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The Nonesuch - Georgette Heyer 28

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HoratiaDrelincourt · 31/05/2014 21:26

My turn again?

This isn't the first time we've encountered by Regency standards The Perfect Man, nor will it be the last. How does Sir Waldo compare with Sylvester, with Beaumaris, with Alverstoke?

Unlike the earlier incarnations, he is not arrogant nor judgey. His fault is perhaps levity. His only fault apparent to Ancilla is not even real. Is he too perfect? I don't lust after admire him as I do the flawed-hero-redeemed-by-love. I certainly don't find him interesting.

Ancilla isn't much better - noble enough, clever, witty, modest, principled ... but not interesting. This is another novel distinguished not by the love story but rather by the minor characters and their escapades. As Heyer grew up grew old? did she find romance calmer, quieter, gentler, leaving the adventures for the young? We began to see her grow out of the exciting "falling in love" in Civil Contract, after all.

The minor characters, then: a substantial cast of mainly young (15-25), well-off people without much to do. They inherit and spend money, passing their time in riding, walking, dancing, and bickering good-heartedly.

The novel opens in great age, and death, as the old cousin is succeeded by Waldo. Lady Lindeth would have thought herself a very unnatural parent had she not made a push to secure [Joseph's fortune] for her son [... but] after all her pains he had left his entire estate to Waldo, who was neither the most senior of his relations nor the one who bore his name! [...] To learn that Cousin Joseph's estate was to be added to an already indecently large fortune did make her feel for a few minutes that so far from liking him she detested him.

Since one cannot possibly earn money one must inherit whatever one can. In the novel there are consequently lots of mothers but few fathers. Inevitably this becomes a role Waldo takes on for the poor orphans and his own cousins. But he does not do so equally, nor particularly, not having had a good example of his own. Is this his one fault, which eluded me earlier?

"You know, George, when my father died, I was too young for my inheritance. I ruined Laurie. By the time I'd acquired enough sense to know what it signified to him, the mischief had been done."

Further on: By his easy, unthinking generosity he had sapped whatever independence Laurie might have had, imposing no check upon his volatility, but rather encouraging him in the conviction that he would never be run quite off his legs because his wealthy cousin would infallibly rescue him from utter disaster.

When Laurie tries to rescue Lindeth (not realising that he is no longer captive) it is not for his own sake, but only for Waldo's approval, and specifically his purse. Laurie had not been mistaken in thinking that Julian was [Waldo's] favourite cousin.

We talked last time of a move towards Victorianism, and Waldo's work for "his brats" is very Victorian in its paternalism. In a generation it will be expected of all gentlemen (and not just clergy) - he is a pioneer. Laurence for one is unsympathetic: "What ought to be mine is to be squandered on the scaff and raff of the back-slums! You don't want it yourself, but you'd rather by far benefit a set of dirty, worthless brats than your own with and kin. [...] By God, you make me sick!"

And it is the fact that his benevolence is unusual that causes the misunderstanding with Ancilla. By far more plausible that a sporting man should have a string of by-blows and offer a governess a carte blanche than that he should sponsor a string of orphanages!

Meanwhile, an orphan with every possible advantage - except in character:
"And if you think he has only to see you to fall in love with you, you much mistake the matter! I dare swear he is acquainted with a score of girls prettier by far than you!"
"Oh no!" she said, adding simply: "He couldn't be!"
Miss Chartley was silenced. Honesty compelled her to acknowledge that Tiffany Wield was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen or acknowledged. Everything about her was perfection.

Our previous heroines have been beautiful, if conventionally so. Here, though, outer beauty is vanquished by inner maturity and generosity of character: again the older, wiser Heyer tiring of the fairytale themes of her youth.

But the young of the story are still on thrall to Beauty. Tiffany's outrageous first meeting with Lindeth really should have put him on his guard. Again and again she acts disgracefully but he defends her until he has the obvious comparison with Patience right under his nose. His manners are perfect throughout, nonetheless: if she had been an invisible spectator she would not have guessed from his demeanour that he was at all disappointed. He was far too polite to betray himself; and of too cheerful and friendly a disposition to show the least want of cordiality.

Waldo, on the other hand, has Tiffany's measure almost immediately, understanding her just as Mrs Underhill and Miss Trent, though managing her differently as the novel progresses: as conduct befitting one who was to all intents and purposes a daughter of the house this belated arrival on the scene might leave much to be desired; but as an entrance it was superb. He had never beheld a livelier vision, and he was neither impressionable nor three-and-twenty. Oh my God! thought Sir Waldo. Now we are in the basket!

It is to Waldo that Tiffany turns after her carriage is heinously stolen from her to transport the wretched brat - Like a child suffering from over-excitement, she was as miserable as she was cross. Tiffany never consciously deviated from the truth, but since she saw everything only as it affected herself, the truth was apt to become somewhat distorted.

Julian's enlightenment comes slowly but surely: first he sees Tiffany's spiteful selfishness which she dresses up as reaction against over-propriety; then her callous disregard for her friend's health. By the final incident with the little boy the scales have already fallen from his eyes.
Miss Trent had seen the look of shocked dismay in his face when it had been so forcibly borne in on him that his goddess had feet of clay; and her heart was wrung with pity.

But Julian's "love" for Tiffany is like Romeo's for Rosaline - preparing him for the wife to suit him, regardless of how ill-matched they might seem at first glance.

Sir Waldo believed that [Lady Lindeth] would soon take the gentle Patience to her bosom. A pungent description of the beautiful Miss Wield would go a long way towards settling her mind. [...] Just as Patience differed from Tiffany, so did Julian's courtship of her differ from his eager pursuit of Tiffany. He had begun with liking; his admiration had been kindled by the Leeds episode; and he was now quietly and deeply in love. In other words, he has followed the adult model Heyer is now preferring!

"Do you know, Waldo, I never thought of marriage?" he said naively. "I hadn't considered it before, but now you've mentioned it I don't think that I ever thought of it until I met Miss Chartley. In fact, I never thought about the future at all. But since I've come to know Patience, naturally, I've done so, because I wish to spend the rest of my life with her. And what's more, I'm going to!"

(on to second post as original was too long for an OP - who knew there was even a limit!!)

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Idontknowhowtohelpher · 15/06/2014 09:09

In Jane Aiken Hodge's biography of Georgette Heyer she quotes from a letter GH wrote where GH says that The Nonsuch had been "written under difficulties, and I think it stinks." She was having problems with her publishers at the time. It's a good biography and really readable!