Fretland

Fretland is the name of the Norwegian family, which invited the protagonist Edward Charles Harden and his ward, Lissie, to the village of Graavik.

The family members, who invited Edward and Lissie, are Anna Fretland, Johan Fretland and their daughter, Ruth.


 * Johan has a twin brother named Fredrik, and a younger brother named Arne.


 * Anna has a twin sister named Margaret. Before their wedding, their family name was Taylor.


 * Frederik and Margaret Fretland have a son named Simon.


 * Simon is the older cousin of Ruth.

Inside the Fretland's house
In the Fretland farmhouse is a photo of the family but also a wedding photo showing Johan and Anna together with Fredrik and Margaret Fretland, which are the identical twins of Johan and Anna. They married in 1899.


 * When Edward and Lissie look around, they find a bookshelf with English books only. Edward then explains, although Anna grew up in Ålesund, she actually was Scottish.


 * There is a photograph from 1897, showing Fredrik and Johan Fretland in front of a mine ("Gruben") entrance. Edward can read "Fretland Brothers Mining Company A/S" written on a sign in the photo. There also is a boy (later revealed as Arne Fretland) in the middle behind the shown mining cart.


 * Johan obviously left the Mining Company in May 1902. From a cut out newspaper article (May 23, 1902) on the desk in the Fretland house.
 * A tragic accident in the mine happened in July 1902. The mine collapsed and killed three workers, including 19-year-old Arne Fretland, the younger brother of Johan and Fredrik. Edward can read this from a cut out newspaper article (July 14, 1902) on the desk in the Fretland house.
 * Another newspaper article on the desk is from September 3, 1902, reports about the financial downfall of the mine.


 * In a closet is a tailor's dummy with a scarf, which belonged to Betty. Edward recognises it as the scarf she bought at Bloomingdale's the Christmas before last, although Lissie seems not to remember having Betty around then.