Interview with Author Caroline Cartier
JB:
How did you come up with the idea for series?
CC:
I have always had this fairy tale version of Pride and Prejudice playing in the back of my mind. Where Elizabeth's circumstances are so much more favourable, but also where Elizabeth and the other Bennet women discover what incredibly strong women they are. I really believed that each of the Bennet women had a destiny of their own to play out, and this was my way of not only exploring how things might have been different if their circumstances were not so dire, but also my way of giving them time to grow over a period of years and really explore their stories, instead of rushing everyone into marriage, as historical romances often do.
Jane gets featured less than the others, and technically doesn't have her own book, but look how often Jane and Bingley are focused on SO closely in parallel to Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane has been explored at length I think, and even in my story she has her journey to travel, but the other girls get so much less attention in JAFF, and are usually developed a great deal less. Throughout the Vagaries, we explore so many other characters, Such as The Longs, the Gouldings, and even Margaret Dashwood gets her happy ending by the end.
I also can't let the characters go. I WANT to know what the Darcys ate for breakfast for 12 years. I was looking for that quiet everyday real life drama, rather like Downton Abbey. Sure the excitement and the drama is there, but every day life is there too.
JB:
What made you decide on the Victorian era?
CC:
It is constantly overlooked how many working women there were even in the Regency, but most of those there were, were nearly all middle or lower class. By the early Victorian Era, nearly 30% of businesses in England were owned and run by women. By the Victorian era, SO MANY MORE women of all backgrounds were inheriting businesses from their fathers or husbands, and running them with distinction. I hope I will never write a modern adaptation, but I did want to visit a time when not only was life changing for everyone, but also a time that would deliver that historical fiction vibe that we all crave. I really hope this delivers for everyone. Also… Real toilets… Lizzy deserves them… Am I right?
JB:
What made you decide to marry Lizzy to a doctor?
CC:
Believe it or not, I am a HUGE fan of Call the Midwife. I knew when I started writing this series that I wanted to explore how anglican nursing communities got their start, and when I learned that the first Anglican Nursing Order to train nurses and midwives for hospitals was The Order of St John the Divine, which started in 1850, just three years after the start of Pride & Precipitance, I knew it was kismet! By having Elizabeth married to a celebrated physician, we opened the door to Elizabeth having learned a great deal about cleanliness and health, as well as getting her in on the ground floor to be a patron of great things happening in medicine. The character of Sister Augustine is inspired by Pam Ferris as Sister Evangeline. God, I adore her.
JB:
I hear that Beau is inspired by a real dog. Any pictures of Beau?
CC:
Beau is inspired by my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Belle. The dog in the story is male, because female dogs were rarely kept as indoor pets in this time. Females were always in heat or breeding, and thus usually kept in the kennels. Here is a picture of Belle.
JB:
How did you decide on Lizzy having a profession?
CC:
I’ve always fantasised about a more independent Elizabeth, with a great deal more freedoms than is usual. I’m sure we all have. I think that with her proximity to Uncle Gardiner, the opportunity for investing and speculation was too easy to resist. Such activities would allow a titled woman to participate in such endeavours relatively quietly, much in the same manner as the men of the time did, only requiring exposure in society if she wished for it. Although speculation could be wildly risky, there have always been those who have been geniuses at investing, then and even now. It’s an avenue of business that could believably deliver windfall returns, and Elizabeth can do it from the privacy of her study.
JB:
Who is your favourite character?
CC:
In the first book, I would have to say Evvie. It took incredible bravery to go against her aunt and throw herself into Elizabeth’s power. Before the end of the first book, Evvie’s choices will change her life.
As far as the series as a whole, it could only be Lydia. We see SO MUCH maturity and improvement from her, but instead of it happening all at once like so often happens in popular fiction, we get to watch her mature slowly into an incredibly sophisticated and intelligent woman with an amazing story to tell. Lydia’s character changes for the better early in volume one, but her maturity, independence, and intelligence grows as the series progresses. By the middle of the fourth volume, she is more like Elizabeth than any of her sisters, yet with her own innate style and set of skills and interests. I really poured my heart and soul into this Lydia Bennet and I hope everyone loves her as much as I do. I really believe that the fourth book is something special.
JB:
Are you more like Darcy or Lizzy ?
CC:
I like to think I have qualities of both Darcy and Lizzy. I came from a background where I had few opportunities, much like Lizzy, which makes me resourceful, and curious. I also have a great sense of obligation to my family, and those who depend on me, much like Darcy.
JB: Who do you dislike most in Pride & Prejudice?
CC:
I'm not sure I have a decided dislike for anyone in Pride & Prejudice. Obviously, no one likes Wickham very much, but like every character, he has a very important place in the story. But even still, I often consider the idea of exploring a more sympathetic Wickham. In my opinion, each Pride & Prejudice character is an individual masterpiece, serving an absolute vital part of the story. If I had to pick one, it would probably have to be Mr Bennet. I think we can all agree he is the real villain in Pride & Prejudice. Now there are OTHER Austen characters that I dislike very much, for example, Marianne Dashwood (sorry everyone), who I believe is impulsive and foolish, and doesn’t remotely deserve Brandon, and basically the entire cast of Mansfield Park.
JB: So what’s your beef with Jane Bennet? She’s been awful so far in both of your published projects.
CC:
I can honestly say that I have no beef at all with Jane Bennet. I do, however, believe that no one is really that nice. I believe my first experience with a bad Jane was your own masterpiece, Friends & Relations. That work really opened my eyes to the possibilities in exploring different Jane Bennets, and different reasons for her behaviours. In “Not Without Affection,” it was self interest and cruelty that led Jane to behave as she did. In The Victorian Vagaries, her reasons are entirely different. First, she has been raised by her mother her entire life to shun her sister Elizabeth, and as we know, Jane is an obedient daughter who honours her mother, even if she doesn’t fully understand the reasons for it. Later in the series, we will see Jane become difficult about all of her sisters, and the reason for this is because she has been humiliated by her sisters, and called to attention by her mother her entire life. Once she has finally escaped to her happily ever after, she is only too pleased to distance herself from them, and becomes difficult at the mere mention of them. That does not mean she is ok with knowing that Elizabeth is having anything to do with the younger girls, and near the end of book two, we see her resentment of this come forth. She is certainly a complex character, and has a lot of layers to unravel. Issues with Jane come to a climax early in book three, but I won’t ruin the story with spoilers, you will have to read it in order to find out whether Jane can repair her relationship with her sisters. But don’t fear that I will be exclusively exploring bad Janes. I have plans for my share of sweet Janes, I promise.
JB:
Can we look forward to hearing The Vagaries on Audible?
CC:
You can! It will be a little while, because I have decided to work with the best on this one, and that means Harry Frost! He is booked until next year, and the production of four audiobooks will take some time, but I am looking forward to working with him! We haven’t selected a female reader yet, but it will definitely be a duet!
JB:
So what’s next after The Vagaries? Is there another project in the works?
CC:
There is always another project (or six) in the works! Up next, you can look forward to “A Mutual Accord,” where Elizabeth & Darcy will come to appreciate one another much earlier than we are used to. Before a proposal happens, however, we travel to Eastbourne, and the Count of St Germain assists their party in preventing a French invasion! If you have never heard of the Count of St Germain, look him up! He’s an incredibly interesting legendary historical figure, and whether he is real or a myth, his story lends so much scope for the imagination!
JB:
That sounds amazing! When can we expect to enjoy “A Mutual Accord?”
CC:
I don’t want to make any specific promises, the project is still in its early stages, but I hope it will be live on Amazon by February 2025!
Synopsis:
The Victorian Vagaries are a bit of a fairy tale... Have you ever read Pride and Prejudice, a Variation, a sequel, or any other book, and just wish it could go on for years? The Victorian Vagaries is the story of the Bennet women over twelve years of life and love... The men and heroes we love are ever present of course, but this is the story of the Bennet women in a slightly more modern setting, while keeping to the historical fiction theme that we all crave.
Moving the story forward 36 years brings us to a time where more women were working, and the industrial revolution was taking over. Times and opportunities are changing for men and women alike, and Lady Elizabeth Astley, a society widow, and the eldest of her siblings, must protect herself and her vast fortune earned by investing with her uncle from fortune hunters and heiress snatchers, as well as support her stepmother and four half sisters as they each break free from the fates laid down before them and meet their destinies. Some characters deviate from canon, others remain charmingly as we know them, and friends from other Jane Austen worlds join us, but never how you might expect, though everyone we love finds their happy ending, and when Elizabeth and Darcy find their happiness, their bond is as strong and beautiful as any of us could hope…
Volume I: Lady Elizabeth Astley, three years widowed, has returned to Meryton to enjoy the country with her young daughter. The eldest of Mr Bennet's daughters, Elizabeth is an outcast among her sisters and stepmother, but does her best to help her sisters find themselves – and to help Jane when Caroline and Mrs Bennet's behaviour causes catastrophe.
Will Netherfield's impressive guest Mr Darcy recognize Elizabeth's worth, or will he continue in his typical prideful behaviour? Follow Elizabeth as she narrowly evades the aggressive pursuit of our favourite wastrel – who is a true villain – assists Rosings Park and her cousin Charlotte Collins when disaster strikes Hunsford, and teaches a proud and foolish man the art of pleasing a woman worthy of being pleased.
Volume II: When Elizabeth and Darcy travel to Pemberley after the wedding in all haste to assist Georgiana – who is desperately ill – Elizabeth has high hopes of a warm welcome from the staff and the assistance of a kind and experienced housekeeper. Mrs Reynolds – who has been in the service of the Darcy family for four decades – does not approve of her master's new wife, her child, her family, nor even her little dog – and has no intention of handing over the reins of the household.
As Georgiana's health hangs in the balance, Darcy and Elizabeth struggle to learn the cause of her illness, while Mrs Reynolds stubbornly does her utmost to interfere in her new mistress's arrangements. Later, when the family returns to London for the season, Mary must learn to take on society, avoid compromise, and find her heart's desire.
Volume III: When one of Elizabeth's cousins has been caught meeting with a man in secret, misinformation abounds, creating disaster for poor Kitty, who then vanishes. The search for Kitty drags on far longer than it ought, as the Darcys struggle to manage their business and estates, deal with the wagging tongues of society, console their missing relatives, and find their missing sister. As any story worthy of Jane Austen should, our journey ends with a Bennet wedding.
Volume IV: The Darcys support their married sisters, family, and friends through births, deaths, and weddings. Fortune hunters and catty debutantes follow Georgiana through the ton as she triumphs in love, while Lydia naively misunderstands the intent of her suitors. A well educated polyglot, Miss Lydia Bennet follows her interests, advises the rich and noble on all areas of fashion, and saves Sanditon from certain failure. A decade later than anyone expects her to wed, Lydia becomes the editor of "Mode," London’s newest fashion magazine, and rekindles a romance with a long extinguished flame...
Sounds thrilling! Let’s explore an excerpt from Volume III, when the rivalry between Kitty Bennet and Marianne Dashwood comes to a climax!
Later that evening, Darcy mentioned to Elizabeth that on his ride about the estate he checked on a hunting cabin that had obviously been used. “There was a china tea service in it, of all things, if you can believe it. A quality one, that I could not identify, for it is not from Pemberley, and has no crest. It does not appear that the bed has been slept in, or that anyone has stayed in it for any length of time, but the cabin and the fireplace have certainly been used, and some tea and dry goods were also left behind.” What a strange item to be found in a hunting cabin! Darcy also mentioned that a small pocket-sized volume of Shakespeare had also been found.
Elizabeth asked Marianne if the volume was hers after dinner, to which she replied, “Of course not! Why would you think so?” Elizabeth explained that given Marianne’s long walking
expeditions, and great love for Shakespeare, Elizabeth had just wondered if she had rested in the cabin and forgotten her book. Marianne denied all knowledge of the cabin or the book, and
Elizabeth let the matter rest. Colonel Brandon presented himself the next day with a lovely
bouquet of hothouse roses, and ignored Darcy’s grin as he and Kitty blushed at one another. The pair went off for their drive, and when Marianne and Aunt Josephine began to speculate about the attachment between the two, Elizabeth firmly stopped the exchange by insisting that “Family does not gossip about family at Pemberley. I am sure, Marianne, that when a gentleman calls upon you, that you will not appreciate your relations speculating in such an inconsiderate manner.”
Although Marianne thought that if a particular gentleman, or, indeed, when a particular gentleman called on her, she would not give two figs for what anyone had to say about it, she thought it best to keep her thoughts to herself and went to her room. Nearly two weeks later, one evening after dinner the family was sitting in the drawing room when the mystery of the cabin and the tea service was solved. Darcy and Elizabeth were playing chess, Margaret was reading a periodical, and Georgiana and Kitty were discussing a novel they were reading together. Mrs Dashwood, Charlotte, Mrs Annesley, and Granny Rose were playing cards. Not caring for any of these activities, Marianne decided to begin teasing Kitty about her attentions from Colonel Brandon, which had continued apace.
Marianne had just insulted Kitty about only being able to attract an old man in flannel waistcoats, when Kitty responded coolly, “I would rather be courted by an older, more constant gentleman, than one who never turns up at all. At least he is more constant than your capricious Willoughby, who never returned for either of us.”
At this, Margaret leapt from her chair and shouted, “Yes he has! He has returned for her! They meet nearly every day at the cabin. I have seen him. Sometimes Marianne allows me to come along. You are just jealous. Willoughby said so. He said he cannot court Marianne here because Kitty will be jealous that Marianne is to be a duchess, and Elizabeth might expect him to court her hopeless sister instead!” Every person in the room was silent as the grave at this revelation until Marianne shrieked, “How dare you share something so private!” And slapped her younger sister hard across the face.
Pandemonium broke out as Marianne screamed at her sister about her betrayal, and attempted to beat the young girl about the head before Darcy pulled her away and restrained her. Charlotte and Mrs Annesley rescued Margaret, Aunt Josephine wailed, and Kitty sat back, smiled, and enjoyed her cousin’s well-earned downfall.
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