Character Connection: Sophia Stanton Lacey (The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer)

Character Connection is a weekly feature held every Thursday by Jen at The Introverted Reader, which spotlights our favourite characters to share with all the participants and blog readers.

The Grand Sophy was the second Georgette Heyer book and after falling in love with the world of Regency romance and the sweet and charming yet somewhat impetuous heroine in Arabella. In the Grand Sophy, I could not have encountered a more different but just as lovable heroine: Miss Sophy Stanton Lacy.

Sophy- as she is known by her friends- is a 20 year old young lady, the daughter of a well travelled diplomat whom she calls 'Sir Horace' and she has managed his household since her mother died. When he is sent on a trip to Brazil, Sophy is sent to stay with her relatives in London, arriving in Spring 1816. Expecting her brother's 'little Sophia' to be of the shy, well mannered and dainty types of girls, her Aunt and the rest of her family get quite a shock when Sophy turns out to be quite the opposite.

From the moment she sets foot in Berkeley Square, clad elegantly and a massive mountain of suitcases, a monkey and a parrot, a dog and a horse as well as her staff trailing behind her, it is clear that she is not an ordinary heiress at all.

Bemused by the tangle of affairs that she finds her cousins in, she promptly sets about trying to sort all the family's problems out, much to the annoyance of the her cousin Charles, the Ombersley's heir who wants to be rid of her 'meddlesome troubling.'

Sophy has a strong personality, outrageous, headstrong and wittily humorous, she is used to doing what she likes and going out unaccompanied which is unheard of in London's high society. Not afraid to say and do what she thinks, her family are scandalized by her behaviour. However Sophy has no intentention of conforming to the rules of society and soon has the whole of London talking with her 'antics.' I couldn't help loving her and whatever she was doing from setting up her own stable, riding her cousin Charles' carriage among other things and behaviour considered 'masculine' and horse dealing with suspicious money lenders, it was always entertaining to find out what she would do next.

The relationship between her and the hero, her cousin Charles was very amusing as they were not able to do anything without flying into rages at each other and both are extremely stubborn and proud.

However, for all her schemes the intelligent Sophy is very caring and thoughtful at heart, only wanting the best for people. Acting a bit like a mother hen, she tries to help her poor cousin Cecilia who is besotted with a young feather brained poet, the young Hubert who is caught in the clutch of dubious and threatening money lenders and Charles who is engaged to the sour and priggish Miss Wraxton.

She reminded me of a bit of Jane Austen's Emma, trying to help other people in their life but I think Sophy's character is a lot more likable as selfishness is not in her nature.

Earning herself the name of 'The Grand Sophy,' Sophy is an endearing but outrageous gem of a heroine that cannot be forgotten easily and can be relied on for a good dose of ‘pick me up’ fun!

Stephanie <3