Countess counterpart (4)
I believe the answer is:
earl
'countess counterpart' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for earl that I've seen before include "Sandwich perhaps" , "Real kind of English lord" , "Male equivalent of a countess" , "A real sort of lord" , "Husband of a countess" .)