Arabella: Gossip, scandal and an unforgettable Regency romance by Georgette Heye

Description: Arabella by Georgette Heyer Impetuosity is Arabellas only fault. An enchanting debutante and the eldest daughter of a country parson, she should know better than to allow herself to be provoked by Mr. Beaumaris, the most eligible Nonpareil of the day. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description A dashing tale of heroes, heroines and Regency romance by one of our best-known and most beloved historical novelists.If you love Bridgerton, youll love Georgette Heyer!The greatest writer who ever lived ANTONIA FRASERAbsolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes . . . Utter, immersive escapism SOPHIE KINSELLAOne of my perennial comfort authors. Heyers books are as incisively witty and quietly subversive as any of Jane Austens JOANNE HARRIS_____________A fiery debutante. An ill-tempered bachelor. A romance for the ages.Arabella, the daughter of an impoverished country parson, dreams of a new life in London. But her beauty and charm will only get her so far - and when Arabella embarks on her first London season armed with nothing but a benevolent godmother and her own notoriously short temper, she quickly runs afoul of Robert Beaumaris.Hes the most eligible bachelor of the day, with a personality as strong and combative as hers - and Arabella cannot abide him thinking of her as just another pretty girl after his wealth. So she allows herself to be provoked into a game of deception - one that could have unexpected consequences...Arabella is a rich, dashing romance from Georgette Heyer, the legendary creator of the beloved Regency romance genre._____________Wonderful characters . . . rapturously romantic KATIE FFORDEA wonderful wit . . . Ive read her over and over and over again STEPHEN FRYTriumphantly good . . . Georgette Heyer is unbeatable INDIA KNIGHT_____________Readers love Arabella ...***** An absolutely fantastic read***** A true Regency romance classic***** Enjoyed this book so much I read it again.***** I absolutely loved it!***** Kept me wholly entertained and engrossed. Notes A dashing and thrilling romance from one of our best-known and most beloved historical novelists. Author Biography Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, who made the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of seventeen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one. Review "Triumphantly good... Georgette Heyer is unbeatable" -- India Knight Sunday Telegraph "Sparkling" Independent on Sunday "A writer of great wit and style ... Ive read her books to ragged shreds" -- Kate Fenton Daily Telegraph Promotional One of best-known and most beloved historical novelists will capture a whole new audience in a stunning repackage. Review Text "Triumphantly good... Georgette Heyer is unbeatable" Promotional "Headline" A dashing tale of heroes, heroines and Regency romance by one of our best-known and most beloved historical novelists. Excerpt from Book One The schoolroom in the Parsonage at Heythram was not a large apartment, but on a bleak January day, in a household where the consumption of coals was a consideration, this was not felt by its occupants to be a disadvantage. Quite a modest fire in the high, barred grate made it unnecessary for all but one of the four young ladies present to huddle shawls round their shoulders. But Elizabeth, the youngest of the Reverend Henry Tallants handsome daughters, was suffering from the ear-ache, and, besides stuffing a roasted onion into the afflicted orifice, had swathed her head and neck in an old Cashmere shawl. She lay curled up on an aged sofa, with her head on a worn red cushion, and from time to time uttered a long-suffering sigh, to which none of her sisters paid any heed. Betsy was known to be sickly. It was thought that the climate of Yorkshire did not agree with her constitution, and since she spent the greater part of the winter suffering from a variety of minor ills her delicacy was regarded by all but her Mama as a commonplace. There were abundant signs, littered over the table in the centre of the room, that the young ladies had retired to this cosy, shabby apartment to hem shirts, but only one of them, the eldest, was thus engaged. In a chair on one side of the fireplace, Miss Margaret Tallant, a buxom fifteen-year-old, was devouring the serial story in a bound volume of The Ladies Monthly Museum , with her fingers stuffed in her ears; and seated opposite to Miss Arabella, her stitchery lying neglected on the table before her, sat Miss Sophia, reading aloud from another volume of this instructive periodical. I must say, Bella, she remarked, momentarily lowering the book, I find this most perplexing! Only listen to what it says here! We have presented our subscribers with fashions of the newest pattern, not such as shall violate the laws of propriety and decorum, but such as shall assist the smile of good humour, and give an additional charm to the carriage of benevolence. Economy ought to be the order of the day - And then, if you please, there is a picture of the most ravishing evening-gown - Do but look at it, Bella! - and it says that the Russian bodice is of blue satin, fastened in front with diamonds! Well! Her sister obediently raised her eyes from the wristband she was hemming, and critically scanned the willowy giantess depicted amongst the Fashion Notes. Then she sighed, and once more bent her dark head over her work. Well, if that is their notion of economy, I am sure I couldnt go to London, even if my godmother invited me. And I know she wont, she said fatalistically. You must and you shall go! declared Sophy, in accents of strong resolution. Only think what it may mean to all of us if you do! Yes, but I wont go looking like a dowd, objected Arabella, and if I am obliged to have diamond fastenings to my bodices, you know very well- Oh, stuff! I daresay that is the extreme of fashion, or perhaps they are made of paste! And in any event this is one of the older numbers. I know I saw in one of them that jewelry is no longer worn in the mornings, so very likely - Where is that volume? Margaret, you have it! Do, pray, give it to me! You are by far too young to be interested in such things! Margaret uncorked her ears to snatch the book out of her sisters reach. No! Im reading the serial story! Well, you should not. You know Papa does not like us to read romances. If it comes to that, retorted Margaret, he would be excessively grieved to find you reading nothing better than the latest modes! They looked at one another; Sophys lip quivered. Dear Meg, do pray give it to me, only for a moment ! Well, I will when I have finished the Narrative of Augustus Waldstein , said Margaret. But only for a moment, mind! Wait, I know there is something here to the purpose! said Arabella, dropping her work to flick over the pages of the volume abandoned by Sophia. Method of Preserving Milk by Horse-Radish . . . White Wax for the Nails . . . Human Teeth placed to Stumps . . . Yes, here it is! Now, listen, Meg! Where a Female has in early life dedicated her attention to novel-reading she is unfit to become the companion of a man of sense, or to conduct a family with propriety and decorum. There! She looked up, the prim pursing of her lips enchantingly belied by her dancing eyes. I am sure Mama is not unfit to be the companion of a man of sense! cried Margaret indignantly. And she reads novels! And even Papa does not find The Wanderer objectionable, or Mrs Edgeworths Tales ! No, but he did not like it when he found Bella reading The Hungarian Brothers , or The Children of the Abbey , said Sophia, seizing the opportunity to twitch The Ladies Monthly Museum out of her sisters slackened grasp. He said there was a great deal of nonsense in such books, and that the moral tone was sadly lacking. Moral tone is not lacking in the serial I am reading! declared Margaret, quite ruffled. Look what it says there, near the bottom of the page! " Albert! be purity of character your duty! " I am sure he could not dislike that! Arabella rubbed the tip of her nose. Well, I think he would say it was fustian, she remarked candidly. But do give the book back to her, Sophy! I will, when I have found what Im looking for. Besides, it was I who had the happy notion to borrow the volumes from Mrs Caterham, so - Yes, here it is! It says that only jewelry of very plain workmanship is worn in the mornings nowadays. She added, on a note of doubt: I daresay the fashions dont change so very fast, even in London. This number is only three years old. The sufferer on the sofa sat up cautiously. But Bella hasnt got any jewelry, has she? This observation, delivered with all the bluntness natural in a damsel of only nine summers, threw a blight over the company. I have the gold locket and chain with the locks of Papas and Mamas hair in it, said Arabella defensively. If you had a tiara, and a - a cestus, and an armlet to match it, it might answer, said Sophy. There is a toilet described here with just those ornaments. Her three sisters gazed at her in astonishment. What is a cestus? they demanded. Sophy shook her head. I dont know, she confessed. Well, Bella hasnt got one at all events, said the Jobs comforter on the sofa. If she were so poor-spirited as to refuse to go to London for such a trifling reason as that, I would never forgive her! declared Sophy. Of course I would not! exclaimed Arabella scornfully. But I have not the least expectation that Lady Bridlington will invite me, for why should she, only because I am her goddaughter? I never saw her in my life! She sent a very handsome shawl for your christening gift, said Margaret hopefully. Besides being Mamas dearest friend, added Sophy. But Mama has not seen her either - at least, not for years and years! And she never sent Bella anything else, not even when she was confirmed, pointed out Betsy, gingerly removing the onion from her ear, and throwing it into the fire. If your ear-ache is better, said Sophia, eyeing her with disfavour, you may hem this seam for me! I want to draw a pattern for a new flounce. Mama said I was to sit quietly by the fire, replied the invalid, disposing herself more comfortably. Are there any acrostics in those fusty old books? No, and if there were I would not give them to anyone so disobliging as you, Betsy! said Sophy roundly. Betsy began to cry, in an unconvincing way, but as Margaret was once more absorbed in her serial, and Arabella had drawn Sophias attention to the picture of a velvet pelisse trimmed lavishly with ermine, no one paid any heed to her, and she presently relapsed into silence, merely sniffing from time to time, and staring resentfully at her two eldest sisters. They presented a charming picture, as they sat poring over their book, their dark ringlets intermingled, and their arms round each others waists. They were very plainly dressed, in gowns of blue kerseymere, made high to the throat, and with long tight sleeves; and they wore no other ornaments than a knot or two of ribbons; but the Vicars numerous offspring were all remarkable for their good looks and had very little need of embellishment. Although Arabella was unquestionably the Beauty of the family, it was pretty generally agreed in the neighbourhood that once Sophia had outgrown the over-plumpness of her sixteen years she might reasonably hope to rival her senior. Each had large, dark, and expressive eyes, little straight noses, and delicately moulded lips; each had complexions which were the envy of less fortunate young ladies, and which owed nothing to Denmark Lotion, Olympian Dew, Bloom of Ninon, or any other aid to beauty advertised in the society journals. Sophia was the taller of the two; Arabella had by far the better figure, and the neater ankle. Sophia looked to be the more robust; Arabella enchanted her admirers by a deceptive air of fragility, which inspired one romantically-minded young gentleman to liken her to a leaf blown by the wind; and another to address a very bad set of verses to her, apostrophising her as the New Titania. Unfortunately, Harr Details ISBN0099465620 Author Georgette Heyer Year 2004 ISBN-10 0099465620 ISBN-13 9780099465621 Format Paperback Publication Date 2004-10-07 Imprint Arrow Books Ltd Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 823.912 Birth 1902 Death 1974 Media Book Publisher Cornerstone Language English Pages 288 UK Release Date 2004-10-07 AU Release Date 2004-10-07 NZ Release Date 2004-10-07 Subtitle Gossip, scandal and an unforgettable Regency romance Audience General Alternative 9781407085128 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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