Balls and assemblies form a regular feature of Georgian and Regency era historical novels. Often heroes and heroines meet, flirt, fight, and even fall in love on the ballroom floor. But what was it really like to attend a ball? Recently I got to find out first hand. My husband, eldest son and his wife, …
Tag: Regency History
The Regency Housekeeper
We are all familiar with Mrs. Reynolds of Pride and Prejudice. She is the friendly housekeeper who leads Elizabeth Bennet and the Gardiners on their tour of Pemberley. In the process, she espoused the wonderful attributes of her master and provided further evidence that Wickham is not to be trusted, immediately endearing herself to reader …
Pride, Prejudice & Propriety
Just how proper were Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy? We all know that etiquette and proper behaviour were de riguer in the Regency period. Unmarried women had to be chaperoned at all time, they could not correspond with unmarried gentlemen, they were expected to be pure in mind and body, etc. But where there are human beings …
Sixpence and Christmas Pudding by Leslie Diamond
First off, I want to give a huge thanks to Austen Variations for asking me to be one of their guest posts! I recently made a big move across the pond, and have spent the last six months adjusting to life as an expat. I realize every day I still have a long way to …
An Accomplished Young Lady by Maria Grace
Jane Austen’s work often makes references to the accomplishments necessaryfor a young woman, most memorably in the dialogue between Darcy and Caroline Bingley. Although modern audiences may find the exchange somewhat humorous, a proper education was crucial to a middle or upper class young lady’s future. Since a woman’s only ‘proper’ aspiration was to marriage, her …
Addle-Pates, Gudgeons and Paper-sculls: Fools in the Regency Era
Since I am a writer, language captivates me, especially in the way it relates to a culture. With three teen aged sons living at home I get to hear a lot of the slang they encounter. I never cease to be fascinated by the terms that come up, and how often I haven’t a clue …
Ratafia is not for Sissies!
This post is a follow-up on the Jane Austen Happy Hour workshop at last weekend’s RT convention where fellow Austen Authors Karen Doornebos, Marilyn Brant, Sharon Lathan, C. Allyn Pierson and I discussed regency-era alcoholic beverages, complete with taste-testing. I provided ratafia, and since I’d forgotten to bring the recipe cards, I volunteered to post …
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