Yeah, and the descriptions of him 'burning with shame' when HH finds one tiny thing wrong on his beautiful ship. So yes, 'detail oriented' is probably branded on his ass.
His laundry -- yeah, farmed out. Same freaky problem as with the queue due to the nature of the canon. The people who historically would have done it aren't in the narrative.
18th century formal language as practised by the upper classes is highly understated. Highly. Which is not to say that it was all benign *g*. It was a fine practiced art to make poisonous banter sound remarkably polite while in actuality being nothing of the kind.
The word 'fond' is really loaded. It has no eytmological association with sodomy or any distinct 18th century association with same. However, it was frequently used in a coded way to signify an affection that was way beyond the casual affection one would have for a friend. As a matter of fact the word 'fondle' is actually born in this period, iirc, based on the word 'fond'.
And Lady B may have had a bit of the gaydar operating just because of the class she comes from where it was not unknown for gentlemen to have their 'particular friends'. It was basically accepted as long as it was kept discreetly in the background.
So, in truth, Lady B. could be using it as a reference to a friendship, but I tend to read that as a fishing expedition on her part with a nuanced meaning to the word. Maybe she wanted to see the lay of the land, so to speak, if she had her eye on Hornblower, especially after Bush was just going on and on about him before she actually asks that question.
i'd wrap his queue any day
His laundry -- yeah, farmed out. Same freaky problem as with the queue due to the nature of the canon. The people who historically would have done it aren't in the narrative.
18th century formal language as practised by the upper classes is highly understated. Highly. Which is not to say that it was all benign *g*. It was a fine practiced art to make poisonous banter sound remarkably polite while in actuality being nothing of the kind.
The word 'fond' is really loaded. It has no eytmological association with sodomy or any distinct 18th century association with same. However, it was frequently used in a coded way to signify an affection that was way beyond the casual affection one would have for a friend. As a matter of fact the word 'fondle' is actually born in this period, iirc, based on the word 'fond'.
And Lady B may have had a bit of the gaydar operating just because of the class she comes from where it was not unknown for gentlemen to have their 'particular friends'. It was basically accepted as long as it was kept discreetly in the background.
So, in truth, Lady B. could be using it as a reference to a friendship, but I tend to read that as a fishing expedition on her part with a nuanced meaning to the word. Maybe she wanted to see the lay of the land, so to speak, if she had her eye on Hornblower, especially after Bush was just going on and on about him before she actually asks that question.