Edward pulled out a chair for Phoebe and once she was settled in it, he took his place by her side and helped himself to some fruit. Phoebe picked up a sandwich and after a bite, she remarked,
“I can see why you are proud of his work. This tastes magnificent!”
Barbara smiled, clearly pleased by the compliment.
“I am glad you think so. Many households have attempted to poach him but he has remained loyal to me, and we are like family now. And it warms my heart greatly because there is nothing more important to me than family. Edward is my nephew and only surviving family member, just as I am his. For many years, his well-being was my priority. I endlessly worked hard to ensure that he was raised right and guided down the right part. And through most of it, he has excelled greatly. However, I was of the belief that I would also be responsible for finding him a bride. Perhaps it is due to my age, but I am rather traditional and as such, I have a preference for things done a certain way. And I was quite furious with the way he blatantly disregarded my advice, so I was not accommodating of you and your circumstances.
“Regardless of the choices my nephew made, I should not have been so quick to penalize you for his misgivings. At the end of theday, the cross his to bear and if he is certain that you are suitable for him, then it is not my place to disagree, or stand against his decision. I apologize, to you both,” she told them both sincerely.
Phoebe shared a glance with her husband, noticing that he, too, seemed impressed by what he had just heard.
“I understand, Lady Shadborn. You love him dearly and as such, you only wanted the best for him. I suppose it was only fair of you to be disappointed when things did not seem as planned. But I assure you, I have no desire to take advantage of him. I hope that you will come to trust me and perhaps… we will be like family too. I’d like that very much.” Phoebe said gently.
Barbara seemed taken aback, almost as though she had half expected to be ridiculed or insulted in a bid to be given a taste of her own medicine. But when Phoebe’s face remained perfectly accepting, she smiled kindly.
“I would like that as well. Thank you, dear.”
“As long as my wife has forgiven you, the. I suppose you can be welcomed back into my good graces. But still… I am sorry that it seems as though I was too stubborn to heed your words. I might not be able to control much of my life and if this was the only thing I could do, I wanted it done right.” Edward stated, smiling gently at his aunt.
Phoebe thought there had been something strange in his tone when he had spoken and when she looked back at Barbara, the older woman seemed grief stricken or a moment. Then herexpression cleared suddenly, leaving Phoebe to wonder if she was seeing things.
“I suppose it was also my fault for believing that you would make any of your decisions easy on my poor old heart,” the dowager sighed deeply.
“But that is why you love me, is it not? Because I keep you on your toes?” Edward blinked at her innocently.
In that moment, if looks could kill, Edward would have been sitting as a pile of ash, so Phoebe quickly changed the subject.
“You have a very lovely home, Lady Shadborn. I might have not seen much of the interior yet, but my mother said you could tell a lot about a person’s tastes by the stage of their garden and you have an exceptional garden,” she complimented honestly.
“Why, thank you, Your Grace. And please, call me Barbara. I put a lot of effort into ensuring that my flowers and plants are loved from the moment they are mere seedlings and even long after they have bloomed. There are times I have even taken on the role of gardener, just to get things looking the way I want.” Barbara exclaimed bashfully.
“You both are similar in that regard I would never have expected it,” Edward shook his head in confusion.
“Oh, you like to garden as well, Your —”
“Please, you may call me Phoebe, aunt Barbara. And yes, I do enjoy gardening. My mother was quite fond of our garden, when she was alive and I was the only one of my siblings who were less interested in the dirt and sticks and more so in the plants and flowers. I love the array of flowers at the Montford estate.” Phoebe confessed, looking shy.
“So much so, she decided to take the whole affair of their upkeep into her own hands. It was quite a sight,” Edward muttered unhelpfully.
The duchess looked shy, expecting the dowager to feel irritated by Phoebe’s actions but instead she nodded,
“I know that feeling all too well. It goes beyond the odds of finding good help, but is more along the lines of knowing that if it were up to you, everything would be done perfectly. That is a wonderful character to have, dear duchess. I suggest you do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Though maybe it is best to let the servants earn their keep, every now and then.”
Phoebe grinned and shuffled forward eagerly as she promised, “I will.”
Barbara hummed in satisfaction and gestured to the refreshments that had been ignored while they spoke.
“Please, eat! And do tell me more about yourself. I imagine that although it seems that a new duchess has much to do, you must occasionally find yourself at your wits end with boredom in that big house. I already know that my nephew doesn’t make idealcompany. How ever do you cope to pass the time?” the older woman questioned with a look of dismay.
“I am certain it will be a tricky thing to achieve, but surely you can make your point without dragging my name in the mud,” Edward protested indignantly.
Phoebe laughed and shook her head. “I know Edward is far too busy tending to other matters to fawn over me constantly, and I appreciate every moment we spend together…”
She trailed of suddenly, startled by how much she meant it. ‘Appreciate’ was even too loose a description of how she truly felt and it was startling how deeply she craved to know more about him. Edward glanced in her direction when she stopped speaking but said nothing, returning his attention to his lukewarm glass of lemonade.
“Ah, excuse me,” Phoebe cleared her throat. “I do find great company amongst the servants as well, and simply carrying out my duties with their endless support helps dull whatever loneliness I feel. And… I like to play the piano. My father taught me, before he passed and I was able to teach my sister a bit, in preparation for her debut – though I will admit that perhaps I was not an ideal choice for her tutelage. I often play during slow, calm afternoons and –”
“She draws as well. It is remarkable, the amount of talent she possesses,” Edward interjected suddenly.