Vanessa Riley's Blog, page 298

A Suitable Match, Serial Story Section 5 and a Chance to Win

To kick off our second year of celebrating Inspirational Regency fiction, we are presenting the serial story, A Suitable Match. At the end of the month we’ll be giving away a fabulous prize package filled with items tied to the story. For a chance to win, find the item mentioned in this section and leave a note in the comments. Details and a list of prizes can be found here. 

Missed an earlier section? Read it here: 1 2 3 4

The George and Pelican Inn, somewhere between Somerset and London

April 1818

“Gone? She can’t be gone!” Chard glanced at Twiford who uttered the same words, the  panic and disbelief in his voice mirroring Chard’s.

“I’m sorry, my lord, but I checked her room myself. It’s empty.” The servant shuffled his feet, probably in anticipation of fleeing the company of two angry peers.

Lord Twiford stomped from the room with Chard on his heels. If she had left, she couldn’t have gone far.

***

Cressida pressed her ear to the doorjamb, careful not to scrape it against the rough wood. A little ache and discomfort was one thing. Some things had to be suffered through in order to achieve the desired result, after all. A mass of splinters in the side of her face was another thing entirely, and something to be avoided if at all possible.

Her nose flattened as she pressed into the door, peering through the knothole. If she angled her head just right, she could see the counter at the bottom of the stairs where the innkeeper did business.

Moments earlier the innkeeper had informed the servant that she had vacated her rooms, implying that she had departed from the inn entirely. The man had been hesitant to give her a new room late last night so she could fool the men into thinking she was gone, but an old silver locket had been enough to purchase the new room and his cooperation.

She hated to part with any of her inherited jewels, but this trinket was by far the least valuable. Besides, it was worth it if it allowed her to escape the company of the men from her past.

“What is the meaning of this nonsense?” Lord Twiford’s voice shot up the stairs followed by the reverberation of his pounding on the innkeeper’s counter.

It was too bad that such a contrary disposition wore such a pleasing appearance.

Lord Chard joined the party, adding his own demands that the innkeeper tell him how she had left the premises. Cressida’s heartbeat rushed a little louder through her abused ear. Recollections of stolen kisses and quiet talks flooded her mind. The years had not done enough to dampen the memories of her engagement. How could she possibly find another man to wed in London where frolicking dances and intimate rides in the park would forever make her think of him?

“This is just like her,” Twiford ranted. “Thoughtless. Frivolous.”

It appeared his opinion of her had not improved over the years. Spoiled, careless, and vain were going to be his next insults if memory served correctly.

“Cease, Twiford. She doesn’t deserve your disdain now any more than she did then.” Chard beat his hat against his leg, looking past the innkeeper into the common room beyond. Was he hoping she would be sitting amongst the locals enjoying a cup of tea?

“I will never understand why you jump to her defense so quickly. Are you saying you approve of this reckless behavior?”

A smile crept across Cressida’s lips. Chard had defended her back then? She’d always wondered.

“Of course I don’t approve. It shows she’s never outgrown that blasted impulsiveness that had her breaking our engagement. She may be a bit self-absorbed but that’s no reason to malign her.”

Cressida’s smile fell into a frown. Breaking their engagement had not been a fit of selfish impulsiveness. How dare he discount her sacrifice on his behalf?

“I always thought her desertion of you was rather noble, myself.” Twiford strode out of her line of vision. “You needed money, she didn’t have any. She probably thought she was doing you a favor.”

She pressed a hand to her forehead and abandoned her knot hole to rest her head on the solidity of the wall, feeling dizzy despite her prone position stretched along the floor of her new room, just two doors down from her old one. Men! If they could just decide on whether or not they disliked her, they could go on to London and leave her to figure out her own transportation. The locket she’d given the innkeeper might be enough to rent her a post chaise to continue the journey.

“Pardon me, gentlemen, but could you direct me to Miss Cressida Blackstone?”

Cressida’s eyes flew open. She jammed her face against the door and felt a prick as a prong of wood stabbed her in the ear. Ross Ainsworth had recovered sufficiently from his head wound and decided to join the drama at the innkeeper’s desk.

“Who are you?” Chard demanded.

“Her driver,” Twiford mumbled at the same time that Ross declared, “Her cousin.”

“How distant?” The menace in Twiford’s voice crawled up the stairs and wrapped around her throat. She could feel his displeasure, it was so thick.

Ross’s eyebrows lowered. “Distant enough. Who are you?”

Chard jerked his gaze from one man to the other. “What is going on here?”

Twiford jutted his chin toward Ross. “He nearly killed Miss Blackstone with his reckless driving.”

“I was merely trying to get her to London as soon as possible.”

“You landed her in a river instead. I brought her here to recover.”

Ross took a slow step forward, his scraped hands balling into fists at his sides. “So help me, my lord, if you have dishonored her-“

“Me? I wasn’t the one traveling to London without a proper chaperone.”

Chard stepped between the two men before they could exchange blows. “Gentlemen, calm yourselves. We all know that Cressy – Miss Blackstone would never do anything untoward, despite how the situation might appear.”

An odd warmth filled Cressida’s midsection. It took a moment to recognize it as pleased surprise that he would defend her honor. But which “he” had caused the pleasure?

Twiford grunted. “We may not know Miss Cressida Blackstone as well as we thought. The woman has run off alone in the middle of the night after all.”

The three men leaned over the counter, addressing the nervous innkeeper. “How did she leave?” Chard asked.

“Er, well, I’m not certain, my lord. She mentioned taking a post chaise to London.”

“Then she hasn’t left,” Ross declared.

“Why not?” Twiford asked.

“I spent the night in the stable, as you so comfortably situated me. No conveyances have left the inn in the last several hours.”

“She might have walked.” Chard rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his weight back and forth as if he wanted to do something, anything, other than stand around discussing the situation.

“We could set out in different directions on horseback. It wouldn’t take long to catch up with her.” Ross grimaced, probably thinking of the agony putting his battered body on a galloping horse would cause.

“It certainly speaks ill of a man that he would allow a gentlewoman to stride into the night unescorted,” Twiford added

The men exchanged glances and then glared at the innkeeper. The man coughed and ran a finger between his neck and cravat.

A young servant girl slipped around them, carrying a loaded tray of tea, toast, and Cressida’s favorite orange marmalade.

Twiford held out a hand, stopping her progress. “If I may be so bold as to inquire, where are you taking that?”

“To the young lady upstairs, my lord. Her maid, Knighting, said to bring it up this morning, as her mistress would be indisposed and unable to come down.” The maid bit her lip as she looked from the three men to the innkeeper.

Cressida’s heart stopped. Her breath turned to stone in her lungs. This couldn’t be happening. She’d been so close.

“Where is this ‘indisposed’ young lady?” Chard asked.

Lie! she screamed in her head, willing the servant girl to tell them she was staying in a room at the back, or that she’d been wrong and it was actually an old woman, or, better yet, a child. Anything to buy her just a little more time, though Cressida had no idea what she would do with those precious seconds.

“In the room at the top of the stairs, my lord.”

So much for that wish.

The three men turned and looked up the stairs, right at her little knothole.

* Section 5 was written by Kristi Ann Hunter, blog.KristiAnnHunter.com *

Did you find the hidden item? Note it in the comments below for a chance to win. 

Don’t forget that the readers will ultimately choose who truly loves Cressida, and whom she loves in return. Already have a favorite? Go vote for him! Want everyone else to vote for him too? Grab a voting badge from the Suitable Match Extras page. 

What do you think the gentlemen are going to do next? Read the next installment!

THE CONTEST AND POLL ARE NOW CLOSED. Feel free to continue to enjoy and share the story.

This highlighted article was originally published: 15/02/2013

Look What I Found

Vanessa here,

Wow, there is more. Here is some of the most interesting Regency content I found today. Click the headline and you will be taken to our custom feed of delightful articles, the best from around the Regency World.

Q&A with Juliette Wells, Editor of Emma: 200th Anniversary Annotated Edition, by Jane AustenSource: AustenprosePublished on 2015-10-12By Laurel AnnPride and Prejudice 1995: 20 years LaterSource: Jane Austen’s WorldPublished on 2015-10-10By VicSite UpdateSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04Latest Nonfiction Book ReviewSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04New Retro Read ReviewSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04Emma: A Little Miss Austen BookSource: Jane Austen’s WorldPublished on 2015-10-02By VicSpecial Brews of Scotland: Groaning Malts and Maturity AlesSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-10-02By Kathryn KaneThe Giving Spirit –Charity & Philanthropy in the RegencySource: Published on 2015-10-02By Gail EastwoodObjets d’…art?Source: Published on 2015-09-28By Rose LernerRegency Bicentennial: The First Builder’s MerchantSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-25By Kathryn KaneYou Stupid GalatiansSource: Published on 2015-09-21By Mary BlayneyFeathers in Regency FashionSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-18By Kathryn KaneIf you were a lady of Napoleon’s court…Source: Published on 2015-09-18By susannaPortable SoupSource: Published on 2015-09-16By Isobel CarrRegency Bicentennial: “An Ass of the Eighteenth Century”Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-11By Kathryn Kane Older posts

It’s like the 4th of July Fourth around here! Nope, It’s Columbus Day.

Just taking some time to remember sacrifices and discovery on Columbus Day.

As much as we love writing about early 19th century England and are fascinated by the society and history of that country, we are truly blessed to live where we do.

Take some time today to pray for the men and women fighting to maintain freedom and for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Happy Columbus Day!

Signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Trumball, via Wiki Commons

Original Post by Kristi Ann Hunter

Article publié pour la première fois le 04/07/2012

Happy July Fourth!

We at Regency Reflections wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July!

As much as we love writing about early 19th century England and are fascinated by the society and history of that country, we are truly blessed to live where we do.

Take some time today to pray for the men and women fighting to maintain freedom and for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Happy July Fourth!

Signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Trumball, via Wiki Commons

Article publié pour la première fois le 04/07/2012

Don’t Miss These:

Vanessa here,

I am lurking on the Regency web, and I am so impressed. Here is some of the most interesting Regency content I found today. Click the headline and you will be taken to our custom feed of delightful articles, the best from around the Regency World.

Here they are. This is not showing well on mobile.

Brinshore: The Watson Novels Book 2, by Ann Mychal – A Review
Source: AustenprosePublished on 2015-10-05By Jenny Haggerty

Site Update
Source: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04

Latest Nonfiction Book Review
Source: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04

New Retro Read Review
Source: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04

Emma: A Little Miss Austen Book
Source: Jane Austen’s WorldPublished on 2015-10-02By Vic

Special Brews of Scotland: Groaning Malts and Maturity Ales
Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-10-02By Kathryn Kane

The Giving Spirit –Charity & Philanthropy in the Regency
Source: Published on 2015-10-02By Gail Eastwood

Objets d’…art?
Source: Published on 2015-09-28By Rose Lerner

Regency Bicentennial: The First Builder’s Merchant
Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-25By Kathryn Kane

You Stupid Galatians
Source: Published on 2015-09-21By Mary Blayney

Feathers in Regency Fashion
Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-18By Kathryn Kane

If you were a lady of Napoleon’s court…
Source: Published on 2015-09-18By susanna

Portable Soup
Source: Published on 2015-09-16By Isobel Carr

Regency Bicentennial: “An Ass of the Eighteenth Century”
Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-11By Kathryn Kane

Fall Forward
Source: Published on 2015-09-11By Elena Greene

Marriage A Glimpse Of Heaven Or Hell

Vanessa here,

Glad you can join me here, today. Well, the porch at the Regency Reflections Blog now possesses new paint, a bit of a makeover. We’ve been posting here since 2012. We love being able to showcase different glimpses of Inspirational Regencies, talking about the stories and the motivations behind them. We’ve even given tastes of the Regency romances that hooked us long before the first traditionally printed Christian Regency was released.

But our fire had grown cold.

It was time find our love again.

The reason I write Regencies is because I found my voice in the 1800’s.  It sounds of a woman, with dreams of a happy-ever-after, challenged by the circumstances, the very skin she’s born within. These stories, gifted by my first love, a passionate, merciful God must be told. It is my first love. And this blog will now share stories of authors and characters who possess the same fire.

Now some of my friend’s stories may be secular authors.  Before you throw holy water at me, I just have to say it. Not everyone is meant to entertain the pews. All types of stories are needed to edify, entertain, and to educate. All of my friends, regardless of what they write use their God-given talents to bring joy and hope into this world. This is something all should see.

 

The Fabulous Jude Knight

My first guest is the wonderful Jude Knight.  Jude traveled all the way from New Zealand to have tea with me on my Atlanta porch. Jude writes strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, villains you’ll love to loathe, and all with a leavening of humor.

“Jude, I know you must be tired, so have a seat. Let me fix you some tea. How would you like it?”

“Thank you, so much for your hospitality. I’d like a green tea with a slice of lemon, or black tea with a small dash of milk.“

“Green it is. Here you go. It’s quite hot. While it cools, tell the good readers what a happy ever after means to you.”

“My view of ‘happy ever after’ is shaped by my life and my beliefs. Falling in love is not enough. A wedding is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. To believe that a romance has a happy ending, I need to believe that the couple’s love will last for a lifetime; that they have what they need to work out the inevitable problems that will try to tear them apart.”

“I don’t mean to get you kicked out of any ‘ABA’ bad girl societies, but tell me what love and faith means to you.”

“My beloved and I have known one another for 47 years, and been married for nearly 44. In that time, our love has been tested over and over, but each challenge we’ve surmounted has made our relationship stronger.

I joke that our marriage has survived because his parents and mine were both against it, and we were too stubborn to admit they were right. He always adds that it also survived because we lived at the end of a long country road and were very poor. Walking out on the marriage would have meant a literal walk — and it was a long way.”

“I love that. Please continue.”

“More to the point, though, we both believed that we had to work things out. Our Christian faith told us that marriage was a permanent commitment. We promised ‘as long as we both shall live’, and we meant it. And we both came from fractured marriages; we knew what disharmony did to children. We were determined to find our ‘happy ever after’, and we did.”

“Tell me how your beliefs have shaped your writing.”

“My husband is a Catholic, and I converted to Catholicism some eight or nine years after we first met. Catholic marriage theology holds that marriage is a sacrament — a visible sign of the presence of God in the world. Just as water is the sign of Baptism, and the bread and wine are the signs of the Eucharist (Holy Communion), so the man and the woman are the sign of Marriage. Water signifies (and becomes) the cleansing grace of God. Bread and wine signify (and become) the presence of Christ in the church community and each individual. The couple signify something very wonderful: Christ’s union with the Church, God’s union with His creation. A person could spend a lifetime thinking about the implications of this, and some people have.”

“Wow. That’s deep. I’m Baptist, and I get it. More so, I feel the same.”

“For today, suffice it to say that building the kind of marriage that is a true signifier of this mystery is not a magic trick taking place in front of the altar on a couple’s wedding day. It is the work of a lifetime together.”

“Ok, tell the good folks about A Baron for Becky.”

“A Baron for Becky is my Regency about marriage, which is why it is a book of two halves. In the first part of the book, my heroine — rescued from dreadful danger — becomes the mistress of a kindly libertine whose view of marriage is extremely jaundiced. Their relationship is founded on lust and convenience on his part, and gratitude on hers.”

“Did I mention to you to tell the PG version for Regency Reflection readers? Just kidding. So in a A Baron for Becky, the heroine makes wrong choices, but that didn’t disqualify her from finding true love. Now that is a message for today.”

“Yes. The second half of the book is about just that between, Becky and Hugh. The libertine arranges their marriage, which takes place at the midpoint of the book. But Becky and Hugh build that marriage. I poured my heart into showing them falling in love; showing how their past experiences almost destroyed them; showing the slow painful process of rebuilding.”

“He was sorry for hurting her, for not trusting her, for manipulating her into marriage, for being a representative of the men that had hurt her. He was sorry for it all, and he could never make it up to her. But he would live his life trying.”

“Dear hubby and I just made 19 years. An accomplishment in this age, but tell us your 44-year secret.”

“The trick of a happy marriage (and a happy life) is to go on loving one another between trials, and to consistently fall in love with the same person, over and over and over. Because love is not about being in love, pleasant though that state is. Love is an action, not a state, not a feeling. Love is making breakfast for the person you want to brain with the frypan. Love is listening to the same joke for the twentieth time and laughing yet again. Love is walking hand in hand for no better reason than that you are fond of one another. Love involves feelings: lust and affection, familiarity and friendship, mutual respect and regard. It grows on shared experiences, memories—both good and bad—of the things you’ve lived through together. But above all, love is what you do when your feelings prompt you against being loving.

How could it be otherwise when love is an echo of Love Himself, the One who loved His people even though they betrayed him, rejected him, and even killed Him? Love is far too important to depend on chemical soup. Love is an action.”

Now that is a message to kick off the new Regency Reflections. Thank you Jude. While my friend takes a swig of her green tea, I just want to thank her for traveling to Atlanta and being my guest. Below is more about Jude and links for A Baron for Becky.

About Jude Knight

Jude Knight is the pen name of Judy Knighton. After a career in commercial writing, editing, and publishing, Jude is returning to her first love, fiction. Her novella, Candle’s Christmas Chair, was released in December 2014, and is in the top ten on several Amazon bestseller lists in the US and UK. Her first novel Farewell to Kindness, was released on 1 April, and is first in a series: The Golden Redepennings.

Follow Jude on social media:

Visit Jude’s Website http://judeknightauthor.com/

Like Jude on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JudeKnightAu...

Buy links

Amazon http://amzn.to/1C3hFNl

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1H3YmTk

Amazon Aus http://bit.ly/1HzUZ9R

Smashwords http://bit.ly/1HzUXPf

Barnes & Noble  http://bit.ly/1GRTvkR

iBooks http://apple.co/1FVFNfU

Kobo http://bit.ly/1NzI2LK

 

Look at what’s Happening in the Regency World

Here is some of the most interesting Regency content I found today. Click the headline and you will be taken to our custom feed of delightful articles, the best from around the Regency World.

Site UpdateSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04Latest Nonfiction Book ReviewSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04New Retro Read ReviewSource: Regency HistoryPublished on 2015-10-04Emma: A Little Miss Austen BookSource: Jane Austen’s WorldPublished on 2015-10-02By VicSpecial Brews of Scotland: Groaning Malts and Maturity AlesSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-10-02By Kathryn KaneThe Giving Spirit –Charity & Philanthropy in the RegencySource: Published on 2015-10-02By Gail EastwoodObjets d’…art?Source: Published on 2015-09-28By Rose LernerRegency Bicentennial: The First Builder’s MerchantSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-25By Kathryn KaneYou Stupid GalatiansSource: Published on 2015-09-21By Mary BlayneyFeathers in Regency FashionSource: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-18By Kathryn KaneIf you were a lady of Napoleon’s court…Source: Published on 2015-09-18By susannaPortable SoupSource: Published on 2015-09-16By Isobel CarrRegency Bicentennial: “An Ass of the Eighteenth Century”Source: JASNAPublished on 2015-09-11By Kathryn KaneFall ForwardSource: Published on 2015-09-11By Elena GreeneRegency Boxer Bill Richmond: Interview with his BiographerSource: Published on 2015-09-09By carolyn Older posts

The Regency Spy ~ Sorting Fact from Fiction

The Regency Spy. He is such a popular figure in fiction that it can be difficult to know where the story ends and the truth begins.

Accounts of actual spies are vague and difficult to find. Not surprising, as they were spies. Undercover work wasn’t exactly respected at the time and was usually done by people acting as double agents: mistresses, traveling poets, scholars, diplomats, etc.

By most accounts, the French were a little better at it than the English, though it’s possible the English were simply a bit better at keeping their activities secret.

In my recent book, A Noble Masquerade, a Napoleonic spy had infiltrated England and our heroic English spy has to stop him. The spies in A Noble Masquerade are considerably more organized than the real Regency spies were, all being connected by a centralized War Office.

There was no organized spy office in England at the time, particularly not a government recognized one. Instead of having a centralized organization, if someone such as the prime minister, foreign minister, or even General Wellington needed information, they built their own slipshod network. Most spy work at the time was actually happening in France, which is where the spy in A Noble Masquerade got his start.

A Noble Masquerade is now available in eBook, paperback, and audio book formats. Find out more at Kristi’s website.

More about A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter:

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother’s old school friend, a duke–with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she’s heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother’s new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned.

When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men–one she’s never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda’s heart is far from all that’s at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

 

The Love of Money

“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.”

Quick, who can name the author of that quote?

You guessed it … Jane Austen wrote these words in Mansfield Park. This particular quote is from a conversation between Fanny and Edmund about their desires to be – or not to be – wealthy.

During the Regency, wealth – or at least the appearance of it – was the ultimate status symbol.  Women did not have the same opportunities to earn money as they do today, so a woman’s economic status was defined by her family’s fortune – first by that of her father, and then by that of her husband.   It was not uncommon for a woman to forego a marriage of love to marry an affluent man.  Many women believed that the more money one possessed, the more secure her future would be.  This point is demonstrated in the following quote about Charlotte Lucas from Pride & Prejudice: “Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.”

So back to the first quote  …  Is a large income the best recipe for happiness? We can find the answer to that question by looking to God’s Word.  The Bible has this to say about the pursuit of money:

Hebrews 13:5:  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you.

Prov. 23:4-5: Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Ecc. 5:10-11: Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

Matthew 6:19-20: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

The Bible says that instead of looking to money to find security and contentment, we are to look to God for such things.

Luke 12:29-34: And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Philippians 4:19
:  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

In parting, I leave you with this question to ponder: Where do YOU find your security and contentment?

Article publié pour la première fois le 27/04/2012

Regency Nobility: Sorting It All Out

Hi all! Dana R. Lynn here. This is my first post on Christian Regency, so I decided to write about something that I had only recently discovered myself…the peerage in Regency England. Now I have been reading Regency romance since high school, when I discovered the works of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Dame Barbara Cartland.  I devoured their books as fast as I could, and then moved on to others. But I never quite understood how all those Dukes and Earls fit together. And if the wife of a Duke was a Duchess and the wife of a Marquess was a Marchioness, what was the title of the wife of a Earl? An Earless? Didn’t think so.

When I decided to write Regency romance, I also began to keep track. So…

The highest rank below the monarchy is the Duke. His wife is known as a Duchess. Dukes are followed by Marquess, or Marquis. Their spouses are Marchionesses. Earl’s are next, and their wives are known as Countesses. Which makes no sense, except that an Earl and a Count are pretty much the same thing. Next, are Viscounts and Viscountesses. The final rung on the peerage ladder is held by the Barons.

My first regency novella, An Inconvenient Courtship, was released in October of 2014. It was a Pride and Prejudice variation novella. My next variation novella will be released in late 2015. I will tell you more about that one as it gets closer to the release date.

I hope this post was helpful! Blessings and happy reading!