The tale of lovely Venetia and rakish Jasper
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The lovely Venetia Lanyon is another patented original Heyer heroine. Brought up in near seclusion in Yorkshire, Venetia has never been further than Harrogate nor has she enjoyed the attentions of any but her two wearisomely persistent suitors - one by far too young and excessively romantic, one much too worthy. It seems as if our heroine is doomed to either marry one of her unwanted beaus or to remain single - no doubt to remain a doting maiden aunt to her two brothers' future children.
But she doesn't despair. Far from it, in fact. Venetia seems to live live with a passion - though a little more sedately in comparison with the wildly impetuous Leonie Saint Vire. Her sense of the ridiculous leave most of her neighbours staring - or worse asking her what the joke meant.
Then by chance, in one extraordinary encounter, she meets a charming libertine, the infamous Lord Jasper Damerel whom she has christened the Wicked Baron. Before she knows what she's about, their relationship has progressed into one of such familiarity and intimacy that she can't conceive of a day's passing without seeing Jasper - and hearing him call her dear delight.
Upon seeing Venetia, Lord Damerel finds that he can't help being intrigued and fascinated by the ingenuous, lively beauty. As his warm feelings start to deepen into love, Damerel recoils from the idea of furthering his intentions with his admir'd Venetia as he finds that he has little to offer her - with his checkered, scandalous past and a fortune sadly wasted. The arrival of her elder brother's new wife brings about a vast change in her life. Not that the new Lady Lanyon threatened to disrupt the household for she was a shy, unimpressive dab of a girl. However her mother, Mrs Scorrier, was a vicious, devil-tempered termagant who seemed to find satisfaction in undermining Venetia's position in the household. Her younger brother, Aubrey's acid tongue only served to exacerbate the potentially explosive situation. The only thing that kept Venetia from going into a decline was Damerel's teasing humour. Unfortunately, that was soon to be denied her as Damerel succumbs to a fit of nobility. Her well-meaning relatives added to Damerel's guilt and ultimately convinced him to leave her. When an invitation is made for Venetia to join her aunt in London, Damerel makes sure that she goes - making light of their relationship and adjuring that she find a better match in London.
Rejected, Venetia travels to London with a heavy heart. The gaieties of London manage to lift her spirits a little but she can't entirely banish Damerel from her mind - and her heart. After several interesting revelations about her past, Venetia finally realizes Damerel's reason for acting like an unconscionable cad. Without much ado, she hops aboard the next carriage back to Yorkshire to confront him. Venetia arrives home to find her beloved much castaway, drowning his sorrows in brandy - therefore casting aside any doubt she might have had about his true feelings. When Damerel still seeks to observe the proprieties and offers to leave, Venetia tells him of her ingenious plan to join her reprehensible mother and her beau on the Continent. It seems that Venetia's mother, Lady Steeple, was a scandalous beauty who had divorced her father to marry another gentleman thereby shocking the Polite World.
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Arabella |
