, and Edward misses Warren's efficiency.
• Catherine (15) is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert. She is quite shy.
• Jane (16)  is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert. She and Jennifer are chatty and keep giggling together. 
• Jennifer (16)  is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert. She and Jane are chatty and keep giggling together. 
• Winifred (17) is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert.
• Monica  is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert.
• Mary (18) is one of the new girls working for Mrs Cuthbert. She comes from a rich family who own horses, and her mother thinks that if she wants to have horses, she needs to learn how to work with them. 
• Dr Elsie Murray is one of the women in Laura's ambulance team.
• Flora Hazlitt is another woman in Laura's ambulance team.
• Brigadier General Boom Trenchard was Bobby's superior.
• Sergeant Cairns is the officer who is in charge of the horses brought to Mrs Cuthbert's stables.
• Mrs Lattery is a parishioner in the church committee
• Mrs Carruthers is a parishioner in the church committee.
• Mrs Ellison is a parishioner in the church committee.
• Alicia Harding is the local doctor's daughter and a friend of Diana's. 
• Captain Casimir is the requisitioner officer and supplies horses for the army.
• PC Whittle is the constable in Northcote and is the one who informs the Hunters about Bobby's death.

Characters who have appeared in one of the books  (and may reappear)

• Adelaide Carbury (Addie), nee Cazalet (1870)(46 years old) is Beatty's sister and lives in Ireland with her husband. Beattie is very worried about her when there is an uprising in Ireland, but Addie is okay. 
• Sir John Carbury is Adelaide's husband.
• Johnny Carbury (1896) (20 years old) is Adelaide and John's son. After the upring, his parents send him and his brother to America. 
• Fergus Carbury (1898) (18 years old) is Adelaide and John's second son.  After the upring, his parents send him and his brother to America.
• Saint Henry is Rupert's friend, who Rupert talked into seducing Diana, so that she would call off her engagement with Charles. 
• Mrs Oliphant is Freddie Oliphant's mother. She seems to be quite stiff in her views.
• Mr Oliphant is Freddie's father. He is in two minds about David as Sophy's future husband. He likes the young man, but he thinks his daughter could do better than him. 
• Bertha Dale is Antonia Weston's friend, and Oliphant used to meet her when he was training alongside David.
• Henry Binns (14) used to be the Hunters' boot boy. When Henry made a mistake, ringing the bells in the village  after dreaming of an attack, he was so ashamed that he left his job for the Hunters.
• Sister Ryan works in the war hospital in Northcote.
• Charles Wroughton (28)  was of an aristocratic family in Northcote. He and Diana were engaged, but he died in action in 1915 just a few weeks before the wedding. Charles was always kind and loyal, and Diana still thinks about him quite often. 
• Humphrey Hobart is the man who David thought Sophy was walking out with. In his visit Oliphant tells David that his mother is pushing Sophy to spend time with him now that he is on leave. 
• Porteous (Porker) was Bobby's fellow cadet in the flying training centre, but in a practice he crashed the plane and died. 
• Henry Bowers (Hank) is Mrs Oliver's nephew's brother-in-law in America and ends up in England when the war catches up with him in Germany. He was also in love with Diana. He enlists and in this book he dies during the Irish uprising. 
• Eric Travers was the young man who Ethel had a relationship with and died when he and Ethel were in London and were bombed. . 
• Tom Piper was a young soldier who was convalescing in the war hospital and Sadie used to go andkeep him company. He lost an arm, and his condition worsened and he died. .
• Annie Lusby was Ethel's mother, but before she died she confessed that her real mother was  the person who she thought was her sister. 
• Lady Helen Hale was the woman Charles's family wanted  him to marry.