Image courtesy of Teerapun / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Out of season for Fireworks, I hear you say. But, we’re talking writing here and so the round robin blog subject for June is literal or figurative, emotional or physical FIREWORKS.
My regencies are what are described as ‘sweet’. No bodice-ripping goes on between the pages, but there is that age-old game between the sexes. Who will gain the upper hand in a war of words?
There is a belief that in the enlightened West – women have equality. I would challenge that view, but also, I would remind everyone how recently some of the barriers came down and how easily, so very easily, they could go back up.
From the fundamental – A man in Victorian England always got custody of his children following divorce.
To the ludicrous – A life-guard in Arbroath could eject me from a 1960s’ swimming-pool for having no hat, but allow to stay ANY male with longer hair and no hat.
The longing for a different way of keeping women in their place (anywhere other than where the men are doing ‘real’ stuff) has not gone away. However, I write humorous, dialogue rich fiction and do not preach within the pages of my novels. Therefore, the FIREWORKS are muted. I like to think the fallout smoulders long and burns deep.
This extract is from Mariah’s Marriage:
Mariah remained sitting with the utmost difficulty. She was a person totally opposed to the use of violence, even the accepted chastisement of children in class was abhorrent to her and its abolition was one of her most dearly held objectives, but nothing would have given her more satisfaction at that moment than to bring her hand across Peter’s self-satisfied smirk.
“Peter, I think you forget how Mariah has been educated,” Jerome said.
“No, sir, I do not believe I do. Mariah’s brain has been trained to read and figure, and her fingers to write, but I regret that the female cannot be taught logic and reasoning. It must be clear that this man, with his title and wealth, has turned her head from its true path…”
London Girl
“I think, Peter. I speak. I am not deaf nor, as you seem intent on implying, am I essentially feeble-minded,” Mariah said. No longer able to remain seated, she was on her feet and trembling with a cold rage that made her words flow in well-chosen phrases. “Papa, you have welcomed Peter here as your guest but I must tell you that if you continue to do so, I will seek a residential position in a ladies’ seminary.”
Having warmed up on the dreadful Peter, what chance does a mere earl have?
Other blogs are tackling this point today and I am followed by:
Connie Vines at: http://connievines.blogspot.com/
If you want to read all of the posts, here’s the complete list:
Margaret Fieland at http://margaretfieland.com/my_blog Heidi M. http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com Beverley Bateman at http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/ Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com Anne Stenhouse at https://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/ Ginger Simpson at http://mizging.blogspot.com Geeta Kakade at http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/ Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com Lynn Crain at http://lynncrain.blogspot.co.at/ Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com
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the danger is that I flit from one discipline to the other and never finish anything so I do have to set myself deadlines. And then I have to stick to the deadlines. Which on the whole, sadly, I don’t.
Novels Now 