Historical Romance
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Past and Present Easter Customs
During the Regency era, the Easter season was a time for celebration, much like it is nowadays. Here are three customs that were observed back then and are still popular today.
New Clothing – Roman tradition launched this custom to greet springtime and Easter with something new to wear. During the Regency period, white or pale gowns and bright bonnets were a change from the somber tone of Lent.
Colored Eggs – Eggs are a symbol of fertility and many cultures give eggs as gifts during springtime. Dying eggs was a common custom during the Regency period. In addition, decorated eggs, such as those created by Faberge, also became popular.
Celebratory Feasts – After observing Lent, the Easter meal was a time to savor a wealth of savory foods. Lamb and ham were customary, as were hot cross buns.
What is your favorite Easter tradition?
Source: Jane Austen’s Easter
Regency Era Pregnancy Fashion
As a Regency romantic suspense author, I often write characters and scenarios that parallel modern life. Things like transportation and meals and holidays. I must then translate that familiar event into a historical context.
With all eyes on the Duchess of Sussex who is due to deliver her first child sometime this month, I’ve been fascinated by what it would have been like to be pregnant during the Regency Era, especially when it came to fashion.
A quick Google search revealed this interesting tidbits:
Society didn’t force women to hide their pregnancies during the Regency era, and the high-waisted fashion of the time was “baby-bump” friendly so women were able to were the same gowns for some time. (Source: Retro Maternity Style)
The average number of children for women during the Regency period was eight. When “in the family way,” they continued with regular social interactions until the birth of the child. (Source: A Life of Perpetual Pregnancy for Regency Women)
Some of the Georgian and Regency period styles were easily adaptable to pregnancy and nursing, which became increasingly popular in the upper classes. (Source: Maternity Fashions in Regency England)
Love Regency romance? Look for the release of A Holiday Code for Love, coming to ebook in May.
#TuesdayTeaser - A Code of Love
She peeled away a sky blue silk to find a worn, brown leather book. She tightened her grasp on the book, trying to stop her hands from shaking. She opened the dog-eared volume, looking for a letter, some word of Michael.
Leafing through the pages, she examined the columns of numbers-a code table. She immediately recognized that this extensive code table was unique. The pages had endless numbers matched to French letters and words. To the untrained eye, this table would appear no different than the one she used to decipher messages sent to Uncle Charles from the Abchurch offices.
She focused on the book trembling between her fingertips. Was this some sort of strange and oblique joke, one of Michael’s McGregors? But Michael never joked about linguistics or codes. No one in the Harcourt family joked about such matters.
A memory floated to the surface-her brother’s high voice fluting down the hallway, calling out to his horrified sister that he had broken one of their mother’s favorite vases. “We’re in a McGregor.” And it seemed nothing had changed over the years. He had her involved in another McGregor.
“Just in time for the Firth ball.” Mrs. Brompton startled her from her reverie. “Shall I send over the deep green silk to Madame de Puis?” Mrs. Brompton folded the silk carefully over her arm. “Remember how your mama always favored her designs? Your mama was always heads above all the other ladies.”
Henrietta nodded. From the look of the cover, the book was old but why would Michael send her old French codes. Was this a book of the new codes the French were working on?
The code developed in the 1700’s was too lengthy and complex to be useful at the battlefront. The French had shortened their coded messages to track troops and communicate strategy. England and France were at peace since the Treaty of Amiens had been signed, but no one believed that Napoleon was finished in his drive for world power.
She fanned the pages of the book, looking for a letter, a note of explanation.
“So you agree? I should send the green silk?”
“Whatever you think, I’m sure…” Henrietta turned back to her desk and reached between two massive volumes retrieving a slender packet-the code table she had meticulously edited based on Abchurch’s previous tables.
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A Cantata of Love is free for a limited time!
Free for a limited time: a cantata of love
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As the oldest son of the brilliant Harcourt code breaking family, the Earl of Kendal has never backed down from a challenge. When he accepts a dangerous clandestine assignment in Paris, he never expects it to be his last. But with his enemies hot on his trail, and a quickly worsening injury sapping his strength, even Michael Harcourt might not survive this one. Just as death seems imminent, he is saved by a young boy…or so he thinks.
Lady Gabrielle De Valmont is not what she seems. Desperate to avoid the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, she’ll do anything to escape, including disguising herself as a boy and helping a cunning Englishman. She can ignore the desire he stirs within her, for their alliance will be short-lived at best, a necessary evil.
But when the danger follows her back to England, Gabrielle must rely on Michael for protection. When both lord and lady have secret identities, can their passion really be trusted?
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