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RAKES ON TOUR
Outrageous hell-raisers let loose in Europe!
When London’s most notorious rakes embark on a Grand Tour they set female hearts aflutter all across Europe!
The exploits of these British rogues might be the stuff of legend, but on this adventure of a lifetime will they finally meet the women strong enough to tame their wicked ways?
Read Haviland North’s story in
Rake Most Likely to Rebel June 2015
And read Archer Crawford’s story in
Rake Most Likely to Thrill August 2015
And watch out for more Rakes on Tour stories coming in 2016!
Bonjour! Welcome to our first stop in Rakes on Tour. Paris was the traditional first stop on the nineteenth-century Grand Tour for many, and Haviland’s story is centred around a fencing salon. The salle d’armes in this story is modelled after a famous salle that really did exist at 14 rue Saint-Marc and was handed down from father to son. I have tried to be as true as possible to the various schools of thought mentioned in the story as Haviland continues his education as a fencer.
Gentlemen sought out fencing as an activity that furthered their education. Fencing was not only good exercise for the body, but it was also considered good exercise for the mind. To quote directly from L’Ecole d’Escrime Français by Roman Hliva, ‘Handling a sword steeled one’s nerves, provided courage and taught judgement under fire.’ The salles were busy between four and seven in the afternoon, and many—like the one in rue Saint-Marc—had different practising areas, an area for paying members and one for day guests who also likely borrowed the salon’s equipment since they didn’t have their own.
One other note: nineteenth-century French uses the word ‘hôtel’ differently from its modern meaning. A ‘hôtel particulier’, like the Leodegrances’, is not an inn but a large, private, free-standing home in town that does not share walls with other dwellings.
Enjoy Haviland’s story and a glimpse into French fencing!
Stay in touch at bronwynswriting.blogspot.com or at bronwynnscott.com
Rake Most Likely to Rebel
Bronwyn Scott
BRONWYN SCOTT is a communications instructor at Pierce College in the United States, and is the proud mother of three wonderful children (one boy and two girls). When she’s not teaching or writing she enjoys playing the piano, travelling—especially to Florence, Italy—and studying history and foreign languages. Readers can stay in touch on Bronwyn’s website, bronwynnscott.com, or at her blog, bronwynswriting.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from readers.
For Monsieur Rouse,
high school French teacher extraordinaire: Votre ardeur pour la langue insuffle mon fil. Merci. (Je regrette, I have not conjugated ‘to inspire’ for some time. I hope the form is correct on insuffle!)
And for Ro and Brony—we will see the City of Light (La Ville Lumière) together soon.
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