*** Spoiler Alert for Episode 4 of Bridgerton, and Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer ***
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I just finished watching Episode 4 of Bridgerton last night. The duel scene felt like a dream: an archetypal tableau echoed by the hundreds of Regency novels I have read in my time (and trust me, it is hundreds).
Bridgerton ticked off all the duel tropes: the challenge issued in the heat of the moment, the growing anxiety as dawn approaches, the cool paddock at first light, the gleaming weapons, the solemnity – and the inevitable thundering hooves as an intrepid heroine rides to thwart proceedings.
It got me wondering – why is it that we love the English duel so much? Is it just because Georgette Heyer immortalised it? (All hail Queen Heyer!) Or has the Regency duel outrun its appeal? Leaving aside the believability of Hastings and Bridgerton not hearing Daphne as she thundered across the field, I believe the English duel will never grow stale.
Here are some of the reasons why.
1. The restrained British passion
The secret sauce of an English duel is … its Englishness. This ain’t no Western shoot-out. A Regency duel is a highly codified event, laden with protocol and intended to protect a gentleman’s honour in a civilised fashion. Rather than a drunken brawl or heated fisticuffs, the participants face death coolly.
And we love that British reserve. That stoic bravery: the heat contained and the power controlled.
2. The masculine prowess on display
Of course, the gentlemen don’t just have their stiff upper lip to see them through. They also have their skill at swordplay or their brilliant marksmanship. And inevitably, our hero (or villain) is trained by the finest swordsman in Europe or is renowned for shooting out the wicks of candles at twenty paces (I’m looking at you, Vidal).
This is alpha male territory and we love it. Or at least I do. Heightened masculinity with admirable physical skill, endurance, and strength – all on display in the English duel!
3. High Stakes
Our boys are going to need it all, because a Regency duel is a matter of life or death. One of the combatants will die or be dreadfully wounded (or at least obtain a mere scratch). And the other doesn’t get off scot free, because if he dealt a mortal blow he has to flee the country.
Yes, duelling was newly illegal in the early 19th century, which made the practice even more secret and thrilling, and the stakes were high for everybody. Not least the heroine, who might lose her lover in a cruel twist of fate – or failing that, her reputation.
4. It’s all about a girl
Even when the quarrel is ostensibly about an accusation of foul play at cards, the crux of the matter is usually a woman. Of course, romance is at the heart of it all, and our hero will do anything for her, even die at dawn. Awww. What’s not to love about that? (Maybe the fact that he won’t even tell her what he is about to do?)
5. BUT … the duel is undone
The real heart of the Regency duel is how it usually ends. In Bridgerton, the masculine dramatics are interrupted by a feminine ploy. In Georgette Heyer’s Devil’s Cub, Mary Challoner resorts to the handy application of a greatcoat. Abruptly the physical show-down is undermined, and in its place arises verbal negotiation and (usually) an offer of marriage.
This is a classic heroine’s journey (as the esteemable Gail Carriger enunciates in her book on the subject). The hero’s lonely quest of revenge and glory is co-opted by the heroine’s drive towards community, relationship, and compromise. And we really love that. Or at least I do.
So, there you have it. Five reasons why we love an English duel, Regency style.
I ought to have mentioned the period costume too, but honestly I was having a hard time taking the Duke of Hastings seriously in his red velvet jacket!
It only remains to write my own duel scene. I think we all know how that will end.
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The Lady Jewel Diviner has just released. I can’t promise any duels – however there are smugglers, spies, and selkies, all cavorting about the Devon coastline in Regency England. Check it out here!