Black Sheep

 

By Georgette Heyer

Abigail Wendover had to go out of town for a few weeks and when she returned home to Bath and her sister Selina it was to discover that Selina and Fanny, their young niece of 17, had become enamored of a fortune hunter, Stacy Calverleigh. A handsome and well-spoken man of an ancient British family, Stacy knows how to charm the ladies. And impressionable Fanny and gullible Selina, who is plenty old enough to know better, have fallen for his charms. Fanny has decided that Stacy is the love of her life. But Abigail has been informed of Stacy's true character, that he is a gambler and is known to be nearly bankrupt and has been chasing after every wealthy female that crosses his path. So Abigail is certain his love for Fanny is based upon the knowledge that she will be a wealthy woman when she comes of age.

Stacy Calverleigh is not the only Calverleigh to enter into the Wendover's lives. Stacy's black sheep uncle, Miles Calverleigh, has returned to England after a long absence of nearly twenty years. He was sent to India as a young man in disgrace for running away with another man's fiancée. Now he is home for good and has made the acquaintance of Abigail Wendover and he is smitten. His feelings are returned but he is still looked at as unacceptable due to his past mistakes and to the belief that he is as poor as his nephew Stacy. What no one knows is that Miles made his fortune in India and has come home a very wealthy man.

So Miles is chasing after Abigail but Abigail considers herself an old maid and is more concerned about taking care of her idiot sister Selina and their niece Fanny than she is about her own future. Plus her family is as against any connection with Miles are they are about Fanny's love affair with the disreputable Stacy.

This was a good read. The repartee between Fanny and Miles is some of the funniest that Heyer ever wrote. The plot is kind of lame, with the supposedly intelligent Abigail willing throw her future happiness away for the sake of naïve Fanny and selfish, silly Selina. But Miles pursuit of Abigail makes this one of Heyer's most amusing romances, especially the ending, which is very satisfying.

Here is a review by Austenprose.