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She just kept hoping that one day he would stride into her studio, look around, and recognize that she was a real artist, not a lady dabbling in a hobby.

“Kelbourne said that he would get you a tutor, and you might be able to manage a locomotive in a year. Didn’t want me to ask you before then in case you were embarrassed.”

“I see,” Torie managed, even though her throat felt thick. Actually, Dom was embarrassed. That’s what it came down to.

“I made a few inquiries amongst my friends about your painting ability,” the duchess continued, a distinct note of triumph in her voice.

Torie felt herself turning a little pink.

“She can draw a perfect circle!” Florence said.

“Precisely,” Her Grace said, taking that comment on board without flickering an eyelash. “Your stepmother can certainly paint a steam engine. I suggest that you all come to Huntington Grange. My husband and I were just stopping by to commission the painting before we left for the country. Your coach can follow ours. We’ll stop midway and spend the night in a nice inn.”

“We were going to watch rabbits playing in a glade,” Florence objected.

Torie made a mental note that somehow she had to impress upon Florence that young girls were expected to be seen and not heard, especially in the presence of a duchess.

“We have rabbits!” Her Grace said, thankfully showing no signs of affront. “More rabbits than you can imagine. We’ve taken to leaving the front door of the Grange open, and now and then one hops in for a visit. A few months ago, a wild boar wandered straight into the main hall.”

Valentine looked up at that. He was trying to finish his hour of practicing circles before the coach made it impossible.

“Did you kill the boar?” Florence asked with relish. “Shoot it with an arrow?”

“Of course,” Her Grace said with aplomb. “I wasn’t personally involved, but the boar was cooked in the fireplace and served for dinner. Four footmen brought it in, with a ruff around its neck and a velvet hat adorned with pearls on its head.”

“Why?” Valentine asked.

“Why what?” Her Grace looked confused.

“Why a velvet hat? Was the boar a female?”

“I have no idea. Why shouldn’t it wear a velvet hat? I added a tiara on top of the hat.”

Florence clapped her hands. “I shall write a story about that boar!”

“Excellent,” the duchess said. “You may read it to my children. I haven’t had the time to hire another governess since the last one left.”

“Neither did our mother,” Valentine said cheerfully. “I expect we shall get along with them very well. Do you think this is a true circle?” He held up a sheet.

“No,” Her Grace said. “It is a shade flattened on the upper left. When one is designing machinery, even the smallest details count. Now, shall we leave immediately?”

One of the reasons Torie had gotten along with her husband until this point was that she had the ability to see another person’s viewpoint. Right now, it was crystal clear that the duchess would not be angered if they didn’t pay her a visit, but she would be hurt.

After all, “we’re going to watch rabbits” wasn’t a very compelling excuse.

“We must inform our butler,” Torie said.

“Of course,” the duchess said, her head disappearing.

“Would you like me to write a note for Father?” Florence asked. “I know you usually ask Emily, but she is already in the other carriage.”

Torie felt color spilling into her cheeks. “No, thank you,” she managed. “I’ll just let Flitwick know where we’ve gone, so the viscount doesn’t worry.”

“He won’t worry,” Valentine said. “He knows you’re with us.”

Flitwick appeared at the door of the carriage.

“We shall pay a visit to the Duchess of Huntington,” she told him. “Please tell Lord Kelbourne, as well as Emily and Nanny Grey. I would be grateful if you would inform the viscount that the Duchess of Huntington has commissioned a painting of her steam engine. I shall try not to embarrass him, even given my inexperience in this area.”