''The Toll-Gate'' is a

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

novel by

Georgette Heyer Georgette Heyer (; 16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was an English novelist and short-story writer, in both the Regency romance and detective fiction genres. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brothe ...

, which takes place in 1817.See http://www.georgette-heyer.com/chron.html Unlike many of Heyer's historical novels which concentrate on a plucky heroine, this one follows the adventures of a male main character, an ex-

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

who has returned from the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

and finds life as a civilian rather dull. The setting for this detective/romance story is in and around a Toll-Gate in the

Peak District The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southe ...

, vastly different from the elegant backgrounds of London, Bath, Brighton, or some stately home, which characterize most of Heyer's Regency novels.

Plot introduction

After acting as an aide-de-camp at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

, Jack Staple is finding civilian life tedious. Following a formal (and somewhat boring) dinner party in honour of his cousin's engagement, Jack sets out by himself on horseback to visit a more congenial friend some 60 miles away. After getting lost in the dark and rain he reaches a toll-gate where a frightened 10-year-old lad is acting as toll collector in the absence of his father. A combination of curiosity, compassion, tiredness, and dampness lead him to stay at the toll house overnight with a view to sorting out the situation in the morning. Over the next few days Jack's circle of acquaintances rapidly expands to include a

highwayman A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to footp ...

, a

Bow Street runner The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1 ...

, and the local

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest ...

plus their devoted retainers. Other complications include a dead body, stolen treasure, and some masked villains. In the process of preventing a scandal, Jack also manages to identify the murderer, deal with the villains, retrieve the treasure, satisfy the law, provide for his friends, and resolve his own romance.

Characters in "The Toll-Gate"

Major characters

*Jack (John) Staple, ex-Captain of Dragoon Guards, 29 years old, tall and strong. *Sir Peter Stornaway, local squire, bed-ridden following a stroke. *Nell Stornaway, granddaughter to Sir Peter, 26 years old, tall. *Jerry Chirk, highwayman. *Gabriel Stogumber, Bow Street Runner.

Minor characters

*Henry Stornaway, grandson and heir to Sir Peter, cousin to Nell. *Nathaniel Coate, friend to Henry. *Gunn, servant to Nathaniel. *Wilfred Babbacombe, friend to Jack, an ex-Army colleague. *Edward Brean, toll-gate keeper, missing from his post. *Ben Brean, son to Edward, 11 years old. *Mr Willitoft, trustee of the Derbyshire Tolls

Devoted retainers

*Rose Durward, maid to Nell *Huby, butler to Sir Peter *Winkfield, valet to Sir Peter *Joe Lydd, groom to Sir Peter and to Nell

References

1954 British novels Novels by Georgette Heyer British adventure novels British historical novels Fiction set in 1817 Novels set in Derbyshire Heinemann (publisher) books {{1950s-hist-novel-stub