Cotillion

Cotillion (1953) Georgette Heyer

Another re-read, because there’s nothing quite like foolish young people to distract from the real, modern world.

Kitty Charing was adopted by the very rich and very unpleasant Matthew Penicuik. When he makes his will, he states that she will inherit his entire fortune–if she marries one of his great-nephews. The great-nephews are an assorted lot to say the least: George, who’s married (who wasn’t supposed to be there!); Huge, the upright rector and George’s brother; Dolphington, the sweet by incredibly stupid Duke who is there only because his Mama ordered him to make an offer for Kitty; Jack, the flirt who is also Uncle Matthew’s favorite; the absolute dandy, who is wealthy in his own right (one has to be, to be a dandy).

Kitty is sweet and innocent, and in her desire to spend at least a month in London, drags her cousin into her schemes and gets herself into all kinds of scrapes.

Part of the fun of this story is (for me) hating the beloved Jack. The more time one spends with him, the more horrible he becomes, although much of that is because one is looking at him through modern eyes.

The other part was the light amusement throughout the story.

‘Ask Jack?’ she repeated, in a very alarming voice. ‘I wouldn’t ask Jack–I wouldn’t ask Jack even to frank a letter for me!’

‘Wouldn’t be any use if you did,’ said Freddy, always practical. ‘He ain’t a Member of Parliament.’

Ah Freddy…

Lord Ledgerwood…regarded his son almost with awe. ‘These unsuspected depths, Frederick–! I have wronged you!’

‘Oh, I don’t know that, sir!’ Freddy said modestly. ‘I ain’t clever, like Charlie, but I ain’t such a sapskull as you think.’

‘I have always known you could not be, my dear boy.’

That makes me giggle very time I read it. As does this:

It might have been supposed that Freddy, whose intellect was not of the first order, would have found it impossible to grasp the gist of an extremely tangled and discursive story, but once more the possession of three volatile and excitable sisters stood him in good stead.

So, another lovely escape.
Rating: 8/10

Sourcebooks Casablanca

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