Page 45

Afew days after the incident with the dog, the maze and the pond, Lavinia found herself pressed into the Duke's side again in the bright orange sofa of the Hartfield's drawing room.

"What do you think of the opera?" Victor asked her.

She thought it was a dreadfully dull event with pretentiousness that may have just been greater than that of a ballroom.

"I have never been," she replied instead.

"Why ever not?"

"I do not think the Hartfields care for it all that much and I do not think it would be all that entertaining."

"Do you not like music?"

"Well, I mostly grew up in the country and so I am only familiar with a few jaunty tunes. My education on more refined music has been sorely limited."

With any other man, she would never have been so free to admit such a thing, but she could always count on the Duke to give her the freedom to be exactly herself. No pretenses or putting on airs needed.

He might have a high and mighty title, but not once had he ever reprimanded her for being her slightly unconventional self.

"The royal Opera will be at the Opera house this evening and I would like to invite you and the Hartfields to my private box."

"Oh, I do not know that I would like to attend."

"You will not know until you have tried and I have never taken you for one who shied away from new experiences," his eyes twinkled at her.

It was an obvious bait and Lavinia was nothing if not determined to prove herself.

"Very well then," she sniffed.

He rose to his feet with a triumphant smile, "I shall come to fetch you by seven this evening."

Later that afternoon, the dresses from Madame Vandeleur arrived and she was only too glad that she would be able to sit with the Duke and his mother looking as fancy as them.

She chose a dress in a stunning turquoise with puffy sleeves and a line of handsewn beads dotting the bodice of the dress.

In the absence of matching jewelry, her lady's maid helped her to fashion a choker out of a dark green ribbon which she tied into a bow around her neck, leaving the ends to trail down her front.

"I look like Andrew," she laughed as she descended the stairs arm in arm with her aunt.

Noah and Lord Hartfield had opted out of coming, her cousin preferring to spend his night cavorting around the city with his friends while her uncle had no patience for the Opera.

"You most certainly do not," Lady Hartfield protested but she didn't quite succeed in hiding her amusement and soon, the two women were doubled over, shoulders shaking with their laughter.

Noah who had been on his way out of the house stopped at the hallway to stare at them incredulously, "I am not even going to enquire as to the source of your amusement. Do try to not fall over his box, I hear it is quite high up."

She rolled her eyes, "I am not going to fall off."

"Who would have thought you would come home soaked after a day in the sunny Hyde park," he gave them one last salute and then slipped away from a night of debauchery and whatever else he did.

"Ignore him," her aunt told her.

The butler appeared seemingly out of thin air, "The Duke of Wyld's carriage has just arrived, my ladies."

"Excellent. Thank you," the older woman tugged on her gloves, while Lavinia grabbed her shawl, together they left the house.

The carriage was a gleaming black and an enormous vehicle pulled by four matching bays. The duchy symbol was boldly displayed in gold on one side of it and as they moved towards it, a footman jumped down to open the door and let down the steps.

Lavinia froze as she climbed on and realized the dowager Duchess would be coming along.