Dear Friends,

I am happy to announce that I have a Position as Housemaid at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Calvert, Riversdale House, this weekend. They are expecting a large number of female guests, including Authoresses Kristina Cook, Sally McKenzie, and Kate Dolan. My Duties include setting out of Things for Ladylike Pursuits–Bonnetmaking, Theorem Painting, and such–and serving Breakfast on Saturday morning. The ladies will take a turn at cooking on an open hearth, which should prove amusing, and on Saturday evening we allow Gentlemen into our Female Retreat for dancing, cards etc.

Although I doubt we shall use them, I enclose a picture of the Riversdale china (peach and white), two Teapots (for green and black tea), two Botanical Plates and a Silver Spoon, all owned and used by Mr. and Mrs. Calvert.

Fortunately since the house is fitted with the best of Modern Plumbing I shall not have to empty the guests’ Chamber Pots.

No, I don’t know what theorem painting is although I probably should, but I will know fairly soon! This is the Ladies Weekend at Riversdale House Museum, just outside Washington, DC, where I’m a volunteer docent. I hope to have pictures and a report of the fun on my post next weekend. Yes, I will be wearing a gown, which makes me look more fat and bosomy than usual but in a historically correct way. To learn more about the house, built in the early nineteenth century for Belgian immigrant Rosalie Stiers who married into the Calvert family, visit the site of the Riversdale House Museum. And I highly recommend the collection of Rosalie’s Letters, Mistress of Riversdale, on which the restoration of the house is based, and that gives a very vivid portrait of life in federal-era America.

Do you own a Regency gown and have you ever participated in any living history activities? What would you like to do on a Regency Ladies’ weekend and where would you like it to take place? And would you rather be upstairs or downstairs?

(Photo of Butler’s Pantry above courtesy of the Museum and MNCPPC-Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Maryland.)

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“What, are you at that again? I still have them, and they will still beat any of the cattle you own.”

These lines are from FARO’S DAUGHTER, by Georgette Heyer and for anyone who hasn’t read it (do find a copy–it’s a fun read even though the heroine doesn’t beat the hero at cards), this is what the hero, Max Ravenscar, says when challenged to a race by one of the villains.

When I first read this (I was probably around 9 or so) the immediate mental image was something more like the picture at left, though I did figure out that Max wasn’t about to hitch longhorns to his curricle.

It took me a bit longer to figure out that when Regency authors wrote about horses being corn-fed they weren’t talking about Indian corn or sweet corn, as they called it in England while I lived there. By the time I was researching my first Regency, reading about things like the Corn Laws, I knew it was a generic term for grain. None of this ever bothered me. Maybe it was my tender age. When you’re young you often accept odd things because, well, much of the world is just odd and new.

But I think I’ve always been pretty flexible in my reading. When I read historicals set in pre-Georgian times I sometimes encounter the odd unknown word. As long as it makes sense in context, for instance when I know it’s an item of clothing even if I can’t quite picture it, it doesn’t bother me a bit. I may look it up later.

But it’s a bit of a tightrope. In my own writing, I like to use the occasional Regencyism but I try to make sure it’s self-explanatory–like calling someone a ninnyhammer–or makes sense in context. I avoid terms that could be confusing, like “cattle”, especially if there are historically accurate alternatives. I expect they’d get nixed by a copy editor anyway.

I’ve heard some readers complain that this sort of censorship is “dumbing down” the Regency. I understand what they mean. Georgette Heyer created a shared world many of us like to visit and Regencyisms are the passwords. The thing is, I want my stories to be accessible to readers who aren’t familiar with the period. And there’s so much more to the Regency than just the language anyway!

So were there any Regencyisms that tripped you up when you first started reading Regencies? How important are they to your Regency reading experience? Do you have any favorites?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

On Sunday, April 22, we’ll be interviewing Kalen Hughes about her debut historical romance, LORD SIN.

Chat with Kalen about LORD SIN, writing, the Georgian era and historical reenacting. Comment for the chance to win an autographed copy of LORD SIN. The winner will be announced Tuesday, April 24th.

We hope to see you there!

“Hughes debuts with a novel that’s part erotic romance and party country house party romp—a unique combination that will keep readers intrigued. Part of the appeal is Hughes’s ability to create likable characters as well as spicy love scenes tinged with rough sex and tenderness. She’s definitely on her way to enticing readers who adore Lisa Kleypas, Pamela Britton and Katherine O’Neal.” – RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars!