This is one of my favourite Georgette Heyer Novels, one of her shorter ones. It is a "road" book giving her upper-class characters a chance to travel around and escape normal life for a bit.
The story begins with Sir Gareth Ludlow, a wealthy and charming man in his 30s visiting his sister Beatrix to tell her that he hopes to marry. Beatrix who is married with 5 children, is startled, for Gary lost his fiancee in a carriage accident 7 years earlier and has never shown any sign of interest in another woman since then. He tells Beatrix that he feels he will never get over Clarissa, but since their only sibling, their brother Arthur was killed in the war, a while ago, he has a duty to produce an heir. Beatrix is shocked when he tells her that he intends to propose to Lady Hester Theale, a shy not very beautiful woman of almost 30, who keeps house for her selfish and extravagant father. She thinks that he could do much better than Hester who is dull and not a beauty or a charmer, and is annoyed and depressed at his news.
When he has gone, her husband Warren tells her that he thinks that Hester may well make Gary a good wife, and make him comfortable... and that he himself never thought that Clarissa was so perfect for Gary as others did. She was lovely and charming but overly high spirited, and her accident resulted from her disobeying Gary when he told her not to drive his horses.
Gary sets off for Brancaster Park where Hester lives. He is fond of her, but does not think her to be as charming as Clarissa was. He can see she is not very happy living with her father who is very selfish, and her brother and sister-in-law who are selfish and vulgar. On the way, he stops at an inn and is surprised to find a young girl there, who is arguing with the innkeeper. She is only about 17 and very pretty, and clearly a lady.. and the landlord tells her that this young lady wants to become a maid at his inn.
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