I'd heard vaguely of Girl Genius before, now's a perfect excuse to go find out more. :) Thanks!

What I'm thinking of in Heyer, even though it's earlier than the broad period I'm looking at, is that sense of formality and ceremony in the British upper classes that lasted right through into the 20th century (and then got lampooned mercilessly by Wodehouse. Plus, y'know, any excuse to read it. :) My mom's got a bunch of the books on audiotape, and I listen to a lot of books-on-tape when doing art or cleaning fossils and such, so I shall plunder her collection.