History Creator / GeorgetteHeyer

[[folder:Devil's Cub]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Although Mary mocks Vidal as being no more than bratty and not nearly as bad as he thinks he is.
* BettyAndVeronica: Appears several times. For Vidal Mary is Betty and her sister Sophie is Veronica. For Mary, Comyn is Betty and Vidal is Veronica.
* ContinuityNod: Avon deplores Vidal's [[DeadpanSnarker lack of finesse]] in methods of daylight abduction.
* DamselInDistress: Subverted: Mary shoots Vidal when he comes near her and derides crying and screaming as a useless ploy when in trouble.
* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Mary and Sophia.
* HandsomeLech: Vidal.
* HonorableMarriageProposal: First Vidal insists he must marry Mary to make up for compromising her reputation by taking her to France with him. Then Mr. Comyn offers her a way out of that dilemma by offering to marry her himself.
* HappilyMarried: Avon and Léonie from ''These Old Shades''.
* InnocentCohabitation: It may not have been intended as such, but Vidal goes to great lengths to make sure everyone knows he and Mary have not had sex.
* ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime: Thanks to the TwinSwitch below, Mary deliberately infuriates Vidal to put him off her sister for good. She mourns afterwards how silly an idea this really was, since it leads to him forcing her to come with him to France.
* ParentExMachina: [[spoiler:Avon]].
* ParentalMarriageVeto: Mary fully expects one of these from Vidal's parents, [[spoiler:so she runs away before they get there; averted because they both thoroughly approve of her]].
* PoirotSpeak: Léonie.
* RescueRomance: Averted: Vidal is what Mary needs to be rescued ''from''.
* TroubledButCute: Vidal.
* TwinSwitch: Sort of: Mary, although not Sophia's twin, swaps places with her in her elopement with Vidal in order to put him off.
* TheUnfavourite: Mary is this to her mother, who much prefers Sophia.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cotillion]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Subverted.
* BettyAndVeronica: [[spoiler: Freddy is Betty and Jack is Veronica for Kitty]].
* CampStraight: Freddy, who is not TheCasanova, 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.]]
* ChasteHero: Freddy. Often mistaken by readers as latent or closeted homosexual (see above) [[http://www.tor.com/2012/03/20/qit-wont-do-you-knowq-georgette-heyers-cotillion/]], but as a matter of fact there is no sign of his being attracted to anybody [[spoiler: until Kitty comes along, of course.]] He is, because of this trope, considered so harmless, that other men don't mind him spending time with their wives.
* ConvertingForLove: It's mentioned in passing that [[spoiler:Olivia]] will probably have to become a Catholic to marry [[spoiler:Camille]].
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: [[spoiler: Freddy may be a trifle slow, and he is neither tall or strong like his cousin Jack, but when the stronger, taller and rakish Jack calls Kitty a jade, Freddy punches him straight in the face.]]
* GeniusDitz: Freddy.
* GrandRomanticGesture: Parodied: Camille makes extravagant proclamations of what he would do to save Olivia, but is surprised when practical Freddy suggests [[spoiler:simply eloping with her]]. Also played subtly straight with Freddy submitting to a day of sightseeing with Kitty.
* HandsOnApproach: Freddy and Kitty dancing.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Freddy tries to do this for Kitty, despite [[spoiler:genuine reservations about Jack beyond simple jealousy]].
* KickTheDog: Jack [[spoiler:blackmails]] Camille and [[spoiler:insults]] Freddy.
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler:Camille and Olivia.]]
* LovingAShadow: Kitty's realisation that [[spoiler:she only ever loved her childhood hero, not Jack himself]].
* MasqueradeBall: Kitty has a miserable time at one of these until Freddy rescues her.
* OperationJealousy: Kitty tries one of these on [[spoiler:Jack]].
* PoirotSpeak: Camille.
* ProfessionalGambler: Jack, [[spoiler:Camille.]]
* ReformedRakes: Subverted: [[spoiler:not only is Jack not planning to reform for Kitty's sake, he's actively trying to seduce a friend of hers while courting her]].
* RomanticFakeRealTurn: [[spoiler: Kitty and Freddy]].
* RunawayFiance: Sort of: Kitty is running away from the ''possibility'' of being forced into an engagement to please her guardian, before coming up with a better plan.
* SecretRelationship: Freddy and Kitty pretend to have one of these.
%%* WrongGuyFirst
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Corinthian]]
%%* AttractiveBentGender
* BedsheetLadder: How Pen escapes her room, which leads to the MeetCute.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: [[spoiler:The heroine]] is the Unlucky type.
* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: [[spoiler:Pen]] and [[spoiler:Piers Luttrell ... for all the good it does them]]
* MacGuffin: The diamond necklace.
* MeetCute: The hero comes across the heroine dangling by a knotted sheet out her bedroom window (she's running away).
* MistakenForGay: Implicit; and then at the end several InnocentBystanders see the hero "ruthlessly" kissing the heroine -- who's still dressed as a boy.
%%* RaceForYourLove
* RomanticFalseLead/[[DisposableFiance Disposable Fiancée ]]: Does any reader seriously think Richard will marry Melissa?
%%* RunawayFiance
* SickeninglySweethearts: Parodied with the BetaCouple.
%%* SweetPollyOliver
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Convenient Marriage]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Horatia and Rule.
* TheBaroness / WomanScorned: Caroline Massey.
* BestServedCold: Lethbridge has been waiting seven years to get his revenge on Rule for foiling his attempt to elope with Rule's sister.
* ComedicSociopathy: Viscount Winwood and company.
* CorruptTheCutie: Lethbridge's intention for Horatia. Eventually leads to IHaveYouNowMyPretty, [[spoiler:foiled by a TapOnTheHead.]]
* DuelToTheDeath: Two, in fact, [[spoiler:although neither ends in death.]]
* 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 Winwood 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, risqué parties, kidnapping, attempted murder, highwaymen and an heirloom brooch.
* TheGamblingAddict: Several members of the Winwood family have "the fatal weakness."
* GemEncrusted: Horatia buys a pair of shoes with emerald-studded heels, the emeralds explain the ridiculous price.
* TheHighwayman: Played with. If a highwayman appears, either someone hired him for an ulterior purpose, or he's a major character in disguise.
* IAmNotPretty: "Horry" is certainly unconventional, with a SpeechImpediment and [[BigOlUnibrow straight, heavy eyebrows]], but Rule finds her charming [[JustTheWayYouAre just the way she is]].
* LoveDodecahedron: [[spoiler: Horatia is in love with her husband, and her husband is in love with her, but neither know it. Horatia thinks that her husband loves his former mistress Lady Caroline Massey, and thus falls into an unfortunate entanglement with Lord Lethbridge, who himself had an affair with Lady Caroline.]]
%%* MasqueradeBall
* MacGuffin: Everybody wants Horry's heirloom ring brooch.
* MilhollandRelationshipMoment: several, actually, but most notably Horatia's confession after Ranelagh.
* RescueRomance: How Lethbridge gets Horry's attention.
* SignatureItemClue: Horatia loses her distinctive heirloom ring brooch at Lethbridge's home.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Horatia is this.
* ThrowingDownTheGauntlet:
** Viscount Winwood provokes [[TheDandy Drelincourt]] into challenging him to a duel by first insulting and then stamping on his hat.
** In a more metaphorical sense, Horatia leaves Rule a defiant message before going off to Ranelagh.
* WackyMarriageProposal: Horry's ImpoverishedPatrician family desperately needs the match with the wealthy Earl of Rule but the beautiful elder sister is in love with another man. Horry very sensibly goes to Rule who is marrying for the bloodline not love, and asks if she won't do instead? He decides she would.
* ZanyScheme: Any plan Horry and her brother come up with.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:A Civil Contract]]
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Adam is stricken with horror upon realizing that, while Jenny is trying to make him comfortable and her wealth has given him everything, [[HeelRealization he's given her nothing.]] After that point, he starts trying to be considerate of her feelings and wants instead of being polite but minimum-effort.
* BirdsOfAFeather: Once they get to know each other, Adam and Jenny discover they have far more in common than either suspected, with both being level-headed, practical, [[StepfordSmiler reserved in manners of their feelings]], countryside lovers, and interested in handling their household affairs hands-on.
* FirstLove: Adam for Julia and vice versa. Compounding issues is that he's still in love with her, but has to marry Jenny to save his family. [[FromBadToWorse And they still have to see each other in society.]] [[spoiler:By the end of the novel, he's moved on and loves Jenny, though Jenny notes he'll likely always have a special place in his heart for Julia.]]
* HappilyMarried: Adam and Jenny, eventually. The end of the novel notes that [[spoiler:while theirs may not be a ''grand, exciting'' marriage built on the passion he had with Julia, it ''is'' one built on deepening friendship and comfortable love, and those make up far more of life's moments than passion alone.]]
* HistoricalInJoke: Adam [[spoiler:buying Government stock]] just before Waterloo.
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Jenny's father warning Adam that Wellington is bound to lose at Waterloo.
* NobilityMarriesMoney: What kickstarts the ArrangedMarriage between Adam and Jenny is the former's desperate need of money to pay off his father's debt's, and the latter's father's desperate want of a title for his daughter.
* MySisterIsOffLimits: Parodied: Adam pretends to be doubtful about Brough's intentions.
* 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.
** [[spoiler:Julia and Rockhill, despite the age gap. He finds her dramatics quite endearing and handles them well, while she's happy to be surrounded by love.]]
* SuddenlySuitableSuitor: Adam barely registers Jenny's existence until he finds out he's bankrupt and she has lots of money.
* WrongGuyFirst: [[spoiler:Naturally for a Heyer novel. By the end of the book, Adam and Julia have both learned that, while they had passion for each other, they didn't have very compatible personalities: Adam finds Julia too dramatic and she finds him too boring, and their current spouses suit them much better.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Black Sheep]]
* AbductionIsLove: Parodied: Miles kidnaps Abby in the end, but she's just irritated at him for being presumptuous; when he offers to take her back to her family if she says she ''really'' doesn't want to marry him, she replies that he can abduct her, but he can't make her tell a lie.
* AwesomeButImpractical: Miles and Abby discuss the logistics of a nocturnal elopement and agree that using a rope ladder in real life would be insanely difficult, especially for a woman wearing long skirts and petticoats.
* BatmanGambit: Miles hiring a prostitute to trick Stacey.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Subverted with Stacey Calverleigh.
* TheCharmer: Most characters (except Abby) find Stacey to be this.
* {{Elopement}}:
** [[spoiler: Averted by a timely attack of influenza.]]
** Also, the big reason Miles is the "black sheep" of his family is that he once attempted to elope with Fanny's mother.
* GenreSavvy: Abby refuses to pull a ParentalMarriageVeto on Fanny, knowing Fanny will try to elope with Stacey if she does.
* GoldDigger: Stacey is a male example.
* GuileHero: Miles can be seen as a reluctant, lazy version of this.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Dolly "the Dasher" jumps at the chance to help Miles with his plan to show Stacey's true colors. In fact, she insists to be part of it.
* HumiliationConga: For Stacey Calverleigh.
* {{Hypochondria}}: Selina's favorite pastime.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations: Between Abby and Miles early on, when she thinks he's the ''other'' Mr. Calverleigh.
* SiblingYinYang: Abby and Selina, the former lively, witty, and not one for social conventions, the latter a dainty hypochondriac who insists upon propriety.
* UnderdressedForTheOccasion: Miles shocks some people by paying morning calls in riding dress.
* TheUnfavourite: Miles was this in his family. He is the titular Black Sheep.
* VirginityMakesYouStupid: Fanny.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Black Moth]]
* AloofBigBrother: Tracy.
* {{Annoying Younger Sibling}}s: A grown-up example in Lavinia and Andrew.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[spoiler: Two-for-one example, as Tracy [[MagnificentBastard arranges]] for Lavinia and Richard to [[LoveEpiphany stay together]], and [[MealTicket keep him in reach of the Carstares' money]].]]
* BetaCouple: [[TheDutifulSon Richard]] and [[SpoiledBrat Lavinia]], whose subplot is more entertaining than the main's.
%%* ClearMyName
%%* DamselInDistress
%%* TheDutifulSon
* DysfunctionalFamily: Both the Carstares and Belmanoirs.
* TheGamblingAddict: Andrew.
%%* GracefulLoser
* HappilyMarried: Sir Miles and Molly O'Hara.
* HeelRealization: Lavinia vaguely realizes how shallow and petty she and the rest of her family is...but it never makes a particularly deep impression.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: [[VillainBall Tried twice.]] Failed. [[JustInTime Twice.]]
* ImpoverishedPatrician: The Belmanoirs.
* JustLikeRobinHood: Combined with TheHighwayman.
* PlotTriggeringDeath: The death of Jack and Richard's father leads the family lawyer to try to locate Jack, who has not been seen for six years.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Justified; they're [[UpperClassTwit idiots]].
* PurpleProse: Tracy verbally lapses into this when describing Diana's eyes to Lavinia.
--> Her Ladyship had recourse to the smelling-salts.
* LoveMakesYouDumb: and HOW.
* LoveRedeems: Tracy's friends hope for this...but, nope! Guess he'll have to wait for the sequel (or at least the SpiritualSuccessor, ''These Old Shades'').
* MakeUpOrBreakUp: Richard and Lavinia. [[spoiler: They stay together.]]
%%* MistakenForCheating
%%* RescueRomance
* TitleDrop: numerous times.
* ThickerThanWater: What saves the Belmanoirs from being utter bastards.
* UhOhEyes: Tracy's "catlike," slanted green eyes, lovingly and repeatedly mentioned by the narrator.
* UptightLovesWild: Richard and Lavinia.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:April Lady]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Actually a [[MarryForLove love match]] that both participants ''think'' is an arranged marriage.
* BetaCouple: Letty and Mr. Allandale.
* BigSecret: Nell's bill from the dressmaker. Leads to a half-serious case of MistakenForCheating.
* [[BrattyTeenageDaughter Bratty Teenage Ward]]: Letty combines this with AnnoyingYoungerSibling and DramaQueen (but still manages to be lovable).
* CreditCardPlot: A Regency variant, with Nell's bills in place of the credit card.
* {{Elopement}}: [[spoiler:Hilariously averted by the ever-respectable Mr. Allandale, even when Letty has strong hysterics to persuade him.]]
* TheGamblingAddict: Dysart.
%%* LoveAtFirstSight
%%* MasqueradeBall
* UnableToSupportAWife: The reason Giles isn't worried about Allandale and Letty trying to elope. Letty would take more supporting than the average wife. [[spoiler:Things change when Allandale gets the offer to go to Brazil.]]
* UptightLovesWild: Allandale and Letty.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bath Tangle]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Even after his death, Serena's father wants to tie her to Ivo, by making him executor of his will, and putting her fortune in trust under Ivo's care. ''And'' by making it up to Ivo to decide whether Serena may or may not marry and whom she may marry.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Serena and Ivo are not pleasant to one another for the majority of the book.
%%* FirstLove
* HerCodeNameWasMarySue: in-universe example with ''Glenarvon''--Serena considers it SoBadItsGood and is highly entertained by trying to match the characters to the real people they're based on.
* IronicName: Serena is actually a FieryRedhead.
* LoveTriangle: Two of them: [[spoiler:Serena/Hector/Fanny, Serena/Rotherham/Emily.]]
* PlotTriggeringDeath: The story begins with the death of Serena's father, leading to her discovery that he has named her former fiancé as her guardian.
* [[RunawayFiance Runaway Fiancée]]: Subverted: Serena persuades her to go back to Rotherham, who is highly annoyed at Serena ruining his {{plan}}.
* SickeninglySweethearts
* SocialClimber: Lady Laleham. She's a combination of butt-kisser and snob on her own part, and also a gold-digger on her daughter's behalf.
* SlapSlapKiss: Serena and Rotherham.
* WorkingWithTheEx: Serena doesn't have a job, but she has to deal with Rotherham on business matters when he becomes her guardian.
%%* WrongGuyFirst
[[/folder]]

* TheFundamentalist: Constable Glass, UpToEleven.

* NoSympathy: Sherry's usual reaction to George's passionate dramatics regarding Isabela. Of special note is when George declares he would grind Isabela's rose under his heel if he believed she gave it to him to spite another suitor, and Sherry just tells him not to ruin his new carpet.

* NoSympathy: Sherry's usual reaction to George's passionate dramatics regarding Isabela. Of special note is when George declares he would grind Isabela's rose under his heel if he believed she gave it to him to spite another suitor, and Sherry tells him not to ruin his new carpet.

* WrongGenreSavvy: Mr. Tarleton believes that [[spoiler:Hero is a runaway orphan seeking to elope with a rich, loving man to escape the fate of being a governess. He's actually completely right about that, except for the small detail that ''she's already in love and married', so while he thinks he's going to be the one to sweep her off her feet Cinderella-style, Sherry already has.]] He also comes to the incorrect conclusion that [[spoiler:Sherry is a StalkerWithACrush who Hero wants to be protected from.]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Sherry's mother, affronted when her son orders her to deliver an emerald necklace to Hero, sarcastically asks if he wants her to give her the pearl set and diamond stud as well. Sherry says that yes, in fact, he would, leaving his stupified mother with the realization that she played herself.

* LovebleAlphaBitch: Isabella. While she is rich, haughty, and runs hot-and-cold, most of her unpleasant moments are also her most sympathetic, and she can be a genuinely good friend to Sherry and Hero when not spurred by pique.

* LoveableAlphaBitch: Isabella. While she is rich, haughty, and runs hot-and-cold, most of her unpleasant moments are also her most sympathetic, and she can be a genuinely good friend to Sherry and Hero when not spurred by pique.

* AlphaBitch: Isabella ''could'' be, but most of her unpleasant moments are also her most sympathetic.

* ByronicHero: Invoked and parodied - George would ''love'' to be this.

* LoveEpiphany: When Hero [[spoiler: runs away, Sherry has this. In fact, the whole thing was staged so he could have this.]]

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

* LoveAtFirstSight
* MasqueradeBall

* MeetCute
* MouthyKid
* PreachersKid: Arabella and Bertram.

* SecretTestOfCharacter
* SnowballLie

* FirstLove

* WrongGuyFirst

* GentlemanAdventurer
* HistoricalInJoke

* AssholeVictim
* BeAsUnhelpfulAsPossible
* EvilUncle
* KissingCousins
* NeverOneMurder: Subverted.
* ParentalMarriageVeto
* SympatheticMurderer
* WrongGuyFirst

* ClearMyName
* DamselInDistress
* TheDutifulSon

* GracefulLoser

* MistakenForCheating
* RescueRomance

* ChildhoodFriendRomance

* JustFriends

* ArrangedMarriage: Jenny and Adam.
* BittersweetEnding: Unusually, for a Heyer novel.
* FirstLove

* 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.

* HeroicBastard
* HistoricalInJoke

* MasqueradeBall

* AttractiveBentGender

* RaceForYourLove

* RunawayFiance

* SweetPollyOliver

* WrongGuyFirst

* AxCrazy

* BecomingTheMask
* EmergencyImpersonation

* SlapSlapKiss

* ComingOfAgeStory
* MommasBoy
* ShrinkingViolet

* CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds

* PairTheSpares

* GentlemanAdventurer

* BrokenBird
* HistoricalInJoke
* WellExcuseMePrincess

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling
* RunawayFiance
* SlapSlapKiss

* WellExcuseMePrincess

* HistoricalInJoke

* TheMole

* SlapSlapKiss

* HistoricalInJoke:

* HeroicBastard

* HistoricalInJoke
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory

* SlapSlapKiss
* SnowedIn

* WickedStepmother

* HistoricalInJoke
* StrangerInAFamiliarLand

* WholesomeCrossdresser

* SiblingYinYang: Abby and Selina.

* GreedyJew: Goldhanger, the moneylender, is very likely meant as one.

* RealityEnsues: One early chapter includes some of the suspects thinking about how to get some [=IOUs=] out of a safe. Failing completely, they immediately {{lampshade}} the situation by pointing out how much easier it would be [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall if they were all characters in a detective novel]].

* PromotedToParent: The main reason, according to Elinor, for Carlyon's overbearing nature, was that he had to take charge of his younger siblings (and Eustace) from a relatively early age.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Heyer died while writing it.

* TheTale: Amanda spins about a dozen of these throughout the novel.

* GirlfriendInCanada: Upon finding out that Lord Darracott intends for [[ArrangedMarriage him to marry Anthea]], Hugo invents a fiancée back in Yorkshire. (Anthea has already said that she doesn't want to marry him, but apparently he feels he must be more tactful.)

* KissingCousins

* PolitenessJudo: St Erth is indeed a quiet gentleman. He gets his way simply by being extremely polite while not backing down. [[spoiler: Which is why they're a perfect match.]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Aunt Aurelia is the only character to notice that Hugo's OopNorth accent goes away, rather than appears, when he's not paying attention.

* TheUnfavourite: St Erth is this to his stepmother.

* 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 beholden to his cousins, and in any case his own debts were far too great to be paid by an indulgent relation.]]