Paperback
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
The Black Moth (1921) is a historical romance novel by Georgette Heyer. Initially devised as a series of stories for her younger brother Boris, who suffered from hemophilia, The Black Moth became Heyer's debut novel following its discovery by her father, who recognized its merits and sought publication. Published in Britain and the United States, The Black Moth was a commercial success that launched the career of one of twentieth-century England's most popular writers of fiction.
Set during the Georgian era of the 1750s, the story follows Lord Jack Carstares, a disgraced nobleman who turns to a life of crime after taking the blame for his brother's persistent dishonesty at cards. Branded a cheater and a thief, Jack briefly flees England before returning under the name of Sir Anthony Ferndale. Forced into the shadows, he becomes a highwayman notorious for robbing the carriages of the rich. Following his father's death and his brother's ascent to the head of the family estate, Jack is caught while robbing the carriage of a man who turns out to be Miles O'Hara, an old friend and Justice of the Peace. Arrested, Jack is forced to reveal his identity, and is promptly forgiven. Retaining his disguise and unready to rejoin the social life of England's elite, Jack becomes embroiled in a scandal involving the abduction of Miss Diana Beauleigh, whom he rescues from the wicked Duke of Andover. Unable to remain anonymous for much longer, Jack is pulled by his innate goodness toward the friends and family he has long since left behind, allowing him one last chance at redemption.
Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.
With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781513271927 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Mint Editions |
Publication date: | 02/23/2021 |
Series: | Mint Editions (Romantic Tales) |
Pages: | 268 |
Sales rank: | 246,617 |
Product dimensions: | 5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.61(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Prologue
Clad in his customary black and silver, with raven hair unpowdered and elaborately dressed, diamonds on his fingers and in his cravat, Hugh Tracy Clare Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, sat at the escritoire in the library of his town house, writing.
He wore no rouge on his face, the almost unnatural pallor of which seemed designedly enhanced by a patch set beneath his right eye. Brows and lashes were black, the former slanting slightly up at the corners, but his narrow, heavy-lidded eyes were green and strangely piercing. The thin lips curled a little, sneering, as one dead-white hand travelled to and fro across the paper.
'…but it seems that the Fair Lady has a Brother, who, finding Me Enamoured, threw down the Gauntlet. I soundly whipt the presumptuous Child, and so the Affair ends. Now, as you, My dear Frank, also took some Interestt in the Lady, I write for the Express Purpose of informing You that at my Hands she has received no Hurt, nor is not like to. That I in part tell You and You shall not imagine Yr self in Honor bound again to call Me out, which Purpose, an I mistake not, I yesterday read in Yr Eyes. I should be Exceeding loth to meet You in a Second Time, when I should consider it my Duty to teach You an even severer Lesson than Before. This I am not Wishful of doing for the Liking I bear You. 'So in all Friendship believe me, Frank,
'Your most Obedient, Humble
'Devil.'
His Grace of Andover paused, pen held in mid-air. A mocking smile dawned in his eyes, and he wrote again.
'In the event of any Desire on Yr Part to hazard Yr Luck with my late Paramour, Permit Me to warn You 'gainst the Bantam Brother, who is in Very Truth a Fire-Eater, and would wish to make of You, as of Me, one Mouthfull. I shall hope to see You at the Queensberry Rout on Thursday, when You may Once More strive to direct mine Erring Footsteps on to the Thorny Path of Virtue.'
His Grace read the postscript through with another satisfied, sardonic smile. Then he folded the letter, and affixing a wafer, peremptorily struck the hand-bell at his side.
And the Honourable Frank Fortescue, reading the postscript half-an-hour later, smiled too, but differently. Also he sighed and put the letter into the fire.
'And so ends another affaire… I wonder if you'll go insolently to the very end?' he said softly, watching the paper shrivel and flare up. 'I would to God you might fall honestly in loveand that the lady might save you from yourselfmy poor Devil!'
Table of Contents
Prologue
One: At The Chequers Inn, Fallowfield
Two: My Lord at the White Hart
Three: Introducing the Hon Richard Carstares
Four: Introducing the Lady Lavinia Carstares
Five: His Grace of Andover
Six: Bath: 29 Queen Square
Seven: Introducing Sundry New Characters
Eight: The Biter Bit
Nine: Lady O'Hara Intervenes
Ten: Lady O'Hara Retires
Eleven: My Lord Turns Rescuer and Comes Nigh Ending His Life
Twelve: My Lord Dictates a Letter and Receives a Visitor
Thirteen: My Lord Makes His Bow
Fourteen: Mistress Diana is Unmaidenly
Fifteen: O'Hara's Mind is Made Up
Sixteen: Mr Bettison Proposes
Seventeen: Lady O'Hara Wins Her Point
Eighteen: Enter Captain Harold Lovelace
Nineteen: The Reappearance of His Grace of Andover
Twenty: His Grace of Andover Takes a Hand in the Game
Twenty-one: Mrs Fanshawe Lights a Fire and O'Hara Fans the Flame
Twenty-two: Developments
Twenty-three: Lady Lavinia Goes to the Play
Twenty-four: Richard Plays the Man
Twenty-five: His Grace of Andover Captures the Queen
Twenty-six: My Lord Rides to Frustrate His Grace
Twenty-seven: My Lord Enters by the Window
Twenty-eight: In Which What Threatened to be Tragedy Turns to Comedy
Twenty-nine: Lady O'Hara is Triumphant
Epilogue