My grandparents were married on Valentine’s Day, so I’ve always had a soft spot for the holiday. Even when I haven’t had a valentine, I celebrate it. Wickeds, some of us have romance in our novels, others don’t. How will your characters celebrate Valentine’s Day? Any special food or rituals that would be fun to talk about? A pining for previous loves, or a celebration of friendship? Or a romantic dinner?
Jessie: What a lovely question! My sleuth, Beryl, will likely open a lavish number of cards and tokens on the day from a wide circle of admirers. She will be pleased but non-plussed. Edwina may be faced with a heartfelt offerings from her dear friend Charles who is far more interested in her than she is in him. I am afraid her day will be spent in discomfort and agitation! Both ladies will receive flowers from jobbing gardener, Simpkins.
Julie: Jessie, I love Simpkins, and suspect he will make lovely bouquets for them both. Delia is sort of dating Stan from the Star, but he’ll be working. So she and Lilly will plan a decadent dinner of their favorite things, and they’ll invite Ernie and Roddy. Ernie will bring them plants. Roddy will bring them really good chocolates.
Liz: What a fun question! Maddie tends to have low expectations, but this year she’s hoping that Lucas, the hot dog groomer, will plan something lovely to show that he’s not like the guys she usually dates. She’s fine with low-key, but wants to feel appreciated. So maybe a nice dinner somewhere, and a card or flowers.
Barb: On Friday, Julia and Chris will be working their tails off at their dinner restaurant. Gus’s Too is positioned as a place for locals to have a date night during the off-season, so it is fully booked. To compensate, on the Tuesday before Valentine’s, when they were closed, Chris cooked a romantic dinner for two in the restaurant space. It’s a bit of a busman’s holiday for him and Julia tried to talk him into going out somewhere off the penninsula, but she could see he really wanted it so she gave in. At the appointed hour, when Julia came downstairs from their apartment, wearing a dress for the first time in months, there were roses in “their” booth, the place where they re-met after all Julia’s years away. The table was set with china and linens borrowed from Julia’s mother. Dinner was a multi-course extravaganza that took Julia’s breathe away…
Edith/Maddie: Aww, Barb. I love that! Down on Cape Cod, Mac’s boyfriend Tim will cook her a romantic dinner at his cottage – and gently hint how much he’d love to start a family with her (like she doesn’t already know…). In South Lick, eighty-something Samuel is taking Robbie’s Aunt Adele out to the fanciest restaurant in Nashville, but Abe and Robbie decide to go simple and have cheese fondue in front of his fireplace, followed by chocolate fondue.
Sherry: Seth is going to whisk Sarah off for a weekend at a cozy historic inn on the coast of Massachusetts. Sarah is going to give him a antique shaving mirror as a gift. She tried to get one for him recently but it didn’t work out the way she planned. Other than a nice dinner out they plan to take walks, hold hands, and visit some antique stores.
Readers, do you like to imagine what characters are doing on holidays when we haven’t got them solving crimes? Any Valentine’s Day wishes?
Barb, I know Julia and Chris didn’t have lobster because the soft shell season is during the summer and no Mainer would find a hard shell lobster romantic! Edith, how will Rose Carroll celebrate?
I forgot to include her, didn’t I? Quakers then would have said it’s a day like any other day (as they did even for Christmas and Easter), but I imagine David might bring her a sweet card and a box of chocolates.
I guess Chris could have made something with the lobster bodies, but I was imagining something extravagant with tuna.
Kait, this is something I didn’t know. And I’m a New Englander.
I don’t imagine what characters do on holidays. Of course, since some of the books are set around Christmas or another holiday, I don’t have to for some of them.
I don’t have any plans for me for the “holiday”. Being single, I really don’t have to. The one thing I do to be nice is I get one of those small little heart boxes filled with some chocolates for my two female co-workers. And the women at my favorite restaurant get one as well. Kind of a renewable thank you for the good service.
What a lovely thing to do!
That’s very nice! I always reach out to the nieces and nephews on the day. And my cats get an extra treat.
I love books that give us a glimpse of the characters’ lives outside the main plot. The “rich full life.” Thanks for sharing the Valentine’s Day plans of your characters!
Hi Connie! It was a fun assignment.
I always wonder what goes on between books. This actually helped me think a bit about the start to my current book, and having something happen that is alluded to.
My parents were married on Valentine’s Day too. What makes their wedding stand out was that they met on a blind date and were married seven days later. 🙂 They were married just shy of 60 years when Dad went to his heavenly home. I’m sure he was there waiting on his Valentine when Mom went to join him. So to me Valentine’s Day takes on another special meaning and another way to remember the great love between my parents.
Always enjoy spending the day with my sweetheart. This year, weather permitting, we will have a fun day taking photos, enjoying a special seafood supper and just enjoying being together.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
My Hugh and I had our first date (thanks, match.com!) on Valentine’s Day 16 years ago!
Seven days! What a lovely story. Have a great day.
Kay, my grandparents were two of my favorite people in the world. I’m so glad that I was able to spend their 50th anniversary with them. He celebrated his 80th birthday later that spring and then passed that May. I hope you have a lovely day. Enjoying being together is such a gift.
I’m always imagining what characters do when they aren’t solving crimes. 🙂
The Hubby got me a box of truffles and we are going to a play on the 15th.
We’re celebrating with a special dinner out on the 13th.
Enjoy the truffles and the date!
How fun to know what some of my favorite characters will be doing! As for me??..lol well, normally my hubby does not think of Valentines day..(he barely remembers my birthday, which is also our anniversary and a week after his bdy, usually one of my kids end up reminding him) so, needless to say, it’ll be an uneventful day. I’ll cook, he’ll eat and be in bed by 7:30 or so..hahahahaha Does this bother me, you may ask..No, it doesn’t, I’ve learned to live with it. I used to try, I’d get him a card or his favorite candy..which would only make him feel bad, because, he’d not given it a thought.
It sounds like you are a very smart person who doesn’t let her happiness ride on someone else’s actions.
I just confirmed my date for Friday – I’ve got a dentist appointment in the morning. I’ve just joined a small group at church that meets Friday night, so I will go to that in the evening.
I wish you well at the dentist! Sounds like a good Friday otherwise.
Sometimes my loving hubby and I do something special, but really after 47 years, every day is Valentine’s Day. This year we will be helping to set up a model trolley layout for a weekend show. We just enjoy being together whatever we do.
I love reading what all of your characters are planning. What fun!
How lovely is that? Have a wonderful time setting up the trains!