The Gay Adventure

Rent is overdue, the landlady wants an answer, and Lionel Mortimer has only sixpence ha'penny in his pockets. Educated at Oxford and trained in law, he has earned a little through writing but nothing through his legal work. His charm carries him through awkward conversations more readily than it pays his bills. Richard Bird opens this comic romance in lodgings near London's Strand, where Lionel meets a financial crisis with elaborate courtesy and a hope of finding a generous benefactor.

The action later shifts to Shereling, where Tony Wild and Robert Hedderwick take an interest in the people entering a property called The Quiet House. Tony gives Robert a false surname, while Lionel becomes the object of their anxious attention. Quick exchanges, uncertain identities and the contrast between caution and appetite for excitement give the story its pace. Readers who enjoy romantic fiction with social comedy will find money troubles and appearances closely entangled.