The League of Meddling Butlers Series by Kate Archer

Six meddling butlers and a confounding lady. Jemima Fornay, daughter of the Duke of Eddleston, has been entirely harassed in the months running up to her first season in Town. A certain Mr. Gamon and his two assistants have done their best to transform her into a gentle and refined lady. Mr. Gamon’s motto is “look modest, and if you can manage it, look abashed. ”. Sadly, Mr. Gamon left the duke’s house with his head hung rather low... moreSix meddling butlers and a confounding lady. Jemima Fornay, daughter of the Duke of Eddleston, has been entirely harassed in the months running up to her first season in Town. A certain Mr. Gamon and his two assistants have done their best to transform her into a gentle and refined lady. Mr. Gamon’s motto is “look modest, and if you can manage it, look abashed. ”. Sadly, Mr. Gamon left the duke’s house with his head hung rather low. Jasper Pennington, Duke of Barstow, fulfills his duties with joyless determination. He becomes convinced it is the right time to wed and produce an heir, and so he sets out to do just that. Fortunately, he is not unprepared. He has composed a list of attributes for his as yet unknown duchess. She will be, according to him, the most refined lady in London. Mr. Martin J. Harkinson is butler to the Duke of Eddleston and proud member of The League, a secret club of six elite butlers. These gentlemen have had the pleasure of developing a friendship due to their proximity on Grosvenor Square and have set themselves the task of providing the most elevated service to their lords and ladies. Including, very recently, a bit of matchmaking. Mr. Harkinson should not have a care in the world. After all, Lady Jemima is comely enough, is a duke’s daughter, and brings a good dowry. Unfortunately, though, he’s spent years describing her as the gentlest and most refined young woman to step her toe in England. The League has taken that into consideration and named the Duke of Barstow as the perfect match for the lady. How is Mr. Harkinson to explain himself when his fellow members discover the real Lady Jemima? Head injuries that never were, painful entertainments nobody wishes to attend, a dress on fire, an unplanned swim in a fountain, and a house party that would have no guests at all if the queen did not attend throw two people together who could not be less suited. Or, perhaps less suited yet. less

Six Meddling Butlers and a Baffling Lady. Matthew Jordan, Viscount Bramley, only son of the Earl of Wisterley, has spent the past few seasons in Town sowing some oats. Very little has troubled him, but trouble has currently relocated into his house. His father, the earl, has arrived and he is determined his son wed in all haste. The old soldier is fixated on his son procuring a whopping dowry to prop up the estate... moreSix Meddling Butlers and a Baffling Lady. Matthew Jordan, Viscount Bramley, only son of the Earl of Wisterley, has spent the past few seasons in Town sowing some oats. Very little has troubled him, but trouble has currently relocated into his house. His father, the earl, has arrived and he is determined his son wed in all haste. The old soldier is fixated on his son procuring a whopping dowry to prop up the estate. Lady Constance Condower, daughter of the Earl of DeWitton, seems to come into her season with a respectable, albeit not eye-watering, dowry of three thousand pounds. Lady Constance has a secret though—through a distant relation she is an heiress of twenty-three thousand pounds. All in her sphere are determined to keep the secret, thereby throwing fortune hunters off the scent. Mr. Harold P. Wilburn, butler to the Earl of Wisterley, considers himself the unnamed director of The League, an elite and secret club of six refined butlers. He has carefully composed his words to his esteemed colleagues, gently hinting that his earl desires Lord Bramley to secure a sizable dowry without having to come right out and say it is required to buoy up a sinking ship. As the season progresses, the earl and his butler take every opportunity to throw two particular ladies in front of Lord Bramley—Lady Juniper and Miss Semper are the heiresses of the season. Lord Bramley, confoundingly, keeps going in another direction. Lady Constance’s direction. An unsuitable direction. As for Lady Constance, she is certain somebody knows about her inheritance, though she is not certain if that person is Lord Bramley. Fortunately, Lady Constance, Lady Juniper, and Miss Semper join forces, determined to get to the truth. After a mysterious letter arrives, it seems all is lost for Bramley. Love hangs in the balance, and it will be up to Lady Constance to unravel a Gordian knot of opposing facts. less

The League of Butlers, six elite butlers located in the environs of Grosvenor Square, have staggered their way through three seasons of matchmaking. They began the venture in supreme confidence, but that confidence has been severely shaken. Now it is Mr. Rennington’s season, and all of the butlers privately admit they are concerned, including Mr. Rennington. He has a nervous disposition and is browbeaten by his housekeeper, which has done nothing for his state of mind... moreThe League of Butlers, six elite butlers located in the environs of Grosvenor Square, have staggered their way through three seasons of matchmaking. They began the venture in supreme confidence, but that confidence has been severely shaken. Now it is Mr. Rennington’s season, and all of the butlers privately admit they are concerned, including Mr. Rennington. He has a nervous disposition and is browbeaten by his housekeeper, which has done nothing for his state of mind. Now he is to step into the lead role and he very naturally worries he might drop dead from stress. Had any of these elite gentlemen believed in crossing fingers, they would have crossed them all, and toes too. Mr. Rennington is to steer the fortunes of Lady Eleanor Bancroft. She is lovely, the daughter of an earl, and well-funded. What could possibly go wrong? They did not know, but then, they hadn’t known the last three times either. Lady Eleanor has led an idyllic life so far. The only child of the Earl and Countess of Trentwhistle, she has had the great good fortune to be neighbors with Sir Joseph Banks. The esteemed President of The Royal Society has treated her as a pupil for years and she now considers herself a trained botanist. Morgan Payne, Baron Thurston, does not love Town. However, he’s decided it is the right year to wed and so he sets off for a cousin’s house, located on Grosvenor Square. It is not long before he becomes acquainted with the lady the next door over. Lady Eleanor is wildly attractive. She might be rather perfect if she was not forever blathering about botany and enacting outrageous schemes that require a rescue. And so, a battle of wills and tempers begins and let the best gentleman or lady win. If anybody wins. It’s not looking good…. less

The League of Butlers, a secret club of six elite butlers all managing households in the environs of Grosvenor Square, are back in Town and ready to take on another matchmaking adventure. Mr. Matthew Browning, butler to the Duke of Greystone, is to take the lead this season. He is confident of his success on several fronts. One, his duke is a Finstatten—a storied family with a long and glorious history... moreThe League of Butlers, a secret club of six elite butlers all managing households in the environs of Grosvenor Square, are back in Town and ready to take on another matchmaking adventure. Mr. Matthew Browning, butler to the Duke of Greystone, is to take the lead this season. He is confident of his success on several fronts. One, his duke is a Finstatten—a storied family with a long and glorious history. Two, the duke has turned twenty-seven and it is a family tradition that he wed by the end of this year. And three, Mr. Browning will oversee the operations, so success is assured. Hugh Finstatten, the current Duke of Finstatten, must wed this year. It’s not as if he is against it. In fact, he’d have done it already if he could have found the lady who would suit. He could not exactly express what he was looking for, but the ladies he had met so far were not it. He would know her when he saw her. He just had not seen her yet. Miss Finella Fernsby goes into the season knowing she has several things running against her. Her father is a newly minted baron. She did not grow up as a lord’s daughter. She lost her mother early in life, so she has not had the benefit of a feminine guiding hand. And then the biggest hurdle of all. Her person. She is too short, definitely. And she is too round, probably. What she does have going for her is the sponsorship of the Duchess of Ralston. A dangerous regatta, overheard insults, misdirected flowers, a devious sister, and a butler going rogue, all do their part to keep these two people apart. Love will need to be stalwart to succeed against all these hurdles. less

The League of Butlers, a secret club of six elite butlers all managing households in the environs of Grosvenor Square, are back in Town and ready to take on another matchmaking adventure. Mr. Jerome K. Feldstaffer, esteemed butler to the Earl of Copperstone, does not have high hopes for his moment to take the center stage as matchmaker. For one, the earl and countess he serves have long pinned their hopes on a match with a certain Lord Chester, son of the countess’s childhood friend... moreThe League of Butlers, a secret club of six elite butlers all managing households in the environs of Grosvenor Square, are back in Town and ready to take on another matchmaking adventure. Mr. Jerome K. Feldstaffer, esteemed butler to the Earl of Copperstone, does not have high hopes for his moment to take the center stage as matchmaker. For one, the earl and countess he serves have long pinned their hopes on a match with a certain Lord Chester, son of the countess’s childhood friend. For another, Lord Chester is a rogue. And for another, nothing ever goes right for Mr. Feldstaffer, so why should this be different? Lady Beatrix Bell, eldest daughter of Lord and Lady Copperstone, has grown up under the strict management of a straitlaced governess. Miss Sprite has ensured that neither Beatrix nor her younger sister know much about…well, most things in the world. Beatrix does not care, she has been dreaming of the magical meeting between her and Lord Chester. As the family lore tells it, she and the lord met while they were both still in leading strings and were instantly smitten with one another. She is to go to Town, meet him once again, fall in love, and marry. When it comes to men, this is the one thing Miss Sprite approves of. Corbyn Ainsworth, Earl of Harrelston, has spent a pleasant summer with his sister, observing marital felicity. He’s decided it is time to pursue the same for himself and is instantly struck by Lady Beatrix. He cannot divine the nature of her relationship with Lord Chester, but he will not step aside for that scoundrel. Three suitors of varying intentions, a scandalous book, an actress with not very sensible ideas, a house party with the queen, a nighttime regatta involving unusual chicken eggs, and a sheltered lady attempting to understand the world, make a successful coming together difficult, if not impossible. Just as Mr. Feldstaffer predicted. less