My Favourite Character by Victoria Chatham

 

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I was recently asked which is my favourite character out of all my books, and why. It was a thought-provoking question, one I couldn't answer immediately. It’s that classic dilemma: you shouldn’t favour one of your children over the others; you should love them all equally. Sometimes you might not like them, or they might not like you, but that love remains the solid foundation upon which you build.

But, the characters in my books are not my children. My heroes tend to be the strong, silent types—disciplined, no-nonsense men with a natural sense of duty. They can look after themselves, but they truly thrive when they have a lady in their lives. My heroines challenge what has traditionally been regarded as societal norms. I strongly believe that, in every era, there are individuals who stand out, and this is crucial for all of my heroines. I have no hesitation now in choosing Emmeline Deveraux, the heroine from my first Regency romance, His Dark Enchantress. 

With the Napoleonic Wars raging across Europe, they created the perfect environment for Emmeline’s secret life as a spy. Her equestrian skills developed from my passion for everything related to horses, but I also drew on records from Astley's Amphitheatre, which opened in 1768. Philip Astley is widely regarded as the father of the modern circus. He initially ran a riding school, but later, he and his wife Patty Jones performed trick riding shows. Their acts became more popular when Philip decided to combine his riding expertise with clowning.

Astley's Amphitheatre

Besides Emmeline being an excellent horsewoman, she could also drive a team of horses, for which I drew on the expertise of Mrs. Cynthia Haydon (1918-2012), who, with her husband Frank, bred, trained, and exhibited the naturally high-stepping Hackney Horse. Their Hurstwood Stud in Sussex, England, was renowned worldwide and many of their horses were exported, especially to the USA. The Hackney Horse is now regarded as a rare breed.

Mrs. Cynthia Haydon

 When I first envisioned Emmeline, she wasn't neat and tidy like a proper Regency lady would have been. Her long black hair was loose, she was barefoot, and astride a black horse. It was pouring with rain, and she was soaked to the skin. Her eyes were blue, and one reader mentioned she sounded like Elizabeth Taylor, which had never occurred to me. However, as a twelve-year-old, Elizabeth Taylor played Velvet Brown in the 1944 film ‘National Velvet’, so it might have been an instinctive rather than deliberate choice. Although Emmeline would have preferred to stay at her grandfather’s home in Devon, he sent her to London for the Season, ostensibly to find a husband, as was the custom.

In her rural surroundings, Emmeline was in control. In London, she worried that someone from her past might recognise her, risking her chances of a favourable marriage. It is when she is kidnapped that Emmeline’s true character reveals itself. Fearful but resolute, she fights with all her might for survival. Emmeline can be forceful, funny, loving, but most of all, a woman with a mind of her own. Dare I say a gal after my own heart?

Victoria Chatham

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Images from the public domain.

 

A Wayward Girl by Victoria Chatham

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 Here she is. Miss Charlotte Gray in all her glory. Finally. I don’t know about my fellow authors, but some of my books have been easier to write than others and Charlotte’s story was the one I have least liked writing. Why? Because Charlotte defied me at every turn. This girl was hard work.

Now, to a non-writer, that might sound really weird. You’re the author, they might say. You pick and choose what your characters do. That’s what being an author is, you direct your cast just as a stage or movie director does theirs. Any artistic endeavor has it's challenges, but few, I imagine, as those authors might have.

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I rarely have any trouble creating characters. Often, they have simply turned up in my mind like a mental visitor, sometimes welcome and sometimes not. All three heroines of Those Regency Belles (Charlotte Gray is Book 2 in the series) came one after the other without me having to think them into being. Hester Dymock (Book 1) very clearly wanted to be involved with healing and medicine, Phoebe Fisher (Book 3 and due out in 2022) wants to have fun and is a tad saucy. But Charlotte?

I had her pinned for a lady’s companion in a secluded, quiet, Hampshire estate. There would be a love interest, of course. Probably a nephew of the lady to whom our Char was going to be a companion. An impossible match to the outside world because of her lowly status, but with wit and charm Charlotte would win her hero. Would Charlotte have that? Not a bit of it. She wanted action, adventure, and a hot-blooded hero.

Many Regency purists might point out that young ladies would not do the things they sometimes do in my stories, especially Emmaline Devereux in His Dark Enchantress when she drives a team of four horses. Can’t be done, one critic told me. However, this aspect of Emmaline’s character was based on Mrs. Cynthia Haydon (1918-2012) who raised and trained Hackney horses and ponies and drove them in many combinations (single, pairs, tandem, four-in-hand) and competitions and was an exceptional lady for her time.

Mrs. Cynthia Haydon

My thinking is that in any era there are women who step outside of the box society has built for them and quite literally break the mold. Most are familiar with Jane Austen, but what about Maria Edgeworth, Sarah Guppy, Harriott Mellon, and Elizabeth Fry. If you want to read more about these ladies check out What Regency Women Did for Us by Rachel Knowles. In more recent years, look at what the ladies in the movie Hidden Figures achieved.

Charlotte was never going to lead a quiet, orderly life. My character notes for her changed practically every day. I think, in the end, I like her better for it. If you decide to read her story, I hope you agree with me.

Victoria Chatham

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 MY WEBSITE
 

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