Hello Dear Readers

The models: Charlie Hesse and iStock model + Sam Valentine

Charlie is exactly how I imagined Lisa while I was writing her story. Tall, striking, physically robust with long lean limbs, and feminine. She exudes confidence, a can-do attitude, and is fiercely intelligent. Being a bit of a nerd, and wholly wrapped up in her desire to have a life of purpose, she is unaware of her beauty, nor does she wish to be defined by her poverty. Charlie is the perfect Lisa Crisp.

When it came to Henri-Antoine, I was determined to keep the modified iStock image used on the first cover. But we needed a body! So we hired a model who was physically similar to Henri-Antoine to dress for the photoshoot. So thank you Sam Valentine for being Henri-Antoine’s body stand-in! The result of having a composite creation using the power of Photoshop is that I have the Henri-Antoine I envisioned while writing— that arrogant take-no-prisoners stare that says I am the son of a duke, combined with a tall, lean frame dressed in gorgeous clothing that advertises his wealth and status. And yet it all hides a vulnerability: The fragility and curse of his disability.

The Setting

The second half of Satyr’s Son takes place at Treat, the Hampshire ducal estate of the Dukes of Roxton. It is Henri-Antoine’s boyhood home, and it is here he and Lisa meet up again at the country wedding of Henri-Antoine’s best friend Jack to Lisa’s best friend from her boarding school days, Teddy Cavendish.

The “house” at Treat is a palace, and so Blenheim Palace—the only aristocratic mansion permitted to call itself a palace, and home to the dukes of Marlborough—is used as the Roxton family’s majestic edifice. The enormous structure with the sweep of grand landscape exudes the wealth, power and privilege enjoyed by the English aristocracy of the 18th Century. In the artwork, Henri-Antoine stands proudly in the foreground, the palace and its grounds a potent symbol of the wealth and privilege he enjoys as the son of a duke.

To the left is a small, curious, two-story building with a domed roof. Known as a folly, many grand houses had such interesting buildings dotted about their estates. Small recreational spaces away from the main house, some were there to add interest to the landscape while many had a purpose. They were destinations within the confines of an aristocratic world where the owners and their guests could take shelter from the elements, take tea, contemplate nature, listen and play music, write letters, and engage in any number or recreational activities to fill in their summer days.

The interiors were just as interesting and inviting, intimate spaces covered in colorful wallpaper, some plastered with collections of shells or family silhouettes, ceilings that were intricately plastered, with fireplaces, and wooden or stone stairs winding up to a second floor that offered views of the surrounding landscape of rolling hills, lakes, and forest, all framed in the large windows.

For Henri-Antoine, these follies represent a haven, somewhere he can feel safe, if and when he experiences an episode of falling sickness (epilepsy). In the quiet of the folly he can recover, away from the prying eyes of family and friends. Thus such little buildings are an important part of Henri-Antoine’s life, and are a reminder that for all his wealth and nobility, he can never escape his disability.

The folly shown above is exactly as I imagined the folly of Vejovis (the Roman God of Healing) as built by the Duke of Roxton for his second son. So imagine my delight when I came across this folly at Park Pillnitz in Dresden!

The Costumes

But first a very brief history of the robe en chemise aka chemise à la reine—the gown that was to influence the future developments of female fashion in the neoclassical period.

The robe en chemise was an informal, loose-fitting gown usually made from sheer white cotton that resembled the chemise—women’s undergarment—in both cut and material (hence the name), and which was belted around the waist or under the bust with a colored sash. In another radical departure from previous gowns, which were either shrugged on like a coat or stepped into, the robe en chemise was pulled on over the head.

According to Aileen Riberio in The Art of Dress, the origins of the robe en chemise may be found in the robes à la créole, simple cotton dresses worn by women in the French West Indies, and brought to France in the 1770s.

This style of gown was certainly already making itself known in the 1770s with the teen and pre-teen daughters of the wealthy and titled having their portraits painted in gowns that were a lot less structured than those worn by their mothers, and grandmothers.

It was Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun’s portrait of Marie-Antoinette c.1783 wearing a robe en chemise that created a sensation and gave this gown the more infamous name of chemise à la reine. As Riberio recounts, Vigée Le Brun first saw the Queen wearing a chemise gown at Marly in the mid-1770s and again when she was pregnant with her first child in 1778.

Vigée Le Brun’s portrait scandalized society because it appeared to show Marie Antoinette in her underwear. Aside from this being shocking in and of itself, no French monarch had ever been officially portrayed in so casual a manner before. The portrait was removed from display when exhibited at the Salon of the Académie Royale, making it even more famous. And while it may have shocked French Society, it changed the fashion landscape for women of the aristocracy thereafter.

The following year the robe en chemise appeared as a chemise à la reine in the fashion magazine the Gallerie des Modes, with the Duchess of Devonshire attending a concert in London wearing a robe en chemise, given to her by none other than Marie Antoinette! This ensured that every woman with pretensions to being fashionable was soon wearing one, lounging about their country estate in the summer months, with many having their portraits painted in the newest style to sweep the aristocracy.

Lisa Crisp

Lisa and Teddy are both nineteen years of age and it is perfectly plausible that along with Teddy’s aristocratic female relatives, they would spend their summer days in the country in less restrictive day gowns—versions of the robe en chemise. Gone are the panniers worn by their mothers and grandmothers. In many cases, stays were also dispensed with, which made wearing a robe en chemise a little bit shocking and thus even more fashionably desirable by the young.

As Ribeiro recounts, Lady Jerningham wrote to her daughter Charlotte in 1786 (the same year as events take place in Satyr’s Son) commenting on the immense popularity of the robe en chemise, it being “certainly the prettiest at your age, and are worn entirely here by the young people with sashes…”(Ribeiro, 1995, p.71).

When I came across the 18th Century painting The Gift by Marguerite Gérard, I knew this was Lisa’s gown. Yes, it is a genre painting, as is A Commedia dell'arte scene, also by Gérard and Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and both have a theatrical edge, but the artist chose to dress her female subjects in a robe en chemise, the latest aristocratic fashion sensation in both France and England.

Dressing Lisa in a robe en chemise also serves as a reminder of the span of time of the Roxton Family saga.
Forty years have gone by since Henri-Antoine’s mother Antonia was eighteen years old in the prequel Noble Satyr. And just as the robe en chemise was a turning point in female fashion, and a taste of what was to come for fashion in the 1790s and beyond, Lisa’s gown is a symbol of a turning point for the Roxton Family Saga. Future stories will be of the next generation of Roxton relatives—Antonia’s grandchildren.

Lisa’s Robe en Chemise

Talented seamstress Karen Bowler of Classic Costume: Fabulous Frocks Inspired by the Past in the UK created Lisa’s beautiful robe en chemise. And what an outstanding creation it is! The under gown is a peach shot silk (also known as changeant) taffeta, with the over-gown in a silk organza, both sourced from India. The ribbon trim is a satin, with the hem of the organza having a Venetian lace guipure border. The gown has long narrow sleeves, a drawstring neckline, and closures in the back. It is slipped on over the head, over a short-sleeved chemise and over-the-knee white stockings. Lisa does not wear stays, and as underpants did not come into use for women until the early 19th Century, this type of gown would have been very liberating indeed!

Lord Henri-Antoine

As the youngest son of the Duke of Roxton, and wealthy in his own right, I needed an 1780s ensemble worthy of Lord Henri-Antoine Hesham. Clothes (particularly the fabrics and embroidery) certainly proclaimed the nobleman in the 18th Century. And just as his father M’sieur le Duc d’Roxton wore clothes befitting his rank, so too does his son.

Lord Henri-Antoine’s exceptionally gorgeous ensemble of frock coat, waistcoat and breeches were tailor-made and hand stitched by the incomparable W. Beau Robbins. It is an outstanding creation and an object of beauty. Beau certainly delivered on the promise of Lord Henri-Antoine looking every inch the son of a duke!

You may recall Beau was commissioned to create the Duke of Roxton’s magnificent 1740s black and silver ensemble for the Noble Satyr cover. How wonderful then that he was able to provide the outfit worn by the Duke’s son for the Satyr’s Son artwork.

I’m biased but Beau has outdone himself with this 1780s creation. Here he is (below) splendidly attired in his gorgeous ensemble, looking every inch the nobleman himself! I am honored to have had another of his tailored creations grace a Roxton Saga artwork.

The frockcoat and breeches are made from a raspberry silk brocade. There are diamond buttons to the frockcoat front, slim cuffs, and pockets, and to the fall of the breeches. Diamond buttons fasten the breeches at the knee, where there are also diamond encrusted knee buckles for a snug fit over white stockings. The breeches have two fob pockets.

The waistcoat front panels are constructed from a luxurious Scalamandre Fabric House strawberry silk lampas. This fabric was also made by the Italian textile company Rubelli in Venice and known as Fragole silk. Both the Scalamandre and Rubelli silks take inspiration for the strawberry pattern from an 18th century waistcoat embroidery housed in the Palazzo Mocenigo, Venezia. This gorgeous fabric featured in the 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons with a gown worn by Uma Thurman, and also in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette where Kirsten Dunst’s Marie wears a gown made from this extraordinary strawberry silk.

Accoutrements

Henri-Antoine carries a pocket watch in the fob pocket of his breeches. Attached to the watch is a watch string from which dangles decorative passementerie (tassels, fringes, trinkets, ornamental cord), a tiny watch key (to wind his pocket watch so that it keeps regular time) and his personal seal. Watch strings were made from lengths of small gold or silver chain, but many more were made of silk or metallic thread (even braided hair!) which was hardier and less expensive. The watch string had the practical application of helping Henri-Antoine easily retrieve his pocket watch from the small fob pocket, but it is most definitely worn to draw attention, hence its highly decorative nature, with it dangling below the band of the waistcoat.

Henri-Antoine’s gorgeous watch string was created and generously donated by Michael Halbert. Michael’s delightful watch strings are available for purchase from Kimberly Walter’s Etsy shop at Sign of the Gray Horse Historically Inspired and Reproduction Jewelry.

Henri-Antoine uses a walking stick, which many a fashionable gentleman carried about town. It is not required to help him to walk, but serves a two fold purpose—of providing support should he sense a seizure coming on, and also as a mechanism to discreetly signal his minders to come to his aid.

The Roxton Jewelry Collection

Kimberly Walters of Sign of the Gray Horse Reproduction and Historically Inspired Jewelry was commissioned to create Lisa’s sapphire and diamond wedding band, which once belonged to Henri-Antoine’s French grandmother Madeleine-Julie, Marchioness of Alston.

You can purchase Lisa’s wedding band, as you can other pieces from the Roxton Jewlery Collection, such as Deb’s pearls (which also once belonged to the Henri-Antoine’s grandmother), Antonia’s emerald and diamond wedding band, choker, and bracelet, and Rory’s pineapple choker and earrings set.

All were commissioned for the Roxton Family Saga photoshoots, and those that are exclusive to Kimberly’s shop come with the Lucinda Brant tag of authenticity.

Profits from the sale of Roxton Jewelry pieces goes to the upkeep of Kimberly’s rescue and adopted horses.

You asked about Lisa and Henri-Antoine’s future…

Warning! Spoilers Ahead. If you’ve not read the book—why not???—then perhaps read it first then come back and read this!

It was always my intention for Lisa and Henri-Antoine to have a loving, happy and richly fulfilling union but that they remain childless. Not because Henri-Antoine suffers with the falling sickness (epilepsy) and he would prefer not to have children, but because Lisa is a CAIS female, and thus infertile. It is just medically impossible for her to have children.

Little if anything was known about Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) before the mid 20th Century. Cases were reported in the medical literature and the first definitive description of CAIS was in 1817. There are varying degrees of Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) and you can read more in depth information in this article (and a warning, there is an explicit line drawing) from the University of Hawai’i Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and Klinefelter's Syndrome.

As Lisa has Complete AIS (CAIS), she is female despite the presence of a Y chromosome in her DNA (typically XXXY). CAIS females lack a uterus (with rare exception), fallopian tubes and ovaries. Puberty is often slightly delayed and given their lack of female reproductive organs, they do not get a period, and are therefore infertile. Often, there is an absence of pubic hair, and in one third of cases no armpit hair either.

Typically, CAIS females are taller than average, slimmer, have slightly longer limbs, larger hands and feet, minimal or no acne, and well developed breasts. Because of this it is often said that they make the best catwalk models. The most famous confirmed CAIS supermodel is Hanne Gaby Odiele.

For years speculation has swirled around actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Kim Novak being CAIS females (though never confirmed or denied by them) while a confirmed CAIS female is author and socialite Lady Colin Campbell.

So that’s possibly more than you wanted to know, but I thought it important to say, particularly as our relationships with others should never be defined by narrow boundaries and assumptions. And because not all couples have children. They may not be able to have them or, for their own reasons, may decide to remain childless. An absence of children does not make a relationship less valid nor need it be less fulfilling.

Their mutual desire to advance medical science will see Lisa and Henri-Antoine have a lasting impact on science and medical practice through their Fournier Foundation. And while they may not have children of their own, they are part of a large extended family. Surrounded by nephews, nieces and godchildren, they will continue to be very much a part of the lives of the next generation of Roxtons, as you will discover! ;)

Thank you

Thank you for coming on this journey with me. It’s been one amazing and loooong rollercoaster ride, but it’s done now. Yay!

This six cover project would not have been possible without the efforts and enthusiasm of some very special people. First and foremost is my wonderful and talented hubby who is the other creative half of Sprigleaf Pty Ltd; to Gene and Sasha and the gang at GM Studio who were willing to be part of a book covers project of epic proportions and see it through; to the models who were such good sports to dress up and be my characters before the camera; the talented costumers who were so patient and giving of their time and expertise and provided sumptuous textile feasts for my aristocrats to wear; special mention to Kimberly Walters—for her guidance, enthusiasm, and creating the gorgeous Georgian jewelry described in my books; to every one of you who provided the little extras to give each artwork a truly 18th Century feel; my Jewels of Historical Romance sisters for cheering me on; and to the members of Lucinda’s Gorgeous Georgians, a very special Facebook group of my most dedicated readers who have embraced my 18th Century world, and keep me writing!

And if you’re wondering where all those fabulous costumes, jewelry, and beautiful accessories are, they’re here at my home, lovingly stored in my daughter’s closet (it’s just as well she’s presently living in LA!).

And finally, the Behind the Scenes video…

Creative Collaborators

Model photography by Gene Mollica Studio
Model composite, art and typography by Sprigleaf Pty Ltd
Karen Bowler, Classic Costume: Fabulous Frocks Inspired by the Past—Lisa Crisp’s robe en chemise
Mr. W. Beau Robbins—Lord Henri-Antoine’s ensemble (frock coat, waistcoat, and breeches)
Michael Halbert—Lord Henri-Antoine’s watch string
Kimberly Walters, At the Sign of the Gray Horse Reproduction and Historically Inspired Jewelry—Lisa’s sapphire and diamond wedding band, and the Roxton Jewelry Collection

Until the next Lucinda Brant cover project—yes there is another on the horizon, so stay tuned!—please stay safe and stay healthy, and happy reading! 

My readers keep me writing.

Hugs

Satyr’s Son: A Georgian Historical Romance
Roxton Family Saga Book 5: Lisa and Henri-Antoine’s Happily Ever After

His wealth can buy anything, except the love of a penniless girl. A vast inheritance allows Lord Henri-Antoine every indulgence. Miss Lisa Crisp relies on the charity of relatives to keep her from the poorhouse. Under startling circumstances, they meet. When they find themselves attending the same country wedding, Henri-Antoine makes Lisa a scandalous proposition, but following her heart could ruin them both.

A standalone Cinderella story set against the backdrop of Treat, ancestral home of the dukes of Roxton. New readers will discover the myriad pleasures and glittering aristocratic world of the Roxton family through the fresh eyes of newcomer Lisa Crisp. Cameos by beloved characters will please fans of the series.

B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree
CHATELAINE Book Awards for Romantic Fiction – 2018 CIBAs Semi-Finalist
Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Silver Medalist
2018 RONE Awards—First Runner Up (Historical)
InD’Tale Crowned Heart Review
Night Owls Review TOP PICK!

References

Photos
Charlie Hesse
iStock model Stock file ID: 507006569 Credit: Yuri Arcurs (used under license)
Sam Valentine
English Pavilion, Schloss Pillnitz, Dresden, Germany
The English Pavilion Interiors, Park Pillnitz, Dresden
English Pavilion by Linear77 (modified and used under Wikimedia Commons license)
Blenheim Palace (modified and used under Wikimedia Commons license)
Mr. W. Beau Robbins supplied courtesy of W. Beau Robbins
Lisa’s robe en chemise and Henri-Antoine’s ensemble and watch string by Lucinda Brant

Articles
Robe En Chemise by Conor Haffey, August 5, 2019, Fashion History Timeline
Closet Histories no. 4.7: The Gaulle/Chemise a la Reine, The Closet Historian
The Chemise a la Reine, The Fashion Historian
Agostino Brunias and depicting people of colour in the colonial Caribbean, Lydia Figes, 25 Jul 2019
The Marie Antoinette Dress That Ignited the Slave Trade: Unlike her usual ornate style, it was relatively simple — but still scandalous, Caroline London, January 10, 2018, 9:32am EST, RACKED
Dangerous Liaisons (1988), 89 Designs Project, May 25, 2020, Whitney Anne Adams
Keeping Track of Time: Georgian Watch Chains, Equipages, Fobs, and Chatelaines, April 12, 2014, Liz, The Pragmatic Costumer: Historical Costuming for the Rest of Us
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and Klinefelter's Syndrome, Milton Diamond, PhD and Linda Ann Watson, MEd, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13: 623-640

Print
Ribeiro, Aileen, The Art of Dress: Fashion in England and France 1750-1820, Yale University, 1995 [Lucinda Brant home library]

Paintings
Linen Market, Dominica, c.1780, Agostino Brunias, Yale Center for British Art
West Indian Creole Woman, with Her Black Servant, c.1780, Agostino Brunias, Yale Center for British Art
Miss Juliana Willoughby, 1781-1783, George Romney
Miss Martindale, 1781, George Romney, English Heritage, Kenwood
L'Enfant Cheri (The Beloved Child), 1780-1785, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Marguerite Gérard
Marie Antoinette in a Chemise Dress, 1783, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Self-portrait in a Straw Hat, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun after 1782
Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire between 1785 and 1787, Thomas Gainsborough
Portrait of Princess Louise Auguste of Denmark, 1787, Jens Juel
Yolande-Martine-Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchess de Polignac, 1782, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
The Gift, 1785-1788, Marguerite Gérard
A Commedia dell'arte scene, Marguerite Gérard and Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Portrait of a Gentleman (Jean-Baptiste-François Dupré?), Joseph-Sifrede Duplessis, ca. 1779–1782
John Adams, 1798, William Winstanley
Captain George Montagu, circa 1780-1790, Attributed to Thomas Beach or Lemuel Francis Abbott
Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire (1753-1801), Hugh Douglas Hamilton, R.H.A.