Robert Fitzgerald
Portrayed by Hugh Dancy | |
Full Name | Robert James Fitzgerald |
---|---|
Associated Noble House(s) | Earldom of Rotherham |
Date of Birth | 14th January, 1782 |
Father | Richard Fitzgerald |
Father's Rank | Earl of Rotherham |
Mother | Madeleine Fitzgerald (nee Freye) |
Mother's Rank | Countess of Rotherham |
Town Residence | Rotherham House |
Branch of the Military | Cavalry |
Ship or Regiment | 14th Light Dragoons |
Currently Enlisted? | Yes |
Enlistment Date | 1800 |
Current or Final Rank (if retired) | Lt. Colonel |
Major Engagements | Douro, Talavera, the River Côa |
Lieutenant Colonel the Honourable Robert Fitzgerald, invariably known as Robbie by his friends and family, is the younger son of the Earl and Countess of Rotherham. He has one older brother, Lord Surrey, and two younger sisters, Ladies Viola and Olivia Fitzgerald. He was brought up at the family seat of Rotherham Park in Yorkshire.
Robbie is a clever young man with a quick wit and quick tongue. Blessed with physical agility, a good seat on a horse and a firm sense of his place in the world as a younger son, he chose the army for his profession, buying a commission in the cavalry when he left school. His talent for strategy and quick thinking has led to swift promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
He took part in the taking of Oporto in May 1809 and the Battle of Talavera in July 1809, as well as a minor battle at the River Côa in July 1810. Being a regiment of Light Dragoons, the 14th (Robbie's regiment) was often employed on outpost duty, providing patrols and videttes (mounted picquets). It was during one such routine patrol on the Spanish/Portuguese border in March 1811 that Robbie was injured in an unexpected clash with a French cavalry patrol in the same area. While he only broke his leg, poor treatment in the military hospital at Coimbra meant that Robbie was sent back to Lisbon to recuperate. Poor transportation across Portugal exacerbated the injury and the decision was taken to send him home to England to convalesce. He arrived on the 1st May 1811, and is doing his best to recuperate in Town, where he has chosen to stay with his family, despite the constant whirl of activity that is the London Season.
In his personal life, Robbie is close to his family, especially to his sister Viola, to whom he is very similar in temperament as well as appearance. He enjoys play acting and the kind of clever conversation he can find with her and almost nobody else. Despite lacking a university education, he is relatively well-read and intellectually sharp with a keen sense of humour and self-parody.
Robbie is a PC belonging to Rose, and played by Sharpie.
Family
- Father: Richard Fitzgerald, Lord Rotherham (b. 1752)
- Mother: Madeleine Fitzgerald, nee Freye, Lady Rotherham (b. 1758)
- Siblings: Richard Fitzgerald, Lord Surrey (b. 1778), Lady Viola Fitzgerald (b. 1787), the Hon. Andrew Fitzgerald (1790-1795), Lady Olivia Fitzgerald (b. 1793)
- Sister-in-law: Cordelia, Viscountess Surrey, (b. 1783)
- Nephews and nieces: Henry (b. 1805), Madeleine (b. 1808) and Mortimer (1811) to Richard and Cordelia
Other Relations
- Maternal Aunt: Mrs. Dorothy Greystone (b. 1756); widowed; sister of Madeleine, Lady Rotherham
- Maternal Uncle: Sir Simon Freye
- Cousins: Julian, Gregory and Henrietta Freye
- Paternal Aunt: Anne Carlisle (d. 1792)
- Cousins: Christopher 'Kit' Carlisle and Josephine Carlisle
- Paternal Uncle: John Fitzgerald
- Cousins: John 'Jack' Fitzgerald, Lucy Fitzgerald, Helen Fitzgerald, Percy Fitzgerald
- Paternal Uncle: Andrew Fitzgerald
- Cousins: James Fitzgerald, Maria Fitzgerald
There are also familial links to the Grafton family (the holders of the Marquessate of Raulings) and the Montgomery family who hold the Marquessate of Eastborough.
Description
Robbie's only just on the shorter side of average height for a man of his social class, standing at five feet five inches in his stockinged feet. He has a build that tends towards the muscular, without being stocky, aided by his keenness as a sportsman - his interests lie towards fencing and riding, both of which have stood him in good stead in his profession. He has brown eyes and curly brown hair that is worn just a shade too long to be quite fashionable, and has been described as 'regrettably the sort of effortlessly attractive [person] others would resent, if [he] were not so pleasant'[1].
He prefers to dress neatly rather than showily and does not subscribe to all the fashionable dictates which change with the seasons. When required to wear evening dress, despite his injury, he will choose to wear his uniform - not because of its showiness but because of his standing as a serving officer.
He suffered various small cuts/scratches/nicks to his hands and arms thanks to brambles and other plant-related incidents when he was a boy - including gaining a nice scar to his left eyebrow from a rather vicious rose thorn when he went after a cricket ball, aged about ten. (It healed pretty well, and only people who get up close to him will know it - although he got a severe carpeting and a whipping for it, mainly thanks to his father's relief he didn't lose the eye!)[2]. There is a longish thin scar on his left shin from a bramble, gained for much the same reason - with another dressing-down received thanks to ruining a perfectly good pair of stockings.
More recently, he has acquired a scar to his side from a fencing/training incident when he was eighteen and a young cornet - it was more of a nuisance than a life-threatening wound when he got it, but it left a beauty. He has been lucky not to pick up any further scars on active service, although there is a strong possibility that he will be left with a permanent limp from the injury he is recuperating from.
Childhood
Robbie's childhood was overall a happy one. A naturally lively, curious boy, good-humoured and with a quick wit (When asked why she calls him 'Robin', Miss Bartram recalled that "Because you were a cheeky madcap imp in your boyhood, like a robin darting here and there, curiously looking at things and people. At least on the few occasions when I saw you or heard reports of you. And as you grew up, there is a Puck-like quality in you, or it might be my imagination for I think you see more than you let on sometimes. So Robin seems quite apropos, more so since you are a good fellow."[3]), Robbie's sense of duty lurked under the surface - he had no responsibilities and no need to learn how to run an estate, and no real duties to fulfil. The one cloud in an otherwise carefree childhood was the death of his younger brother when Robbie was thirteen and Andrew was five[4]. His family saw no real sign of how this affected him, but it has brought him consciously closer to his sisters, even when geographically separated from them.
Always an active sort of boy, Robbie learned to ride and fence, and became an avid cricketer from a young age, sometimes with disastrous consequences, such as the time when a particularly badly-aimed stroke sent a cricket ball into the greenhouse, smashing several panes of glass. Even after nearly twenty years, the memory of the dressing-down he received from his father for that still makes him wince[5][6], and the whipping was nearly as bad[7]. He was also surprised to hear that, after he had left school, he had been held up as a model of good behaviour to his younger cousin[8]
Robbie attended Eton from the age of ten, leaving just before his eighteenth birthday to take up a commission as cornet in the Fourteenth Light Dragoons. He was not a particularly studious boy, contriving to forget all the Latin his schoolmasters tried to make him learn,[9] [10][11] and consistently showing a weakness in mathematics,[12] which would likely lead to a diagnosis of dyscalculia in the modern era[13]. On the other hand, he arrived at school already with a love for the richness of Shakespeare's language and ideas[14], which only deepened as he grew older. During the holidays at home, he threw himself enthusiastically into the various theatricals his sister encouraged the family and their neighbours to get up.
School Contemporaries
Robbie was schooled at Eton from September 1792 to December 1799 and overlapped with those listed below. The names in italics are either of NPCs or former characters.[15]:
Richard/Lord Surrey (1792-1796)
Lord Frank (1792-1794)
Kit Carlisle (1792-1798)
Lord Stirminster (1792-179?)
Lord Annfield (?1792-1799) Note: They are the same age, but whether Asher started and left school when Robbie did is unknown
Lord Rafe (?1792-?) Note: They are of an age, but how far their school-days overlapped has yet to be determined)
Lord Eastwick (?1793-1799
Lord Hunstanton (?1792-1795)
Lord Torrington (1794-1796)
Felix Sutcliffe (1793-1799)
Edward Montgomery (?1793-1799) (exact dates unknown)
Mark and Hugo Fotherington (1794-1799)
Lord Daniel Rossington (1794-1799)
Lord Inverloch (1794-1799)
Lord William (1795-1799)
Lord Valebridge (1795-1799)
Vincent Relmsey (c.1795-1799)
William Devenish (c. 1797-1799)
Lord Redmoor (?)
Lord Selwyn (1798-1799)
Vicomte d'Aubin (1798-1799)
Lord Alderhan (1798-1799)
Lord Ivor (1799)
His main coterie at school consisted of: Kit Carlisle, Felix Sutcliffe, Raphael Colborne, Sebastian Colborne with various hangers-on at one time or another. His wider circle included Asher Heathcote, the Fotherington twins and Daniel Rossington, who were also in his form, or the form above.
Personality
Robbie can perhaps be summed up in one word: Quick. Quick-witted, quick-thinking, quick-tempered. He struggles to be patient, especially with his convalescence. He has always been on the go and to be forced to stay in one place, living a sedentary life, grates.
This has naturally led to Robbie's living an active life, always busy with one thing or another. Being the second son, he has not been brought up to run the estate, or to eventually shoulder the responsibility that comes with the title of the Earl of Rotherham. This combination led him to take an Army commission, rather than choosing a safer career such as the Church or going into law.
He is easily distracted, reading several books at once, easily switching from one to another as his mood changes, or as the fancy takes him. While intelligent and a keen reader, he has not the patience to become a scholar and settle to studying any one thing exclusively. His tastes in literature vary widely, although has has always preferred reading what he wants to, rather than what he ought to, or what he has been told to. He has a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare, reads novels and poetry, and picks up trivia from the most unlikely sources.
His natural restlessness means that, until he was injured, he was physically active, taking part in several different activities from fencing to riding, which stood him in good stead when he joined the army. He is an accomplished rider, and found that he was well-suited to the discipline of fencing. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he preferred the sabre rather than the foil or the épée, however. He is also a keen cricketer, playing for the school and later for his regiment.
His active mind also led him to try various activities such as play-acting (something he often encouraged his sisters to take part in, too) or engaging them in a game. While not interested in learning to play anything musical (although the German flute was a favourite among his Army friends), he is a good amateur singer, something that he developed further in the Army – although this has had the odd effect of severely limiting his repertoire as many of the songs he learned as a soldier are decidedly unsuitable for ladies' ears.
In some respects, it would have been easy for Robbie to simply drift along and fall into a career, making a good go of it. Realising this, Robbie chose a career that he seemed particularly well-suited for, and that in turn seemed well-suited for him, where he could make good use of his riding and fencing skills, as well as the natural leadership and command talents that came with being born into the aristocracy. He found that he was suited to the discipline of army life, and determined to become a good soldier and to rise to command a regiment of his own one day.
Robbie knew that he was never going to make a fortune from being in the army, and indeed if that were his only motivation (and if he had a head for mathematics) he would have joined the Royal Navy instead – there was a far greater chance of a man's making his fortune due to prize money in the Navy, after all. He joined for the personal satisfaction of being able to stretch himself and to make himself useful in some small way – and to get out from underfoot back at home. He was content with his lot, growing more so after his regiment went out to the Peninsula where they would see more action than in either England or Ireland.
He has not thought too seriously about settling down and marrying, although he is aware that he will have to do so eventually, that it is expected of a man in his social position, although the requirements of the service and privations of life on campaign are a bar to marrying - there are very few women who would be willing to give up the life of luxury they have been used to in order to follow an army on campaign, and therefore he is is not likely to think about marriage for himself until after the war is over - and as Britain has been at war with France for nearly twenty years, that is unlikely to be any time soon.
An easy-going, sociable man, Robbie's wit is quite dry, and he doesn't take life too seriously, although he can be serious when he needs to be. He developed a good, solid rapport with the men under his command, although he did not let them take advantage of it, and he has always enjoyed verbal sparring and repartee with his sisters Viola and Olivia. He uses humour to defuse situations he finds emotionally tense, and to deal with some of the things he witnessed during his time in Spain.
He is close to both his sisters, although he feels very protective of Olivia, who is eleven years his junior. He is aware that she withdraws somewhat into Viola's shadow, and he tries to draw her out and encourage her, without being overbearing about it. Personality-wise, he is closer to Viola, and he enjoys spending time with her.
Since being injured (he can't really consider it a wound, despite what those around him may call it), things have changed a lot. He can no longer take part in the physical activities he used to take so much pleasure in, and finds it beyond trying to be an invalid, confined to the house where he was used to living under canvas – or even in the open when the baggage could not catch up to the men. He has had the discipline and camaraderie that he cherished snatched away from him, and cannot even console himself that it was in some great battle.
He does not know what his future holds now, and although he is still recovering and cannot really consider what he will do next, he knows that he has lost, perhaps forever, something that was very dear to him.
Army Career
- [16]1800: Joined the Army as a Cornet in January, while the 14th was posted at Warwick. Went with them to Norwich, where the regiment was increased to ten troops (from 8), then to Windsor then winter quarters at Canterbury
- 1801: From Canterbury, the 14th went to Reading in May then Romford in July, where Robbie was promoted to Lieutenant (by purchase)
- 1802: Wintered at Romford, the 14th again reduced to 8 troops, and marched to Weymouth in August
- 1803: The 14th posted to Trowbridge then Devizes, then Dover in June, and to Hythe in August
- 1804: The 14th increased from 8 troops to ten, leading to Robbie's promotion to Captain by seniority[17]. It was while based at Hythe that Robbie had his presentation at court[18]. The regiment posted to Guildford in December to winter there.
- 1805: From Guildford, the 14th marched to Richmond in June, then Hounslow in July, then to Chichester in September, returning to Hounslow to winter quarters
- 1806: The regiment was involved in the funeral of Lord Nelson in January, in London, then posted to Winchester in August, then to winter quarters in Dorchester
- 1807: From Dorchester, Robbie went with the 14th to Blatchington (between Worthing and Brighton) in August 1807, where he purchased his promotion to Major. In September, the 14th moved to Brighton
- 1808: The 14th returned to Blatchington early in 1808, then marched to Falmouth, then returned east to Ipswich in July, then to Romford before marching to Falmouth to embark for service in Portugal, arriving in Lisbon in December to reinforce the garrison there.
- 1809: The 14th formed part of Sir Arthur Wellesley's army, taking part in the crossing of the Douro and the Battle of Oporto in May 1809, and then fought at Talavera in July 1809.
- 1810: Almeida; Barquilla/Villa de Puerco (11th July 1810). Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, effective from the 12th, as the previous incumbent was killed in action at Villa de Puerco. Involved in action at Frexadas; Bussaco; Torres Vedras; Rio Mandevilla.
- 1811: At Pombal; Redinha; Cazal Nova; Foz d’Arouce, and injured on patrol.
Unusually for someone of his social status and connections, he has spent his whole career in one regiment, moving up the ranks quickly within that regiment due to the war and attrition caused by sickness, battle and (for his Lieutenancy) an officer above him purchasing a promotion into a different regiment.
He has proved to be a popular officer, jovial at times, yet serious when he needs to be. He is fair-minded when it comes to discipline within the ranks, and expects the highest standards of those around him.
His early career was spent in England at the height of the anxiety about Napoleon's proposed invasion, and he and the Fourteenth, spent months in various camps along the coast, knowing that Napoleon and his invasion force were only a few short miles away. It was while in Brighton Camp during this time that he received his promotion, by purchase, to Captain[19].
The time gave the regiment the chance to get used to life in the field and to practise some of the smaller-scale manoeuvres and various soldiering skills that they would need if it ever came to actual war.
Robbie was promoted Major in 1807, again by purchase, a role which required more administration than had been necessary while he was a troop commander. He has an eye for detail which stood him in good stead to be able to fulfil his duties in this role, although he is not naturally gifted in administrative tasks.
The Colonel being killed in a minor skirmish[20] in July 1810, Robbie, by now the senior Major, was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on seniority, glad to be able to take command of his own regiment. That it was by seniority and dead men's shoes represents a saving of £1100, the difference in price between a Major's commission and a Lieutenant-Colonel's; most promotions at this level were by purchase and it is testament to Robbie's talents in soldiering that his father did not have to put up such a sum in order to ensure Robbie's promotion.
Thanks to his wish to be actively doing something, rather than merely sitting behind a desk or dealing with routine administration and discipline matters, led him to deciding to command a patrol himself in early 1811, expecting the outing to be nothing more than simple routine. The small group of dragoons were startled by a French party, and in the initial surprise and scuffle, Robbie's horse was shot under him, causing him to be thrown awkwardly to the ground with the result of breaking his femur (a compound fracture of the femoral shaft).
Initially hospitalised in Coimbra in Portugal at the army hospital there, it was eventually decided that he could be sent home to give him the best chance of making a full recovery and returning to Spain. Until that time, or until such time as it is determined that he will never again be fit enough to fulfil his military duties, the Fourteenth is in the capable hands of his senior Major.
The journey from Coimbra to Lisbon was agonisingly slow and uncomfortable, in an ox-drawn cart of a type that dated back to the Romans. The sea voyage was much smoother and the final journey to London was accomplished by a hired chaise - expensive but worth the money. Robbie arrived on the 1st May, a month and a half after the initial injury, which thankfully seems to be healing well.
Convalescence
Robbie has spent most of his time reading his way through his father's library, but has recently turned to devising new tactics and improvements for current tactics, with the use of a set of lead cavalry soldiers (and a card table of his mother's as a field of battle). He has also started trying to drum up interest in a game of cricket (for which he needs two teams of eleven able-bodied men). So far he has:
- Anthony Dunford, the Duke of Claitonborough
- Blake Pritchard, Marquess of Emerson
- Marcus Fairmont, Marquess of Foxford
- Henry Layton, Earl Parry
- Lord Rotherham (a known good player)
- Rawdon Montgomery, Earl of Alderhan (a confessed poor player)
- Lord Ivor Montgomery
- Jean-Laurent d'Aubin, Vicomte d'Aubin
- Victor Kincaide, Viscount Hawksley
- Lord Frank Harpole
- Lord Gabriel Pritchard (a good player)
- Mr Adrian Carey
- Mr Kit Carlisle (a good player)
Captain Arthur CartwrightLord Raphael Colborne- Sir Perry Bexley
- Sir Will Devenish
- Mr Charlie Devenish
- Mr Julian Freye
- Mr Fred Lazenby (a good player)
- Mr Michael Randal
- Mr Maximilian Sandeford-Wrey
- Mr Geoffrey Stapleton (a poor player)
- Mr Ira Wilson
- Major Gerald Stapleton - to umpire?
- Major Felix Sutcliffe - to umpire?
(Those in italics are on his list of potential players but haven't actually been asked yet. Note: Former characters on the list will be replaced by new characters or NPCs when he has the opportunity to ask them.)
Olivia's Ball
He has chosen to attend his sister Olivia's come-out ball as Prince Hal from Henry IV, wearing a dark blue velvet doublet and breeches in the Elizabethan/early Jacobean style, embroidered with the common broom plant (planta genista in Latin).
He hopes that he will be able to leave his leg unsplinted for the evening, but will not be dancing as he is still unable to put weight on his leg for fear of setting his eventual recovery back even further.
During the evening, he has had the opportunity to talk with several people, including Captain Arthur Cartwright of the Royal Marines. He has also made the acquaintance of Lady Rosalind Fairmont, whose brother had proposed marriage to Viola in 1807 (though he forgot to enquire whether the Marquess would be interested in joining his planned cricket game). He also chatted with Honoria Bartram, a cousin of his mother's, although during their conversation he had to eject Lord Jeremy Rondell from the ball[21], a decision with which his father later concurred.[22]
Friends, Enemies and Acquaintances
Colleagues
- Major Archibald Fortescue, the senior Major of the Fourteenth and the man in command during Robbie's absence
- Captain Neal Ogilvy, the troop commander of C Troop
- Mr Widmer, the regiment's surgeon
- Mr Thompson, the regiment's veterinary surgeon
Friends
(Note: Robbie has not had a thread with those whose names are in italics)
- William Devenish (neighbours in Yorkshire)
- Charlie Devenish (neighbours in Yorkshire)
- Gabriel Pritchard (comrades-in-arms from Spain)
- Lord Daniel Rossington (contemporary at school)
- Mr Mark Fotherington (contemporaries at school)
- Major Hugo Fotherington (contemporaries at school)
- Nicholas Gosling, Duke of Leighton (contemporaries at school)
- Ashleigh Heathcote, Duke of Henley (contemporaries at school)
- Frederick Lazenby (friends thanks to their fathers)
- Major Felix Sutcliffe (contemporary at school)
- Lord Raphael Colborne (contemporaries at school)
- Christopher Carlisle (cousins, also school contemporaries)
Acquaintances
- Geoffrey Stapleton
- Sybilla Grenfell (met by chance at Decker's on Robbie's first escape from the house after arriving in England)
- Matilda Grenfell (Sybilla's chaperone, met at Decker's)
- Henry Layton, Earl Parry (friend of Viola's, called at Rotherham House to acquaint himself with Robbie)
- Bee Rosdew (friend of Olivia's who brought her round to meet Robbie)
- Rawdon Montgomery, Earl of Alderhan (they're related somehow but don't ask Robbie the precise details; he rarely knows such things. Their times at school overlapped by a year)
- Mirabelle Delafield, Marchioness of Hollomere (lovers since Lady Kirkfries' dinner party)
Random Snippets
- He sings tenor, when pressed - and prefers duets to solos.
- His groom/batman is called Tobias (Toby) Jackson (first name not yet given in play)
- His charger, left behind in Spain, is called Aeolus
- He has a poor head for mathematics (would likely be diagnosed as dyscalculaic in the modern period), which contributes to his not being as good as whist as might be expected.
- He was presented at Court in 1804, soon after his promotion to Captain.[23], [24]
- (This is more AU than anything, but for reference later...) The replacement for the charger killed in 1811 is called Valiant (a blue roan thoroughbred gelding)
Robbie's Library
- Complete works of Shakespeare
- General Regulations and Orders for the Army (1811 edition)
- Rules and Regulations for the Manual and Platoon Exercise (1807 drill manual; even the Light Dragoons had to know the infantry foot-drill)
- Duties of an Officer in the Field An 1801 reference manual for officers of light cavalry and light infantry (Google Books)
- The Regimental Companion; containing the relative duties of every officer in the British Army (two volumes; the sixth edition came out in 1811, Robbie likely has the 1805 edition)
- Rules and Regulations for the Sword Exercise of the Cavalry 1796 manual (PDF file)
- Instructions and Regulations for the Formations and Movements of the Cavalry 1799 manual (Google Books)
- Duty of Officers Commanding Detachments in the Field 1801 edition (Google Books)
Appearances in Fic
Robbie has appeared in several fics on LL, some detailing his life before he was injured, and some in an AU possible future timeline. (Note: comments on fics are always welcome)
Canon Timeline Fics
- It is a Wise Father That Knows His Child 1788: Robbie hears his father perform Shakespeare for the very first time
- With satchel and shining face 1793: Robbie makes a new friend at school
- Friends true and constant1793: Just another day at school
- Like an Untimely Frost 1795: Robbie returns home from school to find things have changed
- I Rescued Thee From Death 1797: In the right place at the right time to prevent a tragedy
- We know what we are, but know not what we may be 1799: Robbie receives a letter from home instructing him to consider a future career
- Born to Command 1799: Robbie tells his sister Viola of his choice of career
- To Take Arms 1799: Robbie's interview with his father
- Make me any summer's story tell Summer 1799; Robbie spends an afternoon with his family
- Health shall live free and sickness freely die 1803: Robbie receives worrying news about his youngest sister Olivia
- In Their Flowing Cups 1804: The officers of the 14th celebrate Robbie's promotion to Captain
- Home on Leave 1805: Robbie comes home for a couple of weeks in summer and hears all about Viola's debut (vignette)
- When the Blast of War Blows in Our Ears 1810: Robbie's regiment helps prepare for the retreat behind the Lines of Torres Vedras
- So quick bright things come to confusion 1811: Robbie is injured while out on patrol
AU Timeline Fics
- My kingdom for a horse Autumn 1811: Robbie is determined to regain hit fitness to rejoin his regiment
Robbie/Bee fics
- She is a woman, therefore to be woo'd Late October 1811: Robbie seeks his father's blessing in courting Bee
- Break thy mind to me in broken English: Wilt thou have me? November 1811: Robbie proposes to Bee
- December When They Wed December 1811: Robbie and Bee celebrate their wedding (Slightly NSFW; link goes to the AO3)
- And show his scars December 1811: The day after the wedding; Robbie and Bee compare scars (ficlet)
- If music be the food of love... December 1811: Robbie gives Bee a special present for Christmas
- The marriage of peculiar minds Spring to summer 1812: Snapshots of Bee and Robbie as newlyweds on campaign
- The woad less travelled Early 1812: Bee is preparing for the campaign season, Robbie is rather taken by her choice of garments
- Merely Players Some time in 1812: Robbie tries educating Bee in the appeal of Shakespeare
- Brussels 1815 part I Robbie and Bee prepare for the Duchess of Richmond's ball
- Brussels 1815 part II The Duchess of Richmond's ball
- Brussels 1815 part III Waiting for news from the battle of Waterloo
- House Hunters: Regency Edition Late Autumn/early winter 1815; Robbie and Bee look for a home to raise their family
- Such stuff as dreams are made on Early Spring 1816; Robbie meets his newborn son for the first time
- Untitled 1819; Hal Fitzgerald's first piano recital, for his parents (ficlet)
- And Robin shall restore amends 1819; Bee is in a panic because she wants to impress, Robbie steps in to calm things down (ficlet)
- There is much music in this little organ Late spring 1822; A precious moment between Robbie and Hal
Robbie/Miri fics
(Note: The number and birthdates of Robbie's and Miri's children has not been settled on for definite yet!)
- Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments January 1812; Miri wants to make a good impression
- A sister's happiness Early 1812; planning to return to Spain
- Tears transform'd to orient pearl July 1814; Robbie and his new family go on a rainy day adventure
- 'Tis not good that children should know any wickedness
- An addition to the family October 1814; Miri is pregnant with Robbie's child
- These her princes are come home againSpring 1818; Robbie and Miri take a house
Referenced Threads
Sunday 28th April
- Always Window Shopping, Never Stopping to Buy Viola and Olivia receive news of Robbie's injury and subsequent return home (Robbie is referenced only)
Wednesday 1st May
- The Scars of Battle A wounded Robbie arrives home from the Peninsula (Please note, despite appearances, this incomplete thread was written by Robbie's original player.)
Sunday 5th May
- The Mother, The Men and The Maiden Geoffrey call on Viola; they argue (Robbie was NPC'd in the first post of this thread)
- The Aftermath Viola tells Robbie about her quarrel with Geoffrey
Monday 6th May
- The Prince and the Lionheart Lord Gabriel Pritchard comes to call
Tuesday 7th May
- From One Brother to Another Lord Parry and Lady Kirkfries come to call
Wednesday 8th May
- Much Ado About a Midsummer Night's Tempest Robbie finally makes his escape from the house for a short visit to Decker's, where he meets Matilda and Sybilla Grenfell
Thursday 9th May
- It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door Blake Pritchard, Elise Hampton, Viola and Robbie drive out to Richmond Park for a picnic
- Love is an Open (-top carriage) Door Elise and Robbie talk on their drive to Richmond
- Your Joyous Laughter is my Strength Lord Emerson, Elise Hampton, Viola and Robbie share a picnic and conversation in Richmond Park
- A Game of Speculation Robbie and Elise drive home from Richmond and speculate about the developing relations between Viola and Lord Emerson
- Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition Robbie and Viola discuss their excursion and the possibility of her getting engaged to Lord Emerson
Monday 13th May
- A Leg Up In The World Doctor Meredith comes to see how Robbie's leg is healing
- Lord, what will become of me, I shall go distracted! Viola and Lord Emerson call to announce their engagement
- Sailing into Port Olivia and Miss Bee Rosdew call
Tuesday 14th May
- I do not like the Cone of Shame Frederick Lazenby comes to call
Wednesday 15th May
- Two households both alike in dignity Clementine Worthing and Rawdon Montgomery call
- But one half-pennyworth of bread Family dinner after Viola and Olivia move back in
Thursday 16th May
- He jests at scars that never felt a wound Doctor Meredith makes a professional call
- What a Beautiful Chaos Emerson comes to take Viola for a drive, and gets a little more than he bargained for
- They have their exits and their entrances Rotherham Ball: Receiving line
- A fool on the sideline First dance: Robbie chats with fellow military man Captain Arthur Cartwright
- Pardon the frankness of my mirth Second dance: Sybilla and Robbie have a conversation
- So long as men can breathe or eyes can see Between third and fourth dances; conversation with Mirabelle Delafield
- Where the bee sups, there sup I Fourth dance: Bee comes to claim her 'dance' with Robbie
- I pray thee, understand a plain man in his plain meaning Chat with Rosalind Fairmont between the fourth and fifth dances
- I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing Conversation with Honoria Bartram during the fifth dance
- Entr'Acte During supper
- Give me leave to speak my mind, and I will through and through Chat with Geoffrey Stapleton during the seventh dance
Friday 17th May
- It is too hard a knot for me to untie With Lady Rotherham and Olivia the morning after the ball
- And calls them brothers, friends, and countrymen Major Felix Sutcliffe comes to call
Lady Kirkfries' Dinner Party
- Roll Call of the Damn'd Arriving at Layton House
- Entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech Conversation and flirtation with Lady Hollomere
- Some time to ourselves An assignation in Lord Parry library with Lady Hollomere
- I've got a burning desire for you Mirabelle and Robbie embark on a physical relationship after Cat's dinner party
Saturday 18th May
- Morning has broken Robbie is at home to callers, along with his mother and sisters
Sunday 19th May
- Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too Conversation with Lady Hollomere and Lady Catherine Seymour after church
- A note for Lady Hollomere Robbie sends a note of apology to Lady Hollomere
- Let us not be laughing-stocks to other men's humours Kit Carlisle comes to call on Robbie
Monday 20th May
Tuesday 21st May
- A note for Colonel Fitzgerald Robbie receives a note from Lady Hollomere, and sends a reply
- Good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues At the theatre with his family, Robbie falls into conversation with Lady Hollomere and her sister Lady Catherine
- Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth Robbie and Mirabelle have another assignation in Welbeck Street
Robbie as a played character on LL
Robbie was initially apped as a character in 2011 by a player known as Claire, whose application was accepted in December 2011. She posted in one thread [25], only posting three posts, before fading from the board. Robbie's creator, Rose, then put him back on the Wanted Characters list, and Sharpie posted an application for him in March 2013, which was accepted. He has been played by Sharpie since.
References
<references>
- ↑ Brussels 15th June - Part One of a fic by Micaela
- ↑ And Show His Scars (Ficlet in the Shipping Drabbles thread)
- ↑ I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing
- ↑ Fic: Like an Untimely Frost
- ↑ But one half pennyworth of bread
- ↑ Where the Bee Sups, There Sup I
- ↑ Two households both alike in dignity
- ↑ Two households both alike in dignity.
- ↑ Sailing into port
- ↑ Much Ado About a Midsummer Night's Tempest
- ↑ The Aftermath
- ↑ But one half pennyworth of bread
- ↑ Although not explicitly stated anywhere in play, his version of it manifests mostly with written numbers and arithmetic: if adding two numbers, say 2 + 3, he will generally add them correctly but write 4 or 6, giving an answer that is close but not correct
- ↑ Fic: It is a wise father that knows his own child
- ↑ Note: Some of these characters were there for longer, I have just given the years during which they and Robbie were at Eton together, and the name or title by which Robbie knew them at school, where that differs from the one they use now. He fagged either for Richard, Damien Relmsey, Frank Harpole or Aubrey Sayre - TBC.
- ↑ Details of Robbie's early postings with the 14th are taken from Napoleon Series: 14th Light Dragoons
- ↑ In Their Flowing Cups
- ↑ I do not like the Cone of Shame; A Fool on the sideline; ibid; Entreat your captain To soft and gentle speech; I've got a burning desire for you; Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth
- ↑ Fic: In Their Flowing Cups, linked above
- ↑ Combat of Barquilla, on Wikipedia
- ↑ I will be the pattern of all patience; I will say nothing
- ↑ Entr'Acte
- ↑ Where the bee sups, there sup I
- ↑ A Fool on the sidelines
- ↑ The Scars of Battle posted in June 2012, nearly a year before Sharpie registered her version of Robbie's account in March 2013