Page 57

Before I begin, I want to start with a quick historical caveat. This story takes place in 1809, just outside the official Regency period (1811-1820). Although this time period is the actual length of the Regent’s rule, the term Regency Era often refers to the broader period from 1795-1837. Therefore, due to the realities of the historical romance market, this is categorized as a Regency romance.

All right, now let’s dive into the meat of this historical note: We’re going to be talking about the waltz, tennis, and the Midsummer’s Eve festival!

First, I want to go over the waltz.

This story takes place during 1809, and the waltz was not common during this time in England. It started to increase in popularity during 1810-1812, but it was scandalous ! Because it was oh so sensual and left dancers giddy and disoriented (I can only imagine what those living during Regency would think if they saw the way people bump and grind nowadays!). It really became popular (and accepted) during the period of 1813-1819.

Now, even though it wasn’t popular and stirred up quite a bit of controversy, it was danced during the time period my story takes place. In 1801, Lady Mary Bentinck reportedly hosted a ball to introduce a "new and beautiful dance," likely an early form of the waltz. Around 1807, dance publisher William Campbell included "The Russian Ambassador's Waltz" in his collection The Country Dance , complete with instructions. And in 1810, the Countess of Shaftesbury hosted a ball in London where a Waltz Medley was danced by 320 guests. It was new, it was scandalous, and it was very fitting that Franny would love it. I think even oh-so-proper Rupert would have danced the waltz with Franny in London, especially now that he’s learning to live a little.

Next up—tennis! But not the kind we know today.

What we now call real tennis or royal tennis was simply “tennis” during the Regency, as lawn tennis had yet to be invented. If you’ve seen Ever After with Drew Barrymore, you’ve glimpsed a match of real tennis—it’s far more complex than modern tennis, and trust me, I spent a lot of time figuring out the rules!

Real tennis was hugely popular in the 16th and 17th centuries and even boasts the world’s oldest sporting championship, dating back to 1740. While its popularity waned in the early 1800s, it saw a resurgence among the aristocracy by the late 19th century.

Fun Facts About Real Tennis:

Dating back to the 12th century, it’s one of the oldest racket sports in the world.

Henry VIII was an avid player and had courts built at his palaces.

Mary, Queen of Scots, was a devoted player and frequently played at Falkland Palace, where Scotland’s oldest Real Tennis court still stands today.

Anne Boleyn’s (Queen of England, second-wife to Henry VIII) was detained at a tennis match. On May 2, 1536, while watching a match at Greenwich Palace, Anne was suddenly summoned and arrested. She was later tried for adultery, incest, and treason—and executed on May 19.

King James I of Scotland, was another avid tennis player, though he had a habit of knocking balls off the court and down an old drain leading from the abbey. After losing so many balls this way, he ordered the drain to be blocked up with stone. Just three days later, assassins arrived in the middle of the night, and the King attempted to escape through the same tennis court drains. The assassins eventually caught up with him at the blocked passage and took his life. The question remains— would he have evaded capture through the drain if not for his stray tennis balls?

Lastly, let’s talk about the Midsummer’s Eve festival or St. John’s Eve. And buckle up, because this one’s a long one (because I just found it all so bloody fascinating!)

Learning about the Midsummer’s Eve festival was so much fun! This celebration, which marks the summer solstice, has deep roots in pagan traditions and is steeped in symbolism, magic, and superstition. In Regency England, it was a lively and mystical occasion filled with rituals meant to honor nature, encourage good harvests, and ward off evil spirits.

The Significance of Midsummer's Eve: Midsummer's Eve symbolizes the peak of the sun's power and marks the beginning of the gradual decline of daylight hours. It was a time of magic and folklore, especially when it came to matters of love and marriage.

"Midsummer Eve is considered a good time for ascertaining who will marry whom, and the charms for the purpose are many and varied." – Charles Dickens, All the Year Round , 1887

Love and Marriage Superstitions

One of the most captivating aspects of Midsummer’s Eve for me (go figure as a romance author!) was its connection to love and romance. Many believed that the night held special powers for discovering one's soulmate, predicting who they would marry, or granting them good fortune in their marriage. This is part of why there were so many weddings in June!

Common Traditions:

Dreaming of a Sweetheart: If nine different flowers were placed under a person’s pillow on Midsummer night, they would dream of their future lover.

Apple Charm: An apple was cut in two, and whoever had the most seeds in their half would find love first.

Ferns and invisibility: It was believed that eating untouched fern could make a man invisible, so young men would go out at midnight with a plate and try to harvest fern leaves without touching them. (I can only imagine where they were trying to sneak to once they were invisible…)

Verbena’s Role in Love and Magic : Verbena, often used in love spells, was believed to attract affection. Many would collect it on Midsummer’s Eve, place it in a pouch, and carry it as a charm for love and luck.

The Importance of Fire

Fire was a central symbol during Midsummer's Eve celebrations, representing the sun's power. Large bonfires were lit at midnight and kept burning until sunrise, not only to light the way home for wandering souls but also to ward off evil spirits and appease supernatural entities. The Saint John’s Fire (a combination of bones and wood) was supposedly so powerful, it could drive away dragons!

In some areas, people would also create a Fire Wheel . A wooden wheel stuffed with rushes was set on fire and rolled down a hill. If the wheel remained lit until it reached the bottom, it was seen as a good omen for the harvest. If it extinguished before reaching the bottom, it was a sign of a poor harvest.

It was believed that leaping over the bonfire would bring good luck, especially for couples. Farmers would even drive their livestock through the glowing coals. It was also said that the height of your jump predicted the growth of your crops— the higher you leaped, the taller your crops would grow in the coming season! (I would have very short crops, just saying).

All right, if you’ve stuck around this long, thank you! Because, woof, I really got carried away there. I know I take creative liberties in my writing because I love creating a fun story (so maybe everyone is having sex at the Chesterfield ball and that’s not totally realistic). But I put a lot of effort into research when crafting my stories, and I absolutely love sharing the fun things I’ve learned. The number of YouTube videos I’ve watched on real tennis is almost embarrassing. But this is what makes writing Historical Romance so enjoyable—I’ve discovered some truly fascinating things!

Thanks for reading Franny and Rupert’s story and thank you for sticking around to read my historical note. I am so, so grateful to have you as a reader.

Much Love,

Lizzie