Preface

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

Preface

I would like to think that is a thinking Regency romance à la Harry Potter. There will be magic, but the setting is Regency England. I have taken some liberty with the ages of some characters, as well as the names of a few clubs and such. For instance, the famous gentlemen's club, White's is renamed Black's in this story. Black's is so named after Sirius Black, whose ancestors in the context of this story, where the founders of this illustrious club. Hogwarts is comparable to Eton as a school for young men of Quality. Garswoth is a select seminary for the young women Quality. For purposes of this story, Argus Filch and Hermione's father are squibs. Regency London still exists, but instead of the London that we are used to reading in Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, I have recreated parts of it along the spirit of the Harry Potter books. In short, in this story, the Harry Potter world is transposed into Regency London. This means that it is quite normal for everyone to be wizards. Squibs and muggles, in this story at least, are the minority in the society within this plot.

The purpose of such liberties is to render the Regency novel as Harry-Potterish as possible. If it offends your sensibilities, I apologise and recommend that you read Miss Jeanette's A Bluestocking Thing (henceforth abbreviated as Bluestocking), which is Regency romance as popularised by Avon romances and other such book companies. Miss Jeanette has an inimitable style and her Bluestocking is truly a joy to read. If my writing style and manner herein offends you, please read Miss Jeanette's Bluestocking in lieu of this.

I also will use some colloquialisms popular during the British Regency period. I will explain them wherever possible in footnotes at the end of each chapter. My semi-philosophical style is tempered here by a strong Jane Austen influence. Where possible, I have consulted my mother, who is an expert on peerages and the forms of addresses, as well as Regency fashion. Thus, it should be noted that I strictly adhere to the British tradition of titles. To avoid confusion, permit me to give you a basic primer on this.

Do not skip this section long and tedious it maybe, as I have no desire of explaining how my characters are addressed and why different characters call a certain fellow X and others call him Y.

What you will see below is mainly taken from http://www.chinet.com/~laura/html/titles12.html. Where possible, I have simplified it and made it easier to understand. I have also used certain examples to further explain some facts.

Peerage and Forms of address

In a nutshell, this is how the who's who is to be addressed:

Social ranks from highest to lowest are (1) Duke, (2) Marquess [or Marquis if you follow the title from elsewhere on the continent or Scotland], (3) Earl, (4) Viscount, (5) Baron, (6) Baronet, (7) Knight, (8) Gentleman, (9) Commoner. Scottish peerages are slightly different from the British. This will be explained (if necessary) in the context of the story. Baronets and Knights are not considered part of the peerage.

In speech, with a few rare exceptions for extremely formal occasions, all ranks below duke are called "Lord" and "Lady", i.e. the Lord and Lady Sutherland rather than the Earl and Countess of Sutherland. A peer of the realm is one who holds one (or more of five possible) title(s) of nobility and the estate(s) bestowed upon him or his direct ancestor by the monarch. Although other members of his family might be addressed by "Lord This" and "Lady That," none of them are peers; their titles are all courtesy titles, including his wife's (although she is usually acknowledged as a nominal peeress – this is again only by courtesy). I will explain courtesy titles a little later. A duke or duchess is addressed as "Your Grace" by social inferiors, and as "Duke" or "Duchess" by social equals. Social equals who address Dukes and Duchess simply as "Duke" or "Duchess" are people who do not know the ducal family very well and are within the peerage. Social equal are people ranked from Duke to Baron. Baronets, their wives and children would call Dukes and Duchesses "Your Grace". Example: In Jane Austen's Persuasion, the Elliot family is related to the Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple, and her daughter, the Honourable Miss Carteret. Miss Carteret and her mother would call a Duke they didn't know very well "Duke". Sir Walter Elliot and his daughters would call him "Your Grace".

All other peers and peeresses are called by "Lord" or "Lady" prefixed to the title, for example, Lord Spencer or Lady Thatcher.

As you'd expect from the ranking, dukes have always been the rarest British noble title. There have never been more than 40 non-royal dukedoms in being at any one time, and ordinarily there have been fewer than that. I have followed this in my story with only 3 ducal families: Malfoy, Dumbledore and Weasley.

Barons, being the lowest rank of nobility, have usually been the most numerous of the five degrees. The next most numerous in dignity has usually been that of Earl; Marquesses and Viscounts have always been comparatively less numerous, though not so rare as dukes.

In 1818, however, there were more earls than barons. There were 25 non-royal dukes, 31 marquesses, 212 earls, 69 viscounts, and 193 barons. These numbers include 21 peeresses in their own right (this includes one of the haughty patronesses of the Almack), 6 countesses and 15 baronesses, but they do not include subsidiary titles (i.e., only the highest-ranking title held by the peer is counted). I have followed this tradition in this story. Both Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood stand to be peeresses in their own right. Hermione is heiress to the Barony of Orthod, and Luna is heiress to the Barony of de Quib. I will explain how women can become peerages in their own right. Generally, titles that originate uninterrupted before the restoration of Charles II (especially between the years 1100-1600) can go to daughters if there are no sons. Scottish titles may also devolve upon daughters. If a Scottish lord produces no sons, his eldest daughter inherits the title even if the Lord has brothers who have produced sons. So, by this logic, we assume that in this story, the Barony of de Quib and the Barony of Orthod go back to at least the medieval period. Titles like these follow the mode of the monarchy. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne even though her uncle, the Duke of Kent was alive and had produced sons.

It should be noted that most members of the peerage, i.e. the Earls and above, hold more than one time, as such, only the highest title owned is addressed. Any secondary titles will be given to the elder son. Example: In Georgette Heyer's novel The Foundling, the hero, Gilly, is introduced as "the Most Noble Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, Duke of Sale and Marquis of Ormesby; Earl of Sale; Baron Ware of Thame; Baron Ware of Stoven; and Baron Ware of Rufford..." This tells us that Gilly's surname/last name is Ware. His highest title is the Duke of Ware. If he produced a son, that son would take his second highest ranking title by courtesy. Therefore, Gilly's eldest son would be Lord Ormesby. Any other sons after the eldest would be Lord first name surname (e.g. Lord Lionel Ware). If Gilly is still alive when his son produces an eldest son, Gilly's eldest grandson would be called Lord Sale, after the third highest title. I hope this is clear.

Notice that he is introduced with his (full) name first, followed by a comma, followed by his string of titles, greatest to least. The thing about titles, is that non-Brits, Americans or any non-Brit overly enamoured of the British peerage that they exaggerate the Lord and Lady X business. So, in this example with Gilly, even if he were merely Baron Ware, he would NEVER be introduced as "Lord Adolphus Ware." He would be "Adolphus, Baron Ware." This is a very common error by people who know nothing of the peerage, but love it too much -- but you can't ever get from "Lord Lionel Ware" to "Lord Ware." Peerages don't use first names. The very fact that the "Lord" comes before his first name tells you that it is a courtesy title, not a peerage. And the children of younger sons of Dukes and Marquesses do not get the "Lord/Lady" courtesy, they are plain the Honourable Mr/Miss Surname (first name is included if they are not the eldest son and daughter). Example: Gilly's uncle is Lord Lionel Ware, his eldest son is Mr Ware.

This is also true for ladies. A peeress is never "Lady Caroline Holland"; she is simply "Lady Holland," because, again, if the "Lady" title precedes the first name, that tells you that the title is a courtesy title which derives from her father's rank, not her husband's (or her own, if she is a peeress in her own right, but she may sign herself as Caroline Holland – I will explain this later). So before she married, Lady Holland was Lady Caroline Lennox. There is an exception to this rule concerning peers' daughters who are married to the heirs of peers who also bear courtesy titles. This will be explained later.

One of my betas and dear Laiagarien told me that some readers still might be unclear on the forms of address and titles. On the Duke's death, his eldest son would inherit the dukedom. Let's say Gilly is the Duke and he dies. His eldest son who let us pretend is named Adolphus, was Lord Ormesby. Now that Gilly is dead, he becomes the Duke of Sale. The new duke's son would therefore be the new Lord Ormesby. The title is in your immediate family and when the person directly above you in the table of precedence dies, you step into his shoes.

Indeed, when I say "peer" I mean people with titles from baron to dukes. Technically, "my lord Duke" would be used only in a very grave circumstance. Usually, a Duke's peers would just call him "Duke" if they are not very close friends. Or, if they are close friends, they would call the Duke by his title alone as if it were his name. This means Lord Ronald can call the Duke of Sanguine, "Duke" or "my lord Duke" (if he wishes to be stupid and challenge Sanguine to a duel). Lord Sterne, being closer to the Duke of Sanguine and his godson, would be given more leeway and can call him either "Duke" or "Sanguine". Sir Harry and Neville would have to call all the Dukes they meet, "Your Grace". If you are still confused, email me and I will explain in all the gory detail.

Important Notes

Only a peer may be said to hold a title "in his/her own right." All other titles are courtesy titles. There are five types of peerages in Great Britain: peers of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. This makes a great difference in precedence and privilege. The higher the rank, the more likely it is that the peer holds several peerages (cf. the Gilly example above), which may be distributed throughout the five peerages, depending upon their dates of creation.

Women were not allowed a seat in the House of Lords, even if they held a peerage in their own right until the 1963 Peerage Act granted them that right. Nonetheless, before then they held all of the other privileges which attended their specific peerage, although often if the peerage carried with it some special office, the office would be fulfilled by the peeress's husband. In addition, wives of peers enjoyed many of the privileges of peers, including a trial in the House of Lords rather than by jury. A baronetcy is a dignity that passes down from generation to generation within a family, like a peerage. But a baronet is not a peer; he does not sit in the House of Lords or enjoy the privileges of peers. A baronet's style would be, for example, Sir Adolphus Ware of Rufford, Bart. This is distinct from a peer, who would be styled "Adolphus, Lord Sale" (if a baron, viscount, earl, or marquess) or "His Grace, the Duke of Sale." It is similar to the style of a knight, but unlike a knighthood, the baronetcy can be inherited. Baronets and knights are not lords and are never addressed as "my lord"; however, their wives are called "Lady" prefixed to their husband's surnames only, and can be called "my lady" depending on the social circumstances. However, this gets complicated if the lady who marries a Baronet or Knight is the daughter of an Earl or above because she is already born Lady first name surname. Example: In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de Bourgh's father was the Earl of ______. Colonel Fitzwilliam is a younger son, so he has no Lord in front of his name. Before Lady Catherine and Lady Anne married Sir Lewis de Bourgh and the late Mr Darcy, they were known as Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam and Lady Anne Fitzwilliam. After their marriage, they bring their birthright to the marriage, hence, because they are not ordinary title-less maidens, they are called Lady first name, husband's surname. Thus, we have Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Lady Anne Darcy.

Ranks and Correct modes of reference

There is always a distinction between the name of the peerage and the surname. For almost all peerages above viscounts, they are different, but of course it's very easy to get them confused, especially since there are several exceptions

Knight/Baronet

Always Sir first name surname. The only time "of" may be used is when the Baronet has a family estate. Example: Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park. This may only be used in writing, never in speech, unless people demand to know where your estate is.

Baron

Often it is Baron Surname. Never Baron of Surname or Baron of Place, but often a territorial addition is made to the title, e.g., Baron Holland of Foxley. Often called Baron Surname, but often a territorial addition is made to the title, e.g., Baron Trevor of Bromham. In rare exceptions, it is sometimes Baron Title. Example: Henry Fox was created Baron Holland of Foxley. In this case, the title is by territory because Holland is named after his residence, Holland Park. The only time you use "of" with the title if you refer to the barony, i.e. the title itself without reference to any person. So, you call it the Barony of Strange and so on.

Viscounts

Never Viscount of Place or Viscount of Surname. Always Viscount Surname or Viscount Place. Usually post William and Mary era, it is Viscount Surname, but old viscountcies are called Viscount Place. The only time you use the "of" with the title is to refer to the viscountcy, i.e. Viscountency of Portsmouth. often a territorial addition is made to the title, e.g., Viscount Leinster of Taplow. Often Viscount surname, e.g., Viscount Courtenay. If not, it is Viscount Place, e.g. Viscount Melville.

Earls

You call someone the Earl of Place if and only if the Earl's title is not a surname. The late Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer is known as Earl Spencer because his surname is his title. He cannot call himself (and neither can we) call him Earl of Spencer. But usually, Earldoms are tied to a place. So, you can say things that Earl of Coventry, never Earl Coventry.

Marquesses/Marquises

At present, all but 5 Marquessates are by territory/place. The English and Welsh nobility of this rank is a Marquess, for Scottish or any other continental nobility will be a Marquis. So you can say, Marquess of Place, expect for the 5 that are Marquess Surname. If it is Marquis Surname, e.g. Marquess Wellesley, you do not say Marquess of Wellesley.

Dukes

You always use the "of"; they are always called Duke of Place/Surname. There are 3 such Duke of Surname in the peerage of Scotland: Duke of Hamilton (also Duke of Brandon in England); Duke of Lennox (also Duke of Richmond in England); and Duke of Gordon. This is only time you can use the "of" vis-à-vis a title. Why? Because for Dukedoms, the Surname is also the place name. You can find County Lennox and Hamilton etc, but you cannot find county Spencer.

Inheriting Titles

A peerage passes from father to son, but sometimes a peer dies without a son to succeed him. For example, the 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790-1858) never married. When that happens, go back one generation, to the peer's father, in this case the 5th Duke (1748-1811), and trace the next eldest male direct lineal descendant. In this case, that would be 5th Duke's other sons, if he had any. He didn't (at least, not a legitimate one), so we go back one more generation, to the 4th Duke (1720-1764). The 4th Duke had at least two sons: William, who succeeded him as 5th Duke, and Lord George Cavendish (1754-1834). Lord George died during the 6th Duke's lifetime, but if he had survived him, he would have become the next duke. However, he left a son, Mr William Cavendish (1783-1812), who also died before the 6th Duke, but left one son, Mr William Cavendish (1808-1891). This man became the 7th Duke of Devonshire.

But if Lord George's line had died out, then the dukedom could be traced back up to three more generations, all the way to the 1st Duke, and descend through the eldest of his other sons who had surviving legitimate male issue. If there was no legitimate surviving male descendant, then the title of Duke of Devonshire would become "extinct." However, if there was a legitimate surviving male descendant of his father, the 3rd Earl of Devonshire, then that person would inherit the earldom. In this way distant cousins can sometimes inherit lesser titles while the highest peerage dies out.

What's most important to remember is that if a man inherits a peerage, it is because he is the eldest surviving legitimate male who can trace a direct (father to son) lineage back to an earlier holder of the peerage. In other words, he doesn't inherit because he was the brother or the cousin or the uncle of his predecessor, but because his own father, or grandfather, or great-grandfather, or great-great-grandfather, etc., was an earlier holder of the peerage. ["Eldest" in this context doesn't mean that he happens to be the oldest of several different living men who can trace a direct line back to an earlier holder of the peerage, but rather that his line is the eldest, i.e., eldest son of eldest son; all other lines senior to his have died out.]

There are three types of peerages. The first, and most ancient, is a peerage held by writ, which is a direct summons by the Monarch to attend the Parliament; the second is Letters Patent, which institutionalized the writ and ensured successors of the right to attend Parliament; the third is by tenure (a pre-Parliamentary barony by tenure -- now considered non-existent in modern times – though it happened once in 1969).

Peerages by writ are almost all baronies and earldoms (there are 2 dukedoms in this as well), because none of the other titles were invented then (except earls, which then were exclusively sons or cousins of the sovereign). The ones which survive are naturally the most ancient titles. A writ entitled the peerage to pass to the "heirs general," not the "heirs male" as specified in almost all Letters Patent peerages. Occasionally, a peerage created by letters patent allowed a special remedy so that the peerage could pass to a brother or even a daughter if the new peer had no male heir.

I will not deal with titles becoming extinct or royal titles and royal dukedoms. I will explain them in the story if and when the need arises. But at this point, I sincerely doubt it.

Peeresses in Own Right

Only a peer may be said to hold a title "in his/her own right." All other titles are courtesy titles. The 1st Duke of Marlborough's eldest daughter, who inherited her father's peerage (via Parliamentary and royal warrant), was Duchess of Marlborough in her own right. But before her father died, she was not Lady Henrietta "in her own right." She was Lady Henrietta by courtesy. When her husband became the Earl of Godolphin, she was the Countess of Godolphin by courtesy (even though she was then called a "peeress"). Her husband, the earl, did not become Duke of Marlborough by courtesy; he remained a mere earl (much like the husband of a queen is not a king by courtesy) -- husbands of peeresses in their own right are not granted the use of the title for themselves. When a woman holds a title in her own right, she is said to be, for example, suo jure Countess of Sutherland. There are exceptions to this, especially is the title is very old (i.e. created between 1100-1600 and passed down from father/mother to child in unbroken succession), the peeress's husband may take her name (i.e. her surname) and assume her duties in the House of Lords. A younger son of the first Duke of Leinster married the Baroness de Ros (in her own right) and he took her name and became Lord First name wife's surname and represented his wife in the House of Lords.

So in this story, when Luna Lovegood becomes Lady de Quib (i.e. suo jure Baroness de Quib, her husband will remain as he is and she will keep her name). Children of such a match may bear the father's surname only if the monarchy and House of Lords permits it.

However, before the Peerage Act of 1963, husbands of peeresses acquired an important right from their wives' peerages: they executed any hereditary office which accompanied their wives' peerages. For example, in 1818 Lady Willoughby de Eresby's husband fulfilled her role as Hereditary Great Chamberlain of England.

Marriage among peers usually occurs as you see in the tables herein. However, should the woman inherit a title in her own right, her husband DOES NOT inherit her title. In this story, Luna stands to be Lady de Quib in her own right. She marries Ron, but Ron will still be plain Lord Ronald Weasley and she will be Lady de Quib because she out ranks him. She does not take his title which is a courtesy title (given to him because his father is a duke) – if she was a plain "Miss" whose father had no title, she would have been Lady Ronald Weasley (yes, that's how peerages by courtesy work). Since Ron's title is only a courtesy title, Luna gets to keep her title. But in the story, her father's codicil insists the children be Lovegoods. It's like the queen you see. When a woman inherits the throne, she is queen, but her husband is not king, he is called "Prince consort" (in Victorian times) or created a dukedom that will die with him when he dies.

With Hermione, it is different. Let us pretend she marries Lord Sterne. Since the title she will inherit is a barony, Sterne's title (marquess) outranks her. She will be known as Lady Sterne. But she will still be Lady Orthod in her own right. Sterne cannot absorb the title, because it is not his by law or writ. Should she and Sterne have children, the Orthod barony would pass to the eldest child when she dies. But say Sterne dies, Hermione lives and there's an eldest son. The eldest son can only inherit the Orthod barony if and when Hermione dies. Say Hermione dies and the eldest son, let's call him Ulysses, inherits all his father's titles and his mother's barony. Ulysses' brothers will be Lord First name surname, i.e. Lord Telemachus Snape and so on. Pretend Ulysses has no sons, only daughters, while his younger brother, Telemachus has sons. When Ulysses dies, his eldest daughter will inherit Hermione's title and Telemachus (and his sons) will get Sterne's other titles. Why? Because titles created after 1660 mainly go to males. Titles that are very old, created during 1100-1600 could be inherited by heirs general (which means that so long as you are a child of the titleholder, you stand a chance to inherit the title). Hermione's title is very old (as I stated) and as such, it can pass to females.

Forms of Addresses

A peer's wife and children are granted the use of certain titles, depending upon the rank of the peer. Here is an extremely oversimplified chart, so please read the explanations which follow carefully.

http://www.chinet.com/~laura/html/titles05.html

* It was a 17th century custom to throw in a number of new lesser titles to "fill in" when creating a new higher title, so the older a dukedom or an earldom, the more likely the second title is to be a much lower one, skipping steps, if you will: the eldest sons of the Dukes of Norfolk, Grafton, St. Albans, Richmond, Buccleuch, Newcastle, and Northumberland are earls, the Dukes of Dorset's and Manchester's are viscounts, and the Duke of Somerset's only a Lord. But since Dorset's and Manchester's eldest sons are viscounts, their eldest sons cannot take a barony as a courtesy title. If there is no courtesy title available, the eldest son of a duke, marquess, or earl takes the family name as a courtesy title.

** Eldest sons (heirs) of earls, marquesses, and dukes are allowed to adopt their father's next-highest title as a courtesy, which they use in every way as if it were a "real" peerage.

Several marquesses have the same title as marquess and earl, e.g., the Marquess and Earl of Hertford and the Marquess and Earl of Salisbury. In these cases, the heir skips the matching peerage, and takes the next highest title as a courtesy title, to distinguish him from his father. The heir of the Marquess and Earl of Salisbury is thus Viscount Cranbourne, and the heir of the Marquess and Earl of Hertford is thus Earl of Yarmouth (whose father happens to have two earldoms at his disposal).

It is important to note, however, that an heir of a peer who is not a direct descendant of that peer (i.e., his eldest son or his eldest son's eldest son) does NOT take any secondary title as a courtesy title. He remains known by whatever title (if any) he derived from his own father until he accedes to the peerage. This is a common mistake in historical romances, especially the cheap ones and the ones written by non-Brits.

For example, the 6th Duke of Devonshire never married. Since he also had no brothers, his heir was a cousin. The cousin was a great-grandson of the 4th Duke; before the 6th Duke died, he was plain Mr William Cavendish. Even though the line of succession was clear, Mr William Cavendish was never given the courtesy title Marquess of Hartington. Similarly, after Mr. William Cavendish succeeded and became the 7th Duke, he was in turn succeeded by his eldest son, who became the 8th Duke. But the 8th Duke had no son, and he was succeeded by his nephew, a son of his younger brother, Lord Edward. Before he acceded, the 8th Duke was plain Mr. Victor Cavendish. Hence, Neville Longbottom in this story is the heir to the Earldom of Fluxweed. But he is plain old Mr Longbottom because his father (younger brother to current Earl) is a knight.

Modes of Address among friends and family

First names were almost never used in speech, except in extremely limited circumstances, before this century. I have studied memoirs and letters of the late 18th/early 19th centuries and have formed a tentative hypothesis that use of first names was restricted almost exclusively to children growing up together, or in some cases boys at school together. They would continue to use their childhood forms of address throughout their lives. Parents might also ignore titles when addressing their children, but very often if there was a title available, say an eldest son's courtesy title, even a mother would use it, albeit alone, e.g., Hartington. In Lady Harriet Cavendish's letters to her family, she always refers to her brother, the Marquis of Hartington, as "Hart" or "Hartington," as did their mother. She calls her cousin, Lady Caroline Ponsonby, "Caro" or "Caroline," as she likewise called her half-sister, Caroline de St. Jules. She also calls many of the Lambs by their first names. They were all raised together. (Both Carolines married Lambs, and so after their marriages Lady Harriet would distinguish between them as "Caro-William" and "Caro-George," respectively.) But Lady Harriet never refers to anyone outside this close circle of people she knew from infancy by their Christian names; she always uses their correct titles.

Among men, rather than first names, intimacy was usually shown by using the title alone, e.g., Sherringham, Wrotham (or some diminutive of it, like "Sherry" or "Hart"), or by using the last name alone, e.g., Fairfax. Occasionally first names were used among very close friends who, as mentioned above, attended boarding school together from a young age, especially if the boy didn't have the peerage while he was in school, but inherited it later.

Among children of the same family, Christian names are used, unless the eldest son has a courtesy title. So in this story, the Weasleys all address each other by their first name, except their eldest brother, whom they all call Dragonlaire because that is his courtesy title. I gave the Duke of Offaly the secondary titles before I decided to jumble up his sons. I wanted one of his sons to be in law (a lawyer) and usually, since the eldest son inherits, he does not have law as a profession. In those days, you took Law as a profession if you want to distinguish yourself (and you could very well be on your way to the House of Commons, as Henry Fox and his sons were). So, it was decided that Percy would be a dilettante, who then became the dandy about the town. Then I looked through the title list of Arthur Weasley (who is the Duke of Offaly) and say that his next highest title is Dragonlaire, and since Charles is a dragon trainer, I moved him up the table of precedence, as it were.

Even spouses often maintained more formal modes of address than Christian names, even in private. Most often a lady would call her husband by his title alone, as his intimate friends or his family would, e.g., Chatham. Obviously it would depend upon the couple, and many factors might contribute, such as age disparity or actual intimacy, but a wife would almost always refer to her husband this way, even to her closest friends and relations, and in company they would call each other "my lord" and "my lady," or perhaps some diminutive like "my dear" or "my love." This is why in Pride and Prejudice, Mrs Bennet calls her husband Mr Bennet. This is often as familiar as the people in those days got. In private, however, the couple could address each other by name if their pre-marriage ranks were near each other's and if both parties were extremely close.

Due to the tables not showing, please refer to this website on the correct forms of address. http://www.chinet.com/~laura/html/titles12.html

It is imperative that you understand why I'm calling characters what I do.

Rights & Privileges of Peers

Peers enjoy many privileges, although not as many as they once did. Until 1948, they had the right to be tried for treason and felony only in the House of Lords. I have incorporated this fact into my story. They do not have to serve on ordinary juries (neither do convicted felons, lunatics, or undischarged bankrupts); they cannot be arrested for forty days before and after Parliament is in session. A peer is barred from voting in parliamentary elections and from sitting in the House of Commons (again in the company of lunatics and felons). But the principal right of a peer is to a seat in the upper house of Parliament, the House of Lords.

An English peer (before 1963, unless she is a woman) sits in the upper house of Parliament -- the House of Lords. You may notice in Heyer and others that when a peer dies and his son inherits, one of the rites of passage he must go through is to "take his seat" in the House of Lords -- he shakes the hand of the Lord Chancellor and then literally takes a seat on one of the benches. There are a few more qualifiers: a peer may not take his seat if he is bankrupt, if he is a lunatic, if he is under the age of twenty-one, or if his peerage is not granted in England, Scotland, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom. Finally, he may not take his seat until the monarch has issued a Writ of Summons to him.

Until very recently, Scottish peers (i.e., those created before the Act of Union in 1707) were not automatically entitled to a seat in the British House of Lords. Instead they elected from among themselves a body of sixteen representatives who then sat in the House. Scottish peers created since the Act of Union in 1707 are peers of the United Kingdom, and are equivalent in all respects to peers of England created subsequent to 1707 (who are also, technically, peers of the United Kingdom), including a right to a seat in the House of Lords. Therefore, the number of Scottish peerages to which this restriction applies was rather small; most of them were created between James I's accession in 1603 and the Act of Union in 1707. Furthermore, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, many holders of older Scottish peerages were granted lesser English peerages, which entitled them to a seat in the House of Lords as a Peer of England or (after 1801) of the United Kingdom.

Irish peers, unlike all other British peers, are not barred from voting in general elections or from being elected to the House of Commons. Like Scottish peers, Irish peers used to elect a group of twenty-eight representatives to the House of Lords, but with the 1921 Irish Free State declaration of independence from Britain, this election ceased. The House of Lords allowed those Irish peers who were sitting in the House of Lords at that time to continue to do so for life, but no further elections took place, and the last of those peers died in 1961. Most Irish peers also hold an English or British peerage, often of considerably lower rank, which allow them to have a seat in the House of Lords; for example, the Duke of Leinster (Irish) is also Viscount Leinster in the English peerage. By 1982, only 71 Irish peers were left out in the cold. Of them, only eighteen actually live in Ireland.

Heirs and younger sons of peers can sit in the House of Commons. A "commoner" is defined as anyone who is not a peer. Peers usually considered themselves to "own" certain House of Commons seats -- those from the district around their estates, for example -- and often the "election" of their sons or nephews to those seats was mere formality. It is easy to see that with this sort of system, the peers could control House of Commons votes and thereby pretty much control government. This was a major reason for the reforms of the 1830s, and for the "radical" Whigs under Charles James Fox in the 1780s and 90s. This is reflected in my plot where Draco, who is the heir to his father's dukedom is the House of Commons.

A peerage was considered to be "of England" or "of Ireland" depending upon the intentions of the granting monarch, and usually reflected in the location of the place from which the peer took his title.

According to Debrett's, "a dowager peeress, or widow of a baronet, takes precedence of the wife of the incumbent of the title only while remaining a widow." So you have to hope your mother-in-law remarries someone of lower precedence if you want to sit above her at a formal dinner.

Precedence of ladies is always derived from the father or husband, except in the case of a peeress in her own right. The case is more complicated if the woman is a peeress in her own right and marries a peer. As this will take too long to explain, I shall not cover it here. If you are still interested, email me and you will get the gory details.

A wife bears a rank that is truly equal to her husband's in every respect except in actual comparison to him. She stands in the line of ladies in place of her husband. The baronesses are sorted out by date of creation, whether theirs or their husbands'.

Miscellaneous

I have omitted explanations on entails, marriage settlements and dower on grounds that they will only have minimal impact on the plot. I have converted many diminutives of names to their original forms. For instance, Frank is short for Francis, Bill is short for William. I have kept Harry as it is and did not change it to Henry, even though Harry is a corruption of Henry. For purposes of this story, Charles and not William is the oldest Weasley son.

CAST OF CHARACTERS & BACKSTORY

To better illustrate all that I have said in the preceding section, permit me to lay down our cast of characters, both 'on-stage' and 'off-stage':

♦ represents deceased characters mentioned frequently

♣ represents characters that are 'off-stage' and never seen

Albus Dumbledore, the Duke of Sanguine.

Secondary titles: Marquess of Tranquil, Earl of Philia, Viscount Dumbledore of Counsel, Baron Dumbledore of Sherbert and Baron Dumbledore of Thame.

He is the Headmaster and head of the board of directors of Hogwarts School for young men (à la Eton). At the opening of this novel, the old Duke is a bachelor and likes to think of himself as forever 100, even though he is older than that. When not at Hogwarts or his estates at Sanguine and Thame, the Duke is found at his London residence at Half Moon Crescent. He is best remembered for being the head of the Order of the Phoenix that brought down Lord Voldemort.

♣ Lord Aberforth Dumbledore, the Duke of Sanguine's younger brother.

He is married and presently living in Scotland, on a small estate somewhere near the popular elopement capital of the British Isles called Gretna Green. While the total number of his children is unknown to the authoress, it is certain that he has two sons. One of whom is the honourable Mr Wulfric Aberforth Dumbledore, the Archbishop of York.

The honourable Mr Wulfric Aberforth Dumbledore, Archbishop of York

A son of the Lord Aberforth Dumbledore. He is the second highest ranking clergyman in the country (the highest is the Archbishop of Cantebury). He has lately married the widowed Lady Arabella Figg. Lady Arabella was born Lady Arabella Fletcher, daughter of Earl of Finch-Fletchley and was married to a Mr Figg, a famed parliamentarian who was very keen on obtaining Scottish taxes for Scotland.

Lady Minerva McGonagall

She is the eldest daughter of the 5th Earl of Transfig. The earldom has since passed to her brother. Her younger sisters all made excellent matches, Hera married Earl Trelawney of Sussex, and Hestia married a German Grand Duke. Lady Minerva is the Headmistress and head of the board of directors of Garswoth seminary for young ladies of Quality. At the opening of the novel, she is unmarried by choice and is approaching her 77th year. She has been close friends with the Duke of Sanguine since her coming out many, many moons ago.

Severus Snape, the Marquess of Sterne

Secondary titles: Earl of Glare, Viscount Carsm-Blundt, Baron Snape of Linchpin and Baron Snape of Waryderry.

Godson to the Duke of Sanguine and the Lady Minerva, Lord Sterne is of an unsociable and taciturn disposition. It is rumoured that he has ₤10,000 a year; as such, he is the subject of much speculation among matching mammas. However, he appears to be in deep mourning and has been so for the last twenty-odd years. He presently teaches part-time at Hogwarts and Garswoth whenever the London Season lapses. It is widely acknowledged that he does so to soothe his ennui. He enjoys writing, researching and reading; and is a regular contributor to the journal Ars Chemica. During the wars, he served his godfather's Order of the Phoenix as a spy in Lord Voldemort's camp

Sir Harry Potter, Baronet

His parents were Sir James and Lady Potter. Lady Potter was formerly, Miss Lily Evans, granddaughter of the 3rd Duke of Gryffindor. Although Sir Harry is an orphan, he is a well-adjusted young man very much attached to his friends and some of his mentors. Ever since the demise of Lord Voldemort, he is noticeably happier. The second biggest matrimonial catch of the season due to his annual income of ₤15,000, Sir Harry is the ultimate prize of any fortune-hunting debutante and matchmaking mamma. He is best friends with Lord Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger. On completing his education, he enjoyed a stint in the navy, where he obtained the rank of Captain. The cessation of the war called an end to his glittering naval career.

The Honourable Neville Longbottom

A contemporary and friend of Sir Harry and Lord Ronald Weasley, Neville was educated at Hogwarts and Cambridge. His parents, Sir Francis (knighted in the first war) and Lady Longbottom, unfortunately are in Bedlam (due to a duel with the late Lord and Lady Lestrange), have been there since his infancy. Though shy at times, he is a bright young man with a pleasing countenance and agreeable manners. Upon graduating from Cambridge, he embarked on a military career and was made Captain during the civil war. On obtaining that promotion, he tendered his resignation when he learned that he would have to be posted to the Spanish peninsula. Having no desire to leave his grandmother, the Lady Fluxweed, he has since made the church his profession.

Horace Longbottom, Earl of Fluxweed

Eldest son of the Dowager Lady Fluxweed and elder brother to the mad Sir Francis, Lord Fluxweed is unmarried and appears unlikely to enter the happy state of matrimony. He is disappointed in his nephew's decision to make the church his profession, as Neville is the heir to his title.

Arthur Weasley, Duke of Offaly

Secondary titles: Earl of Dragonlaire, Viscount Muggleton, Baron Skint of Kind.

The Duke of Offaly is a progressive Whig, who is unfortunately the head of a large and impecunious family. The little he earns from the interests in his plantations in the East Indies go to maintaining the family estate of Kind in Richmond, Surrey. He is very well respected in the House of Lords and had fought against the usurper, Lord Voldemort, under the banner of the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix.

Molly Weasley, Duchess of Offaly.

The Duchess of Offaly is a kind, likeable lady who is head of several charities. While she may be viewed as a skinflint by the ladies of the haute ton, she knows that her habits of making clothes for the members and economy do much to contribute to the maintenance of Offaly Manor and their London residence. The charities that enjoy the Duchess's patronage are the Weasley Ladies' Reformatory, the Weasley Society for Good Works and the Weasley Foundling Home. She too was part of the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix.

♣ Charles Weasley, Lord Dragonlaire.

He is the eldest son of the Duke and Duchess of Offaly and is a formidable dragon trainer. As the eldest son, he takes his father's second highest title as his own courtesy title before he comes into the dukedom. It is believed that he may re-establish the family fortunes through his fame as a dragon tamer. Though he is of an adventurous disposition, he is not an adventurer. Society is bound to give this young man a second glance because he was part of the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix. Then I looked through the title list of Arthur Weasley (who is the Duke of Offaly) and saw that his next highest title is Dragonlaire. Since Charles is a dragon trainer, I moved him up the table of precedence, as it were.

♣ Lord William Weasley

He is the chief legal advisor to Gringotts Bank. He is usually based in the colonies in Egypt. Presently, he is in London to oversee some of his clients' interests on the continent (i.e. Europe). His father has hopes of securing him a seat in the House of Commons. He assisted the war effort by serving in the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix as their international liaison. Lord William is very popular with ladies of the ton because of his rakish good looks and gentlemanly manners.

Lord Percy Weasley

He is the acknowledged 'intelligent one' in his family, as he had secured a scholarship to study at Balliol College at Oxford. However, he is presently estranged from his family whom he views as living below their status as a ducal family. His family (at least his siblings) view him with similar uncharitable sentiments. His parents, who had destined him for the church, are still disappointed by his arrogant behaviour in the civil war some 5 years ago where he joined forces with one Lord Voldemort in attempting to usurp the Crown. Society has speculated that he has interest in politics, but he denies it and prefers to dabble in the law. He is the dandy of the family and can more often than not be found at Black's, Waiter's and the metropolis's many gaming hells discussing the merits of his cravat and tailor. Though he believes himself to be an arbiter of society à la Beau Brummell, he is anything but. In actuality, he is more of a fop than a dandy. Quick with his words, temper and money (that he obtains from his mistresses), he is popular with the patrons and proprietors of London's gaming establishments. (i.e. when I saw gaming, I mean gambling.)

Lord George Weasley and Lord Frederick Weasley

He and his twin, Lord Frederick, scandalised polite society some 7-8 years ago by leaving Hogwarts halfway through their final semester. The ton was even more shocked to discover that the lads had done the unthinkable and have gone into trade. Their store of bric-a-brac for mischievous children is a favourite among the younger set of the ton and the middle classes. It is not a well known fact that the twins were also a part of the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix.

Lord Ronald Weasley

The family's only sporting man, Lord Ronald (the youngest son to the Duke and Duchess of Offaly) is patron and captain to the Chudley Cannons, a local Quidditch team, found east of Chelsea. Unlike his elder brothers who have established themselves in bachelor apartments, he has taken the unusual step of remaining with his parents. However, he can occasionally be found at the residences of his best friend, Sir Harry Potter and Lord Lupin. Sometimes, he can be found at Black's. He can most often be seen escorting his sister, the Lady Ginevra, around town. During the wars, he served in the navy with his schoolmate, Mr Longbottom to secure the sea forces for the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix.

Lady Ginevra Weasley

The youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Offaly, the Lady Ginevra, is a kind soul who seeks to reform Haymarket ware by inducting them into one of her mother's charities. Though she is not held by younger members of the ton to be a great beauty, the older members of the Almack have labelled her the jewel of the season's debutantes, much to the chagrin of fashionable fops and dandies everywhere. Despite this label, her hand is at present unsolicited. She is bosom friends with Sir Harry, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood and Lord Ronald's other friends. Though she may appear sweet tempered, she has shown herself capable of governing her brothers with an iron fist, very much like her mother's. She, Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood can be often found assisting the less fortunate at her mother's charities.

♦ Thomas Riddle, the Earl of Voldemort (deceased)

The late Lord Voldemort had a tenuous claim to the crown on his mother's side, as his great grandmother was Princess Royale. He was killed 5 years in a civil war, in which he sought to seize the Crown for himself. However, he did not prove to be as successful as Oliver Cromwell. He was killed most ignominiously when he tripped over the late Peter Pettigrew (son of Sir Simon Pettigrew) and a miscast spell from Lord Percy Weasley's wand augmented the spells of the Duke of Sanguine's Order of the Phoenix for the preservation of the anointed wizarding monarchs of the British Isles (Order of the Phoenix for short) and rendered his demise inevitable. Among Lord Voldemort's former Knights of Darkness (also known as the Death Eaters), who were supposed to assist him a new era in the British wizarding monarchy, were Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape (Lord Sterne), Lucius Malfoy (the Duke of Mallefille), Lord Percy Weasley, Draco Malfoy (Lord Villiers), the Baron and Baroness Lestrange (now deceased), and members of the aristocratic Crabbe, Goyle and Nott families.

Henry Granger, Baron Orthod

He is an elderly statesman and has been ailing since the untimely death of his wife. Although he is generally held by society to be eccentric, he is well known as an indulgent father.

The Honourable Miss Granger

Miss Granger, or Hermione, as she prefers to be simply addressed is the heiress to her father's fortune and title. Upon his death, she will become the Baroness Orthod in her own right. She is held by society to be an eccentric bluestocking and is well known to be a recluse. She wants nothing better than to establish her own seminary for young women where they will be taught to be useful rather than ornamental. A former student of Garswoth, she corresponds regularly with Lady Minerva. She is often seen in the company of Sir Harry, Lord Ronald Weasley, Lady Ginevra Weasley, Lord Lupin and Miss Lovegood.

♣ Lionel Lovegood, Baron de Quib

The Barony of de Quib can be traced back to 1107. Most of society holds him to be quite mad, but Lord de Quib knows better. He is the proprietor and editor of the leading alternate society newspaper, The Quibbler. An indulgent father, he want nothing more than his daughter's happiness.

The Honourable Miss Lovegood

Miss Lovegood is known as Luna among her friends. Though she knows that she will one day inherit her father's barony, she prefers not to think about it. Like her friend, Miss Granger, she is not held to be a beauty. However, she is held to improve on further acquaintance.

Lucius Malfoy, the Duke of Mallefille (in exile in France)

Secondary titles: Marquess of Villiers, Viscount Contempt and Baron Malfoy of Northumberland

Formerly an elite member of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, along with his boyhood friend, Lord Sterne, the Duke is presently exiled in France. He owes his continued existence among the living to the Duke of Sanguine and Lord Sterne. Prior to his exile, he was part of the conservative set (known as the New Tories) in government. He is known to be very wealthy and acknowledged to be very handsome. Although his tastes may be somewhat dated for the times (he enjoys wearing powder and patches), no one can fault him for his masculine beauty and beautiful pale long blond hair. The family fortunes have not suffered much and his annual income approaches ₤20,000.

Narcissa, Duchess of Mallefille.

A cold blonde beauty, the Duchess is also the sister of the late Baroness Lestrange. Deeply attached to her exiled spouse, she seeks to overturn her husband's sentence so that he can return to her side. While she may be called an indulgent mother, she barely tolerates her son's indiscretions and is constantly badgering him to marry someone of rank, breeding and fortune.

Draco Malfoy, Marquess of Villiers

Only son to the Duke and Duchess of Mallefille, he has taken the courtesy title of his father's second highest title. He takes after his parents in outward beauty. Though formerly a Death Eater, he is quite reformed and has taken one of his father's seats in House of Commons, where he hopes to lighten to his father's sentence of exile. A bit of a rake, he has caused his mother a great deal of distress over his many bits of muslin. He used to be a chief patron of all the town's gaming hells (of these, Hades is the most famous). If his godfather, Lord Sterne had not bailed him out, he would have been sent to the round house (debtor's prison). After Lord Sterne's lecture on poverty and a fear of ending up like the impecunious Offaly family, he is now put off gaming. Unfortunately, he still visits these haunts and is known to be quick to anger. He is well versed at duelling with rapiers, pistols and wands. Despite these setbacks to his unsteady character, he is held to be the beau of the season and the greatest prize on the marriage market.

♦ Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, Baron and Baroness Lestrange (deceased)

The late Rodolphus Lestrange was an old school fellow of the Duke of Mallefille. Famed for his temper and tendency towards violent, he was nonetheless known to be generous towards his wife, friends and mistress. His wife, Bellatrix, was a sister to Mallefille's wife. Lord and Lady Lestrange are widely known to been responsible for the lunacy of Sir Francis and Lady Longbottom. They died in violent circumstances at the end of the civil wars in the service of Lord Voldemort.

Remus Lupin, Baron Lupin

A school friend of Lord Sterne, Lord Lupin is a handsome middle aged gentleman with impeccable taste in clothes. He teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts and Garswoth. While society has not paid much attention to him in the past, it is now taking another look at him because he has recently come into his great-uncle's fortune and title. He is a humble man and has a patient disposition. Although many women are enamoured of him (due to his recently acquired fortune), they are put off by his constant ill health.

Alastor Moody, Count Moody from St Petersburg

He is a Russian Count and a great scholar in theoretical dark arts. Whenever he is in London, he frequents the Academy, the Libraries, Black's and the Duke of Sanguine's residence.

Lady Sybill Trelawney, daughter of the Earl Trelawney.

Despite approaching her 37th year, Lady Sybill is still held by many to be pleasant to look at. Her hair is naturally curled and she is always tastefully arranged in the latest gowns and trinkets. Her general favourites are rings and bracelets. This unfortunate lady has been in pursuit of Lord Sterne for the past 20 years. Her mother, Lady Trelawney (the former Lady Hera McGonagall) is Lady Minerva's sister and as such, she frequents her aunt's residence in hope of catching a glimpse of Lord Sterne. Lady Sybill is only unmarried daughter of the Earl and Countess Trelawney and is held to be an ape-leader. Though blessed with the gift of foresight (i.e. divination), the unfortunate Lady Sybill is frequently held to be a fraud. However, she is famed for accurately predicting the daily weather.

♣ Sir Rubeus Hagrid, Knight

He is a big man with an equal large heart. Only the insular old families have anything nasty to say about him. Formerly the gamekeeper at Sir Harry's country estate, he was knighted for his services in the civil war and has recently married Madame de Beauxbaton.

♣ Madame la Marquise de Beauxbaton.

An aunt to the royal wizarding family in France, Mme de Beauxbaton has recently wed Sir Rubeus, with whom she had a long time understanding. However, it was not until recently that he agreed to assume her name that they were married.

Miss Lavender Brown

Originally a foundling from the Chelsea Foundling Home, she is one of Lord Villiers's bits of muslin, she met Lady Ginevra while seeking another protector at Haymarket. Lady Ginevra brought her to the Weasley Ladies' Reformatory where she was given an education. At present, Miss Brown, or Brown as she is known in Lord Orthod's household is Miss Granger's abigail.

Miss Millicent Bulstrode

The illegitimate daughter on an opera singer, Marianne Bulstrode and the late Lord Lestrange, has always wanted to be a real 'lady'. When Lord Villiers was captivated by her dark eyes and well rounded figure, she thought that her fortune was made. Although intelligent and composed of good manners, she allowed herself to be persuaded to leave the ballet corps with Lord Villiers because he had promised her many silk frocks and pretty baubles. However, she was his mistress for a brief period of only 6 months. When he tired of her and paid her off, she wandered for days outside the dance halls. The Duchess of Offaly and Lady Ginevra took an interest in her and took her to the Ladies' Reformatory. At present, she is Lady Ginevra's abigail.

♣ Nymphadora, Countess Tonks

A Countess in her own right, she is a distant cousin to the Malfoys and the Weasleys. An eccentric personality, she is the first woman to take her place in the House of Lords. Presently, Lady Tonks is the English Ambassodor to France. She is based in the Embassy in Paris and can frequently be seen jaunting about Dijon.

Mr Goyle

A former friend of Lord Villiers during their school days, Mr Goyle has since fallen out with his Lordship. Mr Goyle's father, Sir Gregory Goyle was a knight in Lord Voldemort's service. Although Mr Goyle was also a member of this organisation, he managed to escape persecution by turning his coat. Since his father's death in the wars, he has been frittering away his fortune at the gaming hell, Hades. His late mother was a bosom friend of the Duchess of Mallefille; as such, he is always welcome in the Duchess' parlour. However, it is to be noted that he does not visit her whenever her son is home.

Mr Crabbe

A former friend of Lord Villiers during their school days, Mr Crabbe has since fallen out with his Lordship. Together with his late father, Mr Crabbe served Lord Voldemort in the latter's failed usurpation of the throne. After witnessing his father's death at the hands of that said nobleman for failing to execute a mission, Mr Crabbe came to the conclusion that the wars were pointless and left Voldemort's service. In these times of peace, he can most frequently be found at the gaming hells where he is working towards the rebuilding of his family's lost fortune.

Mr Nott

This young man's father was known to Lord Sterne and the Duke of Mallefille as part of Voldemort's Death Eater corps. A scholar, he decries violence and unnecessary death. Little wonder then that he did not join his father in Lord Voldemort's service. He goes to the gaming hell, Hades, now and then, to observe people (to supply him with characters for his novels) while gaming.

Lord Macnair

An acquaintance of Lord Villiers, Lord Macnair has only recently been granted his title as Viscount. A sensible and unassuming fellow a few years older than Lord Villiers, his friends are struck by how different he is from his late father. The late Mr Macnair was a violent man who was famous for changing sides and religion during the wars. He had at one point served King Richard V (cf. chapter 1) as his Master of the Horse. When Mr Macnair turned to Voldemort and urged his son to do the same, the two men fell out. The son elected to serve the Houses of Parliament that were then in exile and the father looked forward to riches and lands in the service of Voldemort.

Cornelius Fudge

Valet and Butler to the Duke of Sanguine

Argus Filch

Valet to Lord Sterne

Rosier

The head footman in Lord Sterne's employ.

Zabini and Avery

Proprietors of the gaming hell, Hades.

MATRIMONIAL CATCHES

As Laiagarien and one of my betas did not understand my few lines on matrimonial catches, let me explain them here. Sir Harry is the largest catch of the Season because of (1) his money, (2) his baronetcy, (3) his agreeable manners and charming ways, (4) his fortune is his own to spend as he has no parents to tell him how much of what he can spend and give to his wife as pin money. Lord Sterne, however, has (1) a title, (2) a money, (3) his own fortune. But he is seen as being in perpetual mourning. However desperate a woman might be, one is not to ensnare a man while he is STILL in mourning. Furthermore, Sterne has a nasty temper, poor manners in society, cares little for the things that Society cares for. So he lives on the fringes of polite society by choice. He is not a smart choice for a woman who wants to be the centre or the new leader of the fashionable world. The largest matrimonial prize is, Lord Villiers, the son of the Duke of Mallefille.

My betas and preliminary readers seem to have difficulty understanding why Neville is not a considered a good catch. Let us forget about the earldom that Neville stands to inherit. The thing about Neville is that he is the son of a younger son. In the old days, the eldest son inherited everything and the younger sons receive the younger son's portions, which when compared the eldest son's inheritance is nothing. Now, Neville being technically the next in line to the earldom has nothing. His parents are still alive, though mad and in Bedlam (the asylum in London); this means he cannot touch his parents' money. This means he has no money of his own; he has to earn his own money. This diminishes his chance in the marriage market. Furthermore, should his uncle die, Francis Longbottom, Neville's father would inherit the earldom, not Neville. Neville can act on his father's, the new Earl's, behalf because he is mad, but he does not have the title. This diminishes his chance in the marriage market. Neville is NOT the DIRECT HEIR to the earldom, otherwise he would have a courtesy Viscountcy and his position as heir to the earldom is secure. He is the son of a younger son. He has no courtesy title and is a plain clergyman. The earl can choose to marry and have children, with these children, Neville goes lower in the line of succession. This diminishes his chance in the marriage market, if you want to marry a title. Until the Earl of Fluxweed dies without marrying or having children and Frank Longbottom dies, Neville will never inherit the earldom. It is stated that the Earl of Fluxweed is unmarried because old grandmamma Longbottom is still around and known as Lady Fluxweed, not the dowager Lady Fluxweed. I hope this explains things.