That stoic bravery: the heat contained and the power controlled. Rather than a drunken brawl or heated fisticuffs, the participants face death coolly.Īnd we love that British reserve. A Regency duel is a highly codified event, laden with protocol and intended to protect a gentleman’s honour in a civilised fashion. The secret sauce of an English duel is … its Englishness. It got me wondering – why is it that we love the English duel so much? Is it just because Georgette Heyer immortalised it? (All hail Queen Heyer!) Or has the Regency duel outrun its appeal? Leaving aside the believability of Hastings and Bridgerton not hearing Daphne as she thundered across the field, I believe the English duel will never grow stale. The duel scene felt like a dream: an archetypal tableau echoed by the hundreds of Regency novels I have read in my time (and trust me, it is hundreds).īridgerton ticked off all the duel tropes: the challenge issued in the heat of the moment, the growing anxiety as dawn approaches, the cool paddock at first light, the gleaming weapons, the solemnity – and the inevitable thundering hooves as an intrepid heroine rides to thwart proceedings. I just finished watching Episode 4 of Bridgerton last night. *** Spoiler Alert for Episode 4 of Bridgerton, and Devil’s Cubby Georgette Heyer ***
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