Black Moth III

Jack rides to Diana's rescue and duels with Tracy, again defeating him. Andrew, the Duke's younger brother, arrives at Tracy's home, with his brother in law Richard, who is trying to get up the nerve to tell his friends that it was he who had cheated 7 years earlier. Tracy realises that this time he is beaten and that Diana is lost to him.. He does not want a scandal so he suggests that the Carstares brothers, Diana and Andrew stay at the house for the night. He then says he will go abroad for a while. Miles also arrives to help rescue Diana. He tells Dick that he still thinks badly of him for letting Jack bear the blame of his cheating and for the cheating itself but he is willing to over look it. He can't help but be rather amused at Tracy's being so polite to Jack now. Jack tells his brother that he is going to marry Diana and bring her home to Wyncham Place, his home. The novel ends with Tracy going abroad and admitting to his friend Frank Fortescue that he had had genuine feelings for Diana. Frank tells him that Diana has done him good, even if she would not marry him. In real life, Richard would not have been easily forgiven for his cheating but Heyer was a young writer at the time and the book demanded a happy ending. It is more adventure than social comedy but for a teenage girl it is a very good first book.