Georgette Heyer: A Civil Contract

Adam Deveril, a hero of Salamanca, returns from the Peninsula War to find his family on the brink of ruin and his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. He is now Viscount Lynton, with the responsibility of saving the estate, and the only way to do so is to marry an heiress. He is introduced to Mr. Jonathan Chawleigh, a City man of apparently unlimited wealth and no social ambitions for himself — but with his eyes firmly fixed on a suitable match for his only daughter, the quiet and decidedly plain Jenny Chawleigh.

This is Heyer’s not so funny marriage of convenience Reg Rom. There are funny bits, of course, with her master touch creating the usual cast of quirky characters but the main thrust is a slow and careful romance that starts with comfort and friendship until it blossoms into something very real and enduring.

Jenny Chawleigh is not your typical hist-ro heroine. She is plain, even a bit ugly, with a frank homespun manner better suited for the serving class. She is smart, but not accomplished, and prefers the quiet country (much to her Cit father’s horror) to the glitter of Town. She has known Deveril from before the War, when he was courting her friend, Julia. She is only peripherally accepted to the ton, and mostly because her fathers endless coffers have given her the education to make friends like Julia.

Deveril and Julia seemed a natural match; beautiful, well born, popular. But when Deveril discovers his family is broke, with no provisions for his unwed sisters and the likely thought of selling off the ancestral home, he is encouraged by the family solicitor and family friends to consider a marriage of convenience.

Lucky for Deveril, such a match to fill the family coffers is at hand. And Jenny seems amenable to the marriage.

The result is a Reg Rom that is more realistic to the time period than Heyer’s romps, and a romance that has much more time spent on allowing it to grow. There is no quick, sealed with a kiss moment at the end of the book. Instead, we get to see the marriage, and all the uncomfortable settling in of two strangers who know they are not a love match. The result is sometimes painful, sometimes awkward, sometimes sweet, and often beautiful.

I have now read this one at least three times. Although not a personal favorite (because it doesn’t deliver the laugh out loud moments I so dearly enjoy), it is nonetheless an exquisite book that showcases the real depth of understanding Heyer had for the era.

It also demonstrates her excellent skill at writing characters, character arcs, and character driven stories that are whimsical, breathtaking and real.

5 Stars 5 out of 6 A more serious Heyer with a very rewarding, real romance