More Regency Romance

The Believer has a section called idea share: it’s a place to post ideas which seem good but, for whatever reason, you have no intent to bring to fruition. Here’s mine:

3. Byron’s frustrated childhood love for Mary Chaworth lingered long in his memory, but now that she was married and separated from her husband, she wanted to see him. He, however, was reluctant to risk the disillusionment of a meeting and postponed and never made the visit.

If that’s not the germ of a smashing novel, I don’t know what is. Only one small alteration is needed: “and postponed the visit until the following March. Whereupon…”