Chapter Twelve #3
“My cousin Matilda is like a sister to me,” she offered.
“Both of us are the only children of our parents, you see. And between us we have only one parent left—my Aunt Fanny who is supervising our debut this Season. Are you out?” She raised her delicate eyebrows and Gabriel felt his heart give an unexpected lurch.
Similar to the sort he usually got when he spotted some jewelery he thought he could fence for a good price—preferably after having spotted it around the neck of someone he didn’t like.
Cecilia shook her head with another chuckle.
“Not for want of trying. I pestered both Mama and Papa all this winter to allow me to come out this Season, but they both declared fifteen was far too young. However, Gabriel kindly assisted me in prevailing upon Mama to allow me to attend this party.” Her tawny eyes twinkled.
“But I know it wasn’t out of filial kindness.
He only did so because he wanted us to meet and become friends. ”
Phoebe smiled. It would have been hard to resist Cecilia, and Gabriel had been counting on it. “I would love to become friends with you, Lady Cecilia.”
Cecilia glanced across at her mother, but she was well occupied and far enough away not to overhear their conversation.
He’d taught her well about subterfuge over the years.
“Might we dispense with calling each other ‘lady’? I know I hate being addressed in such a pompous manner. If you would be kind enough to allow me to address you as Phoebe, would you likewise call me just Cecilia?” She giggled.
“Although my youngest sister, little Charlotte, who is only three, is still inclined to call me Cissy, which I have to admit I rather like. I don’t suppose there is anything one can shorten Phoebe to, is there? ”
Phoebe must have been feeling more at home thanks to Cecilia’s natural charm, for she too giggled in the most girlish of fashions.
A giggle that had Gabriel’s heart lurching yet again.
“My cousin sometimes calls me Phoebs, but Aunt Fanny abhors that. Although I call Matilda Mattie in return and her mother doesn’t seem to mind me doing so. ”
“Phoebe is such a pretty name,” Gabriel put in, not wanting to be ignored. “It means bright, radiant, and pure, and comes from the Greek sun god, Phoebus Apollo.” He’d had to look this up, which had taken a long time to do, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.
Cecilia giggled again and gave Gabriel a sly poke in the ribs.
“He likes to show off the classical education he obtained at Oxford whenever he can, but I can match him in some things. Papa is allowing me and my next sister, Honoria, to study the classics at home with a tutor. At home at Wentworth, I mean. The local vicar is a great scholar and comes in three times a week to teach us. I am currently struggling my way through The Iliad.”
“You are?” Gabriel said. “You never cease to amaze me. And what does your mother think of that?” As his stepmother probably didn’t know one end of a book in English from the other, it must have taken some persuasion on his father’s part to get her to assent to her daughter’s being educated in anything other than embroidery, painting watercolors, and playing the piano.
Cecilia wrinkled her nose. “What do you think she thinks? She does not approve but thankfully Papa is on our side. He says girls should have as good an education as boys.”
Phoebe nodded. “My papa thought so too, and that I should be taught to shoot a gun. But sadly my aunt doesn’t share his forward-thinking opinion, so all my cousin and I have been taught is a little French, music, and lots of embroidery.
At which I’m frighteningly bad. I was considered a good Latin scholar by my papa. I envy you your chance to study.”
Gabriel, after his small contribution, contented himself with listening to the two of them as they talked.
He was learning things about his favorite half-sister that he’d never have known.
After all, he rarely went to Wentworth nowadays and before that he’d been up at Oxford doing his own studying.
He must make an effort to see her and Honoria more.
Phoebe did seem to be getting on well with Cecilia, which was what he’d been hoping for. So far, it seemed his plan was working.
But things were not quite moving swiftly enough for him. He raised his eyes in enquiry to Cecilia, who was in on the plan, and inclined his head towards the window. Left to her, she and Phoebe would still be chattering when it came time for all the guests to leave.
“Would you like to see the garden?” Cecilia asked, in a hurry, but Phoebe didn’t appear to have noticed the slight awkwardness of the request.
He watched her take a glance outside. It probably wasn’t looking too enticing but at least it wasn’t raining, and the camelias were already out.
Phoebe nodded. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
“Would you like to come too?” Cecilia asked him, her eyes brimming with naughtiness, the minx.
Gabriel nodded and the three of them slipped out of the parlor door together, hopefully unnoticed.