She frowned. “You think our scandal will have died down by then?”
He gave a short bark of laughter. “No. Next year, perhaps.”
Sebastian surveyed his wife, looking rosy and tousled and ponderous, and a surge of love made him mount her again.
Her green eyes gazed back at him with a soft welcome. A smattering of golden freckles had begun forming on her nose. He dipped his head and kissed them.
Their scandal would probably never die down. He had changed his place in history for her.
It was his best decision yet.
Besides. He had a feeling that one day, history would squarely side with them, and he was usually correct about these things.
Author’s Note
Oxford University opened its first women’s colleges in 1879: Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville College. The universities of Cambridge and London had already been admitting female students for years at that point, but when Emily Davies, founder of the first women’s college at Cambridge, had scouted Oxford as a possible location in the 1860s, she found herself dissuaded by a strong “monastic tradition, rowdy undergraduates, a lively interest in gossip, and a large population of prostitutes.” Gilbert wasn’t wrong when he warned Annabelle that Oxford was a place of great debauchery. Nevertheless, the first female students thrived, though it would take until 1920 before they were allowed to fully matriculate and sit final exams like the male students.
Winning voting rights for women would take equally long: the Married Women’s Property Act was amended in 1882, two years after Sebastian’s speech in Parliament. The amendment allowed women to hold on to some money and property under certain conditions even after marriage. Yet it would still take another thirty-six years until women were allowed to vote or stand as MPs in the UK, so the work for our heroines had only just begun as the story ends.
Their most powerful opponent to women’s suffrage would have been their own queen. Victoria was enraged by the women’s rights movement. In 1870, she wrote to Theodore Martin that Lady Amberley, a then-prominent feminist, “ought to be whipped.” Woman, the queen feared, “would become the most hateful, heartless, and disgusting of human beings,” were she allowed to have the same political and social rights as men. Similarly, Elizabeth Wordsworth, the first warden of Lady Margaret Hall and great-niece of poet William Wordsworth, saw no need for women to have a role in parliamentary politics. Miss Wordsworth would later create another Oxford college for women, St. Hugh’s, out of her own pocket to help more women access higher education.
What appears to be a contradiction was the common attitude in the Victorian era: most people who supported better education for women did so because they believed it would make women better at their prescribed roles as mothers, homemakers, and companions to men. The idea that women should be people in their own right regardless of how this added value for others was so radical that suffragists faced opposition at every turn. Still they persisted. As such, women like Annabelle, Lucie, Hattie, and Catriona would have been extraordinary people indeed.
But even women pioneers need a place to call home, someone to hold dear, someone who cherishes them for who they are, so it’s been a great pleasure to write their happily-ever-after.
Note: I took some artistic license in regard to Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment—the book was not translated into English until 1885.
Acknowledgments
To finish a book, you need people who firmly stand between you and the life of a crazed hermit.
Bringing Down the Duke wouldn’t have happened without the support of a motley crew, and I’d like to express a heartfelt thank-you to:
Lord Robert, commander of pomodores and Master of Nudging.
Sir Richards III, whose edits were everything. Write your own book already.
Mum, who doggedly believed in the story without ever having been given a single page to read.
Oma, because I love you.
Mo, who slogged through first draft chapters rather than study for the bar exam.
Christian, Sarah, Jemima, and Nils, who showed unflagging enthusiasm where others rolled their eyes.
The British Romantic Novelists’ Association, in particular the fabulous New Writers’ Scheme, which gave me much-needed deadlines, wine, and words of encouragement.
Last but not least, The Lilac Wine Writers Kate, Marilyn, and Montse, who were there every step of the way from the plotting to the final edits. I’m forever grateful for our awesome team—your feedback, hospitality, and open ears made all the difference.
Special thanks to my brilliant agent, Kevan Lyon, and my wonderful editor, Sarah Blumenstock, for taking a chance on Annabelle and Sebastian.
Discussion Questions
1. What obstacles do you think Annabelle and Sebastian will face now that they have finally chosen to be together, considering the opposition their union will encounter in their social circles? How do you envision their first year of marriage?
2. At Lady Lingham’s Christmas dinner, Annabelle contemplates how experiencing passion has ruined her for otherwise perfectly eligible men. Is this something you can relate to? How important is passion in a romantic relationship?
3. There are several examples throughout history of British aristocrats who went against protocol and married their commoner mistress, a courtesan, or their favourite actress. Why do you think Sebastian chose Annabelle over his life’s work? What consequences do you think he will face?
4. Why do you think Annabelle rejected the position of Sebastian’s mistress even though it would have given her the safety net she badly needed? Do you agree or disagree with her choices?
5. When debating the trade-off between freedom and security with Sebastian, Annabelle quotes John Stuart Mill, who says: “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” What do you think this means? Do you agree or disagree?
6. Annabelle and Sebastian navigate complicated gender and power dynamics as they build their relationship. How would you describe these? How do you think their relationship compares to modern standards?
7. The University of Oxford is an integral part of the book. Why do you think the author chose to set the story there? How does the academic setting impact the story? What does Oxford represent to you?
8. What do you think were the main arguments and worries against women receiving a higher education? How do you see these arguments played out in the book?
9. It is important to Annabelle that she continue her education, even after she marries Sebastian. Is education important to you? Why do you think Annabelle is so determined to receive her Oxford degree?