Synopsis

How do you say good-bye without neglect?

How do you permit closeness without betrayal?

William, English aristocrat rebel fostering a fondness for dramatic decisions, flees his painful past and moves to London where he meets Nilam, self-confident, open and merry as a puppy...

Two worlds clash.

Will William be able to keep up his walls against such zest for life and open affection? Will Nilam be able to look behind the cool mask without letting himself become discouraged?

Character biographies

Main characters

William Will Theophil of Brynmore:

At first sight, Will is a morose, perfectionist librarian with the tendency to keep clear of everything that has only remotely anything to do with joy. Although he does not show any interest in anything or anyone and seems to be perfectly comfortable in his role as lone wolf, everyone, who cares to have a look behind the façade, will get to know his character of being, in truth, that of a warm-hearted, actually very sensitive and, above all, lonely person. But, deep inside of him, Will finds the strength to lie to himself every single day again. If he does not succeed in destroying any emerging friendly feelings for him by his attitude, he enhances his efforts by his rebellious outer appearance and grim glances. As Nilam enters his life, he is confronted painfully with the enormous extent his daily lying to himself has come to. The more he and Nil grow closer, the more his fear increases of losing him again. And he becomes aware what he misses the most.

Nilam Singh:

Nilam loves life. He loves old names, whose meaning he still has to research and interpret. And Nilam loves London. At least that part he has read about. When his chance comes to live in London for professional reasons, he seizes the opportunity. Despite of the discomfort he causes and without the approval of his room-mate Will, Nilam moves into the apartment, which is offered to him for free by a common friend. Right from day one he turns both of their lives upside down. When, very soon, he decides to be in love with William, he becomes unstoppable. Gaily and innocently, he breaks down Will’s walls stone by stone, knowing exactly what he wants, regardless of his seemingly clumsy ways. As Nilam’s devotion increases gradually, Will acts as the devil himself with all his might. But all attempts to appear inapproachable are undone by Nil’s unconditional search for the true Will. So, in the end, they have just one choice: They have to find out, if Will is able to give in to his own yearning and to Nilam’s wish for a partnership.

Minor characters

Sir Eric Draven:

William’s godfather is a small, chubby person with a lot of common sense and a heart of gold. He and Will are connected not only by their love for books or by the noble title: Against all odds, Eric married someone not belonging to noble circles as he was young. When he learns about William loving a commoner as well and his being thrown out of his parents’ manor as a consequence, Eric welcomes his godson with open arms. He accepts Will’s love and proves to be a true friend for him during his worst moments. Eric also works wonders at creating a place for them all to live and love and work, so that they could live independently and in peace - if not for some strokes of fate lurking behind dark corners.

Rose Draven:

Rose Draven is the love of his life and wife of Eric Draven. Compared to him, she is a more level-headed human being, who, despite her reserve, knows when it is time to act.  In difficult moments of William’s life she is the one keeping track of everything and pushing him softly into the right direction.

Emely of Brynmore:

Emely is William’s gentle mother, who loves her husband and son dearly. She makes the impression of giving in to the tantrums of her husband silently, but proves in time that she is on one side only: the family’s side. With the help of an ally, Emely succeeds in convincing the two stubborn Brynmore men of her ideas and wishes. She grants both men an enormous amount of free space, knowing that this is the only way they can handle themselves and the world around them. She remains to be the solid rock in the emotional turmoil of her family also after William’s disinheritance and the following difficult years. But soon she shows that all the free space in the world is only desirable, when there is a home one can always return to.

Mortimer „ Morty“ of Brynmore:

Mortimer is William’s father, an aristocrat and gentleman to the core. And William’s best friend, actually. But, in the heat of the moment, he makes the mistake of ranking some of his very antiquated moral conceptions higher than the friendship and love between himself and his son. When, after years of silence, he and Will see each other again, he has learned a lot and longs for a new beginning. But new events reveal that his hot-blooded son resembles his father more than he is willing to accept. Will is not free of emotional acts and prejudices either. Time will have to tell if they will find a way to bury the hatchet or if their paths will separate again.

Content

William, offspring of an English noble family, tries to forget the sad events of his past by burying himself in a London museum. Working frenetically as a librarian, rebelling against the whole world, he increasingly retreats from his environment and forbids any kind of approach. Even the efforts of Sir Eric Draven, the museum’s owner and friend of William’s mother, and his loving wife Rose are of no avail.  

The apparently hopeless situation changes, when the young Indian Nilam Singh, son of a maharaja and an English lady, arrives from India and is also accommodated by Sir Eric. Nilam is supposed to get to know his European roots. And Nilam wants to get to know a lot more, above all people, and above all people his inapproachable room-mate - William. Like a curious puppy Nilam walks clumsily through life in London and the Dravens’ household. He perseveres to gain William as a friend and refuses to be intimidated by Will’s initial fits of rage and hostile attitude. Gradually Nil is able to break down the walls William has built up around himself and discovers Will’s true nature, the nature of a sensitive and affectionate young man.

But the past still overshadows William’s life and endangers the tender connections, blossoming between himself and the young Indian.

Will William and Nilam succeed in accepting the past and living with it? Will there be a future for the two young men together?

A book like a fairy-tale. Imagine Snow White being a lonely rebel, getting kissed awake by a whirlwind of Indian magic…

And they lived happily ever after? You will find the answer on these pages.