Beauvallet

Excerpt from Chapter One

The deck was a shambles. Men lay dead and dying; there was split woodwork, a welter of broken mizzen and sagging sail, dust and grime, and the reek of powder. A ball screamed through the rigging overhead; another tore the sea into wild foam beneath the galleon’s stern. She seemed to stagger, to reel, to list heavily to port. From his quarterdeck Don Juan de Narvaez gave a sharp order; his lieutenant went running down the companion into the waist of the ship.

Soldiers crowded there in steel breastplates and chased morions. They had halberds and pikes, and some held long double-edged swords. They looked out to sea, to where the smaller ship came steadily on, the Red Cross of St George flying at her mainmast head. They were sure now that it would end in a hand to hand fight; they were even glad of it: they knew themselves to be the finest soldiers in Christendom. What chance could these bold English have against them at close quarters? The English ship had held off beyond reach of the Spanish guns this past hour, ceaselessly bombarding the Santa Maria with her longer-reached cannons. The soldiers in the waist did not know how serious was the damage she had wreaked, but they were fretting and nervous from their impotence, and their forced inaction. Now the English ship drew nearer, the wind filling her white sails, and bearing her on like a bird through the scudding waves.
 
Don Juan watched her come, and saw his guns belch fire upon her. But she was close, and there was little damage done, full half of the Spanish guns shooting above her from the over-tall sides of the galleon. The Venture – and he knew now beyond all doubt that it was the Venture herself – bore down upon them undaunted.

She came up alongside, discharging her fire into the galleon’s waist, and passed on unscathed. Drawing a little ahead of the Spaniard she wore suddenly, came sailing across the galleon’s bows, and raked her cruelly fore and aft.

The Santa Maria was riddled and groaning; there was panic aboard, and a hopeless confusion. Don Juan knew his ship was crippled and cursed softly in his beard. But he had cool courage enough, and he knew how to rally his men. The Venture was coming round, and it was evident that she meant to grapple the larger galleon now. Well, therein lay hope. Let her come: the Santa Maria was doomed, but aboard the Venture was El Beauvallet – Beauvallet the mocker of Spain, the freebooter, the madman! His capture would be worth even the loss of so noble a galleon as the Santa Maria: ay, and more than that! There was not a Spanish admiral who had not that capture for his ambition. Don Juan drew in his breath on the thought. El Beauvallet who bit his thumb at Spain! If it should fall to his lot to take this man of a charmed life prisoner for King Philip he thought he would ask no more of life.

It had been with this in mind that Don Juan had challenged the ship when she hove into sight that afternoon. He had known that El Beauvallet was sailing in these waters; at Santiago he had seen Perinat who had sailed forth to punish the Venture not a fortnight ago. Perinat had come back to Santiago in his own long boat, biting his nails, a beaten man. He had talked wildly of witchcraft, of a devil of a man who threw back his head and laughed. Don Juan had sneered at that. The bungler Perinat!

Now it seemed that he too stood in danger of having bungled. He had thrown down the gauntlet to Beauvallet, who never refused a challenge, and Beauvallet had picked it up, and flirted his dainty craft forward through the sparkling sea.

There had been some desire to show a lady what a Narvaez could accomplish. Don Juan chewed his lip, and knew a pang of remorse. Below, in the panelled stateroom, was no less a personage than Don Manuel de Rada y Sylva, late Governor of Santiago, with his daughter Dominica. Don Juan knew only too well in what peril they now stood. But when it came to hand to hand fighting the tables might still be turned.

The soldiers were armed and ready in the waist and on the forecastle. There were gunners, grimed and stained with sweat, standing by their culverins; the brief panic had been swiftly quelled. Let the Venture come!

She was near, standing the fire from the long basiliscos; she drew nearer, and through the smoke one might see the men on her with boarding axes and swords, ready for the order to board the Spaniard. Then, suddenly, there was a crack and a roar, the bursting flame and the black smoke of a score of swivel-guns on her decks, all trained upon the waist of the Santa Maria. There was havoc wrought among the Spanish soldiery; cries, groans, and oaths rent the air, and swiftly, while havoc lasted, the Venture crept up, and grappled the tall galleon.

Men swarmed up the sides, using their boarding axes to form scaling ladders. From the spritsail yard they sprang down upon the deck of the Santa Maria, daggers between their teeth, and long swords in hand. No might of Spanish soldiery, maimed as it was by the wicked fire, could stop them. They came on, and the fight was desperate over the slippery decks: sword to sword, slash and cut, and the quick stab of daggers.

Don Juan stood at the head of the companion, sword in hand, a tall figure in breastplate and tassets of fluted steel. He sought in the press for a leader amongst the boarders, but could see none in that hurly-burly.

It was hard fighting, frenzied fighting, over wounded and dead, with ever and again the crack of a dag fired at close range. The pandemonium was intense; no single voice could be distinguished amongst the hubbub of groans, shouted orders, sharp cries, and clash of arms. One could not tell for a while who had the advantage: the fight swayed and eddied, and the Santa Maria lay helpless under all.

A man seemed to spring up out of the mob below, and gained the companion. A moment he stood with his foot upon the first step, looking up at Don Juan, a red sword in his hand, a cloak twisted about his left arm, and a black pointed beard upthrust. A chased morion shaded the upper part of his face, but Don Juan saw white teeth agleam, and crouched for the stroke that should send this stranger to perdition. ‘Down, perro!’ he snarled.

The stranger laughed, and answered him in pure Castilian. ‘Nay, señor, the dog comes up.’

Don Juan peered to see more closely into the upturned face. ‘Come up and die, dog,’ he said softly, ‘for I think you are he whom I seek.’

When in an opening scene of a novel the hero picks up the heroine and physically carts her off over his shoulder you know you’re in for a rocky ride of a story. Or in the case of Georgette Heyer’s Beauvallet a wild romp of a read. Published in 1929 Beauvallet is one of her earlier novels filled with adventure, romance and excitement.

"Mad" Nicholas Beauvallet is an English privateer who happily trawls the seas for Spanish plunder for the Crown. Beauvallet has a reputation reaching far and wide for his audacious raids and devil-may-care attitude. His family would prefer him to give up his reckless lifestyle to marry and settle down, but he thrives on excitement. When his latest prey includes not only silks and spices but a beautiful Spanish señorita, however, he may just acquiesce to their wishes.

"’A challenge?’ inquired Beauvallet. ’Oh, rash! I told you that I never refused a challenge.’ He bore down on her, and dodged, laughing, the dagger’s point. He caught her wrist, and had his other arm firmly clasped about her waist. ’Cry peace, sweetheart,’ he said, and took the dagger from her, and restored it to its sheath. ’Come!’ he said, tossed her up in his arms, and strode off with her to the quarter-deck."

Doña Dominica de Rada y Silva is returning to Spain after being raised in the colonies. Nick is instantly smitten with this feisty Spanish beauty, though it will take a little persuasion on his part before she reciprocates the feeling. Alas, only a little. Dagger-wielding though she may be initially, Nick quickly charms his way into her heart. Ever the gentleman Nick agrees to set Dominica and her ailing father down on the Spanish coast, but he promises to return for her within a year.

Here’s where the adventure comes in. Queen Elizabeth gives her leave for Nick to travel to Spain, but with the Inquisition raging and no love lost between Elizabeth and King Philip, it’s a dangerous proposal. He crosses into Spain by way of France where a run in with a member of the de Guise family (read Marie de Guise, or Mary Queen of Scots) on secret and very pressing business means his adventure will be filled with political intrigue as well. This Elizabethan setting is quite a change for Heyer from her Georgian and Regency romances, though she seems equally as comfortable writing about this period and and generously uses the language and slang of the times (maybe on occasion a little too generously). She also knows her way around the Spanish Court and writes convincingly of the history and attitudes of the mid-1500s.

If you’re new to Georgette Heyer you might want to start with one of her later books unless you’re looking for a light story filled with lots of adventure. Her assiduous research, what will become part of her signature style, is impeccable, but her characterization felt a little thin. I never felt I had a sense of what either Nick or Dominica was really like, particularly Dominica. Really this is more Nick’s story. There was little of their interior lives to be seen on these pages. Although the action revolves around their passion for each other it seemed more a case of telling rather than showing, so that part of the story never really came alive for me. Unlike The Corinthian, which is one of my very favorite Heyers and also an early novel, there was no real spark and very little development to their relationship romantic or otherwise. It seemed like too much too quickly to me, and I just never felt quite convinced by the characters no matter how dashing Nick was or beautiful Dominica.

As rollicking, swashbuckling adventure stories go, however, Beauvallet is well done for an early attempt and sold quite well when it was originally published (picture Errol Flynn as Nicholas Beauvallet!). She moves the story along at a nice pace, and if you like action filled with swordplay and daring escapes you might find this one an enjoyable read. Although probably not one of my favorites, I found it entertaining going and interesting to compare with her later books and more developed characters. I’m looking forward to returning to the Regency period I think, and her more mature and intellectual heroines. Besides I love the playful wittiness of later stories set in drawing rooms and ballrooms that tend more towards comedy of manners (though I do like a good adventure story now and again as well). As a side note, I love the cover of this book—these reissues are really nicely done. Many thanks to Sourcebooks for sending this one along.


I love the Sourcebooks Casablanca release of many of Georgette Heyer’s books. The covers are beautiful and I own quite a few of them. If you enjoy classic romance novels then Georgette Heyer is a must read. I was very excited when offered a chance to review one of these beautiful books.

This book is full of adventure as Nicholas Beauvallet, falls in love with Doña, one of the Spanish women on a ship he robs, and she falls in love with him. He then travels back to Spain to kidnap her under the roof of her father to run away with her back to England.

I really enjoyed this swashbuckling romance book and think any romance reader who enjoy a good pirate story will love it. Georgette Heyer wrote more than 50 books and numerous works of short stories. An interesting bit of trivia, Nicholas Beauvallet is a descendant of Simon the Coldheart (one of her earlier books). Purchase this wonderful book at Amazon.




Georgette Heyer is one of the authors who will never become a forgotten author, lost in the archives of old novels. She was one of those magnificent storytellers. I didn’t want to finish BEAUVALLET. This novel is full of all sorts of adventures: spying, masqeurades, ships and sea robbers. Is romance an adventure? Yes. In Beauvallet, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet, an Englishman, is in love deeply with Dona Dominica, a Spanish woman. Unfortunately, this is the time when daughters were expected to marry whomever their elders chose for them to marry. Dominica is not meant to marry an Englishman. Her aunt and uncle are determined her marriage is to be one of political maneuvering and not love and romance.

This is one reason I liked the book. I was reminded of the plight of women. Women were used as property, like owned horses. I can’t imagine being commanded to marry a man I don’t love. How horrible! What should I do with my feelings or should I not feel? That is the question.

I also loved the novel because it is just plain fun. I especially loved Sir Nicholas Beauvallet’s masquerade as The Guise, a Frenchman. Oh boy, talk about escape attempts from enemies. Nothing can match the scenes painted by Georgette Heyer. Fabulous, just plain fabulous. I loved being introduced to France, Spain and England, all in one book. I traveled and traveled quickly in coaches topped with plumes, on horses and by climbing over balconies. What else can I write? Well, I can write a Georgette Heyer novel is better than any adventure on tv today. Really, she was a Diva of Romance ahead of her time. BEAUVALLET proves it.


I have long been reading reviews of books written by Georgette Heyer and have been very intrigued. Ms. Heyer, although she has written many books, was unknown to me and I don’t know how that happened. I read and have read a lot of books, particularly historical novels. I can now say that I am thrilled to have been introduced to such a delightful writer.

Beauvallet opens with a battle upon the sea and we meet our hero, Sir Nicholas Beauvallet or "Mad Nicholas" as he is sometimes called. He is daring, bold and of course, handsome. Also charming, witty, and brave. He wins his battle with the Spanish galleon and meets Dona Dominica de Rada y Sylvan a young, beautiful Spanish spitfire. Instead of kidnapping her and her father he returns them to Spain.

Sir Nicholas knows that Dona Dominica is the perfect woman for him so in spite of the fact that all of Spain is out to kill him for his relentless attacks upon Her ships he vows to return to claim her as his own; braving a journey to the center of Spain. Dona Dominica waits fighting off a greedy family anxious to marry her to gain her property.

I have to say that I was taken by this book from the first sentence. It was rather like watching an old movie from the 40ies - I could so picture Erroll Flynn as Beauvallet - the big smile with that mischevious twinkle in the eyes. The writing is crisp and fun, the dialog is exceptional. Better yet, this is a true romance - lots of longing and you feel the passion without blatant examples. The adventure scenes are well written; you really feel like you are in the midst of battle or fleeing on the sea.

I cannot wait to read more of Ms. Heyer’s work. You get drawn into the story, you root for the characters and you don’t want to put the book down. That to me is the best you can get in a book.


This was my first time reading a Georgette Heyer novel, and let me start by saying that I was not disappointed. From the first page to the very last Beauvallet was full of action and adventure, not to mention romance. Wrote in an Elizabethan era tone, with a rumbustious attitude that will have you ready to board a pirate vessel, this is the perfect novel for those seeking adventure. With lovable characters that captivate you, and an intriguing plot that will hold you captive until the very end, you will want to read this book straight through. Beauvallet is truly a book for those who love historical romance. I guarantee that by the end of this book a dashing pirate will have captured your heart.

When Dona Dominica sets sail on the Santa Maria, she wonders if she will ever meet the infamous El Beauvallet, the English pirate with a reputation of being able to do anything because of witchcraft. But she does not expect her ship to be taken by him, Nor does she expect to be kidnapped by him and taken abord his ship the Venture.

Sir Nicholas Beauvallet captures Dominica and her father and proclaims that he will take them home to Spain, as Dominica has demanded. But falling head over heels in love with her was never part of his plan. In order to please her, he agrees to returning her to her country, but also announces that he will wed her before the year is up. How is Sir Nicholas supposed to come back to Spain to claim fair lady as his bride if all of Spain wants his head? The answer is easily—because Beauvallet can do anything, of course.

This was such a sweet story! I cannot think of words enough to describe how much I adored Beauvallet. The romance was fast-paced, the adventure was exciting, and the language was eloquent. I absolutely loved it. It was a pretty fast read and I read it in a few days. Georgette has many little surprises spread all through the story and tells amazing creative adventures of Beauvallet’s wits, fights, and escapes. It was a perfect blend of a sweeping romance and a gripping adventure.

The story is told in third-person omniscient, so you don’t always have all the details. It was a little hard to get inside the character’s heads at first, but once I learned who they were It was very easy to relate to them.

A wonderful thing about Beauvallet is that when El Beauvallet falls in love with Dominica, he does not claim her as his “love” or as his “mistress” or, in our culture, his “girlfriend,” he claims her as his bride. Which is really the most romantic aspect of it all.

The end was so sweet I won’t tell what happened but rest assured it was wonderful.

I loved this story so much! I have already run out to pick up more books by Georgette Heyer, I am officially a new fan! I cannot wait to read other books by her.

Like thousands of other women, I’m one of Georgette Heyer’s devoted fans. I’ve read almost all of her 56 books, Beauvallet being the latest. Her book, Corinthian, has long been my favorite, but Beauvallet has just overtaken that position. Romance! Romance! Romance! The kind that puts roses in your cheeks, butterflies in your stomach, and a yearning in your heart. What’s not to love in a Swashbuckling Pirate who has more charm than any man has a right too. One who makes a woman both fear and crave his touch. Dominica is a heroine equal to this hero in daredevil courage, love of adventure, and heart-melting passion. If you don’t read this book for yourself, well...why deny yourself the pleasure?


Heyer has been dubbed the Queen of Regency, which she very well is, but this story takes place in Elizabethan times. I think this calls for another title to be bestowed on our beloved late author—Ms. Georgette Heyer, is also the Queen of Elizabethan romance. I must say thank you to Sourcebooks, for bringing Heyer back into the limelight. I’d never read one of her books before, and am now a major fan, swallowing up her literary treats as fast as I can get my hands on them.

From the very first sentence— “The deck was a shambles.” — the reader is pulled into the story. Heyer is magnificent in her hooks, but not just the opening and ending hooks, but the very middle. Her work bounces off the page in a lively piece that is reminiscent of Shakespeare and other great historical writers. She has been likened to Jane Austen, which I can see as well.

The dialogue is witty, fun, exciting. The characters are well thought out and unique. As a history lover, I was impressed by Ms. Heyer’s research. The book is chock full of real-life history, including those larger than life real privateers like Drake and Raleigh. Her scenery descriptions and the way she captures the true essence of the characters was a marvel to me. The heroine, Dona Dominica was a woman ahead of her time. She stoically and valiantly thwarted the evil machinations of her cousin and aunt, all while staying steadfast to her true love. Sir Nicholas Beauvallet was so well created and imbedded in the history, I actually did a search to see if he existed in real-life. Sadly, he was all made up, but a hero I fell in love with nonetheless, and a book I recommend to all of you! If you love adventure, romance, intrigue, betrayal, love and history all rolled into one, Beauvallet, has it!

And let’s face it—who doesn’t love a daring pirate hero willing to risk life and limb for his feisty heroine?

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 8 in
Width: 5.25 in
Weight: 13.00 oz
Page Count: 304 pages