The lovely Palladian villa of Marble Hill at Twickenham is place of refuge and escape. Maria Fitzherbert retreated there when her lover, the future George IV, decided he was going to ditch her and marry Caroline of Brunswick instead. Legends tell of him riding up and down the road nearby on the night before his wedding, tormented with indecision. We also have the account that a mutual friend rode to Marble Hill and informed Maria when George had actually gone through with the marriage ceremony. Upon hearing the news, she fainted away. But it wasn’t just Maria who fled to Marble Hill. Before her time, the house was a sanctuary for a Hanoverian mistress who led, to make a massive understatement, a difficult life. Her name was Henrietta Howard.

I was lucky enough to take part in Historic Royal Palaces’ study day on 2 May 2013, which was all about Henrietta. It’s simply wonderful that a whole day was devoted to finding out more about this truly admirable woman. We were treated to an overview of Henrietta’s life from Tracy Borman, author of King’s Mistress, Queen’s Servant. I can thoroughly recommend the book, which Tracy clearly poured much love and research into. She delivered an excellent talk and held a question and answer session afterwards, where I was able to find out how Henrietta dyed her hair blond (horse urine. Nice). As Tracy explained, not much was known about Henrietta until she undertook to write her biography. We knew she was a mistress of George II and built Marble Hill, but other details were lacking. Thank goodness Tracy decided to find out more, because what we uncover is a complicated and resourceful woman who it’s hard not to love.

Henrietta grew up as a minor aristocrat, part of the Hobart family at Blickling Hall. Tudor fans will know this is the house where Anne Boleyn was probably born. But despite her privileged start, Henrietta was doomed by the extravagance of her spend-thrift, dominating father. His death in a rash duel threw the family upon hard times. In the next few years, Henrietta’s mother and all her elder siblings were to follow her father to the grave – leaving the impoverished Henrietta responsible for the family.

Luckily, Henrietta had a connection to the Earl and Countess of Suffolk, who welcomed her into their home. But what seemed like a safe haven turned out to be a gilded trap.  It was while staying with the Earl and Countess that she met their youngest son, Charles. Young and in need of stability, she was won over by the handsome soldier. Henrietta married Charles aged just 19. It was to prove a dreadful mistake.

Charles was a drunken, gambling, cheating husband. He was also mentally and physically abusive. Only one child was born of this ill-made union: a son, Henry. Though Henrietta adored her boy, she struggled to raise him. Often going without food, fleeing from mean dwelling to mean dwelling, she had to assume the name of Mrs Smiths to dodge her husband’s creditors. There were years when he abandoned her altogether. Most women would have given up. But not Henrietta. By selling all she had, and frequently starving herself, she managed to raise the money to take herself and Charles to Hanover. Here, she hoped to win favour at the court and ingratiate herself with the next King of England. You might ask why she took such a terrible husband with her on this venture. Sadly for Henrietta, it was his noble name of Howard that was the key to the inner sanctum of royalty.

Henrietta soon won the friendship of Princess Caroline and secured a position in her household. Charles, somehow got himself a job under King George I. The pair were still stuck together, but at least they had income and a roof over their heads. Just as Henrietta had planned, they were able to come back to England when George ascended the throne, jewels in the new and sparkling court.

It was only during the fateful years of 1717 and 1718 that Henrietta finally escaped the clutches of her husband. The establishments of King George and the Prince and Princess of Wales dramatically split over a young prince’s Christening. Servants were forced to chose a side and Henrietta was swift to attach herself to Caroline – leaving the fuming Charles behind with the old King. Tragically, Henrietta’s decision meant she had to leave her son darling in Charles’ “care”. The boy was raised to hate her.

About this time, Henrietta’s close friendship with the Prince of Wales turned into something more. She became mistress to the future George II – although it was by no means a passionate or romantic love story! George was short-tempered, brutally frank and given to long, boring conversations. It was sense, not emotion, that lured Henrietta into his bed. But while the new position earned Henrietta money and status, it also soured her relationship with George’s wife, Caroline. Henrietta soon found herself the object of jealous spite and longed to flee the court.

In secret, Henrietta planned and saved for Marble Hill. She was intimately involved in every detail of the design. This place was her dream, her safe haven after a life of torment. But getting there was difficult. Charles threatened to abduct her if she left royal protection. Henrietta was trapped for years, until Charles finally did her one good service: he left her a widow. Now her life of freedom in Marble Hill could begin. The study group were lucky enough to have a private tour of this stunning building.

In all things, Henrietta seemed to defy convention. Not only did she manage to formally separate from her husband (something practically unheard of in those times) she took a masculine approach to her building. The Palladian style was considered a logical, mathematical, and thereby male province. Henrietta took the basic concepts and made them her own.  The superbly balanced rooms should have been left with with minimal decoration. However, Henrietta thumbed her nose at this rule of style and cluttered shelves with her collections of blue and white china porcelain.

I was surprised by the small rooms and narrow doorways in the house. How, one wonders, did Henrietta get through them in her skirts? She must have turned sideways! We started the tour downstairs, taking in the coolly elegant hall. Now relatively empty, it would have been crowded with people and gaming tables.  Next, there was a beautiful little breakfast parlor – too cramped for much company, but you can imagine Henrietta sitting their sipping tea. But my favourite place on the bottom floor was the magnificent room hung with fashionable India paper (and not just because there were coffee and biscuits waiting for me there. This room cost Henrietta a fortune to have installed (and English heritage a fortune to restore!).  The hand-painted paper would have been imported from China by the East India company and stuck to a silk canvas with a mixture of flour and water.  A painfully slow, highly skilled task to accomplish. Apparently, Henrietta quarreled with the workmen over the bill. It seems her famously meek and gentle temper had frayed by the time she finally escaped court life!

Once we mounted the mahogany staircase, we found ourselves in the entertaining rooms. The first floor – the piano nobile -  was where the parties took place. Right at the centre is the Great Room: a  masterpiece of white panelling and gilt detail. You can just imagine the literary Georgian circles in which Henrietta moved (she was friends with people such as John Gay, Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope) flocking to this beautiful chamber. Today, the Great Room contains the house’s treasures: some of the few remaining items of furniture that belonged to Henrietta.

On the same floor we found the bedrooms of Henrietta and George Berkeley, her second husband. Berkeley had been Henrietta’s friend for some time before their marriage, and many believe they had a secret romance while still living under the roof of George II. Ironically, it was Berkeley, not her royal lover, who turned out to be Henrietta’s Prince Charming. Soon after leaving court, Henrietta scandalised society by marrying him in a private ceremony. Henrietta’s new husband was was younger than her and riddled with gout. Although contemporary gossips mocked the match, Henrietta was to finally find the happiness she so deserved.  The couple were deeply devoted to one another.

Interestingly,  the bedrooms were not considered “private” in Marble Hill. The entire house was made for entertaining. This is clear from the vividly coloured flock wallpaper and classical pillars that adorn Henrietta’s bedchamber. It was in here, in this stylish room, that she died peacefully in July 1767, having received Horace Walpole just a few hours before.

On the next floor was the gallery, designed for dancing and exercise. The wooden boards now creak with protest after 300 years of footsteps. The stairway up has a strange, flared banister which may have been designed to help ladies in their gowns. However, it remains so narrow and twisty that I had difficulty getting up there in my trainers and jeans! Here, we found the wedding portraits of Henrietta and George – looking surprisingly youthful and full of hope. I enjoyed imagining the happy couple arm in arm, taking a turn in the gallery on a rainy day.

I hope this little blog has given you some interest in Henrietta. I must stress, what I have written is a very a brief overview of her amazing life. I will be covering the twists and turns in more detail in my novel about Henrietta and Caroline of Ansbach, Mistress of the Court. In the meantime I would highly recommend a visit to Marble Hill to find out more! You can also have a peek in Hampton Court at The Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber exhibition. Here, you can see the apartments where Henrietta served her royal mistress and smell the rose water Caroline bathed in.

I always think it’s a shame that the guidebooks for Hampton Court (and I have all of them) don’t include pictures of the private Georgian apartments. What I wouldn’t give for nice photos of Caroline’s bathroom, oratory, bedroom and  private supper room! I’ve been told various things by the guides: that the Georgian apartments are normally unfurnished and closed to the public (which seems strange considering I went round there in September when they were very much furnished and open) and that the Georgians didn’t really like Hampton Court. Well, George II didn’t like it after Caroline died, but he certainly enjoyed it during her lifetime. He even built a whole new suite there in 1732 for his favourite son. I’ll be talking about the lavish parties thrown at Hampton Court during the summers of 1716 and 1717 on PBS’ The Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace in July – don’t miss it! And if you are at Hampton Court, keep an eye out for some more Georgian treasures: Queen Charlotte’s state bed and Princess Amelia’s embroidered cushion. Simple exquisite! Sadly, no photos were allowed in the exhibition . . . you’ll just have to go see it for yourself.

Much has been made of relationship between the Hanoverian Kings and their heirs to the throne. Petty jealousies and bitter feuds tore at the bonds between father and eldest son until, in some cases, they were virtually non-existent. With my interest in women’s history, I can’t help asking: what part did the mothers play in this? Did they stir the pot of broiling distrust or did they try to act as mediators? My new blog series, Hanoverian Mothers, will explore this.

I’m starting off with the relationship of Queen Charlotte with her son, George, Prince of Wales, later to become Prince Regent and George IV. I frequently get asked if Charlotte loved her son enough. Why didn’t she stand up for her children more? Some mistaken summaries of Charlotte’s life even assert that she hated her eldest son! Whilst theirs was certainly a complicated relationship, Charlotte and Prince George were devoted to one another throughout most of their lives. Sadly, their exalted positions in society put an unbearable strain on this natural love.

From the start, Charlotte was delighted with George, who was not only her first son but first child. At only eighteen years of age, she had produced an heir to the English throne and secured the Hanoverian succession. She had a life-size wax model made of him, which she kept on a satin cushion under a bell-jar. As he grew, she enjoyed his quick childish wit and gift for mimicry. However, her control over him was not to last for long. Sons belonged to the father and were encouraged to be amongst men once they were “breeched” – that is, they put off the girlish gowns and skeleton suits of infancy and wore the outfits of a miniature gentleman. At the tender age of 7, George and his brother Frederick were put into the hands of their male governors.

Although Charlotte and George III were ‘modern’ parents who had their children inoculated against the smallpox and embraced Rousseau’s ideas of children growing up with nature, simple diets and simple clothing, their theories were to backfire on them. They had planned the perfect education, but it was naive and stifled their boys. Education has to be fitted to the individual child, and by this point, Charlotte and George III had many of them. Indeed, even if Charlotte had been allowed a closer interest in Prince George’s education, it is doubtful she would have had time. Between constant pregnancies and arranging the tutelage of her daughters, she didn’t get to see her children half as often as she wished. She bitterly complained in her letters of only being allotted two days with them a week. By the time her three youngest daughters came up through the ranks, she had lost her initial enthusiasm for shaping their minds. Consequently, compared to the eldest three, Mary, Sophia and Amelia were neglected.

This being the case, it wasn’t surprising that the boy George developed “duplicity” and a “habit of not telling the truth.”  This trait was to last his life long and no whipping would get it out. What might now be seen as a quick mind, vivid imagination and talent as an actor were repressed. Without further investigation, all George’s parents knew was that he was a liar and they were appalled. I’m not a mother, but I observe and I have an imagination. I’ve often seen the stress and amazement when a child isn’t turning out to be quite what its parents expected. Each child is born with its own personality and interests and you can only encourage what’s in them. They will not necessarily be a “mini-me” and share their parents hobbies, no matter how hard you try to push your mathematician son into the football team you loved so much as a boy. While a family of lower status may have been able to accept this, it was something a King and Queen could not ignore. This son was to be their legacy, to carry on all their plans and uphold what they had worked so hard to achieve. Had George been a younger son, he may have been let off a bit more lightly, or just ignored as several of his disappointing younger brothers were. Unluckily for George, his every move was inspected under a microscope.

Charlotte wrote to her son with advice. It is notable that some of the younger sons, who were later neglected abroad and never heard from the King, always got a letter from Charlotte. Here is what she wrote to George in August 1770:

I recommend unto you to fear God; a duty that must lead to all the rest with ease, as His assistance . . .will be your guide through every action of life. Abhor all vice . . . look upon yourself as obliged to set good examples. Disdain all flattery – it will corrupt your manners and render you contemptible before the world. Do justice unto everybody and avoid partiality. . . Love and esteem those that are about you. Confide in and act with sincerity towards them . . . Treat nobody with contempt . . . Be charitable to everyone, not forgetting your meaner servants.  Don’t use them with indifference; rather pity them that they are obliged to serve . . . you should not think yourself above doing good to them. The contrary will make you appear vain and vanity is the root of all vice . . . Lastly I recommend unto you the highest love, affection and duty towards the King. Look upon him as a friend. . . Try to imitate his virtues and look upon everything that is in opposition to that duty as destructive to yourself.

Rather high concepts for an eight-year-old to swallow! However, much as this looks like a lot of pressure to heap upon a young boy, it has to be remembered that George III himself was set equal, if not greater expectations in living up to the memory of his father, who never became King. Moreover, the letter shows a mother’s insight into the young George’s character – flattery and vanity were indeed to be his failings, and he was to get into serious hot-water by not obeying the King.

The King is the sticking point in this mother-son relationship. Charlotte had a natural preference for George, but his father preferred Frederick. It is interesting to read the Queen was “rather too formal with her children – especially the Duke of York (Frederick)”. One wonders if this was an unconscious snub of Daddy’s favourite. But other than these small slights, there was little she could do. With such a large family, the old rule of “Don’t contradict me in front of the children” became all the more vital. Charlotte and George III had to appear as a united front – and besides, Charlotte saw it as her duty to obey her husband, even in things her own judgement didn’t approve of. If she failed to argue her son’s case at first because of duty and timidity, she couldn’t make up for it in later life – by that time, George III had started to suffer from bouts of madness and it was feared any contradiction would bring a fresh one on.

It is interesting to see, though, that despite Charlotte’s limitations, George always went to her first. When in trouble over his affair with Madame Von Hardenburg, he flung himself at Charlotte’s feet and confessed all. When he saw his hated bride, Caroline of Brunswick, for the first time and suffered a bitter disappointment, his words were “I am going to the Queen”. He continued to send her appealing letters and share his agony throughout his unhappy marriage.

Despite all this, there was at least a year when mother and son could truly be said to hate one another. This was during the fateful Regency crisis of 1788-1789. As his father descended further into madness, George’s attitude changed from one of concern and duty to indecent excitement at the prospect of getting a throne. This was something Charlotte could not forgive. She urged him to wait and allow his father to recover – wise words, as it turned out – but George saw her as deluded and another barrier between him and his dreams. His behaviour grew cruel – he took the King’s jewels from her, separated her from his father and stopped paying her the customary courtesy of kissing her hand. Both mother and son were subject to paranoia; George became convinced his mother wanted the Regency for herself and was trying to destroy him, while Charlotte thought there were spies around her eager to report to the papers. It took Charlotte a lot of time, after the King’s recovery, to swallow this betrayal of her dear boy. She snubbed him frequently and failed to send him invitations to parties as they were “only meant for people who support us”.

But that the breach did heal cannot be doubted.  It is fascinating to see just how much Charlotte’s actions differed when her husband was out of the picture – that was, he became permanently deranged and was kept locked away in Windsor. Previously a popular Queen, she forfeited her reputation with the people by backing all her son’s measures for the country. While others reviled him for enlarging the Pavilion at Brighton, Charlotte gave him a considerable lump sum of £50,000 towards what she considered marvelous improvements. Mother and son shared a passion for decoration and architecture, as well as a “fascinating manner” that enchanted people.

As the Queen aged and grew increasingly bitter, George and his daughter, another Charlotte, were all that could bring joy to her life. She lit up whenever she spoke of them. George’s sister Elizabeth was indebted to him for numerous interventions between Charlotte and her daughters – he was the only one she would listen to. “All is sunshine since your visit,” Elizabeth dutifully reported.  It was also at this stage that Charlotte began to mediate between George and his own daughter. While taking young Charlotte’s part over her allowance and marriage choice, she reminded her granddaughter that ” she ought to look upon her father as the only source of happiness and that it was her duty to obey him everything” words that echoed the letter she wrote to George himself at age eight.

When George’s daughter died tragically young in 1818, his mother was there to support him again. She had lost three children and knew what a blow it was. “As I always share in  your prosperity most sincerely, so do I most deeply feel your present loss and misery,” she wrote. She tried to comfort him with the thought he had allowed his daughter to marry the man of her choice and be happy.Whether he would have done so without Charlotte’s influence is questionable.

It is very fitting that when Charlotte died a year later, she was holding her beloved George’s hand. Her daughter Elizabeth, who knew her best, wrote to George “No parent was ever more wrapt up in a child than she was in you, and I firmly believe she would with pleasure have sacrificed her life for you”. Poor George, grieving again after losing his daughter the previous year, was unable to bring himself to leave London for a month. He described his feelings : “the utmost extent of the bitterest anguish in the deepest recess (of his heart)”. He was “incapacitated for everything”.

These final years, in my opinion, show the true relationship between mother and son. Who could say, having considered the evidence, that Charlotte didn’t love her son?

Coming later in the series:

Caroline of Ansbach – Why did she hate Frederick so much?

Augusta, Princess of Wales – Pushy parent or model mother?

Caroline of Brunswick – How could she leave her daughter?

It’s always so exciting to meet others who share my love of the Georgian era! Here’s my lastest interview with the wonderful Diana Scott Lewis.

1) Explain why the period of the eighteenth century is important and tell us why we should want to read about it.

This era was a time of social and political upheaval, with revolutions in America and then France. The common man (and woman) was insisting on being heard. England feared their own revolution and reforms for the poor were at first suppressed. Crop failures drove people to desperate means—such as requesting to be paid in bread. Women started demanding rights, and had more freedom before the stodginess of the Victorian age. The Georgian period brimmed with excitement.

2) Who is your favourite eighteenth century personality?

Mary Wollstonecraft is one of my favorites. A feminist before it became popular, she questioned the inadequate education of girls in her book, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters—which I read in its original eighteenth century script! And she advocated women’s rights in her Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She argued that women weren’t inferior to men, they just lacked proper education. Mary was a visionary who wasn’t appreciated until feminism rose again at the turn of the twentieth century.

3) Share a quirky fact from your research?

Women wore no underpants during this era! Can you imagine donning a chemise, a corset, and a few petticoats, then the gown, but leaving other important areas uncovered?

4) One of historical romance’s hardest questions – Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer?

They were both influential writers, but I think Jane Austen is more popular today given the many TV shows and movies made from her novels. I admit I’ve only read two Heyer books, and while I enjoyed them, Austen seems more relevant with her stories of manners and social mores among ordinary people.
5) Tell us about Betrayed Countess.

This novel is a re-release of my debut book, The False Light, which earned an accolade of “Simply brilliant” from the Historical Novel Society. Though branded a romance by the publisher, it is more an adventure, with plenty of historical detail, no formula, and no happy ending. Here is a blurb:

Forced from France to England during the French Revolution, Bettina Jonquiere toils in poverty, finds love with a notorious squire and is threatened by ruthless revolutionaries.

The sequel is also available at Amazon: Without Refuge.

6) What will you be working on next?

I’m polishing another novel set in eighteenth century Cornwall, England. A historical mystery called The Apothecary’s Widow, set in 1781.

7) Can you recommend some other books, fiction and non-fiction, set in your period?

 Midnight Fires: A Mystery with Mary Wollstonecraft, by Nancy Means Wright is a book I reviewed—and enjoyed—for the Historical Novel Society.

Dr. Johnson’s London, by Liza Picard, is a great non-fiction resource, as well as,

Daily Life in Eighteenth Century England, by Kirstin Olsen.

8) Girly question – if you could design and make your perfect eighteenth century outfit, what would it be like?

Though I write pre-Regency stories, my perfect outfit would be a high-wasted Regency, or Empire, gown in burgundy, with flowing skirt and short, puffed sleeves. And of course, I’d insist on underwear.

For more information on Diane and her books, visit http://www.dianescottlewis.org.

You can also buy Betrayed Countess and Without Refuge here.

Following on from my interview with Regina Jeffers, here’s another historical fiction author for you to meet! Ladies and gentlemen, I present the lovely Maria Grace.

1)  Explain why the Regency period is important and tell us why we should want to read about it.

The Regency is an interesting era.  Technically it lasted only about 9 years, with the Regency of George IV. Many consider a wider period, from 1788-1830, the Regency era because it represents a relatively cohesive period in history. In France, the period was known as ‘Empire’ and in America, the ‘Federal’ era.

The period bridged the gap between the slow paced, non-industrialized 18^th century and the industrial revolution of the 19^th century. It was a time of rapid social change and contrasts, which make it fascinating to read and write about.

2) Who is your favourite Regency personality?

Sir John Fielding (1721-1780) actually died just before the start of the Regency era, but he is one of the most fascinating personalities of the 18^th century to me.  He was an English magistrate and social reformer of the 18th century. He was also the younger half-brother of novelist, playwright and chief magistrate Henry Fielding. Though blinded in a navy accident at the age of 19, John set up his own business and, in his spare time, studied law with Henry. He became his brother’s assistant in 1750 and was instrumental in the formation of the first police force, the Bow Street Runners. He also established the basis for the first police criminal records department. He was active in crime prevention and youth employment and assisted in the foundation of the Asylum for Orphan Girls.  His life helped inspired one of the main characters in my next novel.
3) Share a quirky fact from your research?

In Regency England, shaking hands was considered rather intimate.  You did not shake hands with an acquaintance, only with people you were close to and ladies did not shake hands with men unless they were engaged or close to being so. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover this early enough on and I ended up needing to do a fair amount of rewriting because of it.
4) One of historical romance’s hardest questions:  Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer?

 Jane Austen without a doubt. I love her social commentary.
5) Tell us about All the Appearance of Goodness  

I just released All the Appearance of Goodness, part three of the Given Good Principles series. It is a Jane Austen inspired piece that explores how the events of Pride and Prejudice might have been different had Darcy and Elizabeth been able to follow the ‘good principles’ they had been given. They meet each other with considerably less pride and prejudice, but other challenges test their principles along the way.
6) What will you be working on next?

The real question is which one? I have 6 works in progress right now.  I have another Austenesque piece finished and waiting for final edits. This is the piece I mentioned earlier with the character inspired by John Fielding.

One more Austenesque piece is three quarters through the rough draft. But probably the next thing I will work on is my science fiction series.  The underlying idea for that was: what might it look like if Regency era culture and mores occurred in a technologically advanced, space-faring society. My hero and heroine are from vastly different social classes but must come together to stop their version of Napoleon from conquering their home worlds and peoples.
7) Can you recommend some other books, fiction and non fiction, set in your period?

Of course, anything by Jane Austen, but her book Lady Susan, is a guilty pleasure of mine.  It is almost like watching a modern reality show, complete with a villainess we love to hate.

If anyone is interested in it, I offer a free download of the book to my newsletter subscribers on my website.

8) Girly question – if you could design and make your perfect Regency outfit, what would it be like?

I’m actually hoping to do this yet. It’s been a while since I dragged out the sewing machine, but I figure if I could manage my own wedding dress, I can probably manage a Regency gown.  I just need a good six months with nothing else on the schedule!

I’d love to do something in a rich red, rather than Regency white, long sleeves since I’m always cold, and trimmed with pleats and lace. I’d bead the bodice in a floral motif and accent it with silver or gold embroidery. The skirt would have a modest train with a rich embroidered floral pattern in scallops around the skirt. A soft woolen shawl, embroidered to match would be necessary.  A silk turban, accented with pearls and a few small feathers would finish the outfit.

Thanks so much for having me today!

You can buy All the Appearance of Goodness for your Kindle here or for your Nook here

Connect with Maria on Facebook at facebook.com/AuthorMariaGrace and follow her on Twitter @WriteMariaGrace!

Clearly, I love the Georgian and Regency eras. But so do many other people, and, excitingly, authors! I’m quizzing my historical fiction friends and giving them the chance to tell you about their fabulous work – I do hope you enjoy it. One of the very first up is the wonderful Regina Jeffers.

Why is the Regency Period important and why should we want to read about it?

The Regency marked the beginning of the Britannia Pax, a period of relative peace in the Europe and the world. From the time of the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1815) to the beginning of World War I (1914), the British Empire controlled the key maritime trade routes. During this period, the British Empire became the largest empire of all time. In this era of “peace,” the British Empire provided services such as the suppression of piracy and the elimination of slavery. During the early years of the 19^th Century, England’s economic and social countenance changed forever. England moved swiftly from the cottage industries to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. The time saw the rise of the merchant middle class. Of course, social class held tight to its traditions, but the merchant class was the backbone of the nation and could not be denied.

The British dominated India, the West Indies, and the countries in the area of the present day Persian Gulf, and built its wealth and power with each acquisition. London became the most prosperous city in Europe. The years of the Regency saw a complete revolution in dress for both men and women. Commerce and industry fluctuated, but overall, greater wealth was known. Technological innovations affected the means of production. By 1815, Britain was an industrial nation without any real competition.

Who is your favorite Regency Era personality?

I am certain most people who know me would think that I would respond with the name of “Jane Austen” for this question. After all, I have written eight Austen-inspired novels, but that answer is too predictable for my nature. Unfortunately, other than Austen, I cannot say I favor one of the Regency “personalities” over another. I have a tendency to spend my leisure time research with those of the Royal Court. For a long time, I have thought of mapping out the relationships of George III’s many children, along with the princes’ and princesses’ families, lovers, etc. Of late, I have been reading passages on Harriette Wilson, the courtesan par excellence of the Regency. (In June 2012, BBC Radio 4 series Classic Serial by Ellen Dryden adapted Harriette’s memories for broadcast. Harriet’s book, Publish and be Damn’d: The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson was an instantaneous bestseller in 1825.) The list of Harriette’s lovers would rival Debrett’s list of the nobility. I hold no intention of writing a novel about Harriette, but I am fascinated by the way she conducted her life in a time when women had few rights.

Share a quirky fact from your research.

A Scottish legend brings us the gruesome tale of Sawney Bean. Bean was the head of an incestuous cannibalistic family. For some five and twenty years in the 15^th Century, the Beans robbed and murdered unsuspecting travelers along the Ayrshire/Galloway coast. Reportedly, the Bean family lived in a sea cave close to Ballantrae on Bennane head in Ayshire. The tale appears in horrific detail in “Historical and Traditional Tales Connected with the South of Scotland” by John Nicholson (1843).

Supposedly, Bean and his wife killed and then ate their victims. Their family grew to 46 sons, daughters, and grandchildren, all who lived in a watery cave. Much to the horror of coastal communities, bones and skulls often washed ashore after the Beans disposed of their “leftovers.” King James IV reportedly led the mob, which searched for the Beans after a botched attack by the family. Finally caught, the Beans were taken to Edinburgh to meet a barbaric execution. The execution was a slow one: the men bled to death after their hands and legs were cut off, and the women were burned alive after they were forced to watch the execution of the men. John Nicholson tells us about the execution: “…they all died without the least sign of repentance, but continued cursing and venting the most dreadful imprecations to the very last gasp of life.”

One of historical romances hardest questions remains: Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen?

Obviously, this is an easy question for me: Jane Austen. Austen wrote stories of ordinary life. Her subject was common and ordinary, and she rendered it in minute detail. I am not criticizing Heyer. In truth, I have never studied Heyer’s works in detail. My opinion is based purely on my life-long love of all things Austen.

Tell us about your current projects.

In February, I brought out two Regency era novellas in one volume. His: Two Regency Novellas brings together two of my favorite minor characters. Lawrence Lowery is the older brother of one of the main characters in my Realm Series. He has a brief scene in A Touch of Velvet, another in A Touch of Cashémere, and a final one in A Touch of Grace. “His American Heartsong” is Lowery’s story. The second story in the volume is “His Irish Eve.” It is the story of Adam Lawrence, the future Earl of Greenwall. Adam is a regular in my stories with multiple walk throughs. He was given a major role in The Phantom of Pemberley. At the end of Phantom, he releases his mistress Cathleen Donnell. “His Irish Eve” brings us full circle some six years later.

“His American Heartsong”

Lawrence Lowery has been the dutiful elder son his whole life, but when his father Baron Blakehell arranges a marriage with the insipid Annalee Dryburgh, Lowery must choose between his responsibility to his future estate and the one woman who makes sense in his life. By Society’s standards, Arabella Tilney is completely wrong to be the future Baroness–she is an American hoyden, who demands that Lowery do the impossible: Be the man he has always dreamed of being. (A Novella from the Realm Series)

“His Irish Eve”

When the Earl of Greenwall demands his only son, Viscount Stafford, retrieve the viscount’s by-blow, everything in Adam Lawrence’s life changes. Six years prior, Lawrence had released his former mistress Cathleen Donnell from his protection, only to learn in hindsight Cathleen was with child. Lawrence arrives in Cheshire to discover not only a son, but also two daughters, along with a strong-minded woman, who fascinates him from the moment of their first encounter. Aoife Kennice, the children’s caregiver, is a woman impervious to Adam’s usual tricks and ruses as one of England’s most infamous rakes. But this overconfident lord is about to do battle: A fight Adam must win–a fight for the heart of a woman worth knowing.

On March 12, Ulysses Press will release my latest Austen-inspired novel. It is another cozy mystery based on Pride and Prejudice. It is set some six months into the Darcys’ marriage. The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy promises to leave you guessing.

The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy

Fitzwilliam Darcy is devastated. The joy of his recent wedding has been cut short by the news of the sudden death of his father’s beloved cousin, Samuel Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy travel to Dorset, a popular Regency resort area, to pay their respects to the well-traveled and eccentric Samuel. But this is no summer holiday. Danger bubbles beneath Dorset’s peaceful surface as strange and foreboding events begin to occur. Several of Samuel’s ancient treasures go missing, and then his body itself disappears. As Darcy and Elizabeth investigate this mystery and unravel its tangled ties to the haunting legends of Dark Dorset, the legendary couple’s love is put to the test when sinister forces strike close to home. Some secrets should remain secrets, but Darcy will do all he can to find answers—even if it means meeting his own end in the damp depths of a newly dug grave.

With malicious villains, dramatic revelations and heroic gestures, The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy will keep Austen fans turning the pages right up until its dramatic conclusion.

What will you be working on next?

For White Soup Press, I have begun writing book 5 of the Realm series (The Scandal of Lady Eleanor, A Touch of Velvet, A Touch of Cashémere, and A Touch of Grace). A Touch of Mercy is tentatively scheduled for an early May 2013 release. A Touch of Love will follow in October. The series will finish next February with the release of a second anthology entitled “Hers” and will feature the solution to where the emerald can be found.

Ulysses Press and I are developing a new Austen-inspired for an early 2014 release.

What other books (either fiction or nonfiction) could you recommend, which speak of the Regency Period?

Kristine Hughes’s The Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England

Daniel Pool’s What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew

Amanda Vickery’s Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England

John Summerson’s Georgian London

Mary Balogh’s Bedwyn Series: Slightly Married; Slightly Wicked; Slightly Scandalous; Slightly Tempted; Slghtly Sinful; and Slightly Dangerous

Louise Allen’s A Most Unconventional Courtship; “An Earl Beneath the Mistletoe” from Snowbound Wedding Wishes; The Notorious Mr. Hurst

Girly Question: If you could design and make your perfect Regency outfit, what would it be like?

I am not a fashion person. Although I have watched every season, I have never picked the winner of Project Runway, so this was a difficult question for me. I have several Regency day dresses, which I use for presentations, etc., but for this question I wanted some “classier.” Therefore, I did an Internet search.

I particularly liked this white mull gown from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is from 1810 and is made from white mull with silver tinsel embroidery. The sleeves are gathered and designed to set off the slope of the shoulder. The waist is high and sports a knotted cord, which is accented with tassels. The “V” neckline is designed to accentuate a woman’s full bosoms.

Wow, cannibal Scots and the murder of a Mr Darcy! To find out more about Regina and buy her books, use the following links.

Website  www.rjeffers.com

Blogs  – Every Woman Dreams  http://reginajeffers.wordpress.com/

         Austen Authors   http://austenauthors.net/

                    English Historical Fiction Authors  http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/

Twitter  @reginajeffers https://twitter.com/reginajeffers

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regina-Jeffers-Author-Page/141407102548455

Purchase Links:

The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/The-Mysterious-Death-Mr-Darcy/dp/1612431739/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358967571&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mysterious+death+of+mr.+darcy

Books-a-Million  http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mysterious-Death-Mr-Darcy/Regina-Jeffers/9781612431734?id=5581760318252

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mysterious-death-of-mr-darcy-regina-jeffers/1112705054?ean=9781612431734&itm=1&usri=the+mysterious+death+of+mr.+darcy

Ulysses Press   http://ulyssespress.com/?books=mysterious-death-of-mr-darcy

His: Two Regency Novellas

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/His-Regency-Romances-Regina-Jeffers/dp/061575774X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359572029&sr=8-1&keywords=his%3A+two+regency+novellas

Kindle  http://www.amazon.com/His-Two-Regency-Romances-ebook/dp/B00B6QTTL8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359402822&sr=8-1&keywords=His%3A+Two+Regency+Novellas

Nook  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-regina-jeffers/1114234802?ean=2940015971132&itm=1&usri=his%3a+two+regency+novellas

Kobo  http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/His/book-_SMXzWmrU0OkNjT4HatqHg/page1.html?s=Adqex3mxTE2rVgvyNAn2hQ&r=4