When I first read about Lady Worsley’s Whim I immediately felt “the tingle.” You know—the nebulous sort of charge that whispers, “this book is gonna be important.” I suppose then, you could say I was predisposed to love it. I built up enough anticipation to justify ordering from amazon UK before the US edition came out.
Love it, however, I did.
The book covers one of the most sensational scandals of the late 18th century: the elopement of Lady Worsley with her husband’s good friend, the subsequent Criminal Conversation trial and its life-long effects on everyone involved.
Some background information: A Criminal Conversation trial was like a civil suit where an aggrieved husband could request financial compensation from his wife’s seducer. By the way, a wife could not sue her husband for Criminal Conversation because in 18th century logic, the crime was not necessarily thought to be in the cheating, but in the possible, well, let’s call it property damage. By having an adultrous affair, a wife called into question the parentage of the husband’s heirs and thus put in jeopardy the proper transference of title and property.
What is fascinating about this trial is that Lady Worsley worked with her lover to call into question her husband’s virility and honor. She wrote to former lovers and asked them to testify on her lover’s behalf, telling the world that not only was her husband a neglectful lover, but that he encouraged her to, a-hem, find her own bliss elsewhere. She sullied her own reputation beyond repair, but she succeeded in permanently damaging her husband’s standing in society. Throughout the story both parties are cold, calculating and absolutely certain that they are in the right as they set out to exact revenge on one another for insults real and perceived.
And that, folks, makes for some serious drama.
Ms. Rubenhold uses the drama to full advantage, writing it in heart-stopping style. Take this quote, describing the early morning elopement:
“At 5 a.m., while most of Lewes slept, a carriage shot up the High Street and onto the London Road. As they departed at breakneck speed for the capital, their chaise passed directly in front of Sir Richard’s darkened bedroom window, leaving a jangle of noise in its wake.”
As you can see, history comes alive with vivid detail under Ms. Rubenhold careful hand.
I highly recommend this book. I drew on her research (and supplemented it with my own) for my finished manuscript, Lady Vicious. I’m certain it will inspire other writers out there as well.
FCC disclosure: I’m just a writer looking for a good resource. I’m not sponsored, paid, connected to or compensated by the writer or publisher of this book. I just like it, damn it.
cell phone service seo list backlink service back link building