The Forgotten Duchess

Chapter Twenty | Village

VIVIENNE CLEARED HER plate of food before retiring to the parlour. Many of the ladies were huddled around the room, mostly doing needlework or gossiping about the upcoming London season. She settled into one of the chaises near the front of the room and listened to the others around her. The conversations were quite boring, and she found herself woolgathering on more than a few occasions.

"When do you think the gentlemen will be back from their hunt?"

Vivienne blinked her eyes as the chaise dipped with pressure and Lady Fiona settled in beside her. "Pardon?"

"I was asking if the hunt normally takes long?"

"I don't know," Vivienne said quietly. The duke hadn't exactly stated the time they would be back, but it was assumed that supper would be served together while they gentlemen would have lunch in the gamekeeper's cottage.

"Hmm," Fiona mused. "It's getting quite boring here, shall we go on our own adventure?"

Perplexed, Vivienne asked, "Where would we go?"

Lady Fiona's eyes twinkled with mischief. "We could always go to the village. Have you been yet?"

"No," Vivienne said softly as she thought about the idea more. "It would be nice to take a walk down the village and see the various shops located there."

Lady Fiona grinned. "I knew you would agree."

"Are we going to go ourselves or invite other ladies to join us?"

Fiona paused for a moment, and she looked at the lady in front of them who seemed to be quite absorbed in her needlepoint. "Miss Julia, would you like to come with us to the village?"

Miss Julia looked up from her work, scrunching her nose. "What would there be to see except peasants?"

Vivienne's eyes widened at Miss Julia's comment, but she held in her remark. Her and Lady Fiona exchanged a glance and Vivienne knew they had both arrived at the decision to not invite anyone else.

They both stood, and walked to the doorway, catching the attention of the dowager countess who was just entering the room.

Lady Torrington narrowed her grey eyes, "and where do you two think you are going?"

Before Vivienne could answer, Fiona started speaking. "Just for a little walk around the manor. It was getting quite suffocating in here."

Lady Torrington looked at the two of them suspiciously before she looked past them inside the parlour. "I suppose there isn't much going on here at the moment, so I do believe it is fine for the two of you to go."

Vivienne smiled, "thank you," as Lady Fiona grabbed her by the arm and began tugging her away.

"Why didn't you tell her we were going to the village?" Vivienne said in hushed whispers, weary of anyone else overhearing them.

"Do you really believe the dowager countess would allow us to go to the village without a chaperone?"

Vivienne's eyes rounded, "I thought we would be taking a chaperone with us," she said nervously.

"Oh, they'll only be a spoilsport!"

Vivienne imagined Chrissy coming along with them and she knew right then that Fiona was correct. Having a chaperone would be an unnecessary burden. Besides, they were only travelling to the village, which wasn't that much of a distance from Chalcott manor—or so she believed.

The two of them walked up the stairs before Fiona spoke, "Grab your travelling cloak and bonnet. We shall meet at the front door."

Vivienne nodded. She slipped into her room and began looking for her travelling cloak. Because she didn't use it quite often, it wasn't with her normal day gowns. She sighed as her body filled with dread. She might have to ask Chrissy where the maid had placed the cloak, making it one of the last things Vivienne wanted to do. Luckily, a stray cloth caught her eyes and she yanked it forward to see that it was indeed her cloak. Slipping it over her body, she switched into riding boots before walking to the front door where Lady Fiona already waited.