The Black Moth is a 1921 historical romance novel by Georgette Heyer. It was her first novel, originally written for her brother and published when she was only nineteen.
Lord Jack Carstares took the blame when his younger brother Richard cheated at cards and was exiled as a result. Six years later he returns to England in disguise and becomes a highwayman. He's arrested after a failed robbery, but the man who arrested him turns out to be an old friend who recognises him. Meanwhile Richard wants to reveal the truth and let Jack inherit their father's title, but Richard's wife Lavinia will have none of it.
The novel can be read on Gutenberg
.
Contains examples of:
- Aloof Big Brother: Tracy is this for Lavinia.
- Annoying Younger Siblings: A grown-up example in Lavinia and Andrew.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Two-for-one example, as Tracy
arranges for Lavinia and Richard to stay together, and keep him in reach of the Carstares' money. - Beta Couple: Richard and Lavinia, whose subplot is more entertaining than the mains'.
- Clear My Name: Played with. Jack deliberately took the blame for Richard's cheating and doesn't want his name cleared because it would cause trouble for his brother. Richard is the one who wants to clear Jack's name.
- Damsel in Distress: Diana is kidnapped twice.
- The Dutiful Son: Richard becomes this after Jack leaves.
- Dysfunctional Family: Both the Carstares and Belmanoirs.
- The Gambling Addict: Andrew.
- Happily Married: Sir Miles and Molly O'Hara.
- Heel Realization: Lavinia vaguely realizes how shallow and petty she and the rest of her family is...but it never makes a particularly deep impression.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Tried twice. Failed. Twice.
- Impoverished Patrician: The Belmanoirs.
- Just Like Robin Hood: Combined with The Highwayman.
- Plot-Triggering Death: 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.
- Poor Communication Kills: Justified; they're idiots.
- Purple Prose: Tracy verbally lapses into this when describing Diana's eyes to Lavinia.Her Ladyship had recourse to the smelling-salts.
- Love Makes You Dumb: And HOW.
- Love Redeems: Tracy's friends hope for this...but, nope! Guess he'll have to wait for the sequel (or at least the Spiritual Successor, These Old Shades).
- Make Up or Break Up: Richard and Lavinia. They stay together.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Richard becomes suspicious when Lavinia spends a lot of time with a former suitor.
- Rescue Romance: Jack saves Diana from being kidnapped, then they fall in love.
- Title Drop: Numerous times.
- Thicker Than Water: What saves the Belmanoirs from being utter bastards.
- "Uh-Oh" Eyes: Tracy's "catlike," slanted green eyes, lovingly and repeatedly mentioned by the narrator.
- Uptight Loves Wild: Richard and Lavinia.
