Butler Who Laughed

Having not found a suitable husband during the three years since her come-out, Lady Sarah Thorndike must suffer the consequences. Daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Somerton have, in the past, never married less than an earl, and this daughter will be no exception! In their haste to have her married, Sarah's parents, the present Duke and Duchess, find what they consider to be a suitable candidate -- Fitzwilliam Hornsby, Viscount Lyleton. Actually, they found his parents, the Earl and Countess of Lavesly, who were, coincidentally, also looking for a marriage partner for their recalcitrant child.Unfortunately, this young man is much more fond of clothes, the ton, gaming, and any number of other things than he is of the idea of marriage, let alone the actuality. It was something he knew he'd have to do someday, but preferably not for another ten or twenty years.The two sets of parents contrive a summer visit of some two dozen acquaintances at the Viscount's own estate, Charlisle, so that the two young people can meet, get accustomed to each other, get betrothed, and then get married a month later. Nothing to it!Neither set of parents nor the young people themselves, reckon on the disruption caused by the butler. John Rawlins is the son of a Duke, but from the wrong side of the blanket. In aid of his friend, Fitz, he assumes the office of butler for the duration of the summer party at Charlisle.As the young couple contrive to become un-betrothed, the butler is not the ONLY one who laughed! How sad for the rest of us that the author is no longer writing these books!

The hero and heroine are smart, likable, and fun. Their attraction is convincing, circumstances are amusing...

A duke's daughter who prefers the warmth and humanity of her servants, and a duke's bastard who was raised by servants meet at a summer house party. She is being married off to his best friend, and through a lot of ingenuity he, she, and 'the other he' make themselves hilariously unacceptable. There's wonderful use of poetry to spark dialog and discussion of actual events of Wellington's battles show us many dimensions of character. These characters and this author are worth knowing