A Civil Contract Part 3

Adam is concerned about his estate, which needs work. But he does not confide in Jenny about it. He has not had any experience of farming, but has been reading up on agricultural reform. There are new ideas about growing winter crops, draining the Fenland fields which are often flooded, and using different types of fertilizers. His bailiff is pleased to see him taking an interest in the estate -which his father never did. He is glad that his new lord is concerned for his tenant farmers and labourers.... He wants to build new cottages for them and improve their lot in life. Mr Chawleigh says that Adam should leave the estate to his bailiff, but Adam goes to visit Mr Coke of Norfolk who inherited an estate at Holkham in Norfolk some years before and made it very prosperous. Mr Coke (a real life historical character) is a friend of Adam's grandfather. He is willing to give him advice on agricultural methods, and Adam promises to go and stay with him later in the year.

Civil Contract Part II

Adam meets Jenny formally, and she seems pleasant and intelligent. He comes to dinner at Mr Chawleigh's house. He remembers her from meeting her at Julia's. She is not a beauty, but he can see she is pleasant and intelligent. Jenny tells him she would be agreeable to the marriage....He tells her that he will try to make her happy. They become engaged and Mr Chawleigh takes over. He advises Adam that they will need to get married soon, as his financial affairs are in urgent need of attention. Adam is kept busy with the arrangements for his marriage, and tries to tell himself that he is doing the right thing.. But it is painful to think he has let Julia down. He knows that it would have been impossible to marry her but he still feels guilty. It does cheer him a little to know that now, it's possible for his sister Charlotte to marry her suitor, Lambert Ryde, a country squire, who lives near them. Lady Lynton wanted Charlotte to marry a rich man, to save the family fortunes. She pressured her to accept an offer from a richer suitor. But now Charlotte will be able to marry the man she loves. Lydia is very young and upset at the idea of Adam's making a marriage of convenience. She feels it is very unfair that he has to give up Julia, and undertake the responsibilities of saving the estate.. and giving up his army career which he loved. Lady Lynton does not take to Jenny nor to Mr Chawleigh, but she does want Adam to go through with the marriage, to save the situation. However Lord Lynton's sister, Lady Nassington, a rather domineering lady, supports the marriage. The couple marry in April, just as the war in Europe is ending. They spend their honeymoon at Rushleigh Manor, a home belonging to Lord and Lady Nassington. Julia, very upset, leaves London to visit her grandmother. Adam finds his honeymoon a bit embarrassing, but he and Jenny manage to start off married life without too much trouble. He gets to know his father-in-law and begins to like him though he finds him overwhelming at times. Mr Chawleigh does not understand the upper-class obsession with landed life and country estates. He lives for his work but does still enjoy a social life with his City friends. Adam admires his shrewdness, but he cannot understand him all that well. Mr. Chawleigh has no interest in art, or books but he does collect China and instinctively chooses good pieces which surprises Adam. Jenny starts going to parties and mixing with society but secretly finds it rather boring.

A Civil Contract

This is one of Heyer's later novels. It is more of a comedy of manners than a romance. There are no elopements or duels, and the comedy is low key. Instead of slangy word play and exaggerated characters, much of the fun derives from the character Mr Chawleigh, an over the top, vulgar merchant who is very wealthy. The novel starts in January 1814, towards the end of the War with Napoleon. Adam Deveril has returned to the Fen country, where his father has just died in a riding accident. Adam has been in the army all his life...His father was a well to do nobleman, jolly and amusing but very careless with money. Adam is quiet and shy, and does not think of himself as charming or popular. He is serious and responsible. He is shocked to find that the family is in such financial straits. They may have to sell their home, Fontley Priory. Adam is horrified by this news as he loves his home, but it seems inevitable. His widowed mother is no help, being a weepy complainer...and his 2 sisters are too young. Lydia is not stupid but she is only 17, and Charlotte is older but not very clever. (He has had other siblings, a brother, Stephen and a daughter Maria, but they died young.) Wimmering, Adam's business manager, hints that one way of saving the estate would be for Adam to consider marrying an heiress. Adam is shocked at this idea. He himself fell in love during his last leave with Julia Oversley. Her family live near him, and she is quite a beauty. Julia is sensitive and emotional, a Marianne Dashwood type, but Adam had fallen for her while he was injured. He certainly has no desire to marry a woman he does not know. He goes to see Lord Oversley, Julia's father. Oversley says that Julia does still care for him. But he feels he could never sanction the romance, as his daughter would not be suited to Adam. Adam tells him how bad his finances are, and that he is going to have to sell the estate. Lord Oversley is shocked that things are so bad, and tells him to wait, and that he will try and think of another scheme. The following day, Adam receives a visitor in his London hotel, Mr Chawleigh. It emerges that Chawleigh, a middle aged man of humble origins, has made a fortune as an India merchant. He is now a very rich man. He has one daughter, his only heir. He and his late wife wanted her to marry into the aristocracy. Adam learns that Jenny, the daughter, went to a ladies' school with Julia Overley and was friendly with her. He realises that he himself met Jenny at times, at the Oversleys' house in London. He vaguely remembers a plain quiet girl... but he feels he cannot marry someone he does not know or care for. Oversley tells him to think about Mr Chawleigh's offer. If he takes it up, he would be able to pay his debts, save Fontley and improve it - and Jenny knows he's not in love. He adds that Jenny is not a beauty but she's a sensible girl. She has learned 'ladylike" manners and accomplishments and he would not be embarrassed by her. Mr Chawleigh does not want entry to the upper crust himself, just for his daughter. Adam feels desperate but supposes that he ought to consider the idea.

Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer

 I am going to write a blog on this novel which is one of my favourite Heyer works. I didn't read it for many years, because it seemed dull; quick glances at it seemed to indicate that it was one of the novels where the couple get married early in the book and that can limit interest. But eventually I gave it a try and found that it was an in depth book about love and marriage. 

More will follow

Cotillion VI

Kitty asks Freddy for help in assisting Dolph and Hannah to get married, but he tells her he has to go out of town to see his brother Charlie. Charlie is in a bit of a scrape at Oxford. While he's away, she gets a letter from Miss Fishguard which she finds hard to read. Her governess scrawls the letter all on one page, to save money. She decides to go to Arnside for a day or 2, to see what is wrong, and hits on an idea to help Dolph. She will ask him to drive her to her guardian's house, and they will take Hannah as a chaperone. Hugh is the local vicar, so he can marry her and Dolphinton. Then he will be safely married and free of his mother and she can't do anything about it. Kitty sets off with Dolphinton and Hannah, to go to Garside rectory where Hugh lives. He is shocked at the sudden arrival of Kitty, and his cousin's plain looking fiancee. When he hears of Kitty's plan, he is clearly reluctant to marry Dolph off to someone when it will cause a family uproar. Dolph is very nervous, hiding under the table for fear his mother will come and find him, but he stands his ground. Next, to their surprise, Jack Westruther arrives. He jeers at Dolph but tells Kitty that he has come to Arnside to see Uncle Matthew. He tells her the old miser is now planning to marry Miss Fishguard. Jack fears that the lady will inherit everything. She is only around 40 so she might well have an heir. Kitty is surprised - and now she can understand what Miss Fishguard was writing about. She was trying to explain that she was going to marry Mr Penicuik. Kitty is willing to accept the marriage... Jack is not. Then Freddy arrives. He realises that Kitty has not thought of Dolph needing a special license and he has brought one. Hugh has no excuse now to avoid performing the wedding. During his time in London, Freddy has managed to solve the Olivia problem... He met Olivia, and she told him that her mother was trying to force her to marry an elderly and unpleasant roue, Sir Henry Gosford, or to become a courtesan. She hates Sir Henry and does not want to become someone's mistress. Freddy takes her to Meg's house and then goes to see D'evron. He persuades Camille that the best thing to do is to take Olivia off to France and marry her there, and she will be safe. The couple elope, happily and Camille hopes that his father will overlook his not managing to find a rich woman to marry. At Garside Rectory, Jack now pretty exasperated, tells Kitty that he is tired of playing games. He says that the 2 of them should get engaged and then confront Uncle Matthew and persuade him to give up Miss Fishguard. Kitty realises how selfish he is and that she does not love him any more. They quarrel. In the heat of the moment, Freddy knocks Jack down when he abuses Kitty. Freddy is rather shocked at his own behaviour since he is not normally aggressive, but he has grown to love her. He is angry that Jack cares so little for her. Westruther walks out, leaving Freddy in possession of the field. Freddy and Kitty plan to come over the following day, to support Dolph and Hannah at their wedding. Kitty knows that Uncle Matthew is marrying Miss Fishguard out of selfish reasons, because she will be a cheap housekeeper for him. Still, it will be a useful marriage for her. She will be safe and have a home and money. Kitty and Freddy leave Hugh's house to go to Arnside to see Uncle Matthew. On the way, Freddy tells her that he loves her and wishes that their engagement was a real one.. Kitty reveals to him that she has come to love him and to realise that although he is not handsome or very clever, he is a good man and worthier than Jack. She now understands that Jack is a cad and she does not love him. They agree to send the notice of their betrothal to the papers and get married happily.

Cotillion V

Kitty has been in town for a month, and Meg asks her to stay a bit longer. The Legerwoods are going out of town, so she needs someone to live with her. Freddy still can't understand what his fake fiancee hopes will happen in London...She tries to assure him that just having a trip to town is enough for her.. but she is not sure what will happen with Jack. Jack hints to her that he knows what she's up to and that he won't be provoked by jealousy into making a proposal. He is annoyed that he is being stymied in his attempts to seduce Olivia, because she is now friends with Kitty. He is also annoyed that Camille D'evron has been paying attentions to his would be mistress. Kitty foolishly agrees to go and dine with the Scortons, Olivia's family. They take her to a masquerade at a public place, where she finds everything very embarrassing. The Scorton sisters flirt shamelessly with strange men. Olivia has also invited D'evron. He decides to tell Kitty that he is not a nobleman. His family own a gaming house in Paris. He was hoping to find a rich bride in London. Kitty is shocked at his deception and he then tells her that he is in love with Olivia but she is not able to marry him. He adds that Jack wants to seduce Olivia. She is very upset at this revelation that her mother's family have a gaming house, and that Jack is such a rake. She is then very relieved when Freddy appears and rescues her and takes her home. She is beginning to realise that her fiance is not such a fool as he appears to be.

Cotillion Part IV

Kitty worries that Freddy may let something slip but she is enjoying herself so much with Meg, that she tries to make the best of the present moment. Then Jack introduces her to a cousin of hers, Camille D'evron. Kitty's mother Desiree was a French emigree who came to England during the Revolution and married her father. Desiree's family returned to France. She herself died when Kitty was a baby. Camille D'evron has come to England recently for a visit and met with Jack at a gaming house. He is charming and Kitty is very pleased to have him as a friend but Freddy, being more worldly wise, is uneasy. Kitty also meets a very beautiful young woman, Olivia Broughty, who has just come to London with her mother, to mix with Society and find a husband. She and Olivia fell into conversation while she was out shopping and they become friends. Olivia is very beautiful but her family are mainly middle class and have no entree into upper class society, as her late father had lost touch with his upper class relatives. Freddy is shocked at this friendship because he knows that Olivia who has no strict upper class chaperone to guide her, has been associating with vulgar relatives who are dangerously flirtatious with rakes. He worries that Olivia while she seems to be a pleasant and respectable girl, may prove a dangerous friend for Kitty. However, he realises that Kitty is soft hearted and loves to help people. She soon finds another lame dog to help. Lord Dolphinton confides in her that he did not want to marry her - as his domineering mother wishes - because he is in love with someone else. Dolphinton seems slow witted but it is clear that he has formed a close attachment to another lady. He introduces Kitty to her and she finds that she is a rather plain girl from a trade family, Hannah Plymstock. However she has no fortune and cannot see any way of marrying Dolph. Freddy worries that Kitty is seeing a lot of Dolph and then meets her going into a museum with her cousin. But she then explains to him that she's trying to help him meet Hannah and try and plan to marry her. Freddy is a bit taken aback by Hannah, who is plain, not very young and blunt in her manners.. but he can agree with Kitty that Dolph needs someone to look after him. He loves Hannah, and marrying a merchant's daughter isn't that big a sin, really. Hannah wants to move to Ireland, where Dolphinton has an estate. She feels that life in the country would be much better for him than a social life in town that he cannot enjoy. Dolphinton's mother holds the purse strings and keeps him short of money and Hannah has no money of her own, so it seems difficult to work out how they can get married.