Tryst

Elswyth Thane

Sabrina lives with her maiden aunt and widowed father in England. She had been left to herself most of her short life, so at 17 is well read but socially regressed. She was only sent off to school one year and had to leave early. Her father is wrapped up in himself and her aunt is caring but busy. It is now 1939 and her father has just taken them out to a rented house in the countryside.

Sabrina is quickly intrigued about the locked room at the top of the stairs. There is a clause in the lease to leave the room alone while waiting for the owner's brother to return from overseas. She sneaks in and finds a library that is a magnet for her. The housekeeper gives her permission to read in the room as long as nothing else is disturbed.

Hilary has been escaping a perilous adventure in India. He was shot and was being flown back for immediate medical attention when the plane was shot down. As he lay there dying, his last thoughts are for England and his home in the countryside.

This is a romance and a ghost story. As Sabrina learns more about Hilary, she becomes more attracted. As Hilary's ghost learns about Sabrina, he realizes that his death was a mistake. This young girl is his true love and he should not have died just before he was to head home.

This book was published in 1939. It is a wonderful romance, and has the tone of its author and time. The war that is brewing is in the background, but England is still hopeful that war will be avoided. Sabrina's exploration of Hilary's room are written just right for the person who means to keep her word yet keeps getting intrigued about the owner. Hilary has his troubles adjusting to being a ghost. Because of when it was written the tone is different from what is found today. I first read it as a teenager, and still find it charming.