You must not imagine that Papa or I have the least notion of compelling you to marry anyone whom you hold in aversion, for I am sure that such a thing would be quite shocking! And Charles would not do so either, would you, dear Charles?”(Elizabeth Ombersley) “No, certainly not. But neither would I consent to her marriage with any such frippery fellow as Augustus Fawnhope!” “Augustus,” announced Cecilia, putting up her chin, “will be remembered long after you have sunk into oblivion!” “By his creditors? I don’t doubt it.

The book appeared in the midst of the UK General Strike of 1926; as a result the novel received no newspaper coverage reviews or advertising. Her knowledge of the period was so extensive that Heyer rarely mentioned dates explicitly in her books; instead Georgette Heyer situated the story by casually referring to major and minor events of the time.

Heyer chose not to file lawsuits against the suspected literary thieves but tried multiple ways of minimizing her tax liability. For the rest of her life Georgette Heyer refused to grant interviews telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family.