Lady Susan

by Jane Austen

"Lady Susan" by Jane Austen is an epistolary novella written circa 1794 but not published until 1871. The story follows the cunning Lady Susan Vernon, a beautiful and charming widow described as "the most accomplished coquette in England," as she manipulates those around her for personal gain. She schemes to marry off her reluctant daughter Frederica to a wealthy fool while pursuing her own romantic conquests—ensnaring the naive Reginald De Courcy and maintaining an affair with a married man. Through letters between characters, the novella reveals Lady Susan's calculated deceptions and their consequences.