Читать книгу To Rescue or Ravish? - Barbara Monajem - Страница 5

Author Note

I’m a writer, not a historian, but I do try for historical accuracy. I also like to respect the conventions of the Regency genre, particularly if they contribute to making good stories.

Announcing an engagement in the London newspapers is one of the conventions of Regency romance, but I learned from people who have reason to know that such announcements were not found until the Victorian era. Alas, the plot of Arabella and Matthew’s story hinges on such an announcement. What was I to do?

I spent a wakeful night mulling it over, and decided I had to address the issue somehow, either within the story itself (fortunately, I was in revisions) or in this note. But when I contemplated adding a few sentences explaining why this particular announcement was unusual but possible… I just couldn’t make myself do it, because I felt it would detract from the flow of the story. Not only that, I like this particular convention of Regency romance.

I’m addressing the issue here. For those who prefer historical accuracy, look at it this way—the announcement was a tool in the hands of Arabella’s unscrupulous uncle. No, such an announcement wasn’t usual, that doesn’t mean a greedy man couldn’t have come up with it as a strategy to force his exasperating niece to marry the man of his choice.

Either way, I hope it works.