Colin Morgan as Merlin in the BBC’s The Adventures of Merlin.
In November of 2013, I was madly scribbling my way through a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) draft of my second novel, A Matter of Time, anxious to hit that 50,000 word goal in the 30 days allotted. I was also high off my recent trip to London, in which I’d not only gotten to visit many famous Regency places I’d read about, but in which I also met and received a high-five from Colin Morgan, the British actor who played Merlin (brilliantly, I might add) on the BBC show of the same name.
I’d had, uh, more than a passing infatuation with the show and its two lead characters, Merlin and Prince Arthur, for nearly a year. I was neck-deep in a fandom, and loving every minute of it. I still do, and still hold great admiration for the acting talents, and yes, the visual appearance of Colin Morgan and Bradley James. So it only seemed fitting, as I typity-type-type-typed my way through chapter after chapter, that I add in characters that might bear more than a passing resemblance to those two fine men. I put them in as a lark, figuring it would amuse my best friend, who was reading what I wrote as fast as I sent it to her. I’d take them out later, surely.
Bradley James as Prince/King Arthur in the BBC’s The Adventures of Merlin.
But…but…instead of whittling the characters down, I expanded them. Made them the perfect foil for the occasionally-a-little-too-broody Deveric Mattersley. I gave them names: James Bradley, the Duke of Arthington, and Morgan Collinswood, the Marquess of Emerlin. I added in a few Merlin Easter eggs for anyone who’s seen the show. And I fell in love with them all over again.
They are minor characters, to be true, showing up only occasionally in A Matter of Time. But never fear – each will, at some point in the future, star as the hero in their own book. Because I love them too much to let them go. Here, just for the fun of it, is a small excerpt in which Eliza James meets the Duke and Marquess for the first time:
After a few moments, two gentlemen—one a tall, lanky fellow with a mop of black hair, the other a bit shorter and more muscular, with sandy blonde hair and a square jawline—approached.
“Lady Amara,” the blonde one said. He nodded toward Deveric’s sister, but his sky-blue eyes fixed on Eliza.
Wow, they really knew how to grow them in the Regency.
His exquisitely carved lips parted into a snaggle-toothed smile that somehow rendered him even more appealing; men with perfectly straight, obsessively white teeth always seemed unnatural to her.
She peeked at the taller one. He was perhaps not quite as classically handsome as the blonde, but his wide-set blue eyes crinkled as he greeted Amara, his lips cracking into a grin that revealed dimples to die for.
So – what do you think? Did I do them justice? And if you read A Matter of Time, I’d love to hear what you think – and what kind of women you feel the two men ought to end up with (sorry, Merthur fans – in my future novels, they’re getting the girl!).
Here’s a very brief blurb:
A modern-day Austenite’s dream comes true when she lands in the arms of a Regency duke, only to discover some fantasies aren’t all they’re cracked up to be when he proves less than a Prince Charming.
Ah. At last. A walk through Mayfair. The very reason I most wanted to go to London…and the very part that would prove most boring to my husband (although he only revealed that a month or so after coming home).
Didn’t he get it? Didn’t he realize this was where the creme de la creme of society lived in the early 19th century? Wasn’t he excited to visit Grosvenor Square, to see the site of Gunter’s, to know where Regency bucks went to train with Gentleman Jackson?
Not one whit. Which makes sense, since I’m not sure he’s aware of any of those things. I am, however, and so armed with Louise Allen’s Walking Jane Austen’s London guidebook in hand, I set out with fervor and excitement for an afternoon stroll. The weather was delightful – crisp fall air and beautifully sunny skies. A heavenly day in London!
I don’t know why it took me so long to write this blog post – I found myself putting it off time and again. I think it’s just because there is SO MUCH that I saw that I could write for days and days. And part of me wants to, believe me. I’ll try to touch briefly on the main highlights, hope I don’t get too much out of order, stick in a bunch of pictures, and pray everyone is happy!
Our hotel was conveniently located for this walking tour, as we were already right at Berkeley Street and Piccadilly, where the “tour” was supposed to start. I took pictures of buildings with old-looking architecture, just because I liked them, although I have no idea as to the actual date of these buildings.
Turning up Albemarle, we came to the site of John Murray, Jane Austen’s publisher. It was amazing for me to think that Miss Austen had trod these same streets when she came to visit with Mr. Murray. Huzzah!
Walking farther north, we hit Berkeley Square, and found No. 7 – once the location of the famous Gunter’s Tea Shop, which also served ices. Now it houses one of the ubiquitous Pret A Mangers we saw scattered throughout central London (although I admit, I still don’t know how to pronounce that). While I tittered and squealed, Brett wondered what all the fuss was about, since we’d just stopped at such a shop an hour before to get him a Coke. We then crossed to Berkeley Square itself, although apparently I didn’t try for any pictures of the green space. It was fun to imagine dashing rogues and demure debutantes eating the latest frozen confection underneath the shade of the enormous trees (which Louis Allen says are original, dating from 1789).
Walking down Curzon Street, we stumbled across Crewe House – a mid-eighteenth century mansion which is now the Saudi Arabian Embassy. I also snapped pictures of Beau Brummel’s house and other buildings of interest. I just wanted to soak it all in, and I couldn’t. Had I been alone, no doubt I would have lingered longer and taken a zillion more pictures. As it was, we moved on…
I liked the simple elegance of the architecture.Trying to capture the “feeling” of the streets.George Handel lived here.Beau Brummel lived here!Gorgeous building on Curzon St.Attempting to capture the essence with a panoramic shot.The inside of Grosvenor Chapel
We stopped into Grosvenor Chapel (which I snapped an inside pic of, but apparently missed the outside. If I remember correctly, it was impossible to back up enough to get a good iPhone pic, but it was pretty!). I liked the beautiful white interior with its columns, and imagined Regency families worshipping here. Outside, a short distance away, we found Purdey’s Gun Manufacturers. I’m not a gun fan, but hey, I should at least know where the Regency gents would have purchased their best weaponry, right?
Purdey’s Gun & Rifle Manufacturers
We happened across the Mount Street Gardens by chance, a lush green park which seemed to serve as the “back yard” for many of the lovely brick buildings around it. We also saw a gaggle of British school children chatting merrily as they left a nearby library and headed back to school. Talk about feeling as if you’d just seen a slice of London life!
And then, before I knew it, we were there!GROSVENOR SQUARE, baby! The reason I’d wanted to come to Mayfair! Well, OK, just one of the many reasons (Hyde Park, Bond Street, St. George’s), but really, this was the highlight for me – to be standing in the MIDDLE of Grosvenor Square, a place I’d read about so many times in so many of my beloved Regency romances, the place that seemed to epitomize the grandeur and exclusivity of the ton.
I loved it at first sight. Hubby stood by as I took numerous photos. Lots of photos. Tons of photos. But, oh, the greenery! The architecture! OK, yeah, Louise Allen reminded me that although the Square dates to 1725, many of the buildings around it have been extensively rebuilt. And truth be told, I have no idea which if any of the buildings were from the Regency era. It’s still a striking sight.
The buildings around Grosvenor SquareMore Grosvenor Square buildingsEast side of Grosvenor Square. I love those faux columns!There are a number of embassies located around Grosvenor Square.I just couldn’t get enough of the Grosvenor Square feel.Who wouldn’t want a Regency residence in THAT columned building?The street sign is proof! I was there!Inside and around Grosvenor SquareA panoramic shot of the buildings along Grosvenor Square.St. Marks’ Church. At least I think.
Reluctantly I left the Square, and we moved on farther north. We found the front of what I think was St. Mark’s church, but I’m not sure, as the woman chatting on the phone in front of the building indicated to us it was a private residence as we tried to enter. Still, it was beautiful, and looked quite old.
Reaching Oxford Street and seeing that we were at the edge of Baker Street, we briefly considered continuing north to find 221B. I knew, however, that there were many more Regency sites I wanted to see and that my feet, sadly, would only last so long. I had us turn east and head down Oxford Street toward New Bond Street, as I was now in search of Hanover Square, another well-known Regency landmark. The gates to the park were locked, however, so I satisfied myself with a quick photo.
Peeking in to Hanover Square.
Next on my list of “must sees” was St. George’s of Hanover Square, the church mentioned in numerous Regency novels as the site of many a ton wedding. Even the husband seemed to admire this one – he’s a fan of buildings with big, Greek-looking columns. Once again I snapped away with the phone, trying to record numerous angles, etc., for future writing. There were people inside the church, however, and we didn’t want to disturb them (it was some sort of music rehearsal, we gathered), so I didn’t dally long inside, even though I really, really wanted to.
Found it! Side view of St. George’s of Hanover SquareInside of St. George’s. I love that black and white floor!The organ pipes of St. George’s of Hanover Square.Trying to capture the outside grandeur of St. George’s, but I couldn’t get far enough away to get a decent photo.The bottom half of St. George’s.Now there’s a store I don’t see every day.
Next we walked down Bond Street. I, um, definitely felt out of place with my American sneakers and colorful 20-year-old blue jacket. I may love to read about the fashionable, high-end people of London, but it was quite clear after just a moment or two that I will never count myself among them. There were a number of people dressed to the hilt strolling between the big-name stores. Then again, there were a number of people looking, well, more average like me. So it was all good. I loved the store front of No. 143, Ralph Lauren. Louise Allen’s guide informed me it was an original store front dating to the Regency period that used to house the chemists Savory and Moore.
It was getting late in the afternoon, and as much as I wanted to keep exploring, I could tell my husband was getting hungry. We decided we’d head down Bond Street to the Tube station so that we could head south of the Thames and eat at The George Inn, about which I’d read in Fodor’s London Guide. Along the way, of course, I took a few more pictures, including this one at Duke’s Yard. I liked the “old feel” of the architecture, with the bricks and numerous chimneys.
I’m allowed to get a kick out of the mailboxes, right?
I’d chosen The George Inn for dinner because it is, as Wikipedia says, the only surviving galleried coaching inn in London. Plus it was medieval in origin: bonus! I wanted to see what a coaching inn would have felt like for a Regency traveler – or at least as close as I could imagine. I have to say, this was the most delightfully English-feeling meal of the whole trip, and I adored the atmosphere (As a side note, our server that night bore a noticeable resemblance to Robert Pattinson. I kid you not.). I ordered a steak pie and a pint of ale – how much more English could I get? Even hubby enjoyed this part of the evening a lot!
Front of The George Inn
Interior of The George InnSuitably Regency feeling?I should have known from his expression he wasn’t going to forgive me for that Regency walk…My yummy English meal.A toast to a fantastic day!
After satiating ourselves on the pub fare, we headed back to the hotel for some much-needed sleep and prepared ourselves for Day 3 of this fantastic adventure: The British Museum and St. Paul’s Cathedral. AND MOJO!
So – what do you think? Did I do them justice? And if you read A Matter of Time, I’d love to hear what you think – and what kind of women you feel the two men ought to end up with (sorry, Merthur fans – in my future novels, they’re getting the girl!).
