A Regency Betrayal

Betrayal is FREE until July 31...

2011-07-05T13:53:00.000-04:00

Smashwords has a summer/winter site-wide promotion every year and invites authors and publishers to participate.

This year, I've chosen to offer Betrayal for free for the entire month of July.

That's right, you can get the e-book for no cost, and choose the format that best suits your particular e-reader.

Click on over to download your copy. And be sure to check out all the other great titles being offered for 25, 50, 75, or 100% off!

*Photo came from Dreamstime free images section. Click the image for more information.

Minors in the Regency

2011-05-16T10:38:00.000-04:00

The following is a crossover post from my author blog. It was originally posted March 29, 2009.

Good grief! There is a reason I never considered becoming a lawyer. I hate law books.

Legal age of adulthood in Regency England: I've heard 21 or 25, male or female; I've heard 21 for men; 25 for women. Everyone seems to have a different idea.

If I understand A Compendious and Comprehensive Law Dictionary By Thomas Walter Williams (1816) correctly, the legal age of adulthood was 21, male or female. At 21, a person was old enough, by law, to marry without parental consent. They were also allowed to do whatever they want with whatever unentailed properties they owned. This seems to be true of women, but somewhere I read that women never got the total freedom with their property that men did. I'll be looking into this some more...

If I got this wrong, feel free to correct me.

Why I decided to re-post this here:

This has something to do with Betrayal insomuch as the heroine is under 21. Thus, she is a minor under the law. Her guardian, in this case her uncle, would have power over her money as well as who and when she'd marry.

And despite the popularity of such a storyline, running off to Gretna Green would have done no good. Under the law, her uncle would have been able to dissolve the union.

~Regency Fashion~ June 1816

2011-04-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

This is a crossover post from my author blog. These will occur from time to time, when I post something over there for ~Regency Wednesday~ that is from 1816 or 1817. Enjoy!!

Fashions for June, 1816

Riding Dress

"Of fine blue Merino cloth, embroidered and ornamented round the bust and cuffs in a novel and unique style. This new equestrian costume, by fastening on the back of the shoulder, preserves all the contour of the form, which habits, in general, are apt to destroy. A full double ruff of fine Vandyke lace is separated from the shirt collar by a Chinese silk handkerchief of blue and white. Small round hat of fine beaver or of moss-silk. Half boots of blue kid; with Limerick gloves worked and seamed with blue."*

*La Belle Assemblée, June 1816, page 224

Updates...and Betrayal's New Status in My World

2011-04-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

The post immediately before this one (or under this one, depending on how you wanna look at it), is dated January 2010. Eek. That is a long time for a blog to go un-updated. So, here are a few things happening in my writerly world, with Betrayal in particular.

With Heartless officially out-of-print, Betrayal is my new bestseller....as far as I know. (I don't get the actual sales reports for Deception until I get the royalties for Deception. I can't check it every other day...not that I do that with any of my titles. That would be obsessive and a wee bit compulsive. And we all know writers are neither obsessive nor compulsive. Right?)

All that aside, I'm hoping TreasureLine will pick up Betrayal like they did with Heartless. I'd love to give it a sexy new cover and a tighter interior edit and format. Plus, I LOVE TreasureLine and would love for a portion of my earnings to benefit the growth and expansion of such a great publisher.

One thing happening that has little to do with Betrayal--OK, it has some--is my new cover design site. That's right. An author asked for one of my eye-catching flower covers for her new release and after that I decided to take the next step and offer my services to anyone with a paypal account. (There has to money in the account. I mean, I may do this because I love it, but I can't do it for free.) Go to www.anauthorsart.com to see my gallery of covers.

I'll leave it at that for now. Look for new posts to this blog in the coming week or so. I mean to keep all my blogs more updated. I have quite a few so this is no small feat. Still, I will try.

Rachel Rager's Monthly Giveaway

2010-01-06T11:59:00.005-05:00

I stumbled across Rachel Rager's blog the other day and saw her giveaway for the month of January is Betrayal! I wasn't aware she was doing this and I'm tickled pink that she is. Here's the link for anyone who's interested in entering to win:

Rachel Rager: "Welcome, 2010!!"

Betrayal is FREE at Smashwords Until 9/26!!

2009-09-19T15:04:00.010-04:00

Until September 26 Betrayal is available for free download at Smashwords.com. Just enter code RR98G during checkout. This is a perfect opportunity to try one of my books for nothing.

At Smashwords, you can choose the format best suited for your particular e-reading device. There are formats for simple online reading, Kindle, Palm, Stanza and more.

You can also sample up to the first 50% of each of my other titles for free.

An Excerpt from Betrayal: Chapter One

2009-09-12T11:56:00.007-04:00

Chapter One

London

Early December 1816

The once beautiful young woman slumped against the cold stone of her prison cell, her knees drawn up to her chest, her tattered skirts pulled carefully down to cover her skinny limbs. She wondered if she would ever be free. It seemed no matter where she went, no matter how she changed her appearance, she was always found. Then, to avoid starving, she had stolen a measly loaf of bread and ended up here.

Newgate.

The very name was enough to strike fear into most human beings. But some were so desperate for food they took the risk to feed themselves and their families. Anyone unlucky enough to get caught faced deportation or worse, hanging.

Some actually viewed deportation as the worst of the two, but this young female prisoner was infinitely sorry she had been sentenced to hang instead. If she were deported, even as a criminal, she would have been able to finally escape those that pursued her, forget about her past, and start a new life.

She shivered and pulled her threadbare shawl tighter around her painfully thin body. It was very cold in her cell since prisoners of her kind did not rank high enough to warrant a fire or any type of comfort. What was the point? They would all die eventually anyway.

She almost laughed at the consternation that would quickly run through all those faceless men who had decided her fate if they were aware of who she was and exactly what position she held in the haute ton.

But she wouldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t believe her, of course, if she did tell them, but they might ask her family, who would reply with great breaths of relief that she had stubbornly run away and they had been searching for her this age. Then they would let drop that she was quite mad and cite several instances where she had appeared to be so. She would be handed over and locked up in a madhouse, where they said she belonged.

She would never go back there. She would die first.

And all this over a few measly pounds and paltry title she didn’t even want.

Perhaps it wasn’t a few pounds, she thought as a shuddering cough wracked her frail body. Sixty thousand a year made her one of the richest women in the country. The title wasn’t paltry either. There were very few women in England who could claim a title in her own right. But it was all very useless when there were several titled family members swearing to your insanity and doing everything in their power to lock you away. If she were proven mad, the family would have control of her money until the day she died, although the title would remain hers until that time.

A guard passed her cell and leered in at her and she knew it was only a matter of time before he had his way with her. She thought about it in a detached sort of way, by this time too jaded to really care and having lost her virtue long ago, she knew she was damaged goods, unmarriageable, so it didn’t matter. In cynical Society, if one man had had you, you might as well have given yourself to all of them.

And to avoid starvation, she had very nearly done just that.

She would have thought that her looks had gone off enough that she would not have to worry so much about being molested. Her red hair was dull and cut ruthlessly short by an inexpert hand causing it to fall in limp dirty strands all around her gaunt face, her skin was sallow and scarred, her figure had gone from seductively curved to miserably skinny, and even she knew that she smelled something awful having not had the luxury of soap and water for quite some time. The only claims to beauty that she seemed to have retained were her large green eyes, which still flashed with anger or mirth depending on her mood, and her deep bosom.

She reflected ruefully that of all the attractions she could have done without, her breasts were it. Breasts seemed to cause thoughts of lust in even the most staid of gentlemen, no matter their age, station or current marital status.

If she had had less spirit and less pride—and if the threat to her life had not been quite so great—she could have become some man’s mistress and lived her days out in comfort. Even though red hair was considered quite unfashionable, this particular lady was undeniably beautiful.

Was, past tense.

Now she looked like any hungry waif off the street, grimly awaiting the fulfillment of her sentence. It would be a release, she thought with resignation, suddenly not caring that they would hang her just so long as she didn’t have to hurt anymore.

She was so tired of running. She was tired of making friends only to have to leave them when it became too dangerous. She was tired of casting furtive glances over her shoulder fearing she was being followed.

She was tired of wishing that a certain gentleman were looking for her because he cared and not because her family had asked him to do so.

She heard the key grate in the lock and wondered which of the poor souls around her would go next. She didn’t turn to look at the man who owned the heavy tread but she dimly noted that he came her way. She just assumed it was the guard come to take his pleasure of her then turn her over to her fate.

“I had the very devil of a time finding you,” muttered an annoyed voice very close to her ear.

She turned her head wearily and smiled in defeat at the exceedingly attractive and very perturbed gentleman that crouched next to her. “What took you so long?” she asked conversationally. “Come to watch me dangle, have you?” She laughed bitterly and turned away, not wanting him to see the tears that unaccountably sprang into her eyes.

The very elegant Adam Prestwich wrinkled his nose fastidiously. “Faugh, you smell abominable!”

“And where, my charming sir, do you suppose I would get a bath? I can hardly trade my favors for hot water and soap when any man here can have me without going to so much trouble. I am the lowest bloody form of human life: a poor female criminal with no one to protect her,” she replied candidly, still not looking at him, her voice thick with sudden grief over her sorry lot in life.

“You speech is abominable as well. One would never know that you were once a lady. Or that you hold one of the oldest titles in the land,” her companion growled roughly.

Adam Prestwich looked at her with chilly gray-green eyes. She couldn’t read his thoughts since the man was so damn good at concealing them. But she knew he was not pleased to see her here.

“Why are you here?” she finally asked.

“Stand up” was his terse reply.

She obeyed since it was quite stupid to argue with any man when you were little better than a trollop and a thief and condemned to die. On the other hand…she was going to die.

When he turned away and commanded her to follow him, she balked.

“Go to hell,” she replied equably, a wraithlike smile twisting her thin lips. Some of the other female prisoners sniggered and one cackled at her to go with the swell and—the rest was better left unsaid.

He didn’t bother trying to convince her to go. He picked her up, slung her over his immaculately clad shoulder and marched from the cell. She pounded on his back ineffectually and finally attempted to kick him in a very tender area. She received a hard swat on her rump for her pains.

“Behave or I will take you back and let you die, brat.”

“Then take me back!” she retorted angrily.

He didn’t reply so she lapsed into furious silence, trying to block out the vulgar remarks and catcalls that followed them every step of the way from the prison.

She knew he would return her to her family. She didn’t know why. She had been running from this particular man for years now. He was determined to find her and return her to the bosom of her “loving” family. She wondered what sort of Haymarket scene of tender filial devotion he had been treated to.

The cold night air hit her like a hammer blow. Mr. Prestwich walked down the street and she wondered crossly if he was planning to walk all the way to Lancashire to deliver her to a fate worse than death. She began to shiver uncontrollably from cold, exhaustion, and long suppressed emotion.

They stopped suddenly and she was bundled into a closed carriage. Mr. Prestwich laid her on one seat with the utmost tenderness and covered her carefully with two heavy rugs. His solicitation frightened her more than if he had beaten her to within an inch of her life. Every traumatic thing in her short life converged on her in a rush of intense emotion and she fainted for the first time.

Adam watched her in the dim light thrown from the carriage lamps. He was surprised he had recognized her under all her rags and layers of dirt. How the devil had she ended up on the street and hungry enough to steal? It was sad to see a once pert and beautiful woman brought so low.

Which only made him wonder yet again what had kept her running. He had met her family and they seemed all that was proper in a loving family that feared for the safety of the runaway heiress. He was cynical enough to realize that it probably had more to do with her title and inheritance than any altruistic motives on their parts. But he had to wonder at the sanity of a girl who would rather hang as a thief than try to cope with even the worst of relatives.

The carriage swayed gently over the rough cobbles of London. Gaslights on the street shined in through the open windows of the conveyance highlighting the deathly pallor of his companion and he wrenched the curtains closed. It was unlikely that any members of the ton would see them at this time of the morning, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

The coach eventually turned into Berkeley Square and came to a stop before a mansion in Berkeley Street. Adam opened the trap and called up to the coachman.

“Go around to the mews, John. I want to go in the back.”

The coachman said nothing about this rather odd request but everyone knew the Quality had strange ways about them. Hadn’t he just driven his very elegant master to Newgate where said master had returned with a woman of skin and bones? John Coachman grunted, the trap banged shut and the coach moved on.

They stopped again and Adam leaned forward, gathering the unconscious girl in his arms. She didn’t move and for one brief panicked moment, he thought she was dead. The thought caused a strange twinge in his heart, which he put down to travel fatigue. He had searched practically the length and breadth of England for this particular quarry, always avoiding London since it would be damned stupid of her to enter the metropolis, and he was deuced tired. He was also annoyed to finally find her where he had never thought to seriously look.

He climbed down from the carriage and peered closely at her in the growing light of dawn. The air had a metallic taste, heralding forthcoming snow.

Her face was deathly pale, her eyes sunken in her head, and her lips were an alarming shade of blue. She suddenly inhaled and a ragged cough wracked her whole body.

He cursed as he strode swiftly into his mansion. He supposed he could have taken her to his friend’s wife, Lady Verena Northwicke, but that lady had only recently given birth to twins and Adam had already brought her enough grief with his groundless accusations and petty spite. No, he would have to look after Lady Brianna Derring, Countess of Rothsmere—better known as Bridgette—himself.

Setting it Up: Prison in Regency London

2009-08-18T01:57:00.000-04:00

We already have an idea of the setting: Regency England. To be more precise, London, late 1816. Our story begins with our heroine in Newgate Prison.

Newgate Prison, a brief history:

Newgate was first built in 1130, a small lock-up overshadowed by the Fleet. It was extended in 1188 and was able to accommodate more prisoners. It was enlarged again in 1236 and renovated in 1422. After its destruction in 1666 in the Great Fire of London, it was rebuilt in 1672, with another extension. The prison was demolished and replaced between 1770 and 1777. It was burned during the Gordon Riots of 1780 and had to be rebuilt, rapidly declining into a penal slum. By 1816, when our heroine found herself there, Newgate was overcrowded, a common problem in prisons. When Newgate was built for 500, approximately 800 convicts were resident.

The life of the prisoner was not exactly the regimented existence that we commonly imagine. Cheap alcohol flowed freely, gambling was rife, women traded sexual favors for money and for the possibility to "plead their belly" and gain a pardon. Felons could avoid execution if pregnant. Attempts to ban tobacco and prostitution always failed.

Despite all this, incarceration was not entirely benign. New prisoners had to pay and if they couldn't the other prisoners would simply take whatever belongings they believed would cover the fee. The prisoners themselves had a sort of hierarchy in place that was quite powerful. They held tribunals and decided many disciplinary matters for themselves. While things changed over the years, the general air of squalor and the strong feeding on the weak prevailed.

There were a few reformers of the early nineteenth century who attempted to bring about a change in the penal system but nothing could be accomplished without great cost and rebuilding. Certain other authorities tried to make changes but the quality of life of prisoners was not a priority.

(I should note here that I have learned more about Newgate since writing Betrayal. As historical authors, we can't know everything when we write. All that aside, I think I gave a fairly accurate, if rather dramatic, portrayal of the prison.)

So how did Bri end up there?

For the lower class citizens, punishment was harsh. Transportation was often the result for relatively petty crimes. Hanging was also an option but the British were quite fond of shipping their criminals to a penal colony.

To be totally honest, I'm not entirely sure why Bri ended up with the punishment she did. All a matter of how the cards fell, I suppose. While she had privately hoped for transportation, and thus the chance to begin a new life however difficult, she ended up sentenced to hang. Either way, in her mind, she'd be free.

Newgate is only featured briefly in Betrayal, the opening scene where we meet our heroine and within moments, our hero.

*For more details on the history of Newgate Prison and other prisons of London, check out Richard Byrne's Prisons and Punishments of London and Newgate Prison at Wikipedia. Pictures on this page are in the public domain.

Introductions: Lord Levi, Bri's Cousin

2009-07-05T14:52:00.016-04:00

Bri has only one family member in whom she places any trust. Lord Levi has proven more than once that she can count on him for help despite opposition from the rest of the family.

Big and friendly in a bluff sort of way, Levi has more heart than common sense sometimes. He is built like a bear, massive and intimidating if not for his boyish countenance: smiling dark brown eyes, dark brown curls and laugh lines.

Levi is young with the cares of an earldom on his shoulders. To make matters worse, he has no liquid assets. While he helps where and when he can, there is only so much one can do when others are in control...

Why did I create Levi?

Honestly, I couldn't stand the thought of Bri being so alone. At the same time, she needed someone who was nearly powerless to help her. If her cousin was able to save her, what use would she have for Adam?

So Levi was "born." He loves his cousin in an entirely platonic sense, feeling as though she is a sister. He doesn't have the money or power that some of her relatives do, the very relatives determined to control her and her money.

Levi is nearly polar opposite of Adam. He is not bitter, does not have any sort of animosity towards women, finds all of life a bit of a lark, and doesn't see Society as completely black. I found it interesting to write him, even as a secondary character.

It was all these differences that led to me writing Levi's book, Deception.

*The preceding is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, to factual events or businesses is coincidental and unintentional.

Introductions: Adam's Mistress, Raven Emerson

2009-07-04T15:33:00.022-04:00

Raven Emerson is beautiful in an improper sort of way. She is a sultry beauty with brains and faintly slanted, dark eyes. Her inky black hair is straight and typically left down; her way of moving is not that of a lady. This is all to be expected. She is an actress.

In startling contrast, this exotic beauty has a tendency to "mother," in some way, everyone she meets.

Raven was raised in a devoutly religious household, a household where purity was held as sacrosanct. When tragedy and illness eventually left her alone to care for herself and her one surviving sister, Raven used her acting abilities to her best advantage. Despite the guilt that plagued her, she took great pride in her talent and greater pride in her ability to resist the handsome, personable and rich gentlemen who courted her favor.

Then she met Adam Prestwich.

Adam is Raven's first protector. She never wanted to become the type of woman who would sell her body to feed herself. And, indeed, she did not. She was a victim of lust, plain and simple.

How did I come up with a character like Raven?

In the Regency Era, it was common for gentlemen to have a mistress. While, personally, I don't believe this was right, it was common. Adam's personality, certain things from his past, and the way he tends to cope with "stress" were all deciding factors in why I chose to give him a mistress.

I did not want anyone to hate her. At the same time, I did not want anyone to think that Adam should marry his mistress instead. I wanted her to be likable, refined, wise but, ultimately, human. She has flaws.

While Raven's flaws are not really apparent in Betrayal, they come to light in Deception, a story in which she features rather prominently. Her mistakes in Deception are the ones she laments in her own story, Spellbound.

Introductions: Adam's Best Friend, Lord Connor Northwicke

2009-06-24T23:00:00.019-04:00

Lord Connor Northwicke is the only person Adam really trusts.

Slightly taller than average with blond hair and blue eyes, Connor has a ready smile and a penchant for behaving in ways not always entirely acceptable in Society. He is the second son of the Duke of Denbigh with a very comfortable income of his own. This allows him a measure of freedom seldom enjoyed by second sons.

When Connor was younger, he developed an interest in the medical field. He had a wonderful mentor and friend who was willing to teach him all he was willing to learn.

Connor's "hobby" turned out to be more useful than it should have been. The son of a duke had no business acting as physician to the tenants. With his usual insouciance for what was considered "proper" behavior, Connor did as he wished, acting in a medical capacity when Dr Steele was not available.

Adam and Connor's friendship started at Eton when Adam taught Connor to defend himself from bullies. Despite their three-year age difference and personalities as different as black and white, the two young men became inseparable.

Where Adam was somber and studious, Connor was lighthearted and athletic. They rarely agreed on anything yet kept each other from getting into too much trouble.

After Adam's return from war, Connor found him unapproachable for the first time. The dark-haired man was secretive, bitter, and closemouthed about his reasons for being so. Connor formed some conclusions, did some sleuthing of his own and discovered a few secrets that worried and shocked him.

Connor's first appearance in Betrayal is within the first few chapters. Once again, when Adam finds himself into more than he can handle alone, he enlists the help of his best friend. Connor appears frequently through Adam's story, as does Connor's wife Verena. (Their story is told in a prequel, the yet-to-be-released Angel.)

Next article: Introductions: Adam's Mistress, Raven Emerson

*The preceding is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, to factual events or businesses is coincidental and unintentional.

Introductions: Our Heroine, Bri

2009-06-21T19:18:00.015-04:00

Bri is wealthy, titled and beautiful. Masses of dark red curls flow down her back, emerald green eyes most often flashing in cynical amusement. She is headstrong, stubborn, and her language can make a fishmonger blush. She used to be a lady. But now...

Bri was born to the Earl and Countess of Rothsmere in 1796. Her birth was a difficult one, leaving the countess barren. Bri was a source of disappointment to her father; predictably, he wanted his immense wealth and title to pass to a son. It was an added vexation that his title could pass to a daughter.

As a child, Bri was not the quiet young lady of which all parents dream. She was into mischief at every opportunity. Her numerous nannies and governesses could not control her. She loved life and loved to live.

Bri's parents died, leaving her a title, wealth, and many, many family members who would oversee the proper care of her fortune. Her family wanted nothing more than her moneybags, content to abuse her at every opportunity, verbally and physically. She loved once, was betrayed, and fled into servitude. Eventually, she found herself on the streets. The unreliability of man became something with which she was all too familiar.

Having gained the age of 20, we are first introduced to her as she sits in Newgate Prison, awaiting her execution.

Next article: Introductions: Adam's Best Friend, Lord Connor Northwicke

Introductions: Our Hero, Adam Prestwich

2009-06-19T12:18:00.018-04:00

Now that we all know the basics of the time period, on to Betrayal...

The first person I'd like to introduce is the hero of our tale, Mr. Adam Prestwich. I wish I had a lovely picture of Adam. I have a new colleague who will be sketching covers for me and I will confer with her on a lovely portrait of Adam. Meanwhile, we will all just have to imagine him. :o)

He is the tall, dark and handsome type with short black hair, pale eyes and a sardonic expression more often than not. He was born in 1785, making him 31 years old at the opening of our tale. His parents were probably quite typical of the time, leaving the raising of their children to the servants. Although being sent off to school at an early age, he learned very quickly how deceptive and manipulative females could be; his mother and sisters were prime examples.

Adam's best friend is Lord Connor Northwicke, the younger son of the Duke of Denbigh. They became friends at Eton, a rather unusual circumstance with their nearly three-year age difference. Taking pity on a small boy who was the target of bullies, Adam taught Connor to defend himself. This was the bonding agent for their friendship. Adam spent his holidays at Denbigh after that, having little reason to miss his family.

In school, Adam was a bookworm. He loved learning and learned anything he could. He graduated top of his class from Oxford University. It was therefore quite odd when he expressed an interest in joining the military. The Duke of Denbigh purchased a commission for him, that man a little disappointed in his own son for adamantly refusing to enlist.

Proving himself to be rather brilliant in battle, Adam rose quickly in rank. After Napoleon's incarceration on Elba, he was sent home on leave, choosing not to resign his commission. He went to his family's home in Cornwall instead of returning to Denbigh. Discovering his entire family had died of illness during his absence, Adam became the reluctant owner of his family estate. Discovering he had a knack for finding people, he occupied himself as an amateur sleuth. He was thus engaged in finding a certain young lady when Napoleon escaped. He returned to war.

At Waterloo, Adam distinguished himself, earning a special reward for bravery. He returned home, bitter and disillusioned. War was not glorious, women were ever deceitful, and family could not be relied upon.

Back in England, Adam immersed himself in his sleuthing hobby, attempting to distract himself from his own problems. That is how he meets our heroine, Bri.

Adam carries secrets with him that haunt him daily. His actions are controlled by his cynical view of women. He does not like our heroine. Not at all.

Where, in the odd meanderings of my imagination, did I dream up Adam?

When I "met" Connor and wrote his story, I realized he needed a friend. Not just any friend, a friend who was not very nice to women. How else would Connor's knight errantry assert itself?

So Adam evolved with his bitterness and angst, always letting Connor's love interest know how much he, Adam, despised her. In a way, I suppose he was a minor villain in Connor's love story.

After he met Bri (in Connnor's story, Angel, yet to be released) and acted so strange, it was only natural, I suppose, to expound on that. Their attraction to each other was from the start but their distrust of each other far outweighed that.

Next article: Introductions: Our Heroine, Bri.

What is the Regency?

2009-06-18T22:56:00.001-04:00

Quick definition: Britain, 1811-1820.

Longer definition: In 1811, King George III fell ill, which is a nice way of saying he went insane and could no longer fulfill his duties. His son, the Prince of Wales, was named regent, serving as a proxy ruler. The king died in 1820.

Generally speaking, the Regency period tends to range far more than the nine years it technically was. Many like to include several years before 1800 to nearly the middle of the century. Fashion, politics, culture and general excess were the common factors.

There was also a pervading sense of uncertainty. Napoleon was wreaking havoc all across Europe. The revolution in France had many wondering if the English people would emulate their French counterparts. Riots and general unrest abounded. It was not an easy time nor was it quite as romantic as the novels like to portray.

People of note were Jane Austen, Beau Brummel, Lord Castlereagh, the Duke of Wellington, Lady Jersey, Lord Byron, Lady Caroline Lamb, Princess Lieven and Walter Scott.

Places of note were Almack's Assembly Rooms, Carlton House, Brooks's, White's, Astley's Amphitheatre, Vauxhall Gardens, Tattersalls and Covent Garden.