Friday’s Child

Friday’s Child (1944) Georgette Heyer

Lord Sherington needs to get married to take control over his inheritance–especially since he suspects one of his uncles of not acting in his best interests. Sherry, however, is turned down by The Incomparable, Isabelle.

‘But my dear girl – ! No, really, now, Bella! Most devoted slave! Word of a gentleman, I am! Good God, haven’t I been dangling at your shoe-strings ever since I first knew you?’

‘No,’ said Miss Milborne.

The Viscount blinked at her.

‘When you first knew me,’ said Miss Milborne, not rancorously, but as one stating a plain truth, ‘you said all girls were plaguey nuisances, and you called me Foxy, because you said I had foxy-coloured hair.’

So Sherry decides that Miss Hero Wantage will work just as well.

Dash it, Hero, I don’t want to talk like a coxcomb, and I dare say I may want for principle, and have libertine propensities, and spend all my time in gaming-hells, besides being the sort of ugly customer no woman of sensibility could stomach, but you can’t pretend that you wouldn’t be far more comfortable with me than at the curst school you keep on prosing about!’

It’s an interesting story, watching Sherry discover that having control over his finances means having to grow up, and that having a wife is more than just someone waiting at home for him.

‘Lady Sherry,’ said Mr Ringwood obstinately, ‘would like the balls at the Castle Inn. Like to be presented to the Regent, too. Believe he’s still down there.’

‘Yes, and a pretty time I should have of it, looking after her!’ retorted Sherry scornfully. ‘You know very well she’s no more fitted to keep the line amongst the set of fellows she’d meet there than a half-fledged chicken!’

‘Very true,’ said Mr Ringwood, nodding wisely. ‘Better go to Leicestershire. Tell you what: give it out you’ve gone on your honeymoon.’

‘That’s a devilish good notion, Gil!’ approved the Viscount. ‘You’d better come along with us!’

But I think Gil ended up being my favorite character.

Mr Ringwood agreed that this was certainly enough to shake any man’s nerve; but said after a short pause: ‘You know what I think, Sherry?’

‘Yes: that she don’t mean any harm,’ replied Sherry. ‘You’ve said it before – in fact, you’re always saying it! – and I know it without your telling me.’

‘I wasn’t going to say that,’ said Mr Ringwood. ‘Going to say, she don’t make the same mistake twice. Noticed it.’

This isn’t my favorite Heyer, but it was a lot of fun.

Publisher : Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rating: 8/10

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