Why a Booktrail?
1812: Two women take it upon themselves to help and meter out justice in Regency England
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
What you need to know before your trail
Lady Augusta Colebrook, ‘Gus’, is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.
The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. With Lord Evan injured and unconscious, the sisters have no choice but to bring him on their mission to save Caroline. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.
Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need-society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.
Locations
Reset- England - London
- A: Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens
- B: Hanover Square
- C: Henrietta St
- D: Hyde Park
- England - Cheltenham
- E: Winchcombe Street
- F: High St
- G: Promenade
Travel Guide
Regency London
London
Most of the novel revolves around London and its parks and posh houses. We see Hanover Square and Henrietta street where the women live. The streets and parks of the time are nicely evoked and it’s fun racing around the capital in a hansom cab.
Cheltenham
The race to Cheltenham is a good one. Mind you, they’re off to a whore house for a case and that proves to be very interesting indeed. Some insights into that world of the time and the poverty around the women and girls forced into it.
The taverns and the men’s clubs in both places show just what a man’s world this was.
Streetview Maps
A) London - Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens
B) London - Hanover Square
D) London - The Ring in Hyde Park
E) Cheltenham - 22 Winchcombe Street
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
Destination: London, Cheltenham Author/guide: Alison Goodman Departure Time: 1812
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