Repay gratitude by blood and tears is one way of fulfilling your obligation, Minerva’s feelings amounts only to this that she is by far keen on intimidating and constraining the hand of her niece to a halfwit ,a conspiracy nevertheless atrocious. At least Torquil can end the formidable…..

It’s neither one of her mysteries nor is it one of her perfect romances. Sparkling around the apposite of the regency maxims and delicacies, the novel soothes with striking sketches of the picturesque Broome Hall. Kate’s destitution brings her to the Broome family. Not finding a friend in the somewhat opprobrious Philip, she stays in the house with only Torquil and Minerva to bear her company. Happiness takes form of Phillip’s offer for marriage. Soon after this first blossom of love, Minerva insinuates her precarious desire of Kate marrying Torquil. In a normal course, an alliance such as this should proffer enlivenment to any penniless female of commonplace; but it seems the otherwise; the thought of marriage to a halfwit howsoever innocent he claims to be, is a matter requiring the highest deliberation, her position being considered only secondary. And though her profound knowledge of her aunt’s intention receives her sympathies, the fortitude with which she faces the situation is estimable where she is punctilious not to hurt her benevolent aunt. Torquil is equally averse to the plan as the rest of the family is. With the thought of placating the quandaries, he strangles his mother and repenting over which drowns in the river immediately. Amidst the melancholy, the family puts back things, the memories of the departed to haunt them for ever.

Minerva is calculative and is so absorbed in her self conceit that she regards her every atrocity as mere commonplace. Her plan dominating over her scruples, she takes advantage of Kate’s situation despite the knowledge of Phillip’s love. Minerva often stands at loggerheads with her dictatorship and it doesn’t come to a shock at her unpredicted death which is more to her blame than of Torquil’s. The only person who is unaffected by her despotism is Philip. He seems to be the pillar for support to Kate during her stay at the hall and continues to be of help to her. The objects of Minerva’s puppet show are Kate, a victim in the hands of gratitude with extreme tolerance and Torquil, a victim of undue influence and haplessness.

Cousin Kate is I believe one of Heyer’s best written novels as it reflects upon a combination of emotions carved up into equal proportions for regency, despondency, romance and also some sightseeing thus providing an all- encompassing entertainment. On the contrary, people correlate Gothicism to Cousin Kate which has clearly no place in the story and sadly this novel doesn’t enjoy the same preferences which DC, TOS or the Sophe does. But by snubbing 
Kate, they are definitely missing the best of regency romance. 

Kate is a remarkable work by Ms Heyer and it is the best. I would recommend it to all.