Full Description

Cousin Kate

Enjoy one of only two Heyer Gothic Regency romances.

"Miss Heyer serves up a very different sort of tale in the same period setting, nothing less than a full-fledged Gothic. And a very expert job she does of it, too, complete with a remote and forbidding country house, screams in the night, dark hints of something best left unmentioned… nicely leavened with wit, romance, and wonderful period slang."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

A surprising invitation
Kate Malvern is rescued from penury by her aunt Minerva, who brings her to stay at Staplewood. But the household is strange and strained—Kate's uncle lives in his own private wing, and her handsome, moody cousin Torquil lives in another.

A dark family secret
As bizarre events unfold and Kate begins to question the reasons for her aunt's unexpected generosity, she has no one to confide in but her cousin Philip. Sympathetic though he may appear, will he tell her what she most needs to know… before it's too late?

What readers say:
"Flawless gothic romance."

"A dark and different Regency romance."

"Cousin Kate remains a classic Heyer study of character and Regency attitudes, and boasts a wonderfully warm and generous heroine who it is impossible to dislike and one of Heyer's most pleasant and agreeable heroes."

"A superior Georgette Heyer work; a bit darker and more serious than most of her other books, but as always there is the fast wit and a happy ending."

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter One

At no time during the twenty-four hours was the Bull and Mouth Inn a place of quiet or repose, and by ten o'clock in the morning, when the stage-coach from Wisbech, turning top-heavily out of Aldersgate, lumbered into its yard, it seemed, to one weary and downcast passenger at least, to be crowded with vehicles of every description, from a yellow-bodied post-chaise to a wagon, with its shafts cocked up and the various packages and bundles it carried strewn over the yard. All was bustle and confusion; and for a few minutes Miss Malvern, climbing down from the coach, was bewildered by it, and stood looking round her rather helplessly. Until the guard dumped at her feet the small corded trunk which contained her worldly possessions and advised her to look sharp to it, no one paid the least attention to her, except an ostler leading out two horses, and adjuring her to get out of the way, and one of the inevitable street-vendors who haunted busy inn-yards, begging her to buy some gingerbread. The guard, assailed by demands from several anxious travellers to have their bags and bandboxes restored to them immediately, had little time to spare, but Miss Malvern's flower-like countenance, and her air of youthful innocence, impelled him to ask her if anyone was meeting her. When she shook her head, he clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and expressed a hope that she might at least know where she was a-going to.

A gleam of amusement lightened the shadows in Miss Malvern's large gray eyes; she replied, with a tiny chuckle: 'Oh, yes! I do know that!'
'What you want, missy, is a hack!' said the guard.
'No, I don't: I want a porter!' said Miss Malvern, speaking with unexpected decision.

The guard seemed to be inclined to argue this point, but as a stout lady was tugging at his coat-tails, shrilly demanding to know what he had done with a basket of fish consigned to
his care, he was obliged to abandon Miss Malvern to her fate, merely shouting in stentorian accents for a porter to carry the young lady's trunk.

This summons was responded to by a burly individual in a frieze coat, who undertook, for the sum of sixpence, to carry Miss Malvern's trunk to the warehouse of Josiah Nidd & Son, Carriers. Since this establishment was situated a bare quarter of a mile from the Bull and Mouth, Miss Malvern had a shrewd suspicion that she was being grossly overcharged; but although an adventurous youth spent in following the drum had accustomed her to haggling with Portuguese farmers and Spanish muleteers, she did not feel inclined to embark on argument in a crowded London inn-yard, so she agreed the price, and desired the porter to lead her to the warehouse.

The premises acquired some years earlier by Mr Nidd and his son had originally been an inn, of neither the size nor the quality of the Bull and Mouth, but, like it, provided with a galleried yard, and a number of stables and coach-houses. Occupying a large part of the yard was an enormous wagon mounted on nine-inch cylindrical wheels, and covered by a spreading tilt. Three brawny lads were engaged in loading this vehicle with a collection of goods ranging from pack-cases to farm-implements, their activities being directed, and shrilly criticized, by an aged gentleman, who was seated on the balcony on one side of the yard. Beneath this balcony a glass door had once invited entrance to the coffee-room, but this had been replaced by a green-painted wooden door, flanked by tubs filled with geraniums, and furnished with a bright brass knocker, indicating that the erstwhile hostelry had become a private residence. Picking her way between the piles of packages, and directing the porter to follow her, Miss Malvern went to it, lifting its latch without ceremony, and stepping into a narrow passage, from which a door gave access into the old coffeeroom, and a flight of uneven stairs rose to the upper floors. The trunk set down, and the porter dismissed, Miss Malvern heaved a sigh of relief, as of one who had accomplished an enterprise fraught with peril, and called: 'Sarah?'

No immediate response being forthcoming, she called again, more loudly, and moved to the foot of the stairs. But even as she set her foot on the bottom step, a door at the end of the passage burst open, and a lady in a flowered print dress, with an old-fashioned tucker round her ample bosom, and a starched muslin cap tied in a bow beneath her chin, stood as though stunned on the threshold, and gasped: 'Miss Kate! It's never you! Oh, my dearie, my precious lambkin!'

She started forward, holding out her plump arms, and Miss Malvern, laughing and crying, tumbled into them, hugging her, and uttering disjointedly: 'Oh, Sarah, oh, Sarah! To be with you again! I've been thinking of nothing else, all the way! Oh, Sarah, I'm so tired, and dispirited, and there was nowhere else for me to go, but indeed I don't mean to impose on you, or on poor Mr Nidd! Only until I can find another situation!'

Several teardrops stood on Mrs Nidd's cheeks, but she said in a scolding voice: 'Now, that's no way to talk, Miss Kate, and well you know it! And where else should you go, I should like to know? Now, you come into the kitchen, like a good girl, while I pop the kettle on, and cut some bread-and-butter!'

Miss Malvern dried her eyes, and sighed: 'Oh, dear, would you have believed I could be so ticklish? It was such a horrid journey — six of us inside! — and no time to swallow more than a sip of coffee when we stopped for breakfast.'

Mrs Nidd, leading her into the kitchen, and thrusting her into a chair, demanded: 'Are you telling me you came on the common stage, Miss Kate?'

'Yes, of course I did. Well, you couldn't expect them to have sent me by post, could you? And if you're thinking of the Mail, I am excessively glad they didn't send me by that either, because it reached London just after four o'clock in the morning! What should I have done?'

Reviews

Reviews

Jane Austen’s World Lady Anne
Almost every writer of the Romance genre will try her hand at a Gothic tale; even Jane Austen did it in Northanger Abbey, although to be really accurate, she was poking fun at her heroine rather than developing a scary tale. Georgette Heyer takes her turn in Cousin Kate, and while this is a darker story than most of her romances, her Gothic tale is not so far-fetched as it is mysterious and uncomfortable for her heroine. Perhaps, like Jane, Georgette is too sensible and too amused by life’s foibles to take the Gothic seriously.

Pretty Kate Malvern is in dire straits as the book opens. She is the only offspring of parents who ran off and married without the approval of either of their families. Her father, an Army officer, was more successful in war than in peace, where his propensity for gaming squandered what little money he had, since he had been disowned by his starchy father. His death was ignominious, and left his child not only orphaned, her mama having died when Kate was 12, but destitute. At 24, Kate must support herself, because with no money and no family, she is not likely to make a good marriage.

Young ladies who found themselves in such situations had few options: governess or companion being the best. Kate has just been “turned off”, or fired, from her position as governess to three young children because their uncle, brother to their mother, had fallen for her and the old gorgon who was the children’s grandmother, disapproved. Kate runs to her old nurse, her only refuge, for a place to stay while she makes her plans for her uncertain and likely unhappy future. Mrs. Nidd, a woman of high energy and great resource, contacts Kate’s aunt. Kate has never met her, nor had there ever been any correspondence between her father and his sister, but, interestingly, or strangely, enough Aunt Minerva, or Lady Broome, comes in to take Kate off to her home, Staplewood.

“ ‘You are too young to know what it means to have been an only child, when you reach my age and have no close relations, and no daughter! I have always longed for one, and never more so than now! It’s true I have a son, but a boy cannot give one the same companionship. Dear child, I’ve come to carry you off to Staplewood! I’m persuaded I must be your natural guardian!
“But I am of age ma’am!” protested Kate, feeling as though she were being swept along on an irresistible tide.
“Yes, so your kind nurse has informed me. I can’t compel you – heaven forbid that I should – but I can beg you to take pity on a very lonely woman!’ ”

And so Kate goes off to spend the summer at the great manor. She meets Sir Timothy, Lady Broome’s much older and frail husband, and Torquil, her incredibly good-looking son. She is surprised to know that the two men live in opposite wings of the house and seem to have little to do with one another. Dr. Delabole, a somewhat smarmy man who seems to be acting as a companion to her beautiful young cousin, completes the household.

Kate settles in to a life unlike anything she has experienced, because the family lives so very quietly and she has so little to do. Her one concern is that the letters she sends to Mrs. Nidd are not answered, and she becomes increasingly aware that she is entirely cut off from the world. It seems to this reader that Kate is very slow on the uptake, but that could be because she has not read many Gothic tales. The over-strict watch on her cousin, his wild displays of temper and capricious behaviors alert the reader to the dangers ahead. Fortunately, there is another cousin, Philip Broome. He is related to Sir Timothy, and although he often stayed with his uncle in his youth, Lady Broome, whose strong character rules the household, does not care to have him visit often. Philip, however, is not deterred, and he, along with Mr. Nidd, Mrs. Nidd’s papa-in-law, ensure that everything is resolved in the proper fashion.

As always with Heyer’s books, the dialogue among the characters is completely delightful. Kate, who was raised following the drum, knows more about young men than do most young ladies of her era and can hold her own in any conversation. Incurably forthright, she wins Philip’s heart quickly, as well as the devotion of Sir Timothy. The Gothic devices of screams in the night, locked doors and horrendous thunderstorms are not the normal Heyer fare, but the winning heroine and the steady and handsome hero are as good as any she created. The somewhat clumsy Gothic device of considering everything to be wonderful as soon as we achieve the death of the dangerous character is a little off-putting for me; still, once this heroine meets her hero there is nothing more to be done but marry them and settle them happily ever after. They certainly agree.

Cousin Kate is not the best of Georgette Heyer’s romance novels, but even a weak Heyer is better than an offering of almost any other Romance writer. It’s a great read for a stormy night. As she always does, Georgette Heyer builds a wonderful and complete world for her reader to sink into – like a bubble bath or a welcoming chair to relax you at the end of a busy day, but more fun. Much more fun.

Rhi Reading Rhianna Walker
Fate and circumstance have seen fit to place Kate Malvern in such unforseen dire financial straights that she hardly has a place in the world. Having been dismissed from her position as a governess Kate finds herself on the doorstep of Sarah Nidd, the nurse who cared for her during her youth. Fortunate to have the kindness of Mrs. Nidd and her husband, but bound and determined not to impose upon them, she hopes to find a new situation even if it be something as lowly as becoming lady’s personal servant. But dear Sarah won’t hear of it and upon finding out that Kate does have a well-to-do aunt, however distant their relation, she takes it upon herself to send word to the woman of young Kate’s troubles.

When Lady Broome, Kate’s aunt Minerva, comes to meet her neice she is most insistent that she come to Staplewood at least for the summer. Unable to successfully turn down her aunt’s kind offer Kate finds herself wisked off to the country estate. Here she meets her sickly cousin Torquil and Sir Timothy his ailing father. But the longer she stays at Staplewood the more she finds her aunt’s kindness and generosity to be stifling, while Torquil’s health and behavior become more disturbing. His paranoia over the presence of Sir Timothy’s nephew, Philip, and his obsessive infatuation with Kate seem to be encouraged by his mother. Meanwhile, Kate’s letters to Sarah have gone unanswered and she worries she may be trapped at Staplewood but could her aunt Minerva be behind the lack of reply?

Before I say a word on the book’s content I must admit that I am not a fan of Regency period fiction. That aside I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was dark and moody, hinting at dangers that never came and weaving a web of suspense that made it hard to put down. If you’re familiar with the characteristics of true Gothic literature this novel is a fine example of the genre. Combined with the well plotted Regency romance Heyer is known for the constrasting terror-inducing circumstances that surround Kate, coupled with the heroic presence of Philip are sure to please most Gothic romance lovers.

Kate is truly likable, playing the role of persecuted maiden with a sweetness and naivety that make her an endearing heroine rather than the annoying ’too-stupid-to-live’ types we sometimes see in tales of terror. While she certainly does not wish to marry Torquil she sees him as a beautiful, tortured young man whom she must mollify, protect and speak-up-for. The caring relationship she develops with her uncle, Sir Timothy, is especially interesting in contrast to the wary one she has with her aunt. It is the subtle romantic feelings she develops for Philip, however, that bring the story to a climactic head.

Exciting and interesting from harrowing start to dramatic finish, Georgette Heyer’s Cousin Kate was a delightfully dark and sinfully satisfying read.

Maymay’s Memos Shawn Remfry
Kate is struggling to make it on her own. Both parents dead, no money, she just can’t figure out how to do it. Then her aunt Minerva sweeps her away to Staplewood and she thinks it’s a dream come true...until she starts noticing how strange things are there. Her uncle lives in one wing of the house and she rarely sees him. Her cousin, Torquil lives in the opposite wing of the house, and her aunt occupies the middle wing of the house. She can’t figure out why a simple family of three is so far separated in such a huge home. The odd illness of her cousin and uncle only add to her confusion. When Torquil’s cousin, Philip shows up, he shows her that things may be even worse than she fears.

This book was definitely one of my favorites. For being a romance book, and the period in which it was written, it had to be positively scandalous when released. There is romance, but it’s tamped down by the thrill and mayhem. It’s much more like a fabulous mystery. When I came across my first mutilated animal, I knew things were going to get really interesting. Filled with strange illnesses, intrigue, and a few murders thrown in along the way, this book is sure to please.

Reading Extravaganza Lilianna Swistek
t’s no secret by now that I am a fan of Georgette Heyer, considering that I read, reviewed and enjoyed three books of hers in the past 20-something days. The previous ones were all mysteries set in the times contemporary to Heyer. I had a slight anxiety therefore when I started reading Cousin Kate which even though still a mystery, it’s also a historical fiction, romance and Gothic mystery. It turned out I needn’t have worried.

Kate Malvern is considered at 25 on the brink of old age by the Regency standards. Her prospects for the future are looking worse and worse by the minute. With no parents, no dowry to speak of and no real prospects for substantial income, Kate has only one person to turn to: her nurse Sarah Nidd. But Sarah has her own family and household to care for and as much as she loves Kate, it’s only a matter of time when Kate will become a nuisance and yet another mouth to feed. With the appearance of Kate’s aunt Minerva, the estranged half-sister of Kate’s father, it looks like the deliverance from all worries has finally arrived. Kate is overwhelmed by the kindness bestowed upon her by Minerva and wishes with all her heart to repay it any way she can. When taken to Staplewood, Minerva’s family estate, Kate discovers soon enough that what she’s expected to do in return for Minerva’s benevolent treatment may be more horrifying than she could ever imagine. The household has the gloomy atmosphere with uncle Timothy living in a separate wing, the moody and often unpredictable cousin Torquil living in another part and Minerva ruling the house with an iron fist. Soon, Kate finds herself entrapped in Staplewood with only one person, cousin Phillip willing to help.

Cousin Kate is a completely different novel from the ones I’ve read but also the same talent Heyer’s for writing with style, humor and cleverness shines through. Kate is a very likable character, she’s independent, she knows what she wants, how to say what she wants and most importantly, how to stand up for herself and say no. I suspect she got it from her nurse Sarah, which I think I liked the most, even though she only appears at the beginning and end of the book. Talk about a no-nonsense woman. I like to imagine that Georgette Heyer used some of her own characteristics when creating Sarah. Also, I was happy to see that despite writing in a different genre, Heyer didn’t lose any of her wittiness, humor and a knack for truly bringing to life all her characters. There was one other new element introduced: mental illness. That just added more fun for me because I enjoy reading books with at least one person who suffers from some kind of mental impediment. Heyer never names what the illness is, but it really doesn’t matter because a name is not necessary when the portrayal is so excellent. Cousin Kate was simply another great performance by this wonderful writer and it only makes me elated to know that there are plenty more of her books to read.

Bookfoolery and Babble Nancy Horner
This will probably be my last Georgette Heyer for a month or two because, much as I love her, I’m reminded that I have to space out the works of a single author or I begin to hate them. Having said that, I’m still of the opinion that Georgette Heyer was unable to write a bad book and I can’t imagine ever despising her writing. I just don’t want to let myself anywhere near that possibility.

Cousin Kate is a departure from the typical Heyer romance. Kate is an orphan who spent many years living in billets on "the Peninsula" in Spain and Portugal, mostly raised by her soldier father. 24 years old and having just returned to her nurse Sarah’s home after a disastrous attempt at life as a governess, she’s considering going into service as an abigail (ladies’ maid) or dresser. Sarah protests, saying she comes from blood too fine to end up lowering herself to such an extreme and writes to Kate’s only known relative, her father’s half-sister, Minerva Broome.


Lady Broome sweeps into town and spirits Kate away, seemingly out of duty and kindness, but there is more than meets the eye, when it comes to Aunt Minerva. At Staplewood, the Broome estate, Kate finds that her 19-year-old cousin Torquil, who is sickly and flies into dangerous tempers, is living in one wing of the estate. Minerva lives in the center and Lord Broome lives in the wing opposite Torquil’s. Lord Broome is fragile and seems only to perk up when his nephew, Phillip, comes to visit.


Kate settles in and attempts to do her part to calm Torquil, without great success. Otherwise, she is profoundly bored. There are no parties at the great estate, Aunt Minerva gives her useless chores, and Torquil isn’t allowed to go anywhere unaccompanied. Eventually, Kate will find out the real reason Aunt Minerva has invited her to stay at Staplewood and she will unravel the cause of the screams she hears in the night. But, will Cousin Kate find out the truth too late?


Goodness. What a story. I can’t say this was my favorite Heyer, but it was certainly gripping. I’m afraid to say much, but there are a few points worth noting. Cousin Kate is primarily a gothic novel and it does have an element of romance, but the romance is less prominent in this book because the story is really a tale of a dysfunctional family with a terrible secret.

Kate is, however, the typical bubbly young lady with poor prospects and that fact makes the book a bit uneven. As events unfold, Kate loses just a little of her fizz. She’s still a happy, upbeat person who wants to believe the best of everyone, but eventually there are incidents that even Kate can’t come to terms with.

The older cover, at right, depicts one such scene. Cousin Torquil has obtained a gun and when he sees the friendly dog Kate has been urging to leave the property, he instantly decides to shoot it, barely missing both the dog and Kate. Not long after, Kate decides she must leave Staplewood, but worse things will happen. Will Kate make her escape in time?

3.75/5 - Very good; excellent characterization and a decent plot. As usual, Heyer is faultlessly entertaining, although Cousin Kate is kind of an awkward blend of suspense and romance. Not my favorite, however I still had trouble putting it down because I had to know what was going to happen.

I’m still stuck on my little laptop (one of those tiny e-book things) and it’s a bit of a pain, so I haven’t spent much time blog-hopping. Hopefully, we’ll get our desktop problems resolved soon so I can visit other bloggers. I’m starting to feel a touch of withdrawal. Hope everyone’s having a fantastic weekend!

Cousin Kate Christine Plaisted
My Opinion:
This is the last of the Georgette Heyer books that I’m reviewing for Sourcebooks and I’m glad I saved it for last. It is by far the best one of them all. Full of suspense, humor, romance and mystery, this is a book of all types. More of a dark gothic novel with a little bit of roman thrown in for fun, this is definitely one that is right up my alley. I’ve always loved books like Anne Rice’s The Mayfair Witches novels and other gothic novels of the sort, so this one goes well with my sense of the macabre.

If you like slightly darker books, with more suspense and thrills than romance, then this book is definitely one I would recommend. Although I’ve read that some people don’t like it as much because of how dark it is and how light on romance and humor, I still think if you’re a Georgette Heyer fan, you’ll like Cousin Kate!

My rating: 4.0 stars

Customer Reviews:

Specs / Support

Trade Paper Specfications

• Length: 8.00 in
• Width: 5.25 in
• Height: 0.00 in
• Weight: 15.00 oz
• Page Count: 384 pages