Have you seen my son… Dowager Marchioness
CHAPTER 27
Eden looked into her friends’ faces, “I really do love him, so very much.”
Sophie smiled softly, “Of course you do, you goose! We know that.”
There was a sharp knocking at the door, followed by a footman alerting the ladies that the Dowager Marchioness of Lancaster and her two daughters were calling upon them.
Cece’s eyes lit as she instructed the servant, “Things are about to get interesting, so have the ladies escorted into the Rose Parlor while we freshen ourselves up.”
Sophie looked at her in astonishment, “This is my house, you know. I am capable of ordering my own servants about.”
“Oh posh, don’t be offended. Please, Sophie, I just am simply too much of a busybody.” Cece kissed her cheek and pleaded sweetly until Sophie rolled her eyes.
“You are too much like your brother. The both of you can get away with just about anything,” Sophie grumbled.
“Do you want me to tell you embarrassing stories about Eli? That always puts you in a better mood when you realize that he is not nearly as perfect as you thought he was. Come and we can do that while Eden meets with her love’s family. They don’t really want to see us anyhow.”
Sophie grinned, “That sounds lovely, let’s!”
“You are leaving me now?” Eden groaned.
“We expect a full report,” Cece called out gaily as she and Sophie trailed out of sight.
Eden shook her head in astonishment. Truly, there was nobody on this earth quite like Cece.
When she opened the door into the Rose Parlor, she found herself immediately embraced by two very exuberant young friends.
“Please do not be angry with us, Eden,” Lillian begged.
“Are we still friends?” Juliana asked quietly.
Eden hugged them tightly to her, “We will always be the very best of friends, Lillian. And I was never angry with either one of you, Juliana.”
Eden released them and went to the Dowager and gave her a proper curtsey, “I am very pleased to see you, Lady Lancaster. Thank you for coming to my home and for bringing Lillian and Juliana for a visit. I have missed you all terribly.”
The dowager held both hands out to Eden to take. With trepidation Eden stepped forward and took the older woman’s hands. The dowager lightly squeezed Eden’s hands with affection before motioning for the entire party to sit.
Eden had arranged for refreshments to be served and poured tea and passed out cakes for the dowager and her daughters.
“You look well, Eden,” the dowager commented.
Eden blushed, “Thank you, Lady Lancaster.”
“Have you by chance, seen my son?”
Eden choked on her tea, “Beg, pardon?”
“He’s about six feet tall, dark hair, dark eyes, answers to the name of Randall. He’s a Marquis. Although I do believe that you call him, Phillip.”
“Milady, I have seen your son. A few days past, not since,” Eden stammered.
The dowager nodded, “And where was he?”
Eden closed her eyes willing the situation to go away. Luck was not on her side.
“He was sitting in the tree outside of my window?”
“You say that like it was a question. Was he or was he not in the tree outside of your window?” the dowager questioned.
Eden could have died right then, “He was.”
“I see.”
“I don’t see how you could possibly,” Eden whispered miserably.
The dowager smiled, “I know my son better than you think.”
The girls were watching this play-by-play with wide eyes.
“My brother was actually living in your tree?” Lillian chortled. “This is famous! I shall tease him until his dying day.”
“You will do no such thing,” the dowager intercepted.
Lillian looked crushed, “But why?”
“Because one day, Lillian, when you fall in love, you will do something as equally ridiculous as your brother did. Oh, he will want to rub it in your face, but when he tries to - I will remind him that you took the higher road.”
“I hate the higher road,” Lillian muttered under her breath.
Juliana snorted in agreement.
“Do you not know where Phillip is at?” Eden asked hesitantly.
It was the dowagers turn to look a bit nervous.
“Well, not precisely…. I know that he is about something important. That is for certain. I just wondered if he was here.”
Eden was thoroughly confused, “Whatever does that even mean? Has he left again?”
All the feelings of abandonment started coming up again.
Surely, he wouldn’t have come and then left all over again. Eden felt sick inside.
The dowager must have sensed her sudden panic, or perhaps her loss of color gave her away, because she rushed to Eden’s side and took her hand.
“Eden, he has not left you. I did not mean to cause you any alarm. Truly, I am making a hash of things and that was not my intention at all. He would be furious if he knew that I even told you this. But I feel that I must disclose this to calm your nerves. I was only asking if he was here because I knew that he had been to the ducal mansion today to see the dragon, better known as your mother.”
At this point Eden, really did want to be sick.