the family spent their summers in scotland, the setting of her books. they were there in 1939 when her father, a naval officer, decided that they should remain in inverewe for the duration of world war ii. the area was remote; fitzroy wrote her first book, "orders to poach" (which told the story of the stewart children receiving unusual instructions from their overseas father) to entertain her two younger sisters, barbara (now ormrod) and the late amelia (now jessel). it was published by collins, as billy collins was a friend of the family. the second, "steer by the stars" and the third "the house in the hills", were based in the same location.