Reluctant Widow

This is one of Heyer's adventure novels. It is set in the countryside, during the Napoleonic Wars. Elinor Rochdale is a young woman of 26 who has lost her parents and has no money, so she has been working as a governess. She takes up an appointment with a lady, Mrs Macclesfield. When she arrives by stage coach to start her new job, she finds a carriage has been sent for her. This is an unusual honour for a governess. She travels to the house, and finds that it is rather shabby, and that a man of about 30 seems to be in charge. He tells her that her new charge is difficult and adds that he is addicted to brandy. Elinor is confused but after a long conversation, she realises that they are talking at cross purposes and that she is at the wrong house. Lord Carlyon, who has welcomed her, thought that she was a woman who had been hired from an advertisement in the papers, to marry his wayward cousin, Eustace. The woman whom he hired did not turn up. Elinor is shaken to find that she's at a strange man's house, miles away from where her new employer is. She tells Lord Carlyon that her father lost his fortune and shot himself, leaving her almost penniless. Carlyon owns an estate nearby and has been expected to keep an eye on his cousin, who owns Highnoons, the house where they are talking now. He tells her that he is the eldest of a large family, and that he has always been the one who looked after his siblings. She tells him her father lost his fortune, and shot himself. She had been taken in by relatives as a poor relation, but they were not kind to her. So she preferred to be independent, though the life of a governess is far from easy. He tells her that if Eustace dies without a wife, the estate, Highnoons, will pass to him, Carlyon. He does not want the estate. He and his cousin don't get on, and Eustace who is a thoroughly bad lot, has done his reputation harm, by accusing him of all sorts of villainy. Eustace puts stories about that Carlyon wanted his house and is scheming to get it. He says he would rather not inherit the estate as it would look like he had deliberately tried to get it and since Eustace is a heavy drinker, he is not likely to live long. Carlyon then suggests that as Elinor is alone in the world and badly off, she could marry Eustace, and become heir to his estate. He says that she need not do more than go through a marriage ceremony with the young man. While the estate is almost worthless due to mismanagement, he would provide for her. Or she could try to make a living running it. Elinor refuses the idea.