Page 1 of Entertaining the Earl (Vows in Vauxhall Gardens #2)

M iss Susannah Lyttleton was never happier than when she had a book in her hands and some peace and quiet to enjoy it.

She devoured every novel she could get her hands on, regularly begging her father for new additions to the Lyttleton library. It was not as if Papa did not have the funds, after all. But he did think there were better things for his daughter to be doing than reading whenever she could.

It was on such a day, when the air was turning cooler and autumn was upon them, that Susannah found herself curled up on a chair before the fire, enjoying Miss Austen’s latest tome.

The author’s name had only become common knowledge after her death, and this second posthumous novel had only just been published.

Susannah had been eagerly awaiting it, desperate to get her hands on a copy.

She didn’t notice her father entering the parlor until he was before her, sighing and commenting, “Reading again, Susannah?”

She tried to ignore the censure in his voice.

“It’s awfully good, Papa,” she said, although she knew he had no interest in reading.

She was not sure where her love of books had come from, considering neither of her parents ever spent any time reading.

Well, not exactly. She supposed her mother perused the gossip columns—if one could really call that reading .

“Well, I have some news for you,” he said, strolling over to the port decanter on the table and pouring himself a healthy glass .

Susannah sat upright, not wanting to be criticized for her deportment, and waited for whatever news her father had to share.

She doubted it would be something she was particularly interested in, for her parents’ news tended to be about social events: who had wed, who was caught in scandal, and who was having a child.

All topics that did not interest Susannah.

“We’re to host a guest for the Season.”

“Why?” was Susannah’s first question. She did not enjoy the social Season, which was due to start shortly and was the reason they were in London.

She played her part, attending dances and musicales and smiling when her mother told her to.

But she knew she was plain-looking, and her interest in books was not something that endeared her to the men in society.

It was no surprise to her—and probably to her parents, either—that she had not received an offer of marriage in the three seasons she had been out in society.

She knew it was probably to her disadvantage that their family’s status had only been elevated enough for her to first attend the London Season at the grand old age of twenty-two.

“Because we have been asked to,” her father said, his tone a little short. “And it is a great honor.”

“Who is she?” Susannah asked, assuming that her mother had been asked to sponsor some young lady’s debut, now that they were mixing with the upper echelons of society.

With her father having made his fortune, rather than having inherited it, it had taken the ton a while to accept the Lyttletons—but it seemed now that they were a firm fixture of the London Season.

So it was no huge surprise that some lesser-known family, perhaps without a matriarch, wished for Mama to present their daughter.

“Not she,” her father said, looking pleased with himself. “He. The Earl of Bourne, to be precise.”

“Why would an earl wish to stay with us?” Susannah asked, her bluntness as usual seeming to offend Papa. But it was surely a fair question; why should someone with such a title want to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Lyttleton, no matter their wealth or status in society?

“Because,” her father said through gritted teeth, “he wishes to become reacquainted with London society, and we are well-placed to help him.”

“Are we?” Susannah asked, before quickly correcting herself. “Of course, we are.”

In that, Susannah thought her father might have a point. Having aspired to the ton for so long, her parents had both studied their behaviors extensively and raised Susannah to have every skill of a refined young lady. “Why is he so…unacquainted with London society?”

Papa took the seat opposite her and lit a cigar.

“He has been on an extended tour around Europe. He inherited while he was away, I believe—and now that it’s time for him to return, he and his aunt—whom your mother and I are acquainted with—feel he needs a little guidance before being thrust into the Season. ”

“And so he is to stay with us,” Susannah surmised.

“And so he is to stay with us,” Papa said, his voice full of glee. “He can attend functions with us, and if he is unsure about anything, we will be there to support him. It is a great honor, Susannah.”

“Yes, indeed,” Susannah said, feeling her agreement was what was desired at that moment.

“You will need to entertain him,” Papa said, blowing out a ring of smoke. “You must not hide away in your books, Susannah. This is an opportunity for the whole family. We will show him the Season at its very best—and that includes time at home with the family.”

Susannah inwardly groaned. She could picture him now—some elderly duke with a receding hairline and no wit or humor.

And it wasn’t just that she had to smile and be polite at a ball or a dinner—here, in the safety of her own home, she would have to entertain him, to put down her beloved books and pretend to be something she was not.

For the whole Season.

It was a very displeasing thought, but she tried not to let that show on her face, for her father was clearly excited by the prospect.

“You cannot hide away in books forever, Susannah. It is time you took your place in the real world—and think seriously about marriage and your future.”

Her parents were rather obsessed with her future. She knew she ought to be preoccupied with the notion of whom she would marry, too—but she struggled to muster up much enthusiasm for the idea.

She was happy enough here, in their London townhouse, and even more so at their country home, where she could hide away more easily with her books.

There were fewer social expectations in the country, and far more space, making it harder for her parents to stumble upon her reading and make their disapproval known.

Susannah was very happy to read about love and marriage, but in the real world, she rather thought matrimony would interfere with the time she enjoyed by herself.

And anyways, it was beside the point; nobody had ever asked her. And she doubted they ever would—so what was the use in obsessing over it?