Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

This is one of Heyer's earlier novels and it is more of an adventure story, set in the 18th century than the comedies of manners that she wrote later. It starts with the deathbed of Sylvester, Lord Lavenham, who has an estate in the wilds of Sussex, and who has led a typical life for a squire of those days, drinking, hunting and wenching. He summons his great nephew, Sir Tristram Shield because he is dying. Tristram likes country life, but is a more serious character than his uncle. Sylvester tells him that he wants him to marry his granddaugher Eustacie, who has come to live with him a few months earlier. Sylvester's daughter married a French nobleman and their one child has been living in France, with her father's family. Sylvester brought her to England, because of the Revolution in France and he now wants her to be safely married off. Tristram points out that he is 31 and Eustacie is only 18, and that he fears he's not likely to make her happy. He has never married but he does feel that he ought to as he has no brothers. Sylvester asks hm to promise to marry the girl, but says that he had thought of marrying her to his only grandson, Ludovic. Several years earlier, Ludovic was accused of murder, when he quarrelled with a wealthy City merchant over a gambling debt. Tristram had managed to get his cousin out of England, but the family had not heard from him now for a long time. Basil Lavenham, Sylvester's next heir, is at the estate, though his uncle does not want to see him. He dislikes him for being a dandy whose nickname is Beau. Basil laughs off his uncle's contempt, but he tells Tristram that it would be good if they knew what had become of Ludovic, since if he is married and has an heir, Basil slips down further in the succession. Tristram says that he is left as trustee to look after the estate.. He dines with Eustacie, at Sylvester's house, and she is very pretty, but inexperienced in the ways of the world. She agrees to the marriage, but she is disappointed because she had hoped that living in England, she would be able to choose her own husband. Sylvester dies, and Tristram tells Eustacie that he will tak her to live with his mother until they are able to get married, and she rebels. She does not want to be sent to Bath to live in seclusion with an old dowager lady.