How to Lose an Earl in Ten Weeks by Jenni Fletcher

Author:Jenni Fletcher [Fletcher, Jenni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241553497
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2021-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

‘Get up! You have a visitor.’

‘Huh? What?’ Essie prised her eyelids open again to find her grandmother looming at the end of her bed, ten times louder than Caro and a thousand times harder to resist. ‘Who?’

‘Your fiancé.’

‘Aidan? Now?’ She propped herself up on her elbows, shaking her head to clear the fog of sleep. ‘What does he want?’

‘Yes, yes, and I have no idea.’

‘What time is it? Shouldn’t he be at the garden party?’

‘It’s three o’clock and I don’t manage his diary, my dear.’

‘But why aren’t you there? I thought Caro wanted to go?’

‘She did and she has. Lady Talbot offered to chaperone her.’

‘Urgh.’

‘I agree, the daughter does have rather sharp claws. Nonetheless, there’s an earl downstairs waiting for you.’

‘I’m indisposed.’

‘Married ladies are allowed to be indisposed. Debutantes are not. Now, do I need to drag you out by your feet or will you be able to prise yourself up?’ The dowager’s eyes flashed threateningly. ‘I can’t abide moping.’

‘I’m not moping.’

‘Indisposed is code for moping. I’ve never moped a day in my life.’

‘I’ll prise myself up.’

‘I’m delighted to hear it, especially since I’ve arranged a treat for us this evening. I thought that you might like to pay a visit to Drury Lane.’

‘The theatre?’ Essie jumped out of bed, clasping her hands together. ‘Oh, thank you! I’d like that more than anything!’

‘Good.’ Her grandmother regarded her critically. ‘Although I admit you do look a touch peaky. I’ll ask Cook to make chicken soup for dinner. No dessert. Oh, good gracious, look at your hair. Birds could nest there.’

‘Aidan doesn’t care about hair,’ Essie announced confidently, thrusting her arms into a blue satin gown and then catching sight of her reflection in her wardrobe mirror. ‘Well … maybe I’ll give it a quick tidy.’

‘Do. In the meantime, I’ll regale him with conversation about the weather. I suggest that you take pity on the poor man and make haste.’

‘I’ll do my best.’ Essie sat in front of her dressing table and dragged a brush painfully through her knotted curls. Not that it really mattered what she looked like for Aidan. Caro’s words might have hit somewhat closer to home than they would have a week ago, but they were still wildly off target. How could she possibly want Aidan for herself when she still had every intention of finding him a replacement countess? For all she knew, that was why he was visiting this afternoon, to give her news of an engagement already. That would explain why he hadn’t gone to the Lockharts’ garden party. And he’d spent all that time with Lady Phoebe yesterday …

Before she knew it, she was ramming her feet into a pair of slippers and running down the stairs two at a time, the definitely-not-jealousy feeling flaring up with a vengeance that made her stomach churn even more.

‘Ah, here she is.’ Her grandmother looked around as Essie hurtled inelegantly into the drawing room. ‘We were just discussing the possibility of rain on Thursday. Come and have

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