Lady Fortescue Steps Out cover art

Lady Fortescue Steps Out

The Poor Relation, Book 1

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Lady Fortescue Steps Out

By: M.C. Beaton
Narrated by: Davina Porter
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

The first book in M.C. Beaton's charming Poor Relation series.

What do you do if you are of noble stock, but impoverished, and living in London with a certain style to maintain?

One has to work... but One's relatives will be appalled when One turns One's hand to trade - and opens a hotel, The Poor Relation, offering employment to others of the same social standing and in the same awkward situation. This is precisely what Mrs Fortescue decides upon and, together with friend Colonel Sandhurst, transforms her decrepit Bond Street home into a posh hotel, offering guests the pleasure of being waited upon by the nobility.

So with the help of other down-and-out aristocrats they do just that - and London's newest, and most fashionable! - hotel is born... much to the dismay of the Duke of Rowcester, Lady Fortescue's nephew, who is convinced his aunt's foray into trade will denigrate the illustrious family name!

'Romance fans are in for a treat' - Booklist

'[M. C. Beaton] is the best of the Regency writers' - Kirkus Reviews

©2012 AudioGo Ltd (P)2012 Hachette Audio UK
Historical Historical Fiction Regency
All stars
Most relevant
Having listened avidly to Marion Chesney’s Hamish Macbeth series, ( Written under the name of M.C Beaton) I discovered I could listen to more on Audible. This book is a most unexpected story …It is the set- up for the future books in the series and I really enjoyed listening! Again, the characters leap off the page in one’s mind as we listen. It is light- hearted, sweet, sometimes funny and charming without being nonsensical. It will hook you, you will want to know what happens next! As did I and I’ve listened to all of them! - Enjoy!

An unexpected gem!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This was a pleasant and easy book to enjoy.
It had amusing characters and a simple story.

Easy listening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

a light hearted romp and a great story about a group of elderly crooks with hearts of gold.

amusing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Really enjoyed the style of writing and narration of an éra not really touched upon before

Historical great read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.