ISBN: 043432826X – Georgette Heyer
There was a silence in the book-room, not the silence of intimacy but a silence fraught with tension
Nell is in a little spot of bother. An issue of rescuing her brother from his debts and her own expenses means she is in debt herself. And she doesn’t want to tell he husband, Cardross has told her she must be debt-free by the end of the quarter. But in the process of attempting to pay the bill she gets herself in even more bother. And then there is the problem of Letty, her sister-in-law, determined to marry despite her intended’s lack of fortune.
It’s a Heyer romance, you really should know what to expect. Plenty of drama and miscommunication leading to even more drama and trouble. But in the end everything will work out and the couple who are so suited will realise this and get married. Only in this case the couple are husband and wife at the beginning of the novel.
As usual, very readable and enjoyable.
I only read this one once and it really didn't enter itself into my list of favourite Heyers. But it was good. One of the things that was very interesting (for me) was the whole issue of money and debt – what do you do when you have no income except what your husband doles out to you four times a year? Or in the case of a man from an impoverished family, whatever you can wring out of already-encumbered estates and whatever you can avoid paying for for as long as possible! While Nell doesn't want to approach her husband for money to help her brother, because she's afraid he'll take it as further proof that she only married him for his money, it is still the case that he has the money and the power and since she has no training in how to manage it AND her family leaning on her for help, she's really up shit creek. It's still a problem for many women today, although our generation tend to be able to earn our own money and run up our own debts and pay them off or not ourselves.
Since you liked April Lady, I'll have to give you The Convenient Marriage. Broadly similar storyline, though set earlier in time and with quite different characters.
I went a little mad, bookwise today. I bought two more Heyers online (very delayed gratification), allowed you to get me the two Heyer detective novels (delayed gratification – will get em off you next week) and then had to take advantage of Waterstones having 3 for 2 on Pratchett – I got Night Watch, The Truth and the brilliant Going Postal for €20.40!
I'm currently reading Possession (A.S. Byatt) which is FABULOUS but I have to read it very slowly (which is so unlike me) and it's a whopper so I won't get through it for another week. I need something lighter for when I'm tired after study so Pratchett is perfect.
I liked it, but then again I did read it in almost one session because I had the afternoon free more than because it stopped me doing anything. And if I get that chance then I tend to enjoy books more.
I also took advantage of the 3 for 2, got George Hook's autobiography, The Squad and the intelligence operations of Michael Collins, and Steph Swainston's No Present Like Time. Which was handy as I'd almost bought that last one over in HF for full price. And I'd been wanting to get The Squad for ages. The Hook one was just cause I'd heard it was well written.
What's Possession about? I have vague recollections of reading it, but now can't remember if I actually did, or just meant to.
It's about two English scholars in the present day who are investigating a possible and hitherto unsuspected love affair between two Victorian poets. Of course, my inability to read the epic poems written by the fictional poets does probably diminish the books mind-expanding properties but still. :-) I saw the film ages ago which made one of the scholars a Yank and the other Gwyneth Palrow playing English. The Yank was a total departure from the book but the normally hellishly irritating Paltrow was perfectly cast. And while the film didn't get into the rigours of scholarly investigation, appearing to be more of a mystery-chase along the lines of Da Vinci Code (although good!), it did have the considerable bonus of showing us the Victorian lovers as played by a lovely, auburn-haired Jennifer Ehle (the REAL Elizabeth Bennett) and Jeremy Northam (the director from A Cock and Bull Story).
Ah, I remember now. I didn't read it, but there was a lot of talk about it at one stage on one internet group.