Friday's Child

 

By Georgette Heyer

A Regency Romance

Young Lord Sheringham just popped in to see Isabella Milborne. They had been neighbors since they were kids and so Sherry, as he is called by his friends, thought he could just barge in. What he didn't know was that Isabella had come home from her London season because she had taken ill. Not a serious illness, but to been seen with measles spots on her perfect face was not acceptable. So off to the country home for the current reigning maiden of the London social scene until she was back to her usual gorgeous self. For Isabella was all the rage and all the young bucks were besotted with her, including her old childhood friend, Lord Sheringham. 

But Isabella was not having it. She spurned his offer of marriage, saying she was quite sure he was not truly in love with her. And that she didn't care for his bachelor lifestyle of sports, gambling, boozing and loose women. At which point Sherry admitted that he has gotten himself into a bit of debt and needed to get married in order to gain full access to his inheritance. Which is held in a trust until he is twenty five (he's only twenty four) or until he is married. 

Sherry headed home only to quarrel with his mother and his uncle, declaring that he is going back to London and he will marry the first woman he sees. Fortunately, the first woman he sees is an old friend he comes across on the roadside not too far from his country home. Hero Wantage and Sherry are old friends, Hero, who is seven years younger than Sherry, used to tag along after him when they were kids. Sherry stops to talk to Hero and it turns out she is running away from home. Hero is an orphan and has lived with her Aunt Jane most of her young life. The aunt has decided it is time for Hero to make her way in the world and has arranged for her to start work as a governess. But Hero would rather not be a governess or marry the curate. 

When Sherry explains that Isabella turned him down and about his quarrel with his family and his threat to marry the first woman he sees, Hero laughingly points out that she is the first woman! At first, Sherry rejects that idea but quickly changes his mind. Off to London they go, to obtain a special license and get married as soon as possible, quite clueless of the pitfalls in their path to a happy marriage.

Sherry treats Hero like a pal, not like his wife. Hero is not used to London society and Sherry, pursuing his own interests, is not providing the guidance she needs and she tumbles into one scrape after the other, much to Sherry's annoyance. In fact, he becomes so annoyed that he decides to send back to the country, to live with his mother. At which point, Hero runs away again as Sherry's mother did not approve of their runaway marriage and despises Hero.  

This was a good story. Probably more enjoyable for those who not as familiar with Heyer's Regency novels as I am. For me, the characters and the plot were nearly identical to characters in some of the other stories. Nothing that happens in the story is at all surprising, all of it quite familiar. The ending is fun, with all the young people ending up at the same place at the same time, along with the old lady's dog, a chunky pug.  

Here is a review by Lauren Ann Nattress of Austenprose.