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''Charity Girl'' is a Regency romance novel by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1970. ==Plot summary== ''Charity Girl'' revolves around the character of the wealthy, athletic Viscount Ashley Desford and his mission to save "charity girl" Charity Steane from a life with her uncaring relatives.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970.〕 The novel also takes up the Viscount’s friendship with Henrietta Silverdale, his neighbour and childhood friend. The narrative opens on a conversation between the Viscount and his father, the Earl of Wroxton. Wroxton asks Desford to look into the affairs of his younger brother Simon. Wroxton fears that Simon has fallen into bad company and will destroy his reputation. Desford declines to interfere in Simon's doings, saying that the last person Simon is likely to listen to is his older brother.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 10–11.〕 In the same conversation, Wroxton also reproaches Desford for having failed to marry Henrietta nine years ago. Desford protests that, while he loves Henrietta as a sister, there is no passion between them and that she cared to marry him as little as he cared to marry her.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 1–10.〕 Later in the novel, it emerges that, at that time, Henrietta had begged Desford not to propose marriage to her, even though it was the wish of both their families.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 22.〕 When Desford learns that Henrietta is wooed by the wealthy Mr. Cary Nethercott, he visits her and meets the man, whom Desford pronounces appropriate but immensely dull.〔 Later, at a party, Desford meets Charity Steane, who prefers to be called “Cherry.” She is almost nineteen years old, but is basically being used as an unpaid servant by the aunt and cousins with whom she has lived since her father abandoned her and failed to pay the bill at her boarding school.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 40–46.〕 Desford later encounters Charity running away from home and, against his better judgment and the morals of the 19th century that say a man can easily compromise a young unattended woman by being on the road with her, he takes her to her grandfather’s house in London .〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 52–69.〕 However, upon arriving in London, it’s apparent that Cherry’s grandfather, Lord Nettlecombe, has left his London home for the season. So Desford takes Cherry to stay with Henrietta and her mother.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 69–72.〕 The plot thickens. When Desford finally tracks Nettlecombe to Harrowgate, Desford finds that the old man has recently married his housekeeper, as a matter of economy. He also shows no interest whatever in his granddaughter's plight and resents the implication that she is in any way his responsibility.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 131–145.〕 Wilfred Steane, Cherry’s father, then shows up after an absence of many years, hoping to blackmail Desford into marrying Cherry on the grounds that he has compromised her reputation. Desford is vigorously defended by his younger brother, Simon, who pretends that Desford is engaged to Henrietta.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 182–203.〕 Cary Nethercott, who had previously shown so much interest in Henrietta, resolves Cherry’s problems by proposing marriage and being accepted. On the last page of the novel, Desford tells Henrietta that he has always loved her and will not break off the engagement that his brother invented for them. Henrietta admits she loves him in return and they become engaged for real.〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 252–253.〕 Simon, though, has the last words in the novel: "But if you should get into any more scrapes, Des, just send me word, and I'll post straight back to rescue you!"〔Heyer, Georgette. Charity Girl. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1970. 254.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Charity Girl」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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