History Creator / GeorgetteHeyer

* ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime: See TwinSwitch below.

* DownerEnding: Unusual for a Heyer novel, but it's a doozy. [[spoiler: Penhallow's death doesn't make things better; in fact, [[FromBadtoWorse it makes things even worse]]. The family are drawn together even tighter, even though few of them wish to be so, and the eldest is DrivenToSuicide because he thinks he'll be implicated by the LiteralAndFigurativeBastard, although on the last page it's revealed that the bastard in question did nothing of the sort. The police never catch the killer at the end, making the whole thing one big ShootTheShaggyDogStory]]. Some Heyer fans suspect that she was writing this book to make up for all the cheeriness in all of her other novels!

* {{Adorkable}}: Freddy.

Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was one of the most successful English romance novelists of the 20th century. Her books were famous for her intelligent comedy, the genuine sweetness of her romances and [[ShownTheirWork her meticulous research]] on the [[RegencyEngland Regency period]] - which in turn leads to ''An Infamous Army'' rather incongruously being on the recommended reading list at freaking Sandhurst, the UK equivalent of West Point, for its superb description of the Battle of Waterloo. She also wrote a few detective novels here and there, but these aren't nearly as well-known, which is a shame.

* HelloNurse: Venetia, and also [[spoiler: her mother]].

* GrayEyes: The extremely smart and perceptive Lord Legerwood.

Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was one of the most successful romance novelists of the 20th century. Her books were famous for her intelligent comedy, the genuine sweetness of her romances and [[ShownTheirWork her meticulous research]] on the [[RegencyEngland Regency period]] - which in turn leads to ''An Infamous Army'' rather incongruously being on the recommended reading list at freaking Sandhurst, the UK equivalent of West Point, for its superb description of the Battle of Waterloo. She also wrote a few detective novels here and there, but these aren't nearly as well-known, which is a shame.

* AnnoyingYoungerSiblings: A grown-up example in Lavinia and Andrew.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: [[spoiler: The climax of the plot reveals that the Taverner siblings' cousin, Bernard, has been trying to dispose of Peregrine so Judith could inherit the whole of the family fortune, and then marry Judith (to his credit, he does appear to genuinely love her). Judith despairingly says that if he needed money, all he had to do was ''ask'' them for it. However, Worth points out that Bernard likely wouldn't want to be in his cousin's debt, and his own debts were far too great to be paid by an indulgent relation.]]

* UhOhEyes: Tracy's "catlike," slanted GreenEyes, lovingly and repeatedly mentioned by the narrator.

Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was one of the most successful romance novelists of the 20th century. Her books were famous for her intelligent comedy, the genuine sweetness of her romances and [[ShownTheirWork her meticulous research]] on the [[RegencyEngland Regency period]]. She also wrote a few detective novels here and there, but these aren't nearly as well-known, which is a shame.

Georgette Heyer was one of the most successful romance novelists of the 20th century. Her books were famous for her intelligent comedy, the genuine sweetness of her romances and [[ShownTheirWork her meticulous research]] on the [[RegencyEngland Regency period]]. She also wrote a few detective novels here and there, but these aren't nearly as well-known, which is a shame.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Dolly "the Dasher" jumps at the chance to help Miles with his plan to show Stacy's true colors. In fact, she insists to be part of it.

* MeetCute

* '''Heroine #1:''' A [[SpiritedYoungLady lively young woman]]. She naturally gets herself into many a social scrape, [[DistressedDamsel from which the hero must rescue her]], and either bounces back or feels humiliated deep down inside that he saw her in such a state.

* CostumePorn: Clothing will be described in loving detail. As many of her heroes are [[SharpDressedMan Sharp Dressed Men]], the men's clothing will very likely be described in even more detail than the women's.

* RunawayFiancee: Subverted: Serena persuades her to go back to Rotherham, who is highly annoyed at Serena ruining his {{plan}}.

* DistressedDamsel
* DysfunctionalFamily: both the Carstares and Belmanoirs.

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: [[VillainBall Tried twice]]. [[WhatAnIdiot Failed.]] [[JustInTime Twice.]]

* TheDutifulSon

* DistressedDamsel: But not the heroine herself.

* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: [[spoiler:The heroine]] is this.

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Kate's relationship with Philip.

* DistressedDamsel: Subverted: Mary shoots Vidal when he comes near her and derides crying and screaming as a useless ploy when in trouble.

* TheMatchmaker: Deb for Lord Mablethorpe and Phoebe.

* TooDumbToLive: Belinda, as [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by many, many characters.

* VictoriousChildhoodFriend: Hero.

* LoveEpiphany: [[spoiler:Charles seems to have one when he sees Sophy self-sacrificially tending to his very ill little sister]].

* {{MacGuffin}}: The missing document.

* [[IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship I Don't Want To Ruin Our Friendship]]: Hester's main anxiety about rejecting Gareth's first proposal.

* MagnificentBastard: Avon. The "bastard" part gets [[ReformedRakes reformed]] at least slightly, but the "magnificent" part is still going strong in the next book, ''Devil's Cub.''

* GemEncrusted: Horatia buys a pair of shoes with emerald-studded heels.

* CampStraight: Freddy, who is not a {{Casanova}}, cares deeply about fashion, and is very fastidious about rules of proper conduct. He is considered so safe for women that men don't mind him being around their wives and Kitty uses him as her fake fiancé, knowing that he won't take advantage of this and want to marry her himself. [[spoiler: But he is certainly straight, and becomes protective of her to the point of violence, which shocks everybody he knows, and eventually falls in love with her.]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:Damarel pretends that his flirtation with Venetia had only been a pleasant game, and makes her leave, because he thinks she deserves better than him, and because of his reputation (see above).]]

* NobodyThinksItWillWork: Everyone, with the exception of [[ShipperOnDeck Aubrey]] and Venetia – and including Damerel – thinks Damerel and Venetia will be miserable together.

* LoveDodecahedron: [[spoiler: Drusilla is interested in St Erth, who along with Theodore, Martin and Viscount Alderston are all interested in Marianne, who in turn is only interested in the Viscount.]]

* AgentPeacock: Rule. He is one of the dandy set, closely befriended with dandy-in-chief Beau Brummel, and Judith is convinced that all dandies are horrid sissies, only to be shocked to find them actually kind of classy, very well dressed and in the case of Rule surprisingly badass. Rule is a skilled boxer, who can knock another man out cold when it becomes necessary.

* CampStraight: Freddy, who is not a {{Casanova}}, cares deeply about fashion, and is very fastidious about rules of proper conduct. He is considered so safe for women that men don't mind him being around their wives and Kitty uses him as her fake fiance, knowing that he won't take advantage of this and want to marry her himself. [[spoiler: But he is certainly straight, and becomes protective of her to the point of violence, which shocks everybody he knows, and eventually falls in love with her.]]

* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Adam and Jenny, as despite initial appearances they're both willing to try and make it work - Jenny rather more so, of course - and suit each other well.

* GambitPileup: Lady Massey is out to get Rule back; Lord Lethbridge is out to compromise Horatia in order to humiliate her husband; Drelincourt wants to destroy the marriage so he won't be displaced in the succession to the Earldom; Viscount Windwood wants to protect his sister; Horatia wants to save her marriage - and Rule wants exactly the same thing. The intersection of all these plots and plans results in a confused whirlwind of duels, risque parties, kidnapping, attempted murder, highwaymen and an heirloom brooch.

* PlotTriggeringDeath: The story begins with the death of Serena's father, leading to her discovery that he has named her former fiance as her guardian.