The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer (published in 1962) features a “nearly perfect” gentleman as the main romantic catch. That title, “Nonesuch,” refers to someone who is athletically successful (also called a Corinthian), good at a variety of things, comports himself admiringly, and is generally the best one, the guy everyone looks up to. The female romantic interest has a very different life, and due to a series of miscommunications, this is what leads to both tension and humor.
The Nonesuch, Sir Waldo, is only the first of many memorable characters. Not only is he richer than rich and, as described by the rural society, essential perfect, but he also has a philanthropic side; throughout England he has established orphanages for destitute boys. Our story starts when Sir Waldo is found to have inherited his uncle’s rundown Yorkshire estate. His own cousins can’t believe it: Sir Waldo is already rich! From the first chapter, we learn a bit about the personalities of his cousins. Although they are not the main characters, they influence the story.
But now we learn about the influence this “Nonesuch” might have on the quiet village. About 15-25 families of ladies and gentlemen are in the area (25 is a large dinner gathering), and all are excited except for one person: the governess for the wealthiest family (who live at “Staples). She is also a memorable character because Miss Trent is a moral and kind young woman. She is the daughter of gentleman and also from a country village, although now she works as a governess. She despises the lifestyle of London Corinthians. She dreads meeting the one who will turn society upside down in their little village. While others flock to invite sir Waldo into their modest society, Miss Trent avoids him at every turn: not too hard
Miss Trent is the rock that keeps the young people sensible in town. Her main charge is the young 17-year-old Tiffany who is to inherit riches but is out-of-control, with no sensibility to proper deportment. Part of this is due to her surprising beauty. Her entire being is attractive and she knows. And although she has been orphaned, her aunts and uncles who have been raising have been unable to stop her spoiled ways. Yet, Miss Trent is often able to talk sense into Tiffany.
In the end, Tiffany gets her comeuppance, mostly due to Miss Trent’s careful guidance and Sir Waldo coming to the rescue. Other situations and misunderstandings trouble our two most loveable characters, and too only adds to hilarity in this novel. So we have Tiffany’s impulsivity and spoiled self-interest, misunderstandings between Sir Waldo and Miss Trent, and Sir Waldo’s cousin who comes and mucks things up. The Nonesuch is a really fun read!
