Tennis in 1886?
In 1886, society placed plenty of restrictions on how unmarried men and women could interact. Private meetings could invite gossip, courtship followed established rules, and young ladies were expected to guard their reputations carefully.
But put a tennis racket in their hands, and things became much more interesting. For Annie—and Martin—it changed their lives forever.
By the 1880s, lawn tennis had become a fashionable pastime in Britain and America. Unlike many activities of the period, it could be enjoyed by both sexes. Men and women played singles and doubles, and mixed doubles—often called “double games” involving ladies and gentlemen—gave them an opportunity to share the court.
That made tennis more than exercise. It was also a social occasion. At private estates, clubs, summer resorts, and fashionable hotels, a tennis court provided a respectable setting where young people could meet. A gentleman and lady could converse, laugh, compete, and spend time together while participating in an activity approved by polite society. And when a lady’s maid dressed like a lady takes a racket in hand, well, that can be interesting.
Of course, propriety did not disappear at the edge of the court. Matches generally took place where other people were present, and the usual expectations of respectable behavior remained. Tennis might loosen social restrictions, but it did not eliminate them.
Women also faced another challenge—their clothing. A lady might play in a long skirt, fitted bodice, high collar, and long sleeves, with a hat shading her face. Imagine chasing a well-placed ball while managing all that fabric!
Yet perhaps that was part of tennis’s appeal. The game allowed a woman to demonstrate energy, skill, humor, and even a competitive spirit in ways that a formal drawing room did not.
For a young man and woman like Annie and Martin, a tennis match could offer something rare—the chance to become acquainted naturally.
And for Annie and Martin, perhaps they might discover that the real game had nothing to do with the score.
ABOUT ANNIE AND THE MISTAKEN MATCH
Book 1 of the Irish Rose Orphans of the Thousand Islands
She’s a lady’s maid in borrowed silk. He mistakes her for the kind of woman he could marry. In New York’s glittering Gilded Age Thousand Islands, maid Annie Burns is swept into a reckless masquerade and introduced to society as a lady. When Martin White falls for the graceful “Miss Burns of Brooklyn,” Annie discovers the joy—and danger—of finally being seen. But when scandal threatens to expose her, she must choose between the borrowed life she longs for and the freedom only truth can bring. A tender tale of mistaken identity, redemption, faith, and a love only God could write.
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