Venetia (Heyer novel)

Front cover of the 2011 paperback edition of Venetia.

Venetia is a 1958 novel by Georgette Heyer that begins in 1818. Venetia, Conway and Aubrey Lanyon (26, 23, and 17 years old) are grown-up children who lost their mother at a young age, and whose father passed three years ago. While Conway remains in military service and declines to come home and manage his inheritance, Venetia acts a guardian to her younger brother Aubrey, who has a physical impairment preventing him from walking easily. The two siblings receive receive regular and unwanted visits by Venetia's two local suitors, Edward Yardley (a nearby landowner, 32 years old) and Oswald Denny (a local lord's 19-year-old son), neither of whom Venetia has any inclination to marry. While wandering about the estate unaccompanied, Venetia inadvertently goes over the property line and meets a long-absent neighbor, peaking his interest without the knowledge (or likely approval) of her friends and relations.