into a fresh gown before dinner.
Luke rapped on her door minutes after her maid had set her to rights. He too had donned clean attire and appeared very ducal standing outside her door, except for his wide grin. Her papa had never made an appearance without his stern frown, and her brother always looked as serious as a case of smallpox. Perhaps someone had neglected to inform the Duke of Foxhaven men of aristocratic birth were not jovial creatures.
“Has anyone ever remarked that you are too happy, Your Grace?”
“Never.” He didn’t seem taken aback by her question in the least. Nothing ever seemed to ruffle him.
He bowed then held out his arm. “Lady Vivian, shall I escort you below stairs?”
She returned his smile as she slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow. “If any gentleman ever suggests you should behave like a stuffy old duke, I hope you will recommend he take a leap from the Westminster Bridge.”
“I shall take your advice under consideration, my lady.”
“As you should, Your Grace.”
A throat clearing behind her made her jump. Glancing over her shoulder, she discovered Lord Andrew and Lana were standing in the corridor. Surely they hadn’t been there the entire time.
“They are irritatingly formal,” Lana muttered to her husband. “Lady This, Lord That.”
“Your Grace,” Lord Andrew added in a falsetto. “With their high-handed manners, one might mistake them for nobility.”
Vivi laughed. Her travel companions behaved more like friends than chaperones, which made for a pleasant journey thus far.
As Luke led her below stairs, she reveled in his warmth. There were not enough opportunities to be close to him, so she would relish each one. Inside the private dining room, she didn’t release him until he pulled out her chair at the long, linen-covered table. Lana and Lord Andrew assumed places on the opposite side.
Luke snatched up the bottle of wine resting in the middle of the table. “Allow me to do the honors.”
Vivi started to request lemonade, thought better of it, and held her tongue. She would only draw attention to her lack of social experience if she refused the wine. Ash and Muriel always had wine with their meals. Cousin Patrice was an exception, but she preferred life in the country and probably had forgotten how to be sophisticated.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“My pleasure.” He raised his glass into the air. “To new adventures.”
“To new adventures.” She touched her glass to each of her dining partners’ glasses.
Lord Andrew arched a brow. “At your age, old man, what new adventures can one hope to have?”
Luke’s smile dimmed, and he lost some of the liveliness Vivi admired.
She sat up straighter and squared her shoulders. “Every day is new, my lord. One must simply look for adventure to find it.”
“Well spoken, my lady,” Lord Andrew said and exchanged a look with his wife. “You are amazing, Lana. How do you do it?”
She shrugged and sipped her wine, a smug grin in place.
“Do what?” Vivi and Luke asked at the same time. Before Lana could respond, there was a commotion at the dining room entrance.
The two gentlemen from the coaching yard barreled into the room with Mrs. Price.
One of the men lifted a hand in greeting. “Foxhaven and Forest.” His smooth cheeks and unsteady gait reminded her of an overgrown baby.
“Mr. Collier. Lord Brookhaven.” Luke’s tone revealed nothing of what he thought of sharing the dining room with the gentlemen and their companion, even though Vivi was almost certain paramours and ladies did not mingle.
She studied Lana for a cue on how to react to the other woman’s presence, but her chaperone’s expression was blank. Not helpful in the least. In fact, Luke and Lord Andrew’s granite faces were just as useless at assisting her in navigating this awkward situation.
Vivi inclined her head in greeting when the silence became too much to bear. “Good evening, Mrs. Price. Gentlemen.”
The woman drew back, blinking as if a speck of dust had flown into her eye. “Good evening, Miss…”
“Vivian Worth.”
Luke set his wine down hard, almost sloshing some out of the glass. “Lady Vivian, the Marquess of Ashden’s sister.”
Vivi cringed. The first words from her mouth and she had made a cake of herself.
“Ashden has a sister?” Mr. Collier asked. “I thought he was an only child.”
Was her brother so ashamed of her he kept her existence a secret? She notched her chin up to hide her hurt.
Mrs. Price smiled politely. “It is an honor to meet you, my lady.”
“Wine,” Mr. Collier declared before moving for