The Forgotten Duchess

Chapter Thirty-Nine | Truth

VIVIENNE UNFURLED THE note for the tenth time. By now, the corners had become quite crinkled. She did not know how to respond. Captain Gronow—Rees, had sent her an invitation asking if she would accompany him to Vauxhall. She so desperately wanted to accept his invitation. Fiona had spoken about the various entertainment and magical nights that took place at Vauxhall. However, Vivienne was almost certain that Lady Torrington would not allow her to go unchaperoned, as Rees was suggesting.

There was also the matter of her ignoring Rees since his proposal to her. Vivienne had been stunned and flattered, but she still did not have an answer for the captain. Her traitorous heart hoped—no, held on to a thin thread for more. Sighing, she collapsed on the bed, thinking back to the conversation she and Fiona shared what seemed like eons ago. When her friend had told her she was waiting for Lord Berkeley to return her affections, Vivienne had been impressed by the dedication. Albeit now, she too fell in the same boat.

Maybe it was time to throw away her silly notions and agree to the captain's marriage proposal. The season was dwindling down, and it was not like she had received other offers. The duke's generosity had been for a season, she did not want to test or ask him for more. Especially not after all he had done for her already. Besides, he'd told her to find someone else and maybe it was time for Vivienne to follow his instructions.

There was a knock on her door Vivienne immediately stood up, fixing the few strands of hair that had slipped from her chignon. "come in," she called out.

She was surprised to see Preston, instead of a maid on the other side. The butler never came to her room and Vivienne frowned. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Preston's face did not give away anything as usual. He merely bowed and said in his gruff voice, "His Grace would like to see you in his study."

Vivienne paused as unease grew within her. Had Captain Gronow already gone ahead and asked the duke for her hand in marriage? Because she did not have a guardian, most of the ton believed James fulfilled that role. She had asked Rees to wait before approaching him, but it was possible that he had not listened. When Preston still did not leave, she understood that he was waiting to escort her.

Following the butler, she descended the stairs, taking her time in walking to the library. In front of her, Preston walked impatiently fast, urging her to speed up. He stopped at the library door, motioning for Vivienne to go forward.

Vivienne took a deep breath, before knocking once politely. She did not wait for a response, and merely pushed the door to enter the library. Preston followed on her heels. Her gaze briefly went to the stack of books before narrowing on the door that led to James' study. The door was ajar, and Vivienne took that as a sign that he was expecting her.

She pushed the door open and entered. Her eyes landed on James, seated behind his desk, cravat and tailcoat haphazardly thrown into the chair beside him. The sleeves of his white linen shirt were pushed to his elbows, and she saw the muscles of his arms. Her cheeks turned pink as she saw him in only a stark white undershirt, sans waistcoat. He never dressed this casually in front of her before. His brandy-coloured gaze drank her in, and his eyes were darker than normal, almost taking a coffee-coloured tone. She did not know what was bothering him, but the underlying fury in his eyes was brazenly apparent.

Immediately, she avoided his gaze and instead fixated upon the mundane items in the room. Her eyes flew to the chess board, analyzing the move he had made earlier. Her fingers itched to move the white piece, but she stayed rooted in place. Somehow, she did not quite believe that he had called her for a chess match.

"Preston, shut the door and ensure that we are not disturbed," James said coldly.

Vivienne almost shivered, she had not heard him use that tone in quite sometime. She felt particularly small in the large study. The butler obeyed James's command and then it was just the two of them in the room. She could feel the tension, like a string that tugged tighter and tighter around her body.