Friday's Child (1944)

Friday's Child is a novel written by Georgette Heyer in 1944. It is generally considered one of Heyer's best Regency romances, and was reportedly the author's personal favorite. Heyer retained only a single fan letter, which was from a Romanian political prisoner who kept herself and her fellow prisoners sane for twelve years by telling and retelling the plot of Friday's Child.

Friday's Child is one of several Heyer romance plots in which the hero and heroine marry early in the novel, following their path to love and understanding. Other examples include The Convenient Marriage and April Lady.

Plot summary

The wild young Viscount Sheringham is fast running through his considerable income through gambling and other extravagant pursuits; and he cannot as yet touch the principal, unless he marries. As the lady with whom he currently fancies himself in love, the beautiful Isabella Milborne, is also an heiress, he proposes.

Isabella rejects him unhesitatingly, citing his dissipated lifestyle. A lively quarrel then follows with his obnoxious widowed mother and her brother, who wish to retain control of his father's fortune themselves. The Viscount storms off in a fit of pique, vowing to marry the first female he meets.

This turns out to be the orphaned and shy Wantage, who has secretly loved him since they were children, and who now lives with one of his neighbours in the rôle of Cinderella, complete with Ugly Sisters.

The rest of the novel, chronicling the Viscount's gradual transition to maturity and the realisation that the one he really loves is Hero (the "loving and giving" child of the title), is told with Miss Heyer's characteristic wit, and features some of her most memorable dialogue, plot twists and characters (such as the fiery but lovelorn George Wrotham, whose hobby is fighting duels).

Characters in Friday's Child

Major characters

Anthony Verelst, Viscount Sheringham (Sherry), the hero

Hero Wantage (Kitten), the heroine

Gilbert (Gil) Ringwood, Sherry's closest friend

Hon. Ferdinand (Ferdy) Fakenham, Sherry's cousin and friend

George, Lord Wrotham , hot-tempered friend of Sherry and suitor to Isabella Milborne

Isabella Milborne (the Incomparable), beauty who rejects Sherry

Minor characters

Valeria, Lady Sheringham, dowager Viscountess, Sherry's widowed mother

Horace Paulett, Sherry's maternal uncle and trustee

Hon. Prosper Verelst, Sherry's paternal uncle and trustee the Bagshot family: Mrs Jane Bagshot, Mr Humphrey Bagshot and their children, Edwin, Cassandra (Cassy), Eudora & Sophronia (Sophy); Mrs Bagshot is cousin and guardian to Hero Wantage

Sir Montagu (Monty) Revesby, friend of Sherry

Duke of Severn, suitor to Isabella Milborne

Lady Saltash, grandmother of Gil Ringwood, resident in Bath

Mr & Mrs Milborne, Isabella's parents

Hon. Marmaduke (Duke) Fakenham, brother of Ferdy Fakenham

Lord & Lady Fakenham, Lady Fairford, Ferdy Fakenham's parents and sister

Jasper Tarleton, Bath gentleman, suitor of Hero

Ruth Wimborne, cast-off mistress of Sir Montagu Revesby

Flyaway Nancy, former mistress of Sherry

Mr Tooting, a Cit, rescuer of Hero

Mrs Charlotte Gillingham, gaming house proprietress

Lady (Sally) Royston, female whip

Mrs Theresa Hoby, Gussie Yarford (Lady Appleby), friends of Hero

Sir Matthew Brockenhurst (Brock), Sir Barnabas Crawley, Algernon Gumley, Mr Kilby, Assheton Smith, Mr Jack Westgate, Hon. Wilfred Yarford, society gentlemen

Mrs Drummond Burrell, Lady Jersey, Lady Sefton, society ladies and Patronesses of Almack's Assembly Rooms.

General Crawley, Sir Carlton Frome, Bath gentlemen

Mr Chalfont, Misses Chalfont, Bath visitors

Mr Guynette, Master of Ceremonies at Bath Lower Rooms

Bootle (Sherry's valet), Bradgate & Mrs Bradgate (butler & cook at Half Moon Street), Chilham (Gil Ringwood's valet), Ditchling (Sheringham servant), Mr Ford (Gil Ringwood's landlord), Goring & Mrs Goring (staff at Sherry's Melton Mowbray hunting box), Groombridge & Mrs Groombridge (butler & cook at Half Moon Street), Jason (Sherry's tiger), John (Sherry's coachman), Maria (Hero's abigail), Mr Philip Stoke (Sheringham man of business), Varley (butler at Sheringham House)

Pug (Lady Saltash's pug-dog) and a canary