Stepping Away from the Ballroom: The Ladies’ Retiring Room in Regency Times

If you’ve ever read a Regency romance or historical novel set in the early 1800s, you’ve probably come across a scene where a heroine feels faint, overheated, or simply overwhelmed and needs to step out of the ballroom. In my Christian Regency romantic suspense, Lissa and the Spy, my heroine encounters a moment of distress and retreats to a retiring room to escape the gossip at the event.

But what was that private space actually like? The ladies’ retiring room was a very real—and very practical—part of every grand ball or assembly.

The Retiring Room

At a Regency ball, the main rooms were often packed with people, blazing with candlelight, and filled with the sounds of music, laughter, and conversation. Women in elaborate gowns, tight stays (the corsets of the day), and layers of petticoats could quickly become overheated or short of breath. The ladies’ retiring room was always available to offer a much-needed place to rest, refresh, and recover without drawing too much attention.

A retiring room is described in Domestic Duties; or, Instructions to young married ladies, on the management of their households and the regulation of their conduct in the various relations and duties of married life, by Mrs. William Parkes, published in 1825:

A retiring room should be in readiness for ladies who may wish to disburthen themselves of shawls and cloaks and here a female should be in attendance to receive them, and to perform any little office of neatness which a lady’s dress may accidentally require. Tea and coffee may also be presented in this room, if any be deemed necessary; but of late the custom of introducing these refreshments at balls has been nearly abolished.

These rooms were usually located near the ballroom and set aside specifically for female guests. They were staffed by attendants—often older women or servants trained for the role—who helped ladies with everything from re-pinning a loose curl to repairing a torn hem or flounce. Some rooms even had sofas or chaise longues where a woman could lie down for a few minutes. There were also chamber pots that were cleaned after each guest used them.

The attendants kept the room stocked with practical items like pins, needles, thread, spare gloves, and combs. More importantly, they were ready with remedies when a lady felt faint or distressed. They helped many a young woman compose herself and return to the dancing looking as fresh as when she arrived.

In Lady Palmerston and Her Times, a collection of letters by Lady Cowper who would later become Lady Palmerston, in 1820, the Countess Cowper wrote in a letter some gossip about the Queen:

Did I tell you that when she went to the House she staid the greater part of the time in her retiring room, laughing with Gell & others or playing at Backgammon & Chess? About the latter here is her bon mot. She said to somebody who came in, “I am sorry you are come just now for I was just going to give Check to the King."

So apparently, the retiring room was not merely for women to rest but could also be a side room with games and entertainments. However, I’m not sure how happy the other women in the room were with the Queen, if they’d retired to get some peace and quiet.

Two women “retiring” at a ball. From Ackerman’s Repository, 1810

Why Fainting Was So Common

Fainting wasn’t just a dramatic plot device in novels—it happened for very real reasons. The tight lacing of stays compressed the ribcage, making deep breaths difficult. Add the heat from hundreds of candles, the excitement of the evening, emotional moments, or simply standing for hours in heavy fabrics, and it’s easy to see why a lady might suddenly need a quiet corner.

In an era when propriety was everything, the retiring room gave women a graceful way to step aside without causing a scene. It was accepted and expected that a lady might need a short rest.

Smelling Salts and Lavender Water

Two items you’ll often find mentioned in historical accounts are smelling salts and lavender water.

Smelling salts (usually a form of ammonium carbonate) came in small bottles or elegant silver containers called vinaigrettes. When waved under the nose, the sharp scent helped revive someone who had fainted by stimulating breathing. Attendants kept them on hand for exactly these moments.

Lavender water, on the other hand, was used more for calming and refreshing. A few drops on a handkerchief or lightly sprinkled could help soothe nerves or cool a flushed face. Both were simple but effective tools in an age before modern medicine.

A Quiet Escape from the Crowds

The next time you read a Regency story and a heroine slips away from the ballroom, picture the retiring room as more than just a convenient plot stop. It was a small but important part of the evening’s rhythm—a place of quiet care, quick repairs, and sometimes a much-needed breath of calm amid the glittering whirl of the ball.

About the Author

Camy Tang writes Christian historical and contemporary romance filled with intrigue, adventure, and faith. Under the pen name Camille Elliot, she writes the Christian Regency romantic suspense series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, set in 1811 London where secrets, espionage, and slow-burn romance unfold against the glittering backdrop of high society.

If you enjoy Regency romance with adventure and a dash of humor, you can receive her novella Lissa and the Spy free when you join her newsletter.

Lissa and the Spy

A Regency Romantic Suspense Novella

In her quest for a marriage of convenience, plain and unpopular Lissa finds herself entangled with the enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude, who has a secret mission for the Crown. As danger stalks them, they must navigate a labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love.

Click here to get Lissa and the Spy

The Most Powerful and Notorious Address on Earth - Domus Augustana Part 1

by Liisa Eyerly

by1 #1 AI image  #2 https://romeitaly.ca/images/domusaugustana.jpg

Today, the Domus Augustana is one of the most impressive ruins on the Palatine Hill, but only a fraction of the palace remains standing. Perched atop Rome's famous hill, the private residence of the emperors was one of the most powerful addresses in the ancient world. In 96 A.D. when my Secrets of Ephesus murder series takes place, Domus Augustana was the Heart of an Empire, and the palace would have looked vastly different than today. The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

 The first image reimagines what it could have looked like two thousand years ago.

• White marble columns lining the peristyles
• Pools reflecting sunlight
• Cypress trees, roses, box hedges, and topiary
• Colorful frescoes covering walls
• Bronze and marble statues
• Water flowing through fountains and channels

From the Palatine Hill, emperors ruled with seemingly unlimited power; adopting the title of Principate instead of emperor or king, to enforce the illusion that they were not dictators. During the period from Augustus in 27 BC through the reign of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180—the emperor, supported by alliances within the army, the Senate, and the Praetorian Guard, was essentially untouchable. There was no legal impeachment, voting him out, or forcing him from office. 

If an emperor became egotistical, unstable, cruel, or simply unfit to rule, Rome had only two practical remedies: a military coup or assassination. As a result, the imperial throne was both the most powerful seat in the world and one of the most dangerous. Assassination of Julius Caesar By Vincenzo Camuccini - Own work, user:Rlbberlin, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145037989

The palace Domus Augustana was the perfect setting for murder. Thirty-seven emperors are documented as having been murdered—not including Nero, who died by suicide after the military turned against him. The palace’s vaulted chambers, stairways, and multi-level terraces descended the hillside, while subterranean rooms and passageways used by servants, guards, and maintenance workers still survive today. It offered countless hiding places for an assassin, escape routes for a guilty servant, or opportunities for a Praetorian bodyguard to abandon his post.
 

1. Nero's suicide, 2. Caligula assassinated, 3. Claudius poisoned, 4. Galba assassinated, 5. Domitian assassinated. As fascinating as the palace itself is, its most enduring legacy may be the assassination that occurred within its walls—an event that launches Powers of Death, the third book in the Secrets of Ephesus series.

Galba CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Domitian I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Claudius Naples National Archaeological Museum, CC BY 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
Caligula Sergey Sosnovskiy from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Nero Glyptothek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Step into the shadowy streets of 96 AD Ephesus, where danger lurks around every corner, and the line between friend and foe is razor-thin. Fortunes of Death, plunges you into a world where faith is tested, alliances are shattered, and one woman's courage could be the difference between life and death.

Sabina, a fierce young Christian widow, is thrust into a deadly game when a wealthy citizen is murdered. With her friend’s life hanging in the balance, Sabina must unravel a web of lies, deceit, and hidden motives. Every clue she uncovers brings her closer to the truth—and closer to becoming the next victim.

This isn't just a murder mystery. It's a gripping tale of faith, resilience, and the power of one woman standing against the darkness.

Visit me at https://liisaeyerly.com/ on my Author Facebook page

or purchase my books at:

Fortunes of Death

Obedient Unto Death

My Amazon book page 

Mystery, murder, and mayhem aren’t your typical Christian themes—but why should secular authors have all the fun solving crimes in ancient Rome? My love of history, scripture, and whodunits led me to blend faith with intrigue, bringing the world of the early Christians to life. Writing from my home in the woods of northern Wisconsin, I also draw inspiration from my travels to Turkey, Greece, and Italy, where I’ve walked the same streets my characters once did. Through historical mysteries, I explore a time when faith was a matter of life and death—literally.

Western Hearths: A Quick and Easy Summer Supper

Western pioneers relied on whatever food they could grow, gather, or hunt. Summer suppers had to be simple, easy, and plentiful. Ingredients included vegetables from the garden, foraged berries and wild plants, fresh-laid eggs, milk from the family cow, homemade butter, and occasional meat from hunting or livestock. Corn, beans, squash, potatoes, onions, and herbs were common garden crops, while fruit pies and preserves made use of seasonal berries and orchard harvests whenever they were available.

For homesteading farmers, July brought long workdays of planting, weeding, watering, haying, and harvesting. Chores often began before sunrise to avoid the hottest part of the day and continued until dusk. In addition to tending crops, families cared for livestock, repaired fences, chopped wood, and preserved fresh foods for the months ahead. After so many hours of demanding labor, meals needed to nourish both body and soul.

Most cooking was done over a wood-burning stove or on an open hearth. One-pot stews, biscuits, cornbread, beans, and seasonal vegetables were quick staples. Settlers churned fresh milk into butter and pickled or canned extra vegetables to provide food through the winter. Waste was rarely tolerated, and leftovers often turned into the next day's meal.

Even a simple supper of vegetables and cornbread gave the family a chance to rest, share prayers and stories, and enjoy one another. On many evenings, neighbors gathered for suppers that combined fresh produce, homemade bread, and baked goods from different homesteads. These gatherings strengthened friendships, allowed families to exchange news and advice, and reminded everyone that cooperation was often as essential to survival as determination and hard work.

Prairie Vegetable and Egg Skillet

One classic midsummer supper, a vegetable and egg skillet, was a common meal enjoyed by settlers. It is light but filling and packed with flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, lard, or bacon grease
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup summer squash, diced
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and chopped
• 1–2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or canned if necessary)
• 4 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or chives

Instructions

1. Heat fat in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
2. Sauté onions until translucent, about 3–5 minutes.
3. Add squash and green beans; cook until tender, 5–7 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
5. Create small wells in the vegetables and crack eggs into each well. Cover and cook until eggs are set to your liking.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Serve warm, ideally with fresh bread or cornbread.

Tip: For a heartier version, add diced potatoes or leftover cooked meat from the larder.

Bringing Summer to Your Table

July is the perfect month to embrace fresh meals with friends and family. Preparing a homestead vegetable and egg skillet lets you step into history while eating healthy, seasonal food. As the smell of vegetables cooking in butter wafts through the air, picture the hard-working western families that once enjoyed it gathering for a brief respite from their labors.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics to her as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller with book series in the western historical romance and medieval epic fantasy genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels.

Learn more about Janalyn, read the first chapters of her books, subscribe to her e-letter, and join her reader clubs at http://janalynvoigt.com.

Fall in Love with the Wild West

The Montana Gold series tells the stories of a family of Irish immigrants as it explores faith, love, and courage in the Wild West. Learn more.

Castles of the Thousand Islands

Scattered among the pine-clad islets of the St. Lawrence River, the castles of the Thousand Islands stand as some of the most romantic—and revealing—remnants of the Gilded Age. Built between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these dramatic structures were not medieval fortresses, but expressions of wealth, ambition, and imagination in an era when America’s elite sought to leave a lasting mark on the landscape.

The most famous of these is Boldt Castle, commissioned by hotel magnate George C. Boldt on Heart Island. Conceived as a grand tribute to his wife, the six-story castle blended Rhineland romanticism with modern luxury, complete with tunnels, towers, and formal gardens. When Mrs. Boldt died suddenly in 1904, construction halted overnight, leaving the castle unfinished for decades and turning it into a poignant symbol of love and loss.

Just downriver, Singer Castle on Dark Island offered a more fortified vision. Built by Frederick Bourne, president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, it combined Old World styling with modern engineering. Secret passageways, hidden staircases, and thick stone walls reflected both Bourne’s desire for privacy and the era’s fascination with security and intrigue. Unlike Boldt Castle, Singer Castle was fully completed and remains remarkably intact today.

Completing the trio is Calumet Castle, perched on Calumet Island and commissioned by Chicago industrialist Charles G. Emery. Smaller and more restrained than its neighbors, Calumet Castle nevertheless embraced medieval European design, with crenellated towers and solid stone construction. Emery envisioned it as a dignified summer residence rather than a public spectacle, emphasizing exclusivity and permanence. Though privately owned and less accessible, Calumet Castle adds an important counterpoint to the region’s grander showpieces.

Together, these castles helped shape the Thousand Islands’ identity. Steamship tours highlighted their turrets and towers, reinforcing the region’s reputation as a place where American wealth met European fantasy. Built of stone in a landscape dominated by wooden cottages, they signaled endurance in a seasonal world.

Today, the castles of the Thousand Islands remain enduring landmarks. They tell stories of immense fortune, personal aspiration, and the Gilded Age belief that architecture itself could declare legacy—rising from the river as timeless monuments to ambition and imagination.

ABOUT MADISON’S MISSION:

Step into the captivating world of Boldt Castle in 1903, where dreams are forged in the fires of adversity and love. Madison Murray, maid to Louise Boldt, harbors a singular mission—to care for her ailing mistress while hiding her own painful past. She meets Emmett O’Connor, but just as their relationship grows, tragedy shatters their world, and Madison is ensnared in a dangerous coverup. When Mrs. Boldt passes away, Madison is left reeling, can she move forward? Will Emmett forge a future alongside the woman who has captured his heart?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has sixteen in her fiction line. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

 

Ranger Captain Bill McDonald and the San Saba Mob

by Tom Goodman

Before the Texas Rangers became legends on lunch boxes and highway signs, they were often sent into places where local law had either failed or joined the wrong side.

San Saba, Texas, in the 1890s was one of those places. 

Today, San Saba is better known as the birthplace of Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker Tommy Lee Jones--and, of course, the Pecan Capital of the World. But in the 1890s, its name carried a darker association.

If you remember a young Michael Douglas in The Star Chamber, the story out of San Saba sounds like a frontier version of the same temptation: secret men deciding who deserved punishment.

For years, a secretive vigilante organization held parts of the county in fear. It was known as the San Saba Murder Society, the San Saba Mob, or, more colorfully, the Buzzard’s Water Hole Gang, after one of its alleged meeting places. 

The group seems to have justified itself as frontier order-keeping, the sort of extralegal force that claimed to deal with thieves, rustlers, and men it defined as threats to the community. But over time, the gang became dominated by men who just had a private grudge against a neighbor, or wanted another's property, or just had a taste for violence under a thin veneer of justification.

The historical marker in San Saba County says the group operated with secrecy, ritual, signs, and gestures, and that by the 1880s it had killed numerous area settlers. Some accounts claim the gang included local officials and even religious leaders. 

In 1896, Texas sent Rangers into the county, and breaking up the San Saba Murder Society eventually fell to Captain William Jesse “Bill” McDonald.

One of the most famous Ranger captains in Texas history, McDonald was not a subtle man in the way he handled conflict. 

Not that he never had his private doubts about his personal safety. In a 1909 biography of McDonald, Albert Bigelow Paine noted that Captain Bill had brought his wife to San Saba while he worked the case, and one morning he appeared before her with an anonymous letter.

"Well, I've got to leave San Saba,"he said.

“Why?” she asked. “Has the governor ordered you away?”

"No, the governor hasn't, but read this."

He handed her the letter which informed him that if he did not leave San Saba in two days he would be filled so full of lead that it would require a freight train to haul him to the graveyard. 

After reading the note, Rhoda McDonald said, "Bill Jess, if you leave here on account of a thing like that, I'll leave you."

"Well," said Captain Bill, "I seem to be in a mighty bad fix. If I stay I'll be filled with bullets, and if I go I'll lose my wife. I s'pose I'll have to stay."

Working with the district attorney, McDonald helped expose the San Saba Mob’s network and push cases beyond the reach of local interference. Some trials were moved to Austin and Llano. 

By 1900, the gang’s grip on San Saba County had been broken, though justice came imperfectly. Few members paid fully for what they had done.

Still, McDonald’s reputation grew from exploits like this. In 1905, when President Theodore Roosevelt visited Texas, the governor appointed McDonald as the president’s special bodyguard through the state.

Captain Bill McDonald gets a cameo in my forthcoming novel. I couldn’t resist letting Texas’s most famous Ranger step into the frame. 

It's inspired by the remarkable true story of a man who faced down a violent bootlegging syndicate and became known as the pistol-packing preacher.

I'm giving away free copies of the ebook to a select team of Advance Readers. Join the Pistol-Packing Preacher's Posse by clicking here!

The Historical Origin Of The Terms Hillbilly and Redneck

 

My father often declared proudly he was a hillbilly. He grew up in Illinois on a farm. His siblings made the same claim. Although the media painted the hillbilly as poor white trash who lacked intelligence, that was not my family at all. Now I live in the Southwest. My pastor, who grew up in Mississippi, often declares he's a redneck, taking the insults surrounding the term to task.

That reminds me that the early believers in Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. The new religion was so different, it was spoken as a slur. Yet the believers bore the name proudly. Look how that worked out.

Today, I want to share with you the historical origins of Hillbilly and Redneck. Both terms have taken on a negative connotation thanks to journalists and cartoonists who portray a group of farmers as ignorant buffoons. The entertainment value has evolved through the twentieth century with Lil Abner and the silly Mountain Dew commercials containing the tagline "Yahoo Mountain Dew", delivered by a bunch of bare-footed, poorly dressed men guzzling the soft drink as if it were moonshine.

 

As a lover of history and my family, I filtered through all the hype that created this image of poor white trash. I found some interesting facts dating back to the 1600s. The Scots coined the term "Billy Boys," a name given to Scottish followers of King William III. Billy being a slang term for fellow. Anthony Harkiness Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon, claims the term's origin is the link between two old Scottish expressions "hill-folk" and "Billie" another word for fellow, or guy. These people lived in the hill country on the border of Scotland and England.

It is said that Scottish and Scots-Irish people, the Scottish Low-land and Ulster Presbyterians who immigrated en masse to America during the 1700's brought their traditional music with them to the New World. Many of the songs dealt with William, Prince of Orange, who defeated the Catholic King James II of the Stuart family at the Battle of Boyne, Ireland in 1690. They preserved their history through their music.

The Scots-Irish went from the hills of Scotland and Ireland to the Appalachian and Ozark hill country.

They maintained their tight-knit, clannish social structure. We all recall the famous Hatfield and McCoy feud that lasted for years. Mark Twain had a scene in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn depicting a hillbilly feud.

These sorts of altercations are the background for our modern-day stereotype.

The Scots-Irish were often encouraged to settle in the harsh lands between the civilized areas and the wilderness. They were a buffer between the burgeoning colonies and the Natives who hated the white man encroaching on their lands. These hillbillies understood the native tribal hierarchy as it was similar to clan life, and they often existed peacefully with the Natives. Hillbillies adapted well to the rough lands in the mountains. There were many noted Americans who lived in those hills, Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett to name just two.

Daniel Boone &Davey Crockett

 

 On to the origin of Redneck

In Scotland in the 1640s the Covenanters rejected rule by bishops, often signing manifestos using their own blood. Some wore red cloth around their necks to show their position. The Scottish ruling class called them rednecks, recognizing them as rebels in what was later called The Bishop's War that preceded the rise of Oliver Cromwell as ruler of Britain after deposing Charles I.

Over time, the term came to refer to Presbyterians, especially those along the Scottish border. Some believe because of the large number of Scottish immigrants in pre-revolutionary American South, this may be the origin of the term redneck in America.

Authors Jospeh Flora and Lucinda MacKethan, noted professors of Southern culture and literature, give this stereotype description:

Redneck is a derogatory term currently applied to some lower class and working class southerners. The term, which came into common usage in the 1930s, is derived from the redneck beginnings as a "Yeoman farmer" whose neck would burn as he toiled in the fields. These yeomen farmers settled along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coasts.

Here is another possible origin story.

There are those who believe the term redneck originated during the West Virginia Mine Wars in the early 1920s. Workers who wanted laborers' rights wore red bandanas around their necks and marched up Blair Mountain during the confrontation for workers' rights. Sounds like they followed the ancestors' example from the Bishops' War.

By 1900, "redneck" was used to refer to political factions within the Democratic party, setting apart the poor white farmers in the south.

As you can see, hillbilly and redneck have both evolved through the centuries. Yet, many Americans, like the early followers of Christ, wear the derogatory label proudly.

Country Music has its roots in the hillbilly culture of the Appalachian and Ozark mountains. The rednecks showed themselves as more than poor folks under the thumb of big business when they boldly fought for workers' rights.

Most Scots-Irish in American, no matter where they live geographically can trace their lineage back to those same "Billy Boys" who supported King William III for their religious freedom from James 1. Yep, my father's people were Presbyterian farmers who proudly claimed the name hillbilly.

Did you know the origin of these derogatory terms?

Cindy Ervin Huff, is a multi-published award-winning author in Historical and Contemporary Romance. She’s a 2018 Selah Finalist. Many of her Historical books have Scots-Irish characters as a nod to her ancestry.

Cindy has a passion for encouraging other writers on their journey. When she isn’t writing, she feeds her reading addiction and enjoys her retirement with her husband of 50 plus years, Charles. Visit her at www.cindyervinhuff.com. You can find all her books there.

Rescuing Her Heart

As her husband’s evil deeds haunt a mail-order bride from the grave, can she learn to trust again and open her heart to true love?

On visitation rounds as a lay preacher, the last thing rancher Jed Holt expects is to be shot at from the barn next to a burned-down homestead. But the soot-covered woman hiding inside needs protecting, and Jed is the man to do it whether she likes it or not.

Delilah James’s nightmares began when she came to Kansas as a mail-order bride. Her husband was nothing like his letters. Now that he is dead, she can’t shake his abuse from her heart. Trusting men tops her never-again list and taking a job on the Holt ranch as a housekeeper is a means to save money and bring her parents west. But her attraction to the compassionate former chaplain both angers and confuses her.

Jed has his own nightmares from a POW camp and understands Delilah better than she knows herself Can two broken people form a forever bond? Click here to buy.