“We can never know if Charlotte and Ellen had a sexual relationship – there is certainly no proof that they did – and perhaps it doesn’t matter. Their correspondence attests to a fervent love that included romantic, and perhaps even erotic, feelings. It’s likely that Charlotte had heard of women who took women as lovers or “wives,” such as fellow Yorkshirewoman Anne Lister, or perhaps even knew some. 38.”

“We can never know if Charlotte and Ellen had a sexual relationship – there is certainly no proof that they did – and perhaps it doesn’t matter. Their correspondence attests to a fervent love that included romantic, and perhaps even erotic, feelings. It’s likely that Charlotte had heard of women who took women as lovers or “wives,” such as fellow Yorkshirewoman Anne Lister, or perhaps even knew some. 38.”

— Deborah Lutz