There were a myriad of rules in Regency society. Many
governed the behavior between the ranks of men and women and between the ranks
in the social hierarchy.
These are but a few:
Morning calls.
Social connections began with morning calls to homes
of those in fashionable society. Strangely, morning calls were paid in the
afternoon and did not usually exceed half an hour.
A woman could not pay a morning call to her social
superiors until they had called on her or left a card.
A person new to the city or country area waited for
calls of ceremony to be made to them by those already established before they
made a call of their own.
In the country it was acceptable for a man to make a
call or leave a card with someone of higher social standing if they were new to
the neighbourhood.
A gentleman calling on a family for a social visit,
asked for the mistress of the house. The master if it was a business call.
If the lady of the house was away or unable to receive
callers, a card was left. If the daughter was a friend of long standing and
well beyond marriageable age, it was acceptable for a male to call on her, in
the absence of family.
A lady was never permitted to attend a man’s
lodgings whether married or single.
Driving a carriage and Riding
A lady was permitted to drive around town if
accompanied by a groom and alone on her country estate.
It was acceptable to go riding or driving with a
man, if a groom or chaperone was in attendance. And alone, if he was a friend
of long standing or a relative.
As long as a lady was properly attired and rode
side-saddle, she could ride a horse. But galloping in Hyde Park was not
permitted.
And never riding dressed like a man!
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| Horatia Cavendish in A Baron in her Bed iStock copyrighted Image |
During the Season, it was essential to be seen in
Hyde Park during the promenade hour between 5.00pm and 6.00pm.
Not everyone complied with the rules, however:
From Regency
Etiquette, The Mirror of Graces (1811) by A Lady of Distinction: Advice to young
women: [The] ‘indiscriminate facility which some young women have in permitting
what they call a good-natured kiss. These good-natured kisses have often very
bad effects, and can never be permitted without injuring the fine gloss of that
exquisite modesty which is the fairest garb of virgin beauty.’
A BARON IN
HER BED
The Spies
of Mayfair Series
Book One
London, 1816. A handsome baron. A
faux betrothal. And Horatia’s plan to join the London literary set takes a
dangerous turn.
Now
that the war with France has ended, Baron Guy Fortescue arrives in England to
claim his inheritance, abandoned over thirty years ago when his father fled to France
after killing a man in a duel. When Guy is set upon by footpads in London, a
stranger, Lord Strathairn, rescues and befriends him. But while travelling to
his country estate, Guy is again attacked. He escapes only to knock himself out
on a tree branch.
Aspiring poet Horatia Cavendish has taken to
riding her father’s stallion, “The General”, around the countryside of Digswell
dressed as a groom. She has become bored of her country life and longs to
escape to London to pursue her desire to become part of the London literary
set. When she discovers Guy lying unconscious on the road, the two are forced
to take shelter for the night in a hunting lodge. After Guy discovers her ruse,
a friendship develops between them.
Guy
suspects his relative, Eustace Fennimore is behind the attacks on his life. He has
been ensconced in Rosecroft Hall during the family’s exile and will become the
heir should Guy die. Horatia refuses to believe her godfather, Eustace, is responsible.
But when Guy proposes a faux betrothal to give him more time to discover the
truth, she agrees. Secure in the knowledge that his daughter will finally wed,
Horatia’s father allows her to visit her blue-stocking aunt in London.
But
Horatia’s time spent in London proves to be anything but a literary feast, for a
dangerous foe plots Guy’s demise. She is determined to keep alive her handsome
fiancé, who has proven more than willing
to play the part of her lover even as he resists her attempts to save him.
A
BARON IN HER BED Coming 6th September 2012. Available for pre-order
from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Baron-Her-Spies-Mayfair-Series/dp/1908483342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340522318&sr=8-1&keywords=a+baron+in+her+bed
Research:
Georgette Heyer’s Regency World by Jennifer Kloester. Sourcebooks.
