Be My Guest: Carrie Turansky

Hello friends! Today, I welcome Carrie Turansky back to Writing to Inspire. Last time she was here, she shared with us about the setting for The Governess of Highland Hall. This time around, she's got a neat article for us about something the lead character deals with in the next book in her Edwardian Brides series, The Daughter of Highland Hall. Happy reading!

A Guide to Edwardian Courtship

By Carrie Turansky, author of The Daughter of Highland Hall

When eighteen-year-old Kate Ramsey travels to London with her family to make her debut into society, her main goal is to meet the right young man and secure a marriage proposal by the end of the season. Her overbearing aunt insists her future husband must be a wealthy young man who is in line to inherit his father's title and estate. When Kate meets Edward Wellington, she thinks he may be the man she has been looking for. But as she gets to know Jonathan Foster, a handsome medical student and strong Christian who is determined to protect the poor and vulnerable in London's East End, Kate’s not sure which man should win her heart.

Kate has spent months preparing for the season and learning all that’s expected of her. Understanding the “rules of courtship” for men and women was part of her training. Here is some of the interesting advice given to guide young men and women during courtship in the Edwardian Era in England.

1. When walking with a lady, the gentleman takes the protective position closest to the street. Leave her the inner side of the pavement. - Beadle’s Dime Book of Etiquette

2. No gentleman should permit a lady, whom he likes, but does not love, to mistake for one hour the nature and object of his intentions. Women may have some excuse for coquetry; but a man has none. - From The Illustrated Manners Book

3. Neither party should try to make the other jealous for the purpose of testing his or her affection. Such a course is contemptible; and if the affections of the other are permanently lost by it, the offending party is only gaining his or her just deserts. - Our Deportment

4. Remember: passion can make a person blind to faults. It is important to note that a man of refined taste and a good education would not find that degree of happiness were he united to a course, vulgar and uncultivated female. A Lady of polished education and of fine accomplishments would feel miserable in having to pass her days in the company of a boorish, rude, and ignorant husband. – The Etiquette of Love and Courtship, a Guide for Romantics

5. In public a gentleman should show constant attention to his intended, and neither in company nor elsewhere should he flirt with any other lady. On the other hand, he should avoid, even to his bride-elect, those marked attentions and endearments that would excite in strangers a smile of ridicule. – Cassell’s Handbook of Etiquette

6. When traveling with a lady, always carry her bag and assist her in and out of the trains. Your behavior is on its mettle under these circumstances, and traveling is very apt to be like a mustard plaster, bringing out both the good and evil attributes of a man. – The Complete Bachelor: Manners for Men

7. A man should never make a declaration of love in a jesting manner. It is most unfair to a lady. He has no right to trifle with her feelings for mere sport, nor has he a right to hide his own meaning under the guise of a jest.  – Our Deportment

8. As to the gentleman, it will be well for him also to watch carefully as to the disposition of the lady and her conduct in her own family. If she be attentive and respectful to her parents, kind and affectionate toward her brothers and sisters, not easily ruffled in temper and with inclination to enjoy the pleasures of home; cheerful, hopeful and charitable in disposition, then may he feel, indeed, that he has a prize before him well worth the winning.

If, however, she should display a strong inclination towards affectation and flirtation; be extremely showy or else careless in her attire, frivolous in her tastes and eager for admiration, he may rightly conclude that very little home happiness is to be expected from her companionship. - Social Etiquette: or, Manners and Customs of Polite Society

About Carrie Turansky

Carrie Turansky

Carrie Turansky is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She has written contemporary and historical romances, women's fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Scott, and they have five adult children and four grandchildren.

About The Daughter of Highland Hall

What if the title, the estate, the life of security and splendor… what if it isn’t enough?

Strong-willed and beautiful, debutante Katherine Ramsey feels ready to take the London social season by storm, and she must. Her family estate, Highland Hall, has been passed to older male cousin, Sir William Ramsey, and her only means of securing her future is to make a strong debut and find a proper husband. With her all-knowing and meddling aunt as a guide, Katherine is certain to attract suitors at the lavish gatherings, sparkling with Great Britain’s elite.

When a shocking family scandal sidelines Katherine, forcing her out of the social spotlight, she keeps a low profile, volunteering with the poor in London’s East End. Here Katherine feels free from her predictable future, and even more so as a friendship with medical student Jonathan Foster deepens and her faith in God grows. But when Katherine is courted anew by a man of wealth and position, dreams of the life she always thought she wanted surface again. Torn between tradition and the stirrings in her heart for a different path, she must decide whom she can trust and love—and if she will choose a life serving others over one where she is served.

This series has made me a fan of Carrie Turansky. With interesting characters, a great plot line, and faith finely woven into the story, The Daughter of Highland Hall is one of the best stories I've read all year. For more of my thoughts on the book, be sure to check out my honest review.

Carrie, thank you for once again being my guest here on Writing to Inspire. It's always a pleasure. Have fun writing the third installment of your Edwardian Brides series. I look forward to reading it next autumn!

Readers, since Carrie Turansky shared about Edwardian courtship, let's discuss relationships. How did your romance begin? What have you learned along the way about sustaining a meaningful relationship? What advice would you give to someone still searching for the love of their life?

Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

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