Oh, shoot, not only do I have NOTHING today, but I also have had a smidge-y bit of panic attack today, rendering me even more incoherent.
Of course I wonder what would’ve happened to our Regency woman who had that kind of day–she wasn’t supposed to ever be out of sorts, so what do you think she did when she felt rotten?
-Claim it was her womanly time, only she probably just had to nod her head and blink significantly, and everyone would understand. And scurry away, as if it were catching.
-Claim she had loads of letters to write to her bestest girlfriend (who just happens to be the daughter of a Marquis or something), so she’d be holed up in her room all day.
-Insist she had to finish some Very Important needlework.
-Tear her gown, then retire to her room until it was repaired.
-Encourage the men of the house to go out hunting.
-Attend to her dropsical aunt, maybe putting some cotton into her ears to avoid hearing too much.
What can you suggest our antisocial heroine could do?
Remember, sign up for the Risky Regencies newsletter at riskies@yahoo.com for very social news!
(Thanks to Pemberley.com for the Cruikshank picture!)
Have a fit of the vapors I suppose? Or a migraine headache? Go riding for hours accompanied only by a studly groom?
I agree with Elizabeth – my first thought was “this is what the vapors were invented for”
Rob
Laudanum, anyone? Or perhaps a nice handkerchief soaked in lavander water pressed at the temples?
Yep, a headache. . . I figure that the men of the world thought females were so very fragile, that a headache is all you needed. LOL
Lois
I’m not sure what all those vinaigrettes and things were meant for…but I think this may be it! 🙂
I seem to recall that Fanny Price in Mansfield Park got terrible headaches on the smallest provocation.
Todd-who-goes-directly-to-the-vapors-from-the-solid-phase