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Verity claimed she’d read that marquesses always preferred mastiffs as their dog of choice, so she found Lord Thorpe a very usual sort of person.

Winsome thought he was handsome enough and wondered how he stacked up to his brother, though she satisfied herself that she would soon find out as they were both to come to dinner.

Felicity said the daily dog walking was very promising and applauded the lord for thinking of it.

Grace said he’d proved his interest by flying out of the house upon seeing Serenity.

Miles had nothing to say about Lord Thorpe, but he liked the lord’s dog and spent a half hour trying to convince his mother that they ought to get one of their own.

But for Valor, everybody was satisfied with him. Was he as reserved as everybody said? She did not really know, he had not seemed so. On the other hand, nobody would describe him as particularly freewheeling either. There was a seriousness to him, she supposed.

It had struck her when they’d spoken of a temperament being fixed.

Lord Thorpe had claimed that temperament was mostly fixed, but could be modified a little.

That was just what she was trying to do!

She was working hard to be less carried away by her feelings, as being carried away often led to a weep.

She was certain Lord Thorpe would not be drawn to a weeping lady.

She had done well today; she’d controlled herself when she’d noted the snow that still covered the lower leaves of the trees sparkled in the sunshine.

The majesty and beauty of nature was exactly the kind of thing that made her eyes water.

She’d not even had to wipe her eyes over the developing friendship between Nelson and Havoc, though it had been so touching.

She must just go on this way, acting as a rational lady and not one who could be carried away by the glories of nature or the friendship between animals. Or rather, she could be a little carried away, but not too much.

It did occur to her to wonder about the rightness of attempting to change who she was for the sake of a gentleman.

If one of her sisters had asked her the same, she’d advise against it.

But then, none of her sisters were contemplating Lord Thorpe, and he was glorious in every respect.

As well, she’d been attempting to rein in her feelings even before she’d met the gentleman.

The dinner hosting Lord Thorpe and Lord Charles was nearing and it had been the usual chaos in getting things ready. Mr. Cremble had finally descended from his room, though his coat bulged to one side. Charlie said he’d strapped a bible over his heart.

Serenity did not know what Mr. Cremble thought was to happen.

Did he imagine Mrs. Right was planning on shooting him and he guarded his most important organ?

That was Verity’s speculation. She said it was a usual thing for a man fearing he would be shot to place something over his heart that would slow the bullet.

Serenity did not know if that could be true or not.

If that’s what he’d done, it was very foolish.

She’d never in her life seen Mrs. Right with a fowling piece in her hands.

She turned her attention to her looking glass as Mrs. Right fussed with her hair. Her cheeks were in high color from anticipation. She wore an aqua blue sarsenet dress with an embroidered bodice of tiny flowers that had lovely little cream silk bows at the cuffs of the sleeves.

“I see,” Mrs. Right said, having just been informed of the daily walks at eleven in the morning with Lord Thorpe and his dog. “That seems like an awful lot of walking for one old housekeeper.”

“You need not go every day, though,” Serenity said. “Charlie could accompany me—he’s a senior footman and practically the butler.”

“We’ll see how the duke feels about it,” Mrs. Right said.

“Or, I could bring along Charlie, and my sisters.”

“Aye, he might feel a bit better about that arrangement. Now what’s to happen when it rains?”

“Goodness, we did not talk about rain.”

Mrs. Right snorted. “Here you are, both living in London, and did not talk about rain, now I ask you…”

“It is only water after all, and I do have an umbrella.”

“Aye, but I reckon he won’t use one. Some gents do, some don’t, and I’ll guess the marquess is too manly to be seen shielding himself from rain.

So there you are, him soaking wet and you struggling along with a leash and an umbrella.

Of course, he’ll offer to hold the umbrella for you, but somehow that never works entirely right—the far side of you will be firmly in the weather.

You’ll end with two wet people, two wet dogs, and wet whoever you dragged with you. ”

Serenity burst out in peals of laughter from the vision. “I suppose I’d better tell him the dog walking is off if it rains.”

Mrs. Right nodded, satisfied she’d scored her point.

“I understand Mr. Cremble has strapped a bible under his coat,” Serenity said. “Verity thinks he is convinced you will shoot him.”

“That child,” Mrs. Right said with a chuckle. “Her imagination never takes a nap. The very idea I’d visit the hangman over one of Lady Marchfield’s butlers. No, I think the bible is there to ward off the evil he supposes just now surrounds him.”

“I presume that means he still fears you are somehow connected to the devil?”

“Aye, last evening, when we had our tea before retiring, I suddenly clutched my head as if a great pain had struck it. Charlie and Thomas, having been briefed on the gambit, both looked at the ceiling and shook their heads in a disapproving way. Mr. Cremble was all aflutter and asked what was wrong. Charlie told him somebody above stairs was praying before bed and it made my head ache.”

“And he believed it?”

“’Course he did,” Mrs. Right said with a sigh of satisfaction. “Butlers are all alike, a regular bunch of lunatics. If we all claimed that fish can fly in the Dales, he’d probably believe that too.”

“I do hope he moves on without inconveniencing you much longer. He’ll be ever so much happier when he takes on a family that wishes for a butler.”

“We’ll all be happy, but for Lady Marchfield.” Mrs. Right paused. “She’s not set to come this evening, is she? I’d not like for Mr. Cremble to describe what’s going on. She might just set him straight.”

“No, she knows nothing about the dinner. We all love our aunt, of course. She is our aunt, after all. It’s just that she’s so…stern.”

“That she is. There now, your hair and your person look charming enough to tempt a marquess, I think.”

Serenity certainly hoped so. She could already hear chatter from the drawing room. It was time to descend.

Mrs. Right fiddled with the hairpins on Serenity’s dressing table. Softly, she said, “It is the same old puzzle—I am glad to see all my girls well settled and sad to see them leave the house.”

Serenity kissed her cheek. “So far, I am only to leave the house for dog walks. Do not pack my trunks just yet.”

“By the by, as fast I would pack them, Valor would unpack them. I caught the naughty little thing rearranging the seating but an hour ago. She had things set so you would be surrounded by your sisters at one end of the table, with Lord Thorpe and Lord Charles on the other end. I rectified it and you’ll have the gentlemen on either side of you. ”

Poor Valor. But then, it had been fixed and Lord Thorpe would sit right beside her.