Free Newport Summer by Nikki Poppen

domestic tranquility, Newport style, made Audrey want to shudder. She had to get into the
Viennese conservatory. How was she to escape all this
otherwise? She did not want to become her mother, but
what else was there for her here? How did the other girls
stand it? Audrey knew she wasn’t alone in her situation.
Down the avenue at the Breakers, Alva Vanderbilt was
overtly hanging out for the Duke of Marlborough in
hopes of snatching him up for her daughter, Consuelo.
The duke hadn’t come over yet, but Alva was anticipating him. She’d been tracking the eligible duke’s social
and financial history for years, ready to run him to ground
when the time came. Audrey was tired of the whole game.

    The conservatory door opened, and the butler announced Gannon. The Earl of Camberly. She kept forgetting. It was telling that she couldn’t bring herself to
think of him as the earl, a titled English lord. It shouldn’t
have been that hard to do. He certainly looked every inch
the artistocrat.
    Today he was attired in a lightweight wool morning
suit of charcoal gray that made his hair appear even
darker than usual, and the subtle striping of his trousers
made his legs look longer. Not that she should have
been noticing such a masculine feature. Audrey promptly
averted her gaze back to the text of her book.
    Through her lashes, she saw her mother rise and greet
the earl with amazing calm, considering what had transpired in this very room only moments earlier.
    “Mrs. St. Clair, I am delighted to be received.”

    “Come and sit. We’ll have tea shortly” Violet St. Clair gestured to a chair near the sofa where she’d been sitting.
“Audrey, come and join us.”
    “Miss St. Clair.”
    Audrey felt his eyes on her as she set aside her book
and crossed the room to join them. “How kind of you to
call on us,” Audrey said, coaching herself to remember
the role their plan had assigned him as a potential suitor.
    “I hope I haven’t interrupted your reading?” Gannon
nodded in the direction of the volume she’d left behind.
    “Of course not” Audrey smoothed her skirts and sat down, feeling conspicuous and wondering if her mother
noticed the stilted nature of the conversation. It was much
more awkward than she’d anticipated, playing out two
roles. She had to remember that her mother thought that
she and the earl had only met twice now and both times in
the company of large groups. With the exception of the
stroll at the polo grounds, they had never been alone
beyond their brief breather at the Casino ball to her
mother’s knowledge.
    “Did you enjoy the supper party last night?” Audrey
said quickly to cover up the silence.
    Gannon relaxed into his chair, crossing a leg. “I did.
I’ve enjoyed meeting so many people since my arrival. I
am particularly interested in the American way of business. Last night, several of the gentlemen present were
kind enough to offer me some useful insights.”
    Audrey nodded, understanding exactly what Gannon was telling her beneath the overt message. She was
pleased. Now she just needed to get him apart from her
mother, where they could talk over his opportunities.

    “Ah, business?” her mother said with distaste. “I can
hardly imagine what thrall business can hold for a gentleman such as yourself.”
    “The world is changing, Mrs. St. Clair. I consider myself to be a man of vision. Those who can’t change with
the times are often left behind. I don’t want to count myself among their number. I try to stay abreast of all the
new thinking.” Gannon leaned forward. “In fact, I must
confess that was part of my reason for calling today. I
had hoped to discuss some business with your husband”
    Audrey watched her mother’s eyes narrow ever so
slightly, calculating her next move. She wasn’t pleased
with Gannon’s answer. “Then it’s a good thing, Camberly, that seeing Mr. St. Clair was only part of your reason for coming”