1921’s The Black Moth was Heyer’s first novel. She’d written it two years earlier to amuse a convalescent younger brother, and her father encouraged her to prepare it for publication. Her advance was £100, and she was nineteen.

The Black Moth is ‘Devil’ Belmanoir, the Duke of Andover, and all-round cad. As one of her later heroines might have said, “Not a gentleman, but a nobleman”. A nice distinction. We first meet him borrowing money from his brother-in-law Richard (which he probably has no idea of ever repaying), and subsequently see him trying to abduct a young lady, our heroine Diana.

Fortunately, we have a hero in Jack Carstares, the disgraced Earl of Wyncham and Robin Hood-style highwayman (and Richard’s older brother). Duel ensues, in which Jack defeats Devil, who then lives up to his name by pulling a small pistol from his pocket and shooting Jack (who sees it coming just in time and is hit in the shoulder; a survivable hit).

Naturally, Diana, who is accompanied by her aunt, take up the injured Jack and carry him back to their home to recover, during which time Jack and Diana fall in love. But Jack is a highwayman, cast out from society six years previously for cheating at cards (he took the blame for his younger brother’s sins), and so can’t, in honour, propose. Diana doesn’t see why not: she’d quite like to join Jack’s adventures. But Jack is adamant: she should marry a man with a spotless reputation.

Jack rides off; enter Devil, yet again. He has talked himself into believing that he loves Diana, but apparently he only knows one way to treat women, and this time Jack isn’t at hand to stop him.
Messages are sent, however, and Jack’s mare Jenny has a long night-time run, poor thing.

Just in time, Jack arrives at the Andover country seat, and bursts in to fight yet another duel with Devil. All turns out well, naturally: Jack’s brother admits his earlier fault, clearing Jack’s name and enabling Jack and Diana to marry in all honour, and Devil vanishes to the continent. Nice and tidy, happy ends all round.

Except for Devil. But he can’t really have expected a happy ending – can he? He probably did, though. He’s that sort of person.

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