Kaurifish canon

Over the course of studying the Regency era, reading the heck out of Austen’s works and devouring fic, I’ve developed some personal views of the world of P&P that come out in my stories.

Virgin Darcy

Mr. Darcy, unlike most gentlemen of his time and situation, is a virgin. He never disported himself with tavern wench, courtesan or mistress. Because of Wickham’s example, he has entirely avoided all intimate knowledge of the fairer sex.

Which leaves him in a pretty pickle when he meets Elizabeth.

Virginity

Hymens don’t exist in my world. They ruin the pacing of the sex scene and insert pain exactly where we don’t want it. Not everyone has them (I didn’t), and evolutionary biologists can’t even agree about them. Regency culture had plenty of ways to control women’s sexuality without that biological fresh-until-broken seal.

Except for the vampire novel I’m working on…

Col. Fitzwilliam

His Christian name is George. His father, canonically William Fitzwilliam, the fourth Earl Fitzwilliam, did not have enough attachment to William to name his first son thus (he was Charles, styled Viscount Milton by our timeframe).

He was a noted politician, who would have wanted to curry royal favor, both with the current King George and the next. I find it highly probable that he would have made a point of naming his second son after the king and/or his heir.

Climbing the walls

Both Darcy and Col. Fitzwilliam would have been frequent visitors to Rosings as boys, and I firmly believe that they learned to scale the parsonage walls to enter the second floor (which happens to contain the bed chambers) in order to pilfer sweets.

That this allows them to, as men, make nocturnal forays in search of other sweets is just a coincidence.

Featured in “Taking Mr. Darcy” and “Charlotte & the Colonel”

The Marriage Law

English people must have been very naughty indeed before 1753 because the enormous weight of law they saddled themselves with are like handcuffs on a courtship. You need to deliver the banns a week before they can be read. They need to be read over three Sundays in all the parishes where the person to be married has a home. They need to be returned to the rector issuing the license and then another week before they can be wed.

Nope. In my stories I strap the Marriage Law to a table like it was Lizzy in “The Master’s Will R” and have my way with it.

Bed chambers

It was Regency practice for a gentleman to go to his lady’s room to claim his husbandly privilege.

But it’s much sexier for her to go to him, so that’s generally what you’ll find in my stories.