Page 4 of Entertaining the Earl (Vows in Vauxhall Gardens #2)

M r. Lyttleton was a pleasant enough gentleman, with a very fine home in the heart of Mayfair and a real eagerness to please. His wife was polite but fairly quiet, and his daughter barely seemed to say a word.

Colin thought that she was probably afraid of him, although he was not rude enough to ask.

She was clearly unwed, or she wouldn’t still live with her parents, and he wondered whether it was crippling shyness that stopped her from being successful in finding a husband.

She had looked like a frightened little mouse when he had come into the parlor, and had barely been able to look him in the eye.

He very much hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Lyttleton were not planning to encourage a match between them.

He was sure she was a pleasant enough woman, but he really was not looking for a wife yet.

And surely, when he did, she would need to be someone who was comfortable in society, considering his rank.

He was not experienced in socializing among the ton himself; he needed a wife who was more capable.

After the tour of the house, he retired to his bedchamber for some peace and quiet and watched the busy London streets from his window.

He owned his own townhouse in the city—although he still thought of it as his father’s—but it had been closed up for many years.

Even before the old earl had died, he had not been well enough to visit London, and so the staff had been let go, and the place had fallen into disrepair.

It was something he would rectify once the Season was over and he had reintegrated himself into society.

But for now, it was far easier to stay with the Lyttletons, attended to by their excellent staff, while he reacquainted himself with London society.

*

“I have made no secret of the size of your dowry this year,” Papa said, upon finding Susannah holed up in the library reading, hours before the first ball of the Season. “So I expect you will have far more suitors this year.”

“Thank you, Papa,” she said, because she knew it was the expected answer.

But in truth, the thought of someone asking for her hand because he would become rich by doing so turned her stomach.

She didn’t particularly want to get married.

She was already five-and-twenty, but her father had only been considered rich and important enough to mingle with the upper echelons of society for the last three years, and so she had not been paraded around endless Seasons before then.

Nevertheless, there had been no proposals of marriage—and she hadn’t particularly been surprised. She knew she was plain, with her mousy brown hair and brown eyes, and that her interest in fictional worlds was rather dull to most people.

Then there was the fact that she had no title, nor a great family name to ease her way in society. The ton had long memories, and, if she ever did have children, she imagined it would be several generations before her father’s lack of pedigree was forgotten.

But now it seemed her father was making it clear that she came with a large fortune—and undoubtedly, that might be enough to make men in need of money overlook her background and her plain features.

It was not how she wanted to be married, but she was not sure what choice she had. She was quite happy to remain at home for the rest of her days, reading and living with her parents. But she doubted they would consider that an acceptable option.

“Ah, there you are, Susannah,” her mother said, seeming to float into the room.

The daughter of the younger son of a viscount, her mother had probably expected to marry someone titled, but when her own father had gambled away his fortune, a rich suitor had been more important.

Susannah had heard gossip about this over the years, but never heard any specifics from her parents.

And perhaps they were a good example of how marrying for money could work out; even if it hadn’t been a love match, they always seemed fairly happy together.

Susannah had never heard them arguing, and her mother always made sure that the Lyttletons were well represented in society.

“Reading again, are you?” she said with a sigh, and Susannah closed her book and laid it in her lap, feeling frustrated that her peace had been disturbed, and trying not to make it apparent on her face. “You must begin getting ready for the ball.”

“But we have hours still,” Susannah argued. She had been hoping for more time with her book before she was forced into society.

“This is the first ball of the Season, Susannah,” her mother said disapprovingly.

“It is vital you make a good impression, if we are to find your match this year. Now, I have selected your gown, and Louise will be along shortly to pin your hair. Everything must be perfect tonight, do you understand?”

“Yes, Mama,” Susannah answered, putting down her book sadly and following her mother from the room.

*

Colin hadn’t exactly been a social recluse during his travels, but things were different on foreign shores. From what he remembered of English society, people were quick to judge and rarely forgave or forgot errors.

When he had last attended a function on these shores, he had been a lad of eighteen—and not an earl. Things were certainly different now, and he couldn’t help but worry he wouldn’t live up to the title.

The Lyttleton valet had offered to help Colin dress for the ball, as he had not yet engaged in one of his own. He was grateful, for the man clearly knew exactly what was expected and it seemed possible he was one of the finest valets in the ton.

The man looking back at him in the mirror looked very different from the one he was used to seeing. His blond curls were tamed into submission, and his cravat was tied so perfectly around his neck that he could hardly believe it hadn’t been done with magic.

“Do you require anything else, my lord?” the valet asked after brushing over his coat sleeves with a clothes brush.

“No, thank you,” Colin said, resisting the urge to loosen the cravat. He felt as though he couldn’t quite catch his breath—but that was surely just nerves. He would feel better once he had a drink in his hand.

During his travels, things had always been less formal. He hadn’t even always told the people he spent time with that he was now an earl. It was rather nice, socializing without people worrying about addressing him correctly, and without him having to worry about living up to the title.

“Very good, my lord. I believe the carriage will be here shortly.”

Colin waited in the foyer with Mr. Lyttleton for the two Lyttleton women to descend the stairs.

He was truly grateful that he did not have to enter the ballroom alone, even if his companions were people he had only met the day before.

He had been gone so long that he had no friends left in London.

No one he could call on to make him feel a little less out of place.

Which was, he assumed, why his aunt had set up this situation.

He would visit her after the ball and discuss her concerns about the estate, and his reputation, having been away for so long.

She would undoubtedly have heard whatever gossip arose from tonight’s ball—although she very rarely attended such events herself—and she would surely have an opinion on how he had performed.

He only hoped he wouldn’t let her down.

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Colin looked up and was rather surprised to see how different Miss Susannah Lyttleton looked.

When they had been introduced earlier, she had worn a plain, practical day dress, and her mousy brown hair had been pulled back in a style that made her look much older.

But now, in a green dress far more suited for dancing, with a neckline that was almost daring, and her hair pinned neatly in a crown atop her head, she looked…

well, she looked almost pretty. He felt rather uncharitable for thinking otherwise earlier.

He smiled at both Lyttleton women and bowed.

“Good evening, ladies. And may I say how beautiful you both look.”

Mrs. Lyttleton wore a gown of lavender that flattered her, and she seemed quite confident in it. She smiled and thanked him for his compliment, taking her husband’s arm.

Miss Susannah Lyttleton, however, didn’t seem to know where to look. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and she tripped on the last step, nearly falling flat on her face. Colin jumped forward, catching her arm just in time and helping her right herself.

Her parents turned to see what the commotion was, and her mother sighed. “I swear, Susannah. Your head is in those books even when there are none to be seen. Please pay attention to what you’re doing.”

Susannah looked mortified and snatched her arm back before following her parents out to the carriage.

Colin was left with the distinct feeling that he had done something to offend her, even though he had no idea what it could be.

Surely he shouldn’t have let her fall on her face?

And it wasn’t as though she knew he thought she looked unexpectedly pretty.

He wasn’t foolish enough to say something like that out loud—so she couldn’t possibly be offended by it.

It was a shame though, he mused, as they stepped into the carriage for the short journey to the ball, that her parents were so quick to judge her. He wondered if, without worrying about their remarks, she might have been a little more confident.