Back Stories

Here's the main cast of characters from Missing in Time. 

SALLY SOFORTH 

AGE: Twelve 

HAIR: Reddy brown with gold flecks
HOMETOWN: Orlando, Florida, USA

Sally lives in the theme-park capital of the world, on the edge of a woods in a tumbledown, one-storey rental with Gran. She’s never been to a theme park, but she pretends she has to her classmates by carrying Spiderman backpacks, Bambi binders, Minnie Mouse notebooks. Anything to give the impression she actually goes to the parks. Her school overlooks Universal Studios, and she can see a section of rollercoaster track from her history-class window. Outside, Mickey’s black ears are everywhere; even when Sally looks up at the clouds she sees them.

At home, Sally hides from life in the movies she watches, and she relates everything in life to them. They are her friends. Sally wishes she had a real friend.

SALLY’S BEDROOM IN ORLANDO: The cracks on Sally’s wall are covered with movie posters. Her floor is piled with old DVDs in alphabetical stacks (e.g. A’s: Action, Adventure, Animation). She loves to lie in the cozy nest of her unmade bed and watch a movie. Favorites include Studio Ghibli movies such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, etc. And classics like The Secret Garden, Mary Poppins, and The Sound of Music. Comfort movie: Groundhog Day. Sally is currently learning about Hitchcock thriller classics.

PERSONALITY:  Sally buries her emotions and finds it hard to talk about the death of her parents. Though she directs any anger at Gran. She is resourceful and is working on her powers of persuasion. She is afraid of the dark.

ADRIAN MERRYWEATHER

AGE: Nearly 15

IN THE LOOKS DEPARTMENT: His eyes are gray and honest. His eyelashes are long. His hair is curly, but he has to wet it down to please the strict butler. His best feature, though, is his smile.

JOB: Footman. (A footman is a servant who runs errands and does chores all day for the family he works for. In 1912, it wasn’t unusual to have servants as young as 12 because you could leave school then. Of course, many servants were exploited and had to work long, hard hours for pocket-money.)

ADRIAN’S UNIFORM: Silver-buttoned jacket that dips down at the back, shirt with high collar that folds into little triangles in the corner, and a bow tie. Adrian looks very cool in his uniform.

(There was no such thing as casual clothes in 1912, so when Adrian has time off, he wears a jacket, trousers, and a cap because everyone in 1912 wears a hat.)

Adrian is proud of his job and proud to be a Bay boy (Robin Hood’s Bay is shortened to just Bay to local people). After the first World War (1914-1918), people didn’t want to be servants anymore. But before then, in Adrian’s time, being ‘in service’ was a good way to avoid poverty and have a job with a place to live and food included.

ADRIAN'S FAMILY: Adrian has only one relative—Uncle Thaddeus—who lives in the smallest cottage in the village, possibly the smallest home in Britain. Adrian’s father, a fisherman, was drowned at sea in a storm. His mother died of TB, which is a disease of the lungs.

ADRIAN'S OLD SCHOOL: When Adrian had to go to school, he hated it. And no wonder. He has Dyslexia, and in 1912 there is no such diagnosis, and the teachers just thought he was lazy and punished him. Dyslexia is just a different way of seeing writing, and Adrian gets his b’s and d’s twisted round. He struggles to read but wants to, so he tries his best.

Is Adrian the perfect friend?

Well, if you don’t mind that he doesn’t get your jokes. Doesn’t get that just because you’re a girl, you aren’t helpless. Then, yes, he is. Because he’ll always be there for you, supportive and ready to travel across the country. Even ready to put himself in danger.

BIRKETT

Birkett is the creepy butler; the head of all the servants at Brumpton Manor. He’s a bully, a control freak, and other things you’ll find out when you read the book. He speaks in a low voice (hiding his true character from the family). He goes to church every Sunday.

Birkett doesn’t understand Sally, and hates her because of it. His frustration is he doesn’t have complete control over the house. Mrs. Brumpton, the owner, does.

MRS. MEADOWCROFT

Mrs. Meadowcroft is the cook at Brumpton Manor. She is motherly and good hearted. Small but strong. She takes an instant liking to Sally and treats her like the daughter she never had. There’s more to Mrs. Meadowcroft than just cooking, but you’ll have to discover that in the book.

OLD JACK

Old Jack is the coachman, which is the person who looks after as well as drives the Brumptons’ horse and carriage. Cars had been invented in 1912, but there are no cars on the narrow, sloping cobblestones of Robin Hood’s Bay. Old Jack was brought up in Victorian times, and he lived in the Workhouse as a child (the Workhouse is an institution for the poor. It is a bleak, terrible place to live). Old Jack has gypsy blood and this is revealed by his dark, all-seeing eyes and swarthy skin. He has a natural talent with horses, but he isn’t a people person. His major worry is that the new motorcar will one day replace his job.

NED HUMDRUM

Ned is the gardener. A quiet, soft spoken man who is always in the background.

GERTY CULVERHOUSE

Gerty is three maids all in one: kitchen maid, laundry maid, and scullery maid (a scullery is a kitchen wash house). Because Gerty doesn’t see the light of day very often, she has pale skin, dark shadows under her eyes, and limp hair. But she has arm muscles from all her heavy work. She is one of thirteen children. Once, Gerty nearly starved to death, but that’s story you’ll have to read more of.

ABIGAIL WAINWRIGHT

Abigail is a young and pretty housemaid. She’s also on trial as ladies maid to Mrs. Brumpton. She probably won’t ever be promoted (saving Mrs. Brumpton paying out a higher salary). Abigail is friendly towards Sally and pretty easy-going, considering she’s above her. There is something not quite right with the way Abigail speaks, and there’s a reason for it that you’ll discover in the book.

THE BRUMPTONS

The family of Brumpton Manor: Mr. Phillip Brumpton, Mrs. Kate Brumpton, and Lydia Brumpton.

Mr. Brumpton is fascinated by inventions; his office is cluttered with them. He smokes big fat cigars.

Mrs. Brumpton is fair but tight with cash. Much to her husband’s frustration, she is afraid of the new technology: electricity. 

Lydia is their eighteen-year-old daughter who is bored with her Edwardian life.

There is a lot more to the Brumptons, but I don’t want to give more plot points away.