Tidbits to Make my Story come to Life

My comfort zone is getting infringed upon with the next book I'm writing, Staking Claim. I've never been a fan of books set in England. I prefer the good ole U.S. of A. But I wrote myself into a corner. And the current WIP (work in progress) has to start in England, luckily they are getting on a ship, but I have two main characters who are British and therefore I need to learn a bit about the hierarchy and British words and customs.

I purchased the book What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool to help me get a bit of a gist of what the characters should act like and how they should respond to some or my American's actions. It also helps me to come up with ideas for scenes.  The book talks about more the first part of the 19th century and my book is set at the end of the century but I think some of what is in the book would still be the norm.

While reading through the book I came across Basic Etiquette for a gentleman and a lady. I found it interesting the men's etiquette had to do with courtesy toward the woman, while the lady's etiquette dealt more with how she showed herself as being proper.

Reading the gentleman's etiquette a scene was conjured up on how my hero, even though he's been living in Lancashire England for two years, knows nothing of the etiquette and my heroine who is British but grew up a factory worker and just recently became a maid in a Viscount's manor, also knows little of the correct etiquette, will find themselves schooled by the villain.

These are the little tidbits that get me excited about a story I'm writing. I've found several others that I've envisioned using in scenes and soon the book will practically write its self. ;)