𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙
Annotations and author notes to 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.
Can be read alongside the novel as a companion work, but not recommended for those who simply want to read in peace. For complet...
Illustration The AI really outdid itself for this chapter, providing me with at least twenty usable illustrations. My husband chose this one; I think he has more artistic taste than I do.
Quote From the 1954 gospel song, "In My Father's House", by Aileen Hanks. Best known from the version recorded by Elvis Presley in 1960. The lyrics are inspired by John 14:2 in the King James Bible, where it says, "In my father's house there are many mansions."
Mansions in this context simply means "rooms", and some modern translations say something like, "In my father's house there are enough rooms for everybody". However, the song speaks of a "mansion" in a "bright city", which seemed very apt for this chapter.
The Rose and Star When Noel takes Julian to his hotel for the night, since they have missed the bus back to The Wayfarers Arms, Julian is stunned to see it is an elegant luxury hotel. This is taken directly from Defending Your Life, where Daniel is put up at a standard motel, and is dismayed to find Julia is at a swanky hotel.
The implication is the same here – those at the fancy hotel are destined to go on to a higher plane, while the people at the average accommodation are going elsewhere. However, I gave Julian a charming country inn rather than a cheap motel room. Most readers said they would prefer Julian's accommodation to Noel's.
The hotel's name is obviously taken from the rose garden in the centre of Mandela Park; the hotel's crest even shows a white rose and a silver star. Roses and stars are a recurring motif in the story, representing universal love and light. The Rose and Star uses the colours blue, white and silver in its decorations - traditional colours of the sky and therefore heaven.
I based the décor of The Rose and Star on that of a number of classic luxury hotels in London. Noel's penthouse suite is specifically based on The Royal Suite at Claridge's in Mayfair. It's where Mr and Mrs Middleton stayed for the royal wedding of their daughter Catherine to Prince William, and it costs more than ₤8000 a night.
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Cornflowers Margaret' favourite flowers. Noel orders a vase of them to be sent up to her every morning, as the hotel suites have white roses and lilies instead (symbols of purity, often used as funeral flowers). Of course, Margaret could always order the cornflowers herself, but that would not be nearly so special as receiving them as a gift. As Margaret is dressed in blue, cornflower blue may very well be her favourite colour.
Cornflowers were originally weeds which grew in wheat fields – a suitably humble and rural flower for Margaret to have as her favourite. Also known as Bachelor's Buttons, cornflowers are traditionally known as a symbol for those seeking love, and are commonly used in wedding bouquets. In France, they are used to commemorate the war dead on Remembrance Day, just as poppies are in Britain. My head canon is that Margaret lost her husband in the First World War when she would have been in her twenties, and stayed faithful to his memory.
