Snowdrift and Other Stories by Georgette HeyerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received this ARC from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an honest review
This is a collection of short stories - many of which, if I read the introduction correctly, were published in the 1920s and 1930s. I've previously read most of these short stories. Most, maybe all, through original sources (as in, the original magazines or newspapers the stories appeared in - no I'm not super old, I read copies).
Snowdrift
This is one of those stories I've not previously read.
The story starts off mostly flat, but it picks up to a satisfying conclusion. The story involves a young woman in a carriage hurrying to Bath during a snowstorm. In the carriage are several people, including her maid, and her detested cousin. Both the cousin and the young woman are rushing to Bath to meet their grandfather. The old coot is loaded with cash and has indicated that, despite noting he was going to cut off both of their mothers for marrying the wrong type of men, now believes he might in fact allow some of the money to go to the young woman or Joseph.
As the story proceeds, the snow worsens, lessons, worsens until the carriage runs off the road and flips onto it's side. The fat young cousin proceeds to push himself free and takes off on one of the horses for the nearest town. The young woman has the others in the carriage pull her maid out and both whimper on the side of the road, for different reasons. The maid has a broken leg, the young woman will be beaten to Bath by her fat cousin (and her maid has a broken leg - the young woman isn't heartless).
The sound of horses, the appearance of one of those open type of carriage like thingies. A man asks what's up, and is persuaded to give a lift to the maid and young woman. Along the way he offers up her name and is startled when she doesn't recognize his name ('Never before had Sir Julian Arden announced his identity with so little effect! Indeed, it was seldom that he was put to the trouble of announcing it at all. not only was he the acknowledged leader of Fashion, a crack shot, and a nonpareil amongst whips: he was quite the most eligible bachelor in Society as well.'). And, he finds, she's nothing like the normal type of woman he encounters.
Stuff happens, etc. etc. Interesting enough story. As noted, flat-ish in beginning, picks up in interest, then ends.
The introduction noted that Heyer sometimes expanded short stories into full length books - I do not recognize
this specific story or characters.
I liked the personalities displayed - the dandy who doesn't have to act like a dandy around the young woman, nor does he really get the chance -
When it's mentioned that they continue to Bath in Arden's open carriage - the curricle - he replied that it'd be too cold, but she responds that she'd like it quite well -
'And only think what a deal of expense you may save!'
Sir Julian, who had never in his life considered such a sordid matter, agreed to it meekly . . ..'
Rating: 4.03
January 10 2018
Full Moon
Previously read in 2012; roughly 54 pages in length. My favorite of the previously read short stories collected here.
I probably have a review for this short story somewhere, thought I'd put it here. pfft. No matter, that review was from 2012 . . . drat, going to have to look for it to see what I'd originally rated the story.
Right, so, this story: Interesting reread - a man in his 30s arrives at an Inn - he had been 'summoned' to visit a friend of his sisters but the winding roads have made him late, so he's stopping for dinner and possibly the night at the inn - instead of wandering on and arriving way too late.
While at the inn he encounters a man drinking heavily. And learns that the man, Tom, is about to elope with someone who he had known since childhood and had made some kind of marriage pact. Though currently he's drinking heavily because of that elopement - the young woman indicated that her papa was forcing her to marry some old man and Tom felt obligated to mention elopement. And now finds himself waiting for the carriage to arrive so he can go pick her up.
Naturally, after drinking so much, he slumps over asleep and the man who had stopped at the Inn, Lord Stayely, who is something around 34 or 35, goes in Tom's place. No - no - not to elope with the young woman, but to inform her about Tom's . . . illness.
Good story. Liked it. Believe I liked it more the first time I read it, but then the jokes were fresh that time. The interaction between the Lord and the young woman was interest, humorous, like the first read. Don't recall if I found the interaction between the papa and the Lord to be humorous, but did find it humorous this read.
Rating: 4.33
January 10 2018
Pistols for Two
While well written for what it is, it isn't what I was looking to read. Nor thought I'd be reading. This is by no means a romance. Heck, there weren't even any women in it (okay, there is but she has no lines, and is just the cause for the story, not a participant).
Two hot-headed young friends, somewhere below the age of 21 I believe, lust after the same woman. There is, in fact, 'stuff' about the woman in the story, but it is of the 'ugly duckling to swan' type of thing, not actual real participation by the woman in the story. The two young friends spent much time together, fishing, hunting, stuff. Then a woman popped up who they had not wanted anything to do with until she returned from growing up to appear . . . beddable - and the two young men compete to win her. For she is, you see, an object.
One thing leads to another, and the vast majority of the story consists of setting up a duel, having a duel, and the aftermath.
No idea how to rate this story. As noted, well written. But not what I wanted to read. So.....
Rating: 3.3
January 10 2018
A Clandestine Affair
A young woman begs her guardian - shockingly a woman (and her sister at that) - to allow her to marry her 'love'. The guardian was leaning to accepting the marriage, until she learned that the fella in question has a guardian himself and that man is against the marriage.
Later we learn that the two guardians had a past - and much of the conflict is based on that.
This is another of those high-speed chasing eloping people short stories. Though there's two twists here, neither of which I, of course, will mention.
One neat thing about this story? Okay, two neat things. There's a teenage girl involved in this romance, like normal, but her intended is roughly her own age - give or take . . . 5 or so years. Though, more importantly, the main character is the 'elderly' woman of 37 (something around 37) and she also has a romance in this story with a man roughly her own age (okay, I don't really know his age but he wasn't described as needing to use a cane or a 'Bath Chair' so he can't be too much older than the woman).
Quite refreshing - even today - to read a romance that involves someone 'as old as' 37.
Rating: 3.83
Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018
Bath Miss
A man of about 30 something is tasked with the mission of bringing a 'Bath Miss' from the school-room, so to speak, in Bath to London. The first thing the young woman of 19 does is change from school room clothing to 'adult female' clothing. With a huge hat.
The woman is shown to be bubbly and quite naïve. The main is shown as . . . vaguely icky - since he decides, without consulting her, that he (view spoiler) I strike out 'vaguely'. There's a disturbing vibe about the entire story.
Rating: 3.42
Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018
Pink Domino
Another 'young woman courting a young man shockingly near her own age' story, like the Affair one above, though here the main character is a man and this adds in the 'lovely' trope of having the lusted after object being . . . well, an object instead of a human (um, he is lusting after a woman, I mean he's treating her as an object) that has no will of her own. He decided he wanted her so . . that's that.
Rating: 3.78
Read: January 10 2018; Reviewed: January 11 2018
A Husband for Fanny
Previously read in 2012; roughly 39 pages in length.
A mother, Clarissa Wingham, attempts to help her 17 year old daughter, Fanny, have a season and a chance to 'catch a husband'. Clarissa has her eyes on the 40 year old Lord Harleston for her 17 year old daughter.
To Have the Honour
A man comes back from the wars to find that he is head of the household and his father left the family in debt. Plus - 'for reasons', he wasn't told the true state of the family's finances for months because everyone assumed (mother, siblings, creditors), that 'of course' he was going to marry Hetty. Which he finds revolting. Until he doesn't find it revolting any longer.
Heyer seemed to really love matching up first cousins in romances. Not all the time, but enough times for me to make the comment. Accurate to the Regency era? Eh, maybe, who knows. Limited number of 'good families' about, I'm sure. Major problem surfaced in this particular story, though - Heyer went too far down this road.
Hetty and . . . . Viscount guy lived as brother and sister (not from babies, but at some point Hetty moved in while they were young, and then they lived as brother and sister) and both either see the other that way, and/or say they do. So this moves from first cousin romance to sibling romance. Heck, the Viscount's mother kept saying over and over again that she saw Hetty as her daughter, so it's not like it was just in the eyes of the two youngsters. It was a reoccurring theme in the story - they lived, loved, and saw each other as brother and sister.
Unlike with the Lannisters, everyone seems quite happy with the incestal relationship here (the Viscount was revolted by his mother hiding the finances, and um assuming Hetty and he would marry, and forcing her and stuff; not revolted by the idea of marrying Hetty).
Rating: 2
January 12 2018
Night at the Inn
Unexpectedly, and oddly enough, this story was more of a gothic horror/mystery than a romance. Though there is a man and a woman to 'make eyes' at each other in the story - still not a romance story.
The story consists of telling about three people who stayed at a particular Inn at the same time - an inn not the norm - isn't the first place someone would go to stay the night. And the ominous dangerous things that occur the night the three spend at that Inn.
Rating: 3.65
January 14 2018
The Duel
As I put in my notes - yet another duel story; though here there's a bit more romance than the other story, since the woman character actually has lines and is a much larger part in this story. Also, as kind of expected, this is yet another story involving a much older man and a much younger woman - this time the woman hasn't even been 'out' yet.
On the other hand - entertaining story. Not much humor, but there's at least one real laugh that occurs - near the end. Nothing to go out of your way to track down to read, but also not a story to go out of your way to skip.
Rating: 4.15
January 14 2018
Hazard
There's very little that can be said about this story that would not be spoilery. What can be stated is what sets up the story - the story opens with a half-brother offering up his sister when he runs out of money during a game of chance that involves dice. The person who he is playing against accepts this bet. Though, it probably should be noted, every other person in the room is horrified by the bet.
Let's see, other things I wrote down as I read: 'she was mad/he was drunk'; there's a little scene near the end that, I suppose, is intended to be humorous and possibly 'redeem' the people involved in this story, though it doesn't work for either issue.
Rating: 1.75
January 16 2018
Pursuit
Previously read in 2012; roughly 10 pages in length.
A tale of people fleeing/eloping, and others chasing. And the romance that could/can occur in such a setting. Specifically between a governess and an Earl.
Runaway Match
Previously read in 2012 (found in a 1937 magazine put-up online - Australian Women's Weekly); Roughly 4 pages in length.
Two 18 year-olds attempt to escape an arranged/forced marriage (specifically between the female of the pair to another man than the one she flees with) by fleeing and eloping.
Incident on the Bath Road
Previously read in 2012; roughly 4 pages in length.
Two men head to Bath - separately and unknown to each other. One, an Earl, spots the other broken down on the side of the road. The Earl stops and helps the person he finds stranded on the side of the road.
Stories:
Snowdrift: 4.03
Full Moon: 4.33 (reread rating, original rating 5 stars) 9.33/2=4.665
Pistols for Two: 3.3
A Clandestine Affair: 3.83
Bath Miss: 3.42
Pink Domino: 3.78
A Husband for Fanny: n/a (already read) - 4 stars
To Have the Honour: 2
Night at the Inn: 3.65
The Duel: 4.15
Hazard: 1.75
Pursuit: n/a - previously read - 4 stars
Runaway Match: n/a - previously read - 4 stars
Incident on the Bath Road: n/a - previously read - 3 stars
overall: 3.541071429 (3.4 without including previously read stories, 3.5 if including them)
Overall a good collection of stories, though I was surprised 'so many' of them were just snippets instead of full short stories (there's a difference between a snippet and a short story), and how many of the stories were not, in fact, romances. I kind of went into it expecting romances.
January 16 2018
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