The story describes the romantic relationship between the wealthy Annis Wychwood, who has grown bored with her independent lifestyle, and Oliver Carleton, a libertine who cares little for society's opinion of him. The two have deliberately avoided marriage for many years and are slow to acknowledge the growth of their feelings for each other.
Plot summary
The novel is set in Bath during the Regency era, somewhere around 1818.[2] Some years before, the beautiful and intelligent Annis Wychwood, having an independent fortune of her own, has left Twynham Park, the home of her brother Sir Geoffrey Wychwood. She now has a household of her own in Upper Camden Place in Bath, where she lives independently with control over her personal and financial affairs. The one sacrifice she has made to convention has been to invite her elderly cousin, the incessantly chattering Maria Farlow, to share her household in order to keep up appearances.
As the story opens, Annis is aged 29 and, though a social success in the city, is still single, having turned down all offers of marriage. On the way back from a visit to her brother, she encounters seventeen-year-old Lucilla Carleton, who is running away to Bath to avoid the marriage her domineering relatives insist on to her childhood friend, Ninian Carleton. The compliant Ninian, however, has offered to escort Lucilla and ensure her safe arrival. Since Lucilla’s gig has lost a wheel on the snowy road, Annis volunteers to chaperone the girl until she can make her own arrangements. To her mind, the adventure offers a means of dispelling the conventional boredom of her life.
Lucilla's uncle, Oliver Carleton, visits Bath to investigate Lucilla's new living arrangements. Carleton is not only a rake, but his sense of superiority and outspoken manner has earned him the label of "the rudest man in England". He and Annis, however, soon find mutual enjoyment in their heated exchanges and, as their unlikely friendship develops, they discover deeper feelings for each other. Carleton eventually proposes marriage, but Annis refuses, unsure in her own mind and unwilling to relinquish her independence. Using the excuse that he must find Lucilla a new guardian, Carleton then returns to London.
Annis's brother, Sir Geoffrey, has heard rumours of her developing relationship with Carleton and seeks to hinder it by sending his wife and children to stay with her. Soon after their arrival, members of the household contract influenza, and Annis nurses them until she too becomes infected. When Carleton hears that Annis is seriously ill, he returns to Bath, arriving on the first day that she is able to get out of bed, and roughly insists that she marry him. However, their tender tryst is continually interrupted. A maid brings in barley water and is sent to fetch Burgundy wine instead. Then Miss Farlow bursts in to protect her companion's virtue and has to be forcibly ejected by Carleton. Finally, Sir Geoffrey arrives at the house, but accuses Miss Farlow of being an "infernal gabster" and drunk when she comes to him with her tales.
Though Sir Geoffrey disapproves the match, he is softened by Carleton's understanding of his point of view when they meet, and even more by the report of Carleton's treatment of Miss Farlow, whom he detests. Finally Lady Wychwood, always a great friend of her sister-in-law, talks him round to the view that Carleton's character is not as bad as his reputation and Annis is left to recuperate from the excitements of the morning.
Genre and themes
Like many of Heyer's novels, Lady of Quality is a Regency romance, relying heavily on its setting as a plot device.[3][4] As noted by literary critic Kay Mussell, Heyer's Regency romances revolved around a "structured social ritual–the marriage market represented by the London season" where "all are in danger of ostracism for inappropriate behavior".[5] Heyer's novels were known for their painstaking attention to detail,[6] which she used to infuse the novels with the "tone of the time".[7]
The heroine, Annis, is one of Heyer's more modern characters.[8] Her wealth and spinsterhood allow her a level of freedom that is unusual in a Heyer novel, as it was in the Regency period.[9][10][11] Many of the actions Annis takes, such as moving to a different city despite her family's objections, were common among women living in the 1970s when the novel was written, but in a Regency setting they mark Annis as a bold and unusually independent woman.[8]
Heyer's hero, Carleton, is a worldly and independent man, similar to those found in many of her other novels. In a departure from her other novels however, Carleton is an "unrepentant hero" who refuses to apologise for his past misdeeds and sees no need to change aspects of his behaviour such as his temper. Although in most romance novels the hero changes throughout the course of the narrative, in Lady of Quality Carleton is essentially the same character at the novel's conclusion that he was at its beginning. The sole difference is his realisation that he loves Annis and wishes to marry her.[12]
In contrast to his defiance of society in matters of his own relationships, Carleton is tasked with supervising his niece Lucilla. He must ensure that she is not drawn into a scandal, ruining her prospects of marriage, a role Heyer often gives to her heroes.[13][14] It is rare that her heroines are given the same responsibility, but in this novel Annis chooses to become involved in shepherding Lucilla through society.[13] Like the hero, the heroine ignores the standards of propriety when she chooses, yet also shelters Lucilla from following her example, as Annis thinks the younger woman lacks the experience to properly judge when it is appropriate to disregard society's mores.[3] Annis's age, and the life experience she has gained, give her a greater ability to manipulate the social standards of her time than a young ingenue.[10] As in Heyer's other novels, her word choice frequently highlights the fact that the heroine's behavior diverges from the socially accepted feminine ideal of the Regency period.[15] Rather than repel others, the unwillingness to conform to the expected behavioural norms endears the heroine to the hero.[9]
Publication and reception
Heyer wrote Lady of Quality under pressure to meet her publisher's deadline for the autumn list and received for it a £10,000 advance.[16] Exact publication figures are unavailable for this book, but a first printing of one of Heyer's novels in the British Commonwealth often consisted of 65,000–75,000 copies,[17] and each of her books generally sold over 500,000copies in paperback.[18] As with Heyer's other popular fiction, it was largely ignored by contemporary critics;[18] only after her death did they begin to take more interest in her work.[19]
Philippa Toomey, a literary critic for The Times, wrote a short review of Lady of Quality soon after its publication, identifying in it a "bat's squeak of sexuality". While noting that the plots of all Heyer's romance novels were similar, Toomey described Lady of Quality as "almost identical twins" with Heyer's earlier work Black Sheep.[20] Despite the formulaic nature of the plot, Toomey believed that Heyer fans would enjoy the novel, as it showcased Heyer's skill in creating interesting characters who acted appropriately for their setting.[20] On the other hand, Heyer's biographer, Jane Aiken Hodge, later commented that the "book would have benefitted from the light hand of an editor"; in particular she found that the plot "lost momentum about three-quarters of the way through".[21]
Lady of Quality was profiled in Pamela Regis's 2003 book A Natural History of the Romance Novel, describing the relationship between the protagonists as very modern; both are financially independent and neither cares overly much for the opinions of others.[22] Literary critic Karin Westman, writing at about the same time, agreed while noting that the novel provides "a vision of marriage as companionship, a union which does not require ceding independence ... thanks to a heroine who can conduct herself as a hero".[3] This is consistent with Jane Aiken Hodge's earlier finding that "This book is a discussion of marriage as a reality beyond the happy ending".[23]
Related Research Articles
Georgette Heyer was an English novelist and short-story writer, in both the Regency romance and detective fiction genres. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story conceived for her ailing younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. The couple spent several years living in Tanganyika Territory and Macedonia before returning to England in 1929. After her novel These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales. For the rest of her life she refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."
A romance novel or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primary focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the development of this genre include Samuel Richardson, Jane Austen, and Charlotte Brontë.
Regency romances are a subgenre of romance novels set during the period of the British Regency (1811–1820) or early 19th century. Rather than simply being versions of contemporary romance stories transported to a historical setting, Regency romances are a distinct genre with their own plot and stylistic conventions. These derive not so much from the 19th-century contemporary works of Jane Austen, but rather from Georgette Heyer, who wrote over two dozen novels set in the Regency starting in 1935 until her death in 1974, and from the fiction genre known as the novel of manners. In particular, the more traditional Regencies feature a great deal of intelligent, fast-paced dialogue between the protagonists and very little explicit sex or discussion of sex.
Regency Buck is a novel written by Georgette Heyer. It has three distinctions: it is the first of her novels to deal with the Regency period; it is one of only a few to combine both genres for which she was noted, the Regency romance and the mystery novel; and it is the only one of her Regency stories to feature Beau Brummell as an actual character, rather than as someone merely mentioned in passing. The story is set in 1811–1812.
Friday's Child is a novel written by Georgette Heyer in 1944. It is generally considered one of Miss Heyer's best Regency romances, and was reportedly the favourite of the author herself. Heyer retained only a single fan letter, which was from a Romanian political prisoner who kept herself and her fellow prisoners sane for twelve years by telling and retelling the plot of Friday's Child.
Arabella is a Regency romance novel written by Georgette Heyer. It records the plight of a relatively poor girl from the English gentry who captures the attention of a very wealthy man by claiming to be an heiress; although he disbelieves her, he is amused by her presumption and character. The story is set in the spring of 1817.
The Grand Sophy is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer. It was first published in 1950 by Heinemann in the UK and Putnam in the U.S. Sales were brisk. Heinemann reported that in Australia it sold forty thousand copies in its first five months. There was also a Book Club edition in 1951.
Bath Tangle is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer. The story is set in 1816.
Joanna Maxwell Cannan was an English writer of pony books and detective novels, the former aimed mainly at children. She belonged to a family of prolific writers.
April Lady is a Regency romance by Georgette Heyer, published in 1957 by Heinemann in the UK and by Putnam in the US. Previously serialised in the Woman's Journal as “My Lady Cardross”, the new novel was Heyer’s forty-fourth book and her fifteenth Regency novel.
The Black Moth (1921) is a Georgian era romance novel by the British author Georgette Heyer, set around 1751. The Black Moth was Heyer's debut novel, published when Heyer was nineteen. It was a commercial success.
The Convenient Marriage is a Georgian romance novel by Georgette Heyer published in 1934. The novel is set in 1776 and concerns the relationship between Horatia Winwood and Lord Marcus Drelincourt. It is the first of several Heyer romances where the hero and heroine are married early in the novel, and the plot follows their path to mutual love and understanding. Later examples include Friday's Child and April Lady.
Venetia is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer set in England in 1818.
The Nonesuch is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer. The story is set in 1816/1817.
Charity Girl is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1970.
My Lord John is an unfinished historical fiction novel by the British author Georgette Heyer, published posthumously in 1975 after her death the previous year. It traces the early lives of the "young lordings" – Harry, Thomas, John, and Humfrey – all sons of the future Lancastrian king Henry IV of England. They grow up amidst turbulent events including the 1394 pestilence, the exile of their father by Richard II, the death of their powerful grandfather John of Gaunt, and the seizure of the throne by their father. John of Lancaster serves as the novel's main character.
Historical romance is a broad category of mass-market fiction focusing on romantic relationships in historical periods, which Walter Scott helped popularize in the early 19th century.
Camden Crescent in Bath, Somerset, England, was built by John Eveleigh in 1788; it was originally known as Upper Camden Place. Numbers 6 to 21 have been designated as a Grade I listed buildings. The other houses are Grade II listed.
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References
↑ Jennifer Kloester, Georgette Heyer (2011), pp. 397, 401
↑ See the various chapters cited from Mary Fahnestock-Thomas's compilation Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective.
1 2 Toomey, Philippa (19 October 1972), "Fiction: Rule Britannia By Daphne du Maurier, Lady of Quality By Georgette Heyer", The Times, London, no.58609, p.10
↑ The Private World of Georgette Heyer 1984, p. 212
↑ The Private World of Georgette Heyer, 1984, p. 213
Sources
Byatt, A. S. (5 October 1975). "The Ferocious Reticence of Georgette Heyer". In Fahnestock-Thomas, Mary (ed.). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Saraland, AL: Prinnyworld Press (published 2001). pp.289–303. ISBN978-0-9668005-3-1.
Devlin, James P. (Summer 1984). "The Mysteries of Georgette Heyer: A Janeite's Life of Crime". In Fahnestock-Thomas, Mary (ed.). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Saraland, AL: Prinnyworld Press (published 2001). pp.359–394. ISBN978-0-9668005-3-1.
Mussell, Kay (1984). "Fantasy and Reconciliation". In Fahnestock-Thomas, Mary (ed.). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Saraland, AL: Prinnyworld Press (published 2001). pp.412–417. ISBN978-0-9668005-3-1.
Reinhardt, Max (12 July 1974). "Georgette Heyer". In Fahnestock-Thomas, Mary (ed.). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Saraland, AL: Prinnyworld Press (published 2001). pp.257–258. ISBN978-0-9668005-3-1.
Robinson, Lillian S. (1978). "On Reading Trash". In Fahnestock-Thomas, Mary (ed.). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Saraland, AL: Prinnyworld Press (published 2001). pp.321–335. ISBN978-0-9668005-3-1.
Westman, Karin E. (2003). "A Story of Her Weaving: The Self-Authoring Heroines of Georgette Heyer's Regency Romance". In Strehle, Susan; Carden, Mary Paniccia (eds.). Doubled Plots: Romance and History. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press. ISBN1-57806-590-9.
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