I have a special treat for you today, readers!  Austenesque author, Maria Grace is stopping in for a visit and chat about her newest release, Remember the Past!  After reading the book blurb, I wanted hear more about the children featured in this novel – Darcy has sons, Elizabeth has younger twin brothers – I can’t wait to meet them!  I hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about Maria Grace, being children during the Regency Era, and her new novel, Remember the Past!

Thanks for having me by, Meredith. It’s always such fun to spend time with you and your readers. You asked me about the children in my newest novel. The four young boys, two Darcys and two Bennets, have been some of my favorite characters to write. Oddly enough, having three boys of my own was not sufficient research to write them. Mind you it did help, though. I was definitely channeling my kids’ younger years as I wrote.

I did have to do quite a bit of background research to write the children, including what they would have played with and what they would have worn. Even though those things were not what the novel was about, that kind of information forms part of the story world necessary to transport the reader into the story and make it feel real.

I was surprised to find that many of the toys and games of the Regency era would be familiar to children and parents of today. For example, skipping rope and hopscotch were common pastimes for both boy and girls. Children also enjoyed shuttlecock, also known as battledore, and lawn bowls. Interestingly, the later was at one time prohibited by various monarchs for fear it might impinge on the practice of archery, another common outdoor sport for the Regency era.

Games with hoops were also popular. Boys would roll metal and wooden hoops, propelling them with another stick.

Girls would play the more sedate ‘game of graces’. Girls would hold two slender sticks and catch a ribboned hoop on the sticks. They would then throw the hoop to another player by crossing the sticks, allowing the hoop to slide down, then rapidly pulling the sticks apart. Both of these games were surprisingly difficult. I tried them with my kids at a reenactment museum and we all found them very challenging.

Other popular outdoor amusements included games of rounders, an ancestor of baseball played by boys and girls, titter tatter, the old name for a see-saw, variations of blindman’s bluff, tag, various kinds of races. When a body of water was available, children could play ducks and drakes by skipping a flat stone across the surface to see how many times they could make it skip. Ice skating and swimming were also popular near the water. Only boys swam though, as bathing suits had not been invented.

When play took them inside, boys would have pulled out their toy soldiers and girls their dolls and doll houses. Toy theaters complete with doll house like stage and backdrops and metal or paper characters were also comments. Children could act out familiar stories for their playmates or their families. Creative children might write their own stories or even draw or paint their own characters for their miniature stages. These remind me a great deal of some of my favorite toy from my boys’ childhood. They played with a castle complete with knights and jousting horses and a dragon and a pirate ship with pirates, an island, treasure and a giant ogre defending it. Shhh, don’t tell, but I never got rid of those!

Both boys and girls played with tops and buzzers, apparently noisy, dizzy things have a universal appeal. Similarly, the clacking, inexplicable Jacob’s Ladder, constructed of wooden blocks and ribbons, fascinated Regency era children as much as it does today’s. Bilboquet was another favorite toy. I remember the very first one of these ball and cup games I got as a kid. How hard I tried to get the knack of getting that little ball into the cup. I never did get very good at it, but it was a good way to occupy a dreary afternoon. No doubt many Regency mothers and nursery maids thought the same thing.

Children and adults played many games to keep themselves entertained during long evenings where the firelight was not strong enough to support other activities like reading or sewing.

Many games were quite familiar to us. Chess, checkers (called draughts), backgammon, card games, and dominoes in forms very similar to the ones played today were common. Race to the finish style board games were also popular as were jacks, pick-up-sticks and marbles.

Boys also place a game called conkers. Conkers resemble marbles a little, at least it does in my head. In France, the game was played with snail shells, in England, horse chestnuts were the medium of choice. The conker was strung on a string. Players would stretch out their string and take aim at another player’s conker and let it fly. The first to break his opponent’s conker won.

Though many of the pass times would seem familiar to today’s children, their clothing, particularly for boys, definitely would not.

Before learning to walk, babies wore long gowns that extended beyond their feet. Once out of infancy (walking age), both boys and girls were ‘shortcoated’, dressed in ankle length dresses. The early 19^th century saw almost no difference between dresses for little boys and little girls. Little boys might wear their sisters’ hand-me-downs and vice-versa. Dresses might be made of chintz or printed cottons. They were worn with small white caps, sashes and petticoats or long ruffled pantaloons.

The point at which little boys stopped wearing dresses was called breeching. During the Regency, most boys were breeched at about four years of age, though child rearing ‘experts’, argued for various ages, up to eight years old. They agreed though that a child’s size was a most important consideration. Boys who were small for their age or sickly might be breeched later. On the other hand, boys might be breeched earlier if there was concern that a parent might not live to see their son breeched.

Upper and middle class boys typically wore a skeleton suit after they were breeched and would continue in these garments until around the age of eleven. These suits featured a high button waist, long pantaloons, rather than the knee breeches worn by older men, and jackets adorned with many buttons. A blouse with an open, often elaborate collar was worn under the jacket which might be buttoned to the pants to help hold them up. Young boys might also wear pantalettes underneath with a trim or frills showing at the ankles.

Skeletons suits were cut close to the body, but with far more ease in the cut than the skin tight breeches and coats worn by men. Thus, though boys today would likely find them very uncomfortable, boys of the era would consider them neither tight nor constricting.

The blouses for the suits were typically white and made of linen or cotton. For every day wear, the pants and jackets might be made of yellow-brown nankeen or other sturdy washable fabrics. Into the 19^th century, improved dyeing techniques allowed fabrics to be more colorfast, thus more colorful skeleton suits appeared. During the Regency, dark blue was a favorite color, especially for more formal suits made of silks or velvet.

On special occasions, boys might wear a round straw hat with a brim, and a wide ribbon band or a military style cap. Colorful sashes might also be added to the skeleton suits, tied in large poufy bows around the waist or over the shoulder. To finish their ensemble, boys would wear plain white stockings and flat shoes with a single strap over the instep, typically in black.

Here’s a brief excerpt from Remember the Past, it is one of my favorite scenes. I can just picture young Philip in his skeleton suit and frilled collar, looking ever so serious:

~~~

“How many times have we done this?” Jane leaned her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder.

“Too many.” Elizabeth laid her cheek on top of Jane’s hair. “It used to be better, though. Lady Ellen had a penchant for making things run smoothly.” She tapped her pencil on the nearest list.

Jane yawned indelicately. “I am ready to be done with all this, perhaps even more than Papa. You know I cannot sleep well in the days before we take possession of a new house. Lists and details—”

“And imaginary disasters—”

“Yes, those too, they flood my mind and Morpheus cannot reach me.”

Heavy footsteps approached.

“Good day ladies.” Colonel Fitzwilliam strode in.

“Good morning, sir.” Jane radiated an angelic glow.

Colonel Fitzwilliam was lost, utterly, pleasingly lost. An honorable man, his attentions to Jane even seemed to meet Papa’s approval. At the very least, he and Papa shared a mutual respect. His fortune probably did not exceed his sell-out, but Jane had enough to support them comfortably, even to acquire a modest estate. She might safely ignore his lack of affluence in favor of something no one could purchase, character. At last she had a suitor who might do very well for her, indeed.

Elizabeth rose and gestured toward Jane. “My sister has worked far too hard this morning. Would you take her to the drawing room and watch over her while she rests? Without someone to ensure her compliance, I am certain she will not.”

Jane’s jaw dropped and her face flushed bright.

“Happy to be of assistance, Miss Elizabeth.” Col. Fitzwilliam grinned, a delightful expression to be sure, but nothing compared to Mr. Darcy’s.

Jane tried to look severe, but failed. No surprise, given the light in her eyes. Though she might not admit it now, she would thank Lizzy for her clever intervention later. An opportunity for time with the colonel should not be wasted. Jane slipped her arm in his and they left.

Now, back to the tasks at hand. Elizabeth sat and pulled Jane’s lists closer. She ticked off several points. Those ought to wait until after they were settled. She circled two items to be attended to—

“Miss Elizabeth!” Miss Wexley rushed in, panting, apron smudged with dirt. “Philip, ma’am. I cannot find him. If it were Francis, I would not trouble you, but Philip—he is not apt to disappear. I searched all the rooms near the nursery, the attics, and the servant’s quarters.”

“The only time he vanishes is when he is troubled. Do not worry. I will manage him.” Elizabeth rubbed her hands together as she left the morning room.

Where to start? Poor Philip, he hated upheaval and despised moving house. Best find him before Papa learned of his disappearance. Despite her best efforts, he still did not understand his quiet son’s reaction to disorder and turmoil.

What would soothe Philip’s troubled soul right now?

Quiet, the warmth of sunshine and a place the other children would not find him. That meant a room on the east face with windows and books or fine breakable objects. The gallery or the library, the boys were not allowed in the former and avoided the latter. Slow, quiet steps carried her to the gallery.

Were those voices? She closed her eyes and turned her ear toward the doorway. Yes, a deep rumbling whisper and a smoother higher pitched answer.

She inched nearer the door.

Philip stood silhouetted in the window. Beside him, Mr. Darcy crouched on one knee, a hand on Philip’s shoulder.

“I understand these times are difficult,” Mr. Darcy said sotto voce.

“Yes, sir.” Philip clasped his hands behind his back, serious beyond his years. “I do not mean to sound ungrateful. Jane and Lizzy, especially, are wonderful—”

“But they are not her.”

“No sir, they are not.” Philip sniffled.

Elizabeth pressed a hand to her heart. Poor dear, boy.

Mr. Darcy reached into his pocket. “There are bound to be those times when a boy—or a man—will miss his mother more than he wishes to acknowledge to others.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You must always carry one of these.” Mr. Darcy pulled out a handkerchief and tucked it into Philip’s hand, “and know where to find a sunny window. I find dust in one’s eyes a very sympathetic reason to claim for retreat.”

Philip looked at Mr. Darcy, eyes shining. He clutched the handkerchief to his chest. “Thank you, sir.”

“Carry on then. You are welcome to stay here until the dust has left your eyes.” Mr. Darcy rose and patted Philip’s back.

A kindred spirit for Philip! Elizabeth bit her lip and blinked hard. She dabbed her fichu across her eyes.

“Miss Elizabeth!” Mr. Darcy whispered.

She jumped. “I am sorry. I was looking for Philip.”

A red stain rose on his cheeks. That tender moment had not been meant for an audience.

“He is a good lad. I gave him leave to remain—”

“Until the dust has left his eyes.” The corner of Elizabeth’s lips lifted.

“Ah, yes.” Mr. Darcy tugged his collar.

“My brother’s quiet nature has often been misunderstood. He—and I—will not forget your kindness to him. You may need to prepare yourself for a bit of hero worship, though. He may even wish to discuss books with you.”

Mr. Darcy blinked and flashed that smile. No, she must not become lightheaded!

“I shall look forward to it. His opinions may well be as fascinating as yours.” He offered her his arm and accompanied her downstairs.

~~~

*sigh*  I’m reduced to a puddle after that scene!  This book may be dangerous, readers, Darcy interacting with all these young children – I don’t know if my heart can take it! (JK! Of course it can)  😉  

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Maria kindly brings with her 1 LOVELY ebook of Remember the Past for me to randomly give away to ONE lucky reader.

 

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment, a question of your own, or some love for Maria!!

• This giveaway is open worldwide.  Thank you, Maria!
• This giveaway ends September 22nd!