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These Old Shades
by
Georgette Heyer
historical romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Open Road Media on January 1, 2022 and has 241 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include These Old Shades, Bath Tangle, Lady of Quality, The Black Moth, Venetia, The Spanish Bride, Simon the Coldheart, Beauvallet, A Civil Contract, Regency Buck, An Infamous Army, Frederica, The Unknown Ajax, Black Sheep, Sprig Muslin, Sylvester or the Wicked Uncle, The Grand Sophy, Arabella, Powder and Patch, The Reluctant Widow, The Nonesuch
First in the Alistair – Audley Tetralogy historical romance series and revolving around the Duke of Avon. The focus is on a long-held desire for revenge that evolves in the mid-1700s. These Old Shades was first published 1 January 1926.
My Take
A humorous historical May-December romance in which the “evil” Duke both gets a two-fold revenge and is reformed by a Parisian street urchin. They may be far apart in age, but Léon and Avon are too much alike, lol.
Heyer is excellent at recreating the dialogue, mores, styles, and culture of the day while giving us characters in whom we believe in this story full of disguises, kidnapping, drugs, chases, rescues, and a grand reveal that will keep you flipping the pages of this character-filled story set in an English country house as well as high society in Paris and Versailles
I absolutely loved the gamine Léon/Léonie. She’s witty, delightful, and so very bloodthirsty, lol. A girl who has none of the arts of her class, which appeals to so many she meets.
There’s a history here, on both sides, and Avon is very good at the waiting game. He also has a reputation for omniscience, which does not do his enemy any favors. Which I loved!
It’s fun to read of the volleying back and forth of Avon’s reputation, the likelihood of Léon being an innocent, Fanny’s past, and Léonie’s blossoming as a girl. There’s more fun in this tale that starts with enemies everywhere who become united in their love for a young lady.
The class issues with Léonie’s background the major focus and Madam Field’s widowed regrets highlighting this societal obsession.
It’s great fun as this original Léonie takes Paris by storm with the underlying vicious psychological game Alistair is playing.
The Story
No, the Duke is not a good man, and catching sight of Léon, Alistair hatches his plan for revenge.
The Characters
The nineteen-year-old, red-haired Léon Bonnard works for his older brother, Jean, in his Parisian inn, the Crossbow in the Rue Sainte-Marie. Charlotte is his shrew of a wife.
The forty-plus-year-old Justin Alistair, the Duke of Avon, a.k.a. Monseigneur, has such the reputation and revels in his nickname “Satanas”. Lord Rupert is his scapegrace younger brother. Lady Fanny is their sister married to the stuffy Mr Edward Marling. John is their son. Rachel is Fanny’s maid.
Gaston is Avon’s valet. In Avon’s hôtel, Madame Dubois is the housekeeper; Gregory and Jacques are footmen; Meekin is the groom; and, Walker is the maître d’hôtel. Oh, and Léon is the page.
All of society marvels that the good Hugh Davenant is a friend of the bad Alistair.
In France
Louis XV is the king of France; Madame de Pompadour is his mistress. The Prince de Condé is of the Blood Royal (the son of Louis de Lorraine) and is enamored of Léonie. We encounter Henriette, Madame de Verchoreux, Avon’s current mistress; the scandal-loving Chevalier d’Anvau; De Salmy has a reputation for swordplay; Destourville; Lavoulère; Marchérand; Louis Château-Mornay; Julie de Cornalle; the Comtesse de Marguéry threw a ball and is famous for her salons; the brightly dressed Florimond de Chantourelle; Mademoiselle de Sonnebrune is the dernier cri; Loudonne is having a card party; the Marquise de Chourvanne; Theodore de Ventour; Etienne, the Comte de Stainville; Tourdeville; the Comte d’Eu is the son of the Duc de Maine (one of the royal bastards); the Duc de Penthièvre (is another royal bastard); the Duc de Noailles, who is famous for a battle he lost; the Prince d’Armagnac; the brothers Lorraine-Brionne, who are sons of the Comte d’Armagnac — M le Grand; M. de Belle-Isle, who is the grandson of M Fouquet; the Comte de Chavigny; Chavignard; the Duc de Richelieu; the Duchesse de la Roque; Mademoiselle de Vauvallon; Marignard; Madame de la Roque; Madame de Longchamp had a rout; Mademoiselle de la Vogue; Raoul de Fontanges sounds like he’d been one of Fanny’s suitors as well; the Comtesse de Meuilly and Madame de Follermartin are putting on balls; Madame de Cacheron had a party; M de la Valaye is but one of many becoming curious about Léonie’s Titian hair; M de Tanqueville; Merivale stays with de Châtelet in Paris; M de Foquemalle will read an essay on Love; Mademoiselle de Cloué wears puce; and, d’Orlay, d’Aiguillon, de Chantourelle, and Mademoiselle de Beaucour are some of those at the amusing Madame du Deffand’s party.
Henri, Comte de Saint-Vire, has his wife, Marie de Lespinasse, cowed. Their only child, the heir, is Henri, the Vicomte de Valmé, who so longs for a farm. Victor is the comte’s complicit servant. Armand is the younger brother and there is NO love lost between these two. The Duchesse de Belcour is Henri and Armand’s sister. M de Faugenac is one of Saint-Vire’s toadies. Father Dupré is the comtesse’s priest.
Vassaud’s is a gaming house. Torquillier’s. The Maison Chourval is a whorehouse. La Fournoise is an opulent actress.
In Bassincourt, Anjou
The Bonnards had had a farm in Bassincourt. Monsieur de Beaupré (the former comte de Marrillon and still uncle to the Marquis de Beaupré), le curé, had custody of Léon for seven years. Mauvoisin is a farmer. Le Mère Gognard sells vegetables. Madame Tournaud.
In Le Dennier just outside Havre
Jean and Marthe own the Black Bull inn. Hector works for them. Madame Tournoise is a neighbor.
In England
Elector George is on the throne. Mademoiselle Léonie de Bonnard will become the ward of the Duke of Avon.
Rupert is at the feet of Mistress Carsby. Before that, it was Julia Falkner. Léonie will be quite the breath of fresh air.
Avon Court is . . .
. . . the country seat for the dukes of Avon. Johnson is the butler. Thunderbolt and Blue Peter are fast horses. Harriet, Madam Field, is a widow, but an Alistair by birth, a cousin. Hugo Alastair is their ancestor who came over with William the Conqueror; Sir Roderick Alastair became a baron; Earl Henry held for the King against Cromwell becoming a duke for it; and, Rudolph’s, Justin’s father, efforts for King James III.
Merivale Place neighbors Avon Court and Anthony, Lord Merivale, had been childhood friends with the Alistairs. Until that fateful abduction, some four years ago. Jennifer is Tony’s beautiful wife, and they have two sons: John and the baby, Geoffrey Molyneux. Hmm, the stories that can be told about . . . the Highwayman!
In the village, Fletcher runs the inn. Farmer Giles has an unsuitable cob. Poor Mr Manvers of Crosby Hall will lose his horse. The groom walked to Fawley Farm on an errand. Coggin is the blacksmith. Jim associates with the harbormaster at Portsmouth. The Silver Queen is the duke’s yacht. At Southampton.
March is heir to the Duke of Queensberry; Hamilton had married one of the Miss Gunnings; Maria Gunning had married Coventry; Mr Selwyn is a wit; Nash rules in Bath; the Devonshire Cavendishes; the Seymours; Lord Chesterfield; my Lord of Bath; the Bentincks; his Grace of Newcastle; the tedious Johnson; Colley Cibber is a poet; Mr Sheridan writes plays; Mr Garrick acts them; Sir Joshua Reynolds is a painter; Ballentor won a duel; Lady Fountain had a rout; and, Sir John Cotton is a friend of Edward’s.
Some of Fanny’s past suitors included the deplorable Frederick Colehatch, who is Hugh’s brother; Fonteroy had demanded Fanny’s hand with a pistol to Alistair’s head; Vane was mad, penniless, and wanted to fly with Fanny; and, Cumming fought John Drew in a duel over her eyebrows.
Geronimo sells fans. Cerisette is a dressmaker in England.
The Cover and Title
The cover is subdued. I’d’ve never expected this for the story with its dark background and the black-haired woman glancing off to the right in a brown gown. Not when our heroine is so bright in hair and character. The title, in white, is centered in the top half. The author’s name is immediately below it in a yellowed script.
Heyer is raising the shades on an old story with These Old Shades, a recycling of Heyer’s characters from her first published romance, The Black Moth.
