I also love the other minor characters in this one. I'm just not doing it! I'm going to marry the man I love even if he is broke.' It's a Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway moment. I like the novelty of Isabella, who (like me) is a conformist at heart, but who, when push comes to shove, finds the strength to break decades of training and say 'No I don't care if he's a perfect match.

Heyer heroines tend to be rebels by nature or just plain crushed. She's appealingly flawed (but if I were surrounded by men behaving like children, a mother insistent that I marry for rank, and my best mate snogging the man I loved I'd be pretty damn flawed as well) but so brave. Which brings me to Isabella, who is just brilliant. And, like Darcy, he has the irresistible charm of being horribly, uncontrollably, unashamedly in love with his heroine.

She originally planned to write a sequel featuring George - which was clearly a stupid idea, since his story has reached an entirely satisfactory conclusion at the end of FC - so I can only conclude that she also felt his rather cliched allure. In my defence I'm pretty sure that Heyer has given herself licence to go full fledged romantic with George in a way that she never permits herself with her leading men. If I were Hero then Sherry could whistle for my return - I'd be exploiting George's sensitive and protective nature something rotten (ignoring the unfortunate fact that since neither of them have any money it would be a disastrous match). I can take or leave pretty much any of Heyer's heroes, but George and Isabella reduce me to a gibbering 'shippy wreck rarely seen since my teen Duranny days. I have recovered from slight wobbliness over Vidal. I have scoffed at those of you who have inexplicable feelings for Avon (red high heels? really?). I've never read Twilight or Shades of Grey. How can this be? I'm a good modern liberal feminist. Like Isabella, his tousled locks and dark stormy beauty have troubled my dreams. My name is Dilys Price and I have a horrible crush on George Wrotham.

I have just finished rereading Friday's Child and I have a confession to make.

Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer