Victorian Morality

Victorian morality plays a major role in the events of the book, guiding the social interactions between men and women, and between one class and another.

Ned and Verity are, in their quest, constantly restricted by the need to maintain Victorian social norms involving sex. If they want to meet to discuss their next actions, or to try to brainstorm together about the nature of the incongruity, they are forced to do so by sneaking around, because as they are both unmarried, they cannot simply take a walk together alone to talk. To do so would be to risk scandal because unmarried Victorian women were not permitted to be alone with a man. They were always chaperoned. Verity actually used this rule to her advantage. It allowed her to accompany Tossie to the meeting with Terence at Iffley, and thus to meet and confer with Ned for...