Page 11 of Entertaining the Earl (Vows in Vauxhall Gardens #2)

“D o you have any plans for today, Lord Bourne?” Mrs. Lyttleton asked over breakfast. Miss Lyttleton sat opposite, seemingly very focused on the jam she spread on her toast. She did not seem to speak much in front of her parents, and yet when they spent time together without them, she was an interesting conversationalist.

“I need to speak with my lawyer, about some issues with my estate,” Colin said. “And today seems the best day to do so. And then there is a musicale tonight, is that correct?”

“Yes, at Lady White’s. Her daughters are exceptionally proficient in singing and playing, I think you will enjoy yourself.” She shot her daughter a look. “And all are engaged to be wed, so I think this may be the last year we hear them all together.”

Miss Lyttleton did not look up or acknowledge her mother’s words, and Colin wondered if they had been heard before.

It did seem that the Lyttletons saw nothing but faults in their daughter.

He did not know what her singing voice was like, or whether she could play the pianoforte, but he did know that she was far more intelligent than most young women of his acquaintance, and more interesting too—and to him, that was more valuable than musical skills.

“And what do you plan to do with the day, Mrs. Lyttleton?” He glanced over at Susannah, hoping to draw her into the conversation. “Miss Lyttleton?”

She looked up, seeming rather surprised at being addressed, and smiled briefly before glancing at her mother.

“We have some calls to make this morning,” Mrs. Lyttleton said. “And this afternoon, Susannah and I will meet with the housekeeper, and discuss the management of the house this month.”

Miss Lyttleton frowned. “Do you need me to join you in that, Mama?”

Mrs. Lyttleton sighed. “You must learn how to run a household, Susannah. One day, when you are wed, you will need these skills. You cannot spend your life lost in a fictional world.”

Susannah did not argue; she rarely seemed to.

But he saw the flash of frustration cross her eyes before she returned to her breakfast. Was this preparation for running a house something Mrs. Lyttleton had always planned to do?

Or was it because she was expecting a proposal of marriage, and soon—from him?

He hoped their ruse wasn’t adding to Susannah’s problems, rather than reducing them, as they had planned.

*

His lawyer had an office nearby, and as the weather was pleasant, Colin chose to walk there rather than take a horse.

London was busy as always, and the fine weather had more people than usual out on the streets.

He walked slowly, watching as people went about their daily lives.

He was not particularly looking forward to this meeting.

He knew he should have seen his lawyer sooner, and should have visited the estate, but he had wanted to ease himself back into society first.

And in truth, he didn’t really wish to face the mess that he knew the estate was in.

He was fairly sure there was still enough money for him to do a decent job of being earl, but his father had not kept things neat and tidy, financially speaking.

There had been so many mistresses to be provided for, and so many properties used to house the women of his life, that Colin was sure it took a lot to maintain .

And with his man of business dead, and a new, young man in his place, he needed to make sure the earldom could still support everyone who relied on it.

Including all the women his father had dallied with, ultimately breaking his mother’s heart.

No, the conversation with the lawyer was unlikely to be an enjoyable one, and so Colin took his time wandering to his office, putting off the moment for as long as he could.

*

Susannah sat and sipped tea in Mrs. Selworthy’s parlor, as her mother and Mrs. Selworthy gossiped about the Season. She found paying social calls rather dull, mainly because the topics of conversation were always to do with balls and young men and betrothals, and nothing of any substance.

And there were rarely any women of her own age when her mother took her calling, either.

Her mother’s friends did not seem to have twenty-five-year-old spinster daughters, and so there wasn’t even anyone who might understand how she felt about the Season, and the endless attempts at finding a husband.

They were either younger, and just coming out into society, excited about their prospects, or they were married off and visiting or hosting callers in their own homes, with their husbands.

“And how is your house guest?” Mrs. Selworthy asked, glancing at Susannah with a grin. “I hear he has shown you a special interest, Susannah dear.”

Susannah felt blood rushing to her cheeks at the attention, and at the thought of Lord Bourne.

She did not know how to respond to Mrs. Selworthy’s comments and was relieved when her mother jumped in with an answer.

“Lord Bourne is a very charming young man,” she said, reaching for her cup of tea. “He is a perfect gentleman, and yes, he has shown Susannah some favor this Season.”

“How intriguing,” Mrs. Selworthy said, with a glance over at Susannah. “How fortunate you are that he is staying in your home. He is a very handsome and eligible young man.”

Mrs. Selworthy had three daughters, all of whom were wed, so Susannah did not understand why she needed to sound quite so irritated that Lord Bourne might have shown an interest in her.

Of course, it was not real—but she had to make sure people believed it was.

For Lord Bourne’s sake, even if it did not matter so much to her.

“He is a very well-brought-up young man, and we are very pleased to host him for the Season,” Mama said, either ignoring the slight or choosing not to respond to it.

“Well, I am glad to hear so. He certainly brings a bit of excitement to the Season. It can get dreadfully dull, with the same faces being around year after year.”

Susannah felt her cheeks flaming red and looked down into her tea. She was one of those faces who had been there for years. One of the boring ones. One of the ones who would be there until she was allowed to accept defeat and stop attending so many events in the hopes of securing a husband.

“And I’m glad to hear he’s a gentleman, too,” Mrs. Selworthy said. “For I’m sure you’ve heard all about his father, and his…proclivities.”

Susannah’s head snapped up. She knew nothing of the former Lord Bourne, nor to what proclivities Mrs. Selworthy might be referring.

“Well, one hears rumors…” Mama said delicately. “But one cannot judge the son for the sins of the father.”

“No, of course not,” Mrs. Selworthy agreed, and then the conversation returned to gossip in which Susannah had little interest. She felt rather irritated that the one interesting topic her mother and Mrs. Selworthy discussed had been cut off so quickly.

Not because she was keen to gossip, but because she found she was interested in knowing as much about Lord Bourne as she could.

As they walked briskly back towards home, Susannah’s intrigue got the better of her, and she decided to broach the topic with her mother.

“What did Mrs. Selworthy mean, Mama, when she mentioned Lord Bourne’s father?”

Mama was silent for a moment, and Susannah thought that she had not heard the question—or was going to pretend she had not, in any case.

“It was just gossip, Susannah. And not suitable for your ears. Mrs. Selworthy should have known better.”

Now she was really intrigued. She waited another moment before trying with a different tact.

“I just thought, since Lord Bourne does seem to have shown an interest in me, that I should be prepared in case anyone challenges me on such gossip.”

Her mother glanced at her, then turned her attention back to the pavement, gritting her teeth. “I do not want to hear it spoken of again, do you understand?”

She shouldn’t have been surprised her mother would tell her nothing. She resisted sighing as she nodded. “Yes, Mama.”

“And you mustn’t mention it to the earl. It would be highly inappropriate, and you might offend him.”

“I understand,” Susannah said, struggling not to show how eager she was to learn such an interesting piece of information about the man who was staying with them.

“Lord Bourne… that is, the previous Lord Bourne…had a rather unfortunate reputation. He…” It seemed her mother was having trouble putting the gossip into words, and Susannah waited impatiently for her to finish.

“He was not faithful in his marriage…which, of course, is not altogether uncommon. But he had such an interest in women that it wa s enough to be remarked upon.”

“So he had…a mistress?”

Mama tutted. “This is not an appropriate topic of conversation. But yes, I believe he had many mistresses—and that it broke his wife’s heart to know it.

Now, I do not want to hear any more about it, understood?

Lord Bourne is not the same man as father, and this does not change anything.

But you will be prepared now if anyone chooses to be so indelicate as to gossip about it in front of you. ”