The Toll-Gate
The Toll-Gate is a Regency novel by Georgette Heyer, which takes place in 1817.[2] 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 in the British Army who has returned from the Peninsular War 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, vastly different from the elegant backgrounds of London, Bath, Brighton, or some stately home, which characterize most of Heyer's Regency novels.
 First edition | |
| Author | Georgette Heyer |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Arthur Barbosa[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Regency, Romance, Detective novel |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
Publication date | 1954 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp |
Plot introduction
After acting as an aide-de-camp at the Battle of Waterloo, 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 Bow Street runner, and the local gentry 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