Sometimes they start out flighty and kind of daft or--in the case of The Foundling--young and bullied by well-meaning relatives. But they always find their inner strength, take control of their lives, and prove that they can handle messy situations with aplomb.
Even the rakes prove themselves through competence rather than swoon-worthy prose. When Vidal, the rake hero of Devil's Cub, mistakenly kidnaps the wrong sister (the practical, kindly, and, yes, competent one rather than the flirty, shallow one), he attempts to seduce her on the boat ride across the channel. She is, however, hopelessly seasick. Vidal is amused, gives up the seduction, and gets her a basin to throw up in instead.
Although all of Heyer's heroes eventually demonstrate their competence, a number of them start out that way. Gervase Frant, hero of The Quiet Gentleman, is a compact, level-headed, faintly whimsical yet entirely unflappable earl. The Quiet Gentleman is one of my favorite Regency novels since it has an underlying murder mystery plot. Gervase solves it, but he solves it more like Charles from the Wimsey novels than like Wimsey. More practical, easy-going contemplation than flashy talkativeness and physical antics.
I like Peter Wimsey, but I'm always glad when the Charleses get their due.
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| Heyer extols practicality in her heroines as well. |
