Regency Men and Why They Are Different

I recently participated in a discussion about what makes a Regency Hero...aside from the setting, of course...meaning what makes him different than a modern-day hero or a cowboy.

Here are my musings about waht makes a Regency hero:

He is rather dual in nature. His an unmovable sense of honor seems at odds with his self-indulgence in physical pleasure. He is elegant and civilized on the ballroom floor but also revels in primal past times such as fisticuffs and fox hunts. And he wears pristine starched neckcloths and what amounts to a three piece suit with leather boots. How can you not love that?

Other qualities I love about Regency heroes are: Integrity, intelligence, fidelity to the heroine (a big one in my opinion), strong, self-assured, a leader, and has the ability to get things done — preferably in tandem with the heroine. Regency heroes also usually possess a healthy wit. He's also deadly with a sword and a pistol and becomes almost Byronically possessive and protective when his lady is in danger, whether from a highwayman or the cruelties of society. Because he is determined, he will not be defeated by circumstances. Above all, once he falls in love, he falls hard, and he'll do anything for his lady.

So in a nutshell; he's an intelligent, arrogant Alpha male who doesn’t care about scandal (or sometimes cares too much), has conflicting skills that combines the best of civilization with primal man, and is fiercely LOYAL once he finds the love of his life.

Sounds dreamy, doesn't he?