Highly improper scenerio?

Upstart Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 31

I was just reading a book and came across a scene where a Gentleman takes his Mistress on an outing to Hyde Park ACCOMPANIED by his own sister and other friends.

The question this scene brought up was if such arrangements were accepted, to bring along your mistress when your family member and friends would also be present. Or, maybe it wasn't 'accepted' but did such cases occur back then? Or was this scenerio historically impossible due to the scandalous nature of it?

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject:

That sounds entirely improper and as far as I know, was only done by those who could get away with it (Royals come to mind).
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:34 am Post subject:

Lady V is right. It is highly improbable. As I mentioned in a workshop last week, if you're going to use an improbable scenario, you had better be prepared to explain it, and to work that improbability into the plot.
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Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

This is one of those cases where it could happen, depending on who the mistress was, what her situation in the ton was, etc.

For example: If his mistress were a wealthy widow (and thus more his lover than kept woman) and they were discreet about their relationship, then it might be very likely that she would mix socially with the women of his family. If she’s a kept doxy (a la Harriette Wilson), no freaken way. But I’ve seen a lot of highly improbable plots out there (my favorite in this vein was one in which the acknowledged mistress of a nobleman was flitting about tonnish social events worrying about her reputation!).
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-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Upstart Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 31

oh! wow, how picky the ton was back then. I wonder what would happen if the ton were to find out that the wealthy widow was the mistress of some powerful nobleman? Would she still be accepted and allowed to mingle with the Fashionable?

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject:

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100