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Oh, for God's sake - if you're going to write fic set in the 1880s, do some basic bloody research.
Or at least read some Conan Doyle to get a sense for the language and mores of the period. For example, Victorians did not "date" - they paid calls, walked out, attended concerts or evenings at the theatre. If there was a serious prospect of a marriage proposal, they could be referred to as "courting."
Historical fiction isn't about getting the dates right (although I'm very fond of writers who are conscientious in that regard), it's about creating an illusion for your reader of another time and place. Writing historical fiction is every bit as much about universe building as science fiction or fantasy. The difference between a date and a courtship is the difference between the reader imaging your characters meeting for coffee and imagining them taking tea at the Ritz. It's the difference between Han Solo piloting the Millenium Falcon and Han Solo flying a biplane.
Authors need to think about their narrative lexicon and take care before using words related to technology, derived from pop culture or borrowed from other languages to avoid illusion-shattering anachronisms such as Tudor-style cottages on the banks of the Seine or rows of bungalows in the Antebellum South. Likewise, if you're going to make a point of referring to someone's clothing, take five minutes to Google the fashion of the day - there's nothing rebellious about a woman who wears stocking and garters if they were an everyday part of ladies' clothing (showing them to the young gentleman you were walking out with, on the other hand...).
Or at least read some Conan Doyle to get a sense for the language and mores of the period. For example, Victorians did not "date" - they paid calls, walked out, attended concerts or evenings at the theatre. If there was a serious prospect of a marriage proposal, they could be referred to as "courting."
Historical fiction isn't about getting the dates right (although I'm very fond of writers who are conscientious in that regard), it's about creating an illusion for your reader of another time and place. Writing historical fiction is every bit as much about universe building as science fiction or fantasy. The difference between a date and a courtship is the difference between the reader imaging your characters meeting for coffee and imagining them taking tea at the Ritz. It's the difference between Han Solo piloting the Millenium Falcon and Han Solo flying a biplane.
Authors need to think about their narrative lexicon and take care before using words related to technology, derived from pop culture or borrowed from other languages to avoid illusion-shattering anachronisms such as Tudor-style cottages on the banks of the Seine or rows of bungalows in the Antebellum South. Likewise, if you're going to make a point of referring to someone's clothing, take five minutes to Google the fashion of the day - there's nothing rebellious about a woman who wears stocking and garters if they were an everyday part of ladies' clothing (showing them to the young gentleman you were walking out with, on the other hand...).