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A Civil Contract

by Georgette Heyer Book 21 in the Regency Romances series.

First published 1961

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4.5(5,427)

Returning from the Peninsular War in 1814, Adam Deveril inherits a title, a heavily mortgaged estate and responsibility for his mother and sisters. Unable to marry Julia Oversley, the woman he loves, he accepts a practical marriage to Jenny Chawleigh, the plain but wealthy daughter of a City merchant.

The marriage begins as an exchange of money for social position, but domestic life gradually creates a quieter and more durable attachment. Spanning the final campaigns against Napoleon and the Battle of Waterloo, the novel examines class, family obligation and the difference between romantic idealisation and married love.

Historical Periods

Battle of Orthez1814-02-27 Regency Era1811–1820 CE Georgian London1714–1837 CE Country House Society1714–1837 CE Battle of Waterloo1815-06-18

Genres

Romance Social & Domestic Fiction

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