The Quiet Gentleman (by Georgette Heyer)

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After re-reading some of Georgette Heyer’s 20th century crime fiction novels last year, I decided to return to my more normal Heyer diet, that of her historical romances, for which she is better known. I decided to start with ‘The Quiet Gentleman’ since I hadn’t read it since 2015, even though I recalled that it wasn’t one of my favourites.

I had entirely forgotten the characters when I started this. Gervase, the new Earl, is the hero, the ‘quiet gentleman’ of the title. His father died a year before the book begins, when Gervase was a soldier, involved in wars abroad. He’s now returning to take his place at Stanyon, one of the estates left to him. It’s occupied by his stepmother (though Heyer insists on calling her his ‘mother-in-law’), his younger half-brother Martin, their cousin Theo who manages the estates, and a chaplain who is a very minor character.

The Dowager is an opinionated woman who can't be more than about fifty, if that, but behaves as if she’s much older. She regularly changes her mind about people and events, likes to give monologues about family connections, and rarely agrees to anything unless she’s had an idea herself. She thinks that Gervase, who is so quiet and apparently amenable, will follow whatever she wants. He turns out to have not just a mind of his own but a strong will too, and is used to being in command. Much of the humour in the book is found in the Dowager’s lengthy and sometimes ridiculous speeches.

Staying with the Dowager is Drusilla Morville, who is described as a short, slightly plump and ordinary looking young woman who is full of common sense. She’s always willing to help, and is very likeable, and she grew on me as her personality and feelings develop through the novel. I had not recalled her at all, which I suppose ties in with her seeing herself as a forgettable nonentity. There’s a beautiful neighbour, too, called Marianne whom all the young men seem to be a little in love with. Marianne is quite naive, but full of integrity, and also surprisingly likeable.

Martin is a hot-tempered young man who resents Gervase, as he had been brought up as if he were going to inherit everything. He was his father’s favourite, and has been quite spoiled by his mother, so he tends to lose his temper and become irrational. Theo works hard and seems to be committed to helping Gervase’s interests, particularly when one or two accidents start occurring, and it doesn’t seem as if they’re all unintentional…

When I was just a chapter or two into the book, I confused it with ‘The Unknown Ajax’, which features another ex-army man with a resentful family, but which has smugglers and a dramatic denouement which is very cleverly done. I quickly realised my error and by the time I was half-way through had remembered the outcome, although not much of the detail. I’d quite forgotten who the book’s heroine was - and it’s not something that’s really mentioned until towards the end.

The story is quite exciting, whether or not one knows the outcome and who the ‘villain’ turns out to be. I liked several of the characters, and although it’s still not one of my favourites, I did enjoy re-reading ‘The Quiet Gentleman’. The writing is good, with an nice pace and meticulous attention to historical accuracy, as I’ve come to expect with Georgette Heyer. I liked the ending scene too; it’s not as abrupt as in some of the author’s books.

Not necessarily recommended as an introduction to Heyer’s work, as it's a tad heavy and over-detailed in place. But well worth reading if you’re a fan of her writing.

Review copyright 2023 Sue's Book Reviews