The Art of Courting

What does a woman want when she's being wooed?

It's a good question, and one that has caused many a male to furrow his eyebrows.

This week I was fortunate enough to walk the lake edge of Stourhead Estate in Somerset, England. Think bodices, pantaloons, top hats and parasols. Ancient woodlands flow up and over hills, temples worshipping Roman deities provide discreet alcoves, a boathouse must have stored vessels at one stage to engage in water rendezvous...it's a place where the imagination comes alive and you can picture young couples conversing, strolling, admiring the sights as they wandered the winding path.

Somewhere in between the Pantheon and the Temple of Apollo I said out loud, "Imagine being courted here!" And it got me thinking.

What does a woman want? Well, I can't answer that. Sorry. Every woman's different and it would be unfair of me to say they all want bunches of wild flowers or blocks of Swiss chocolate.

However, I'm of the opinion that being wooed has a wow factor. Maybe those Victorians knew what they were doing in The Art of Courting with their hand-written poetry, the deliciousness of not daring (or being able) to touch and come on ladies, how many of us haven't looked at Mr Darcy in his tight pants complimented by tailored waistcoat and thought: [parental guidance recommended].