A Civil Contract: A Regency Novel. Illustrated, livre ebook

When Adam Deveril, Viscount Lynton, inherits a title burdened with crippling debt, he faces a painful choice between love and duty. Deeply attached to the beautiful and aristocratic Julia Oversley, Adam is nevertheless compelled to consider a more practical alliance. To save his family’s estate from ruin, he agrees to marry Jenny Chawleigh, the daughter of a wealthy but socially ambitious businessman. What begins as a marriage of convenience is founded not on passion, but on necessity.
Jenny enters the grand house of Lynton with courage and humility, determined to be a good wife despite her awareness of Adam’s former attachment. Unpolished but perceptive, she gradually proves herself capable of managing the estate’s finances and restoring stability. As months pass, quiet companionship replaces awkward distance, and mutual respect begins to soften lingering regrets. The rhythms of country life, responsibility, and shared effort reshape their understanding of happiness.
In A Civil Contract, Georgette Heyer presents one of her most mature and realistic Regency novels. Less sparkling than her comedies yet rich in emotional insight, the story explores duty, class, and the steady growth of affection. With sensitivity and restraint, Heyer portrays a marriage that deepens not through romance alone, but through patience, loyalty, and hard-won trust.