WHEN VIVIENNE WOKE up the next morning, she still felt like the conversation she had with the duke last night was a dream. She never imagined that she would be found out. To her, she'd done well enough to merge herself with the rest of the household servants. The duke was very perceptive, she had to admit. She didn't know what was going to be done with her now. He hadn't told her if she would continue her service or if he would remove her from his household and place her back on the streets.

"Lady Vivienne?"

Vivienne's gaze snapped to the door as Mrs. Shrine walked towards her. When the housekeeper saw the panic in her eyes, she gave her a comforting smile. "All is well, the duke told me about your conversation last night. His Grace wanted me to move you into a newer room more fit for a lady of your standing."

Vivienne glanced around the room. It was less than pleasant but it has suited her quite well. It gave her a sense of security when everything in her life seemed to be in upheaval. "If it's quite alright, I'd like to remain here." she said.

Mrs. Shrine winced, "The duke didn't leave any room for argument my lady."

"Please, call me Vivienne."

The housekeeper shook her head, "It wouldn't be proper of me to address you so."

Vivienne shook her head silently. Everything was changing so quickly. The last few weeks Ms. Shrine had been something like a surrogate mother to her and now it seemed the position had changed upon learning of Vivienne's standing.

"Come my lady, I'll show you the room."

Vivienne slowly followed her out of the servant's quarters. They went up the stairs, receiving a few curious looks from the maids but they didn't say anything. They finally arrived in front of a door and Mrs. Shrine pushed it open, "After you, my lady."

Vivienne stepped into the bedroom and was taken aback by the grandeur. The walls were painted a pale green colour with a gorgeous mirror handing on one side and a landscape painting of the manor on another. The bed was massive with plenty of tassels and gold trimmings everywhere. The carpet beneath her feet was a sultry orange colour with intricate geometric patterns.

"I can't stay here," Vivienne said, turning towards Mrs. Shrine after she'd finished admiring the room. It was way too glamorous.

"Lady Vivienne, the duke insisted that this be your new bedroom. If you have issues, I'm afraid you must take it up with his grace."

It was clear that Mrs. Shrine would not let her return to the servant's quarters. "Where exactly is his grace?" Vivienne asked politely.

"He went riding this morning and said that he wouldn't be back until later in the evening. I was also commanded to tell you that he requests your presence for dinner tonight."

Vivienne swallowed the bile that began to rise in her throat. She hadn't dined with anyone except Agatha in years. Although her governess did instruct her on the formal etiquette of aristocratic dinners, she was severely out of practice, and poorly dressed.

She was still wearing the muddy brown dress that one of the maids had lent it. It had plenty of holes in it, which was fine as a servant but to dine with the duke it was not. Perhaps she could get a needle and some thread to mend it together—although she was far from a competent seamstress.

"Would it be possible to get some thread and a needle?" Vivienne asked embarrassed of her clothes now that her rank was revealed. It hadn't mattered when everyone believed that she was a maid, now that she was a lady, the training she'd grown up with took over. She needed finer gowns, but she would never ask the duke for that, she still had some pride.

The housekeeper watched her warming cheeks and her eyes crinkled, making them appear softer. "If you look into the armoire, the duke instructed us to place a few gowns in there. I reckon they won't be a perfect fit, but they should do until a proper fitting can be conducted."

Gratitude shone in Vivienne's eyes. It seemed that the duke had thought of everything and she couldn't be more grateful to him.

"If you require assistance, I can send one of the maids up right now." Mrs. Shrine offered.

"No, I can manage myself." Vivienne replied softly.

The last thing she wanted was to have one of the maids she'd been working with the past few weeks now have to serve her. She could only imagine the distain and nasty glances she would be experiencing until they all settled into their new roles.

Mrs. Shrine pointed to side table, "The duke also left some books for you to read in case you were bored. If the literature is not to your liking, there is also a basket of fabrics and threads of various colours."

Vivienne couldn't believe that the duke had arranged this all so quickly and so she asked Mrs. Shrine, "When did this all get here?"

A sorrowful, nostalgic look made its way onto the housekeeper's face. "Many of the items, including the dresses belong to the late duchess."

"Oh," Vivienne said. She felt some of the housekeeper's pain, but she also knew that it was not right for her to inquire what had happened to the duke's mother.

"I must get back to my tasks. If you require anything, ring for a chamber maid and they shall arrive."

"Thank you," Vivienne said softly.

Mrs. Shrine smiled and closed the door behind her. Alone in the room, Vivienne took her time exploring every nook and cranny of the space. It was vastly different from the room she had been recovering in.

This, it seemed was a room in which time and love had been poured into to ensure everything looked good together. There was a personal touch that didn't exist in the previous bedchamber and did here. She walked to the window, surprised it didn't overlook the courtyard, but the garden house in the back. The view was magnificent as she could make out vibrant flowers and stone gargoyles in the distance. Vivienne hadn't explored the garden yet as she'd been expelled by the gardener on the first day of working at the manor. Soon she would visit and view the shrubbery, she promised.

But for right now, she settled into the golden chair and flipped through the first book. It was Pride and Prejudice. She smiled; the duke had seen her reading it in the night, but she never got the chance to finish it. As a maid she had not dared to take it from the library.

It seemed like the duke didn't miss a thing. She wanted to get comfortable in this new room and house, but until she spoke to the duke, everything was up in the air. It could be taken away from her in a moment notice like her previous home had been. Sighing, she opened the book and began reading about the adventures of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It was no use dwelling on the future when she couldn't change it.

***

There was a light knock on the door shaking Vivienne from her reading. "Come in," she called.

She'd been reading continuously for the last few hours. She was fascinated by the world Jane Austen had built. It gave her some knowledge of what gentlemen could be like. In fact, Mr. Darcy reminded her a little bit of the duke in certain mannerisms.

The door opened and in stepped Chrissy. Vivienne immediately shut the book. Her wish had not come true. Having one of the maids whom she worked with the last few days serve her did not sit well with her. It seemed a though it did not for Chrissy either as she did not bow when entering. Instead, her eyes flared with anger when they fell upon Vivienne. She shivered; she hadn't seen that look of distain from anyone except the mercenaries who had attacked her village.

"Mrs. Shrine sent me to help you get ready for dinner."

Vivienne stood up, as much as she would have liked to refuse her help, she had looked through the armoire earlier. The dress styles were very different from what she was accustomed to. She would require Chrissy's help whether she liked it or not.

"Would you like me to select a gown for you or have you already done that?" Chrissy asked.

Vivienne had not but something told her that if she gave Chrissy the choice, she would be wearing the ugliest gown seen to mankind.

"I shall select something and if I need assistance, I will call you over."

Chrissy bobbed her head and stood near the door, the furthest she could get away from Vivienne. Meanwhile, Vivienne looked through the dress choices she had. She would have loved to get another opinion however she knew she wouldn't be getting it from the maid. Her fingers ran through the materials before stopping on a pea-green coloured dress. It wasn't the prettiest, but she didn't want to attract too much attention. Slipping behind the veil, she changed into the gown. The bodice didn't quite fit, as if it was made for a taller person but she didn't think she looked too terrible.

"Could you please assist me with the buttons," Vivienne called out to Chrissy.

Silently, the maid stood behind her and began buttoning up the dress. Once or twice, her skin was also pinched in the process—Vivienne knew it hadn't been an accident, but she didn't say anything and let it go.

There was no jewelry adorning her neck except for the emerald green pendent which had landed her in so much trouble in the first place.

"Do you need help with anything else?" Chrissy asked, her voice sweetly polite but her eyes kept darting towards the door.

"No, that will be all." Vivienne dismissed her.

Chrissy left the room and Vivienne nearly collapsed. However, the clock in the middle of the hallway rang, indicating it was time for dinner. She stepped down the stairs, aware that her torn slippers were showing from underneath the dress, but she did her best to hide them. When she arrived at the dining hall, the duke was already seated but he stood up in her honour.

"Lady Vivienne," he bowed to her.

Vivienne curtsied, and nearly shivered. It was the first time the duke had addressed her with such formality.

"Please," he indicated to the chair on his right, "have a seat."

Vivienne was careful in sitting down, making sure that she accidently didn't trip on the long train of her dress. Once Vivienne was seated, a footman quickly approached placing a cream-coloured soup she didn't quite recognize in front of her. She gingerly took a sip, it wasn't as bad, but she must have made a face because the duke asked her in his low voice, "Is it not to your liking?"

Vivienne paled. She didn't want to put the cook under the seat. As a servant, she'd been given plain meals and had become quite accustomed to them. "No, Your Grace. It was merely a pleasant surprise."

The duke looked as though he didn't quite believe her but let the subject go. They drank the soup in silence and when they were done, the footman took away their plates.

"I trust that the room is to your liking?"

"I actually wanted to speak to you about that."

The duke gestured his hand in a way that indicated that she should continue. She looked into his eyes, and decided they weren't quite brown but the colour brandy. Gathering her thoughts, she spoke. "I would prefer to lodge in a less extravagant room Your Grace."

The duke held her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You would have me tell the servants to move your items once again to a new chamber?"

Vivienne's cheeks flushed. When he spoke like that, it truly made her seem pretentious. If all the servants felt the way that Chrissy did, she knew she would only be inviting their wrath once more. "On second thought, I'm grateful for the chamber you have provided, it is splendid."

"Are you truly that easily swayed?"

She was prevented from answering when the footman placed their second meal in front of them. Vivienne dug in, ignoring the duke's question who sighed.

"I believe the silence only confirms my suspicions."

The potted ham was much better that the soup. She took small bites and let the flavours settle into her mouth. This was the best meal she had in her entire life. There was silence once again and only the scraping of their culinary against the plate could be heard. She was well ware of the line of footmen who stood behind her in their fine livery, but she couldn't prevent herself from asking the next question. "Have you decided what shall be done with me?"

The duke slowly finished chewing before placing down his cutlery, "Yes, I have."

He didn't offer her anything more. Vivienne wanted to ask what exactly had had planned. She hated the unaware—there was nothing worse than dwelling about the future when she could know what it held instead.

"I have decided to allow you to remain at Chalcott manor."

She nearly collapsed with relief. Instead, she shot the duke a soft smile, "Thank you."

He didn't acknowledge her gratitude and instead continued on. "I have also hired a Bow Street Runner to look for Agatha. She might be using a different name if she remains alive. I will ask you to write down her features for me so I can provide a correct description to the man."

Tears nearly filled Vivienne's eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She was extremely grateful for all that the duke was doing. The duke watched her carefully, but he didn't say anything. Instead, she swallowed once, "I shall give you a description of her appearance right after dinner."

He nodded, not saying anything else. She took a sip of water instead of the wine. Once they were both done their meals, a footman cleared the table. The candles flickered in the lighting giving it a romantic feeling. Vivienne longed to excuse herself to her room, but she didn't know if she should wait for the duke to retire first.

The duke's amber gaze fell upon her, "Would you like to know what else I have prepared for you?"

Vivienne dipped her head.

"After much consideration, I have decided to introduce you to society during the season."

Vivienne's heart soared for a moment. She had heard about the season from Agatha countless number of times. The governess had promised that one day, Vivienne would be able to travel to London and be introduced to society. She longed to make friends her age. She had mostly been sheltered in Flaxpool, not being able to connect with other children her age—it had been a lonely existence and she wanted that human contact. 

Her excitement diminished a few seconds later. Swallowing her pride, Vivienne spoke. "I am very grateful that you would introduce me to the society however, I do not have any gowns or clothing appropriate for such events. If I may, I could continue to work in the manor to earn enough to purchase a gown fit for finery."

She would have to return to being a servant but that was the only way to earn money for her. Agatha had given her pin money supposedly coming her father but now, the only thing of value she owned was the emerald pendant on her neck. That was a priceless heirloom she would never part with.

"No," the duke said simply.

Vivienne's mouth opened slightly. He would not let her work in the manor, but he would risk introducing her into society in the late duchess' clothing? She was ignorant in some aspects of London's society, but she knew enough to know that she would be ridiculed.

As if seeing the horrified expression on her face, the duke continued. "You will not be working because frankly, the last few weeks have proven that you are a greater liability than assistance. When I offered you my home, I meant it in a broader sense. You are a guest, and as such, I will pay for your wardrobe and anything else you require."

"Thank you, Your Grace." Vivienne didn't know how she'd stumbled upon such a kind man, but fate had delivered her a kind hand.

The duke stood up and made his way to the hallway, before leaving he turned once back to look at Vivienne. "Before bed, do have a servant deliver the description to my study."

Vivienne nodded and watched him walk away with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe it, she was alive and getting to live her life once more.

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Hmm, is James really this kind or does he have an another motive? Thank you for the votes and comments.