The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

 Sir Waldo Hawkridge, with an immense fortune and an athlete's physique is one of the most eligible bachelors in England. When he inherits a rundown estate in little West Hiding and comes to oversee its renovation, the whole community is agog. Hope blooms in many a young girl's heart, including the dazzling but amoral Tiffany Wield.  Tiffany's governess, Ancilla Trent, is the only one who can keep Tiffany in any kind of socially appropriate behavior, but it is a challenge even for her.  When she enlists Sir Waldo's help in keeping her little wayward lamb from wandering, he comes to realize that the governess is much more to his liking than the unparalleled beauty.  The trick for him is to help Ancilla realize that no-matter her social standing, he is not above her "touch."

This is the first to two Georgette Heyer books I read on consecutive weekends on airplanes.  Heyer is one of my favorite historical romance writers, but I had listened to all the ones that are available in audio.  I was therefore happy to check out an as-of-yet-unread Heyer text based ebook to read on the airplane to visit my grandkids in Albuquerque. This one did not disappoint.  It has all the elements I have come to enjoy from this author; the snappy patter, the funny scenes, the socially unconventional paring.  I am fascinated by Heyer's extensive and fluid use of time period slang.  She wrote in the 1960s but her books sound as if they were written in the 1800's.  I wonder how she learned the 1800's ton slang.  Actually, I don't even know if she gets it right.  Maybe she is just confident enough that it sounds right to moderns, but an actual 1800's denizen would be utterly aghast or amused to hear how they were portrayed.  Still, it is fun reading and got me through a very long plane ride home. (1962, 354 p)