Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon. When he encounters a young boy, Léon, who is running from his abusive brother, Avon employs the boy as his page, parading him around parties and other society events in full view of his bitter rival, the Comte de Saint-Vire.
But the truth is soon uncovered: Léon is in fact a girl named Léonie and is actually the legitimate child of the Comte and his wife. While Avon is intent on his plan to reveal the Comte’s duplicity and ruin him publicly, he is charmed by Léonie’s kindness, falls in love, and becomes a changed man.
First published in 1926 to great commercial success, These Old Shades showcases Heyer at her romantic best and remains a charming and entertaining listen for all fans of historical romances.
Georgette Heyer (1902–1974) is one of the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, often credited as the creator of the historical romance genre as well as the Regency romance subgenre. She also wrote mysteries and short stories. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother. She also wrote eleven detective stories. She wrote over sixty books, including Regency romances, mysteries, historical fiction, and detective stories. She was known as the Queen of Regency romance and was legendary for her research, historical accuracy, and her extraordinary plots and characterizations.