VIVIENNE PLACED DOWN her book just as a knock sounded on her door, "Come in," she called.

The door swung open, and Chrissy curtsied, although it was much more akin to a slight dip–Vivienne refrained from commenting on it.

"Lady Torrington is requesting your presence in her chamber."

Vivienne nodded, "Please inform her that I will be joining her shortly."

Chrissy dipped her head before exiting the room once more. Vivienne rushed to the looking glass on the table to ensure her appearance was as pristine as it could be. She ran a comb through her hair, taking extra time to ensure there were no knots. There was something about the importance of her appearance in the presence of a lady who had strong ties within society.

Although Lady Torrington had not appeared for dinner last night, her presence was still felt in the house. She could see the servants taking extra care to make sure the house was sparkling, and Vivienne did the same with her appearance.

Once she was satisfied, she walked down the hallway towards the duke's corridor. She did not know which room belonged to James, but she had often heard his footsteps echoing this way late in the night. It was much easier to spot Lady Torrington's room as she had the door wide open.

The dowager's grey eyes seemed much brighter than yesterday, and her skin looked much healthier as well, "Lady Vivienne, do come in."

Vivienne walked into the room. It was vastly different from hers. The walls were covered in a lavender paper that had simple design going through. The bed was massive with dewy white curtains framing the outer edge. As she drank in the room's appearance, Vivienne concluded that this might be her new favourite room in the manor.

Lady Torrington watched her take in all the details not missing a beat she explained, "James allowed me to redecorate the room to something that better suited my tastes."

"You have excellent taste."

The dowager accepted the compliment and turned to a plumper woman with rosy cheeks and jet-black hair. "This is the lady in question."

The woman curtsied to Vivienne, "It is an honour to be able to dress you, my lady."

There was a slight accent to her words and based on her appearance, the dressmaker seemed French.

"Madame Joselyn is one of the most esteemed dressmakers in London. She was kind enough to visit the duke's manor to fit you for new gowns."

"Thank you for travelling so far," Vivienne said, unsure exactly of the distance between London and Chalcott manor.

Madame Joselyn bobbed her head. "When one of the greatest members of London's society request me, it is nothing but an honour to dress them."

Vivienne was surprised at her words so she couldn't help but blurt out her question, "The Duke of Lennox is one of your greatest clients?"

Madame Joselyn shook her head, "Non. Lady Torrington has been visiting my shop on Bond Street for quiet some time." A slyer smile came onto her face, "Although the does not stop certain dukes from purchasing my dresses for their paramours."

"Yes well," Lady Torrington cut in with a slight cough, "If we could get to the dresses, I have a long list of engagements for the rest of the day."

Vivienne was quite amazed. Lady Torrington hadn't even been at Chalcott Manor for a full day, yet the dowager already had engagements to attend, even in the country.

The dressmaker however, turned her gaze onto Vivienne and began sizing her dress up. "That doesn't seem very current no?" She stepped closer and lifted one of the sleeves before running the fabric between her thumbs. "I would guess, it was maybe made almost two decades ago."

"I didn't have—"

"Her clothes were unable to arrive on time hence, why she has been wearing dresses belonging to the dowager Duchess of Lennox," Lady Torrington cut in.

Vivienne remembered that she wasn't supposed to let anyone know of where she had actually come from. In their minds, she had been visiting America for a couple of years before venturing back for the season.

"I see," Madame Joselyn said, her tone kind. "I've brought along a few ready-made dresses. Perhaps they may be to your liking?"

Vivienne nodded and the dressmaker gestured to the bed. Hidden behind the curtains were a few dresses. There were in different shades of colour and Vivienne didn't know where to begin. She hesitated for a few seconds before picking up a lemon-coloured gown.

The dowager countess immediately strode up beside her, "Lady Vivienne, put that gown back. It won't look well with your complexion."

Vivienne's skin warmed and she placed the dress back onto the bed as if it had burned her hand. She didn't have much experience with gowns. It was Agatha who would purchase her clothes every few months and Vivienne wouldn't say much. She was just grateful for something new to wear and now, her lack of knowledge about society's fashion was on display.

Graciously, Lady Torrington noticed her hesitancy and stepped in. She ruffled through the gowns rapidly, slowing down occasionally to linger on a particular one. When she was done, three gowns had been separated from the rest. The dowager countess pointed towards the lavender dressing screen, "Try them on so Madame Joselyn knows where the changes need to be made."

Vivienne did as she was instructed but the first one she tried, a pale pink gown, it was impossible for her to button up.

"What is taking you so long?" Lady Torrington voice cut through the room.

"I am unable to button the back, my lady."

There was an exhausted huff before the dowager appeared behind the screen. She helped her button the gown, "You are going to need a lady's maid for the rest of the dresses. I don't know many in the country so one of the regular maids from downstairs will have to do for now. I shall inform Mrs. Shrine about the changes as soon as we are done here."

Vivienne nodded and stepped from behind the dressing screen. Madame Joselyn immediately came closer before she began fussing around with the gown. She pinched certain areas quietly turning to the dowager for approval before moving on. They did the same for the other two gowns. Meanwhile, Lady Torrington laid out a few bonnets, a couple of gloves, and even a red cloak.

"Is that all?" Vivienne asked quietly.

"Heavens no," the dowager said before pointing to the cream chaise. "Now we must select fabrics for a few evening gowns. These won't be ready right away, but they should be done when we travel to London for the season," the last few words were uttered in a pointed direction towards the dressmaker.

"Once you let me know what you would like, I'll put my girls right on it, my lady."

Vivienne moved to the chaise and a fabric immediately caught her eye. It was a stunning aquamarine colour.

"It's made of fine muslin," the dressmaker said catching her eye. "It will go exceptionally well with your features."

Vivienne turned back to the dowager countess for support, "What do you think my lady?"

To her surprise, the dowager smiled slightly. "It will make a fine evening gown for your debut in London."

Vivienne felt her own smile in response. She couldn't wait to see what Madame Joselyn would do to the gown but based on the other dresses she had seen; it was clear the dressmaker was extremely talented.

"We are nearly done Lady Vivienne. If you could remove your gown and keep your chemise, it will allow me to get better measurements for the rest of the dresses"

Vivienne did as she was told. She was vaguely weary standing in just her chemise. Some of her cuts that hadn't healed properly were visible. She saw Lady Torrington's sharp eyes on them; however, the dowager didn't say anything. Madame Joselyn took her measurements as Vivienne stood as still as possible.

The dressmaker moved the green pendent off her neck to measure her shoulders, "it's quite beautiful," she said pointing towards the pendant.

"It was a gift from my father," Vivienne replied. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been wearing the pendent.

Before she could say anything, the door burst in and the duke walked in.

"Aunt Esme, I wanted to speak—" the words trailed off as his gaze lifted and met Vivienne's.

She froze, her skin turning warm. Madame Joselyn stopped measuring too as she curiously looked at the duke. James' gaze rolled down her body before he lifted it once more to look at the pile of gowns on the bed.

He cleared his throat once. "It appears that I've arrived at the wrong time."

There was a snort from Lady Torrington. "That much is evident. Have you never heard of knocking boy? They didn't teach you manners at Eton?"

The duke was solely focused on his aunt now and all Vivienne wanted to do was hide behind the dressing screen away from the prying eyes of the duke. He was not looking at her, but she still felt his gaze, making her uncomfortable.

"I might recall there were a few lessons on that but then again, dukes usually are above such lessons."

"May I change back into my gown?" Vivienne asked the dressmaker softly, to ensure that nobody else in the room would hear.

As if she could hear Vivienne's thought, Madame Joselyn nodded. "I've gotten all the measurements I need."

As quietly as she could, Vivienne disappeared behind the dressing screen and put on the dowager duchess' gown. When she came back, she saw the duke standing beside the dressmaker and they were looking at a particular fabric. The dowager countess was less than amused, and she stood a few steps back.

Vivienne approached her. "What's going on?"

"Apparently my great-nephew has taken an interest in lady's clothing."

"If I'm to pay for it, I would rather like to see my goods before giving the money," the duke responded wryly.

He stood in front of a bright red fabric. "Did you select this one?" he asked, turning to look at Vivienne.

She shook her head, "No, Your Grace."

He turned to the dressmaker. "Add this to the account. I want to see a short sleeve evening gown made from this fabric."

Madame Joselyn didn't question his choices, "As you wish Your Grace."

Feeling apparently satisfied, the duke walked out of the room without another word. The rest of the occupants in the room felt rather confused, but Vivienne wasn't going to be the first to question the duke's motives. After all, he'd just bought her an entire wardrobe and she couldn't be happier.

***

When James entered the drawing room, the first question his aunt asked was, "You're not going to comment on my gown?"

Frowning, he glanced at the impeccable violet gown. "I wasn't going to, but if you would like I suppose I could tell you that it's a very fine gown."

"Well, you do seem to be selecting gowns for certain ladies so I thought talk about fashion might appease you."

Ahh, James understood the point his great-aunt was trying to make. He had walked into her bedroom early in the morning looking to speak to her and instead, he had come across Vivienne wearing only a chemise.

"I do apologize for earlier this morning," James said settling down on the sofa beside his aunt.

"I don't believe the apology belongs to me; it might be best to give to Lady Vivienne instead."

James smiled aloofly. "You misunderstand me. I was apologizing for entering your room. I do not regret what came after. As a gentleman, I know what gowns and colours might catch the eye of potential suitors."

Aunt Esme's grey eyes narrowed dangerously. "You need to be careful around her James."

James clenched his jaw. He did not like the accusatory tone present. "As I have said before, I haven't done anything to the girl. She has merely been in my care when she turned up at my estate—and even that wasn't my doing. It was because of my foolish servants."

"As her chaperone, it is my duty to simply remind you James, don't take it harshly. There is nothing more important besides a girl's reputation—especially when she is coming out to society in her very first season."

"Well I would say a dowry can be quite important."

His aunt snorted and reached to the table to pic up her teacup. She took a sip. "Well yes, I'm rather glad you took care of things on that end."

Still sensing the unease in his great-aunt, James sighed. "Will it make you feel better if I promise to stay away from her?"

Aunt Esme's eyes widened almost comically as she put the cup back down on the saucer. "My dear nephew, I would never suggest something of that sort from you. I trust your judgment."

James wasn't quick to get angry, but his great-aunt sure did test his patience. "Then what was everything you said earlier?"

"Merely a cautionary tale. If you don't plan to marry her, don't chase away the other gentlemen."

"I would never do that; besides I plan to get her married as soon as possible. It will be better for everyone; she'll have a new home and a husband to take care of her and I can go back to my usual business."

"If you say so James." His aunt had a twinkle in her eye that made her skin crinkle, and he didn't like it. It made it seem as though she had a secret that she was hiding. "Now, I don't believe you barged into my room early in the morning to speak about the enchanting Lady Vivienne."

James ignored the last bit and took a fruit cake into his plate. "No, I didn't. I wanted to ask if you knew about my betrothal."

He watched as his great-aunt almost choke on her tea. She grabbed a napkin to clean up the spill around her mouth and then said slowly, "I though Lady Madeleine ended up marrying Baron Cobham?"

James features darken at the name of the lady who had almost become his wife until she ran away with Cobham the last moment. "She and Cobham are both happy and I am not speaking about her."

James launched into his story of how he had received a letter from a solicitor before eventually travelling to London and learning about the betrothal contract his father and the previous Earl of Westmoreland had signed. To say his great-aunt was shocked was an understatement.

"Did my father share any of this information with you?"

"Boy, if he had, I wouldn't be looking so surprised now, would I?" His aunt retorted. "It's not like men want to discuss business with ladies anyways. Did you confirm that it is indeed a legal document?"

James nodded. "How much do you know about Lady Selina and her father?"

He glanced at her, and he saw the heaviness in her eyes. His aunt sighed and leaned back into the chaise. "I do remember the previous earl. He was very close to your father. They both attended Eton, and then Oxford together. They were mischievous in their youth but became serious when they inherited their titles."

"Do you know why they would sign such a contract? Were they deep into their cusps?"

His great-aunt smiled, "They must have known something. Maybe they believed that the two of you would make a good match."

James snorted, being betrothed from a young age made no difference. People grew up, changed, or drifted apart. Lady Cobham had done the same to him—only just last year. His curiosity got the better of him, "What do you know about Lady Selina."

"Surprisingly not much. Her mother passed during childbirth, and it wasn't like the earl took his daughter anywhere. I do remember that it was quite surprising that she wasn't found after his death."

"It recently came to my attention that the earl and my father both passed away in the same carriage incident. I've done some inquiries with the Home Office, but they won't give anything away until I visit them myself."

His aunt, as shrewd as ever, didn't miss the hidden meaning in his words, "Was there foul play?"

James sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's all a mess right now. I hired a Bow Street Runner to gather more information. It didn't seem like a coincidence that two members of the peerage both perished in the same incident and a lady is missing as well."

Aunt Esme's voice turned uncharacteristically soft, and regret lined her tone. "I didn't look much into the death of your father James. Your mother was so melancholy all the time, and I was just trying to do my best to keep her and the estate alive."

James did remember those times; he gripped his aunts' hand which was surprisingly strong for a lady of her age. "I don't forget everything you did for me during that time."

She smiled wistfully and then it turned sharped. "That's why you are paying for the girl's dowry isn't it? You're hoping to find Lady Selina during the season."

James remained quiet, not wanting to admit that she was exactly right.

"Oh James," she sighed. "For someone so intelligent, you truly are an idiot sometimes."

"I trust this will stay between us?"

His aunt glared at him, "Of course, I'm not foolish."

The corner of James' mouth lifted slightly as he exited the parlour. "Thank you for listening and the company you provided this afternoon."

He didn't bother hearing his aunt's reply. He didn't need to anyways.  

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A little bit of aunt and nephew banter anyone? James choosing a gown for Vivienne could prove to be interesting ;)