ReportingOnTheFrewins

From IMiA

When Patrice returns from her call to the Frewins, she seeks Phillip out. By the time she finds him, she has a small glass of whiskey in hand, and has clearly sampled it.

Phillip is in his library. He appears to have been reading.

"Well, you were right about the Frewin woman," Patrice says. "Enough to make me want something strong enough to wash my mouth out before dinner."

Phillip chuckles. "I was afraid she'd become a stronger sort of vinegar over the years. Pity I was correct." Then, "What of the daughter?"

"Worth watching, I think. Devoted to her mother, but the devotion is worth something even if the mother's not. Feisty, if a bit bubbleheaded. Able to keep a secret. So ... promising enough to keep a closer eye on, if not ready yet for ..." and Patrice trails off.

"What exactly do you propose for her? Do you have a spouse in mind? Or--something more suited to an independent lady?"

"I do not arrange marriages," Phillip says and there is an edge to his voice that few besides Patrice would know him well enough to detect. He might not even be conscious of it himself.

"Better you than her mother," Patrice says, with a touch of the same edge in her own voice. It's not, after all, a subject on which she has no opinions of her own.

Then, he smiles and says, "I'm more concerned that she has followed in her father's footsteps and may not truly know what path she walks."

Patrice nods, accepting that at face value. "What about the rest of the family? Who holds the title now?"

"I believe her younger brother either does or will."

Patrice nods again, and frowns. "Her mother's billing her as Lady Frewin."

"Her mother is a fool," Phillip states, "but little harm should come of that particular blunder. Unless its made in court."

"I can hardly argue with the former statement. However, you're wrong about the latter. It's a false inducement to marry under the circumstances, and if an engagement were to go awry, there could be a lawsuit. I'm vaguely familiar with the details of breach of promise suits, as you may remember," Patrice points out. "It's not the mother I'm worried about. She can go hang. But I'd hate to see the girl abandoned at the altar because her little brother will hold the title. Not that it might not be an improvement over whatever frightful marriage that woman has in mind for her. She's going to sell that poor child to the highest bidder."

"We may have to do somethign about that," Phillip muses, "though as yet, i do not know what."

"I'm already working on that. I mean to ask Florimel to have them at the Carnival ball. It will expose the girl to a broader society than her mother would want her to meet, I expect. And some of the ladies whose acquaintance she might make are independent-minded, and could provide her a model for--let us say, a different lifestyle than what her mother would prefer." Patrice's smile is devilish.

"I'm already working on that. I mean to ask Florimel to have them at the Carnival ball. It will expose the girl to a broader society than her mother would want her to meet, I expect. And some of the ladies whose acquaintance she might make are independent-minded, and could provide her a model for--let us say, a different lifestyle than what her mother would prefer." Patrice's smile is devilish.

"Inspired," Phillip smiles.

"Thank you."

Phillip is quiet for a moment. Then, "You will be seeing Her Highness soon?"

Patrice nods.

Then, "Any other thoughts on the Frewins?"

"Not yet. Other than that I expect to end up paying for one very lovely gown for Phoebe from Worth's." Patrice rolls her eyes. "The price of deviltry is going up, Phillip."

"How did it come to pass that you are buying her a dress?" He smiles and adds, "People will talk."

"They always do, as we both know," Patrice says in fond exasperation. "That woman has the best widow's weeds money can buy, and her daughter is making do with her old gowns. She'll need something new to go to the ball--and if that woman can see her way to paying for something pretty for her daughter, I'm King Oberon. She'll buy it on credit, and I'm sure I'll have to make it good to Charles. I won't have him going short for custom I suggested."

Phillip simply shakes his head. "Will you be going there with her and helping her pick it out at least?"

"No, but I mean to get my suggestions in when I pick up my dinner gown for Juliana's soiree. If I'm going to pay for the damned thing, I want that poor child to look her best." Patrice shakes her head. "That frock she was wearing was straight out of the schoolroom. Most men wouldn't look twice at her when she's dressed like that. It's awful to be young and want things you can't have."

Phillip nods. "And to have things you don't want forced upon you. Do you have a sense of Phoebe's attitude towards her mother's plans?"

"It takes a lot to make a girl hate her mother, and Lady Frewin hasn't crossed that barrier yet. I don't think Phoebe's been out of the schoolroom long enough to be aware that there are other options for her. Her mother keeps telling her how poor they are--and family duty has led a lot of girls into marriages they might not otherwise have made."

Patrice sighs. "If she wants to be married off, it's her life. But she should at least have some idea of her options."

Phillip nods. "I am somewhat concerned that Phoebe knows of options her mother would never suspect, but has neither the age nor experience to know what they truly represent."

"What do you mean by that?" Patrice asks, intrigued.

"Unbeknownst to his wife, Lord Frewin performed certain services for the crown. It is possible however that Phoebe knows. If so, she would most likely know just enough to put herself in danger."

"I presume you don't mean for the Begman crown." Patrice has to think about it. "Oh, yes, that would complicate things. I suspect her mother will attach her to me like a limpet as long as she perceives any advantage from it. I'll keep my eyes out for unhappy Begmans as well as mysterious foreigners and other troublesome souls."

"He certainly was not working against the Begman crown," Phillip replies, "and he served Amber's interests well enough. If Phoebe knows or suspects this, she might have ideas."

"I had no indication of any such knowledge from her," Patrice says. "But she's quite capable of discretion when needed. She tossed her sheet music out the window--one of those dreadful Costerlitz pieces, so I understood the impulse--and she and I arranged things so she could recover it without her mother knowing. Finding out what, if anything, she knows will be--

"--my job, won't it?" Patrice sighs.

"You would raise less questions than I."

"I wouldn't call what your close attendance on the girl would raise questions, Phillip," Patrice says with a grin. She raises a hand to silence his anticipated protest. "Very well, I'll do it, for the sake of harmony in the house."

Phillip chuckles. "Very well, I will stop bothering you."

"Oh, you know very well it's not a bother." Patrice smiles indulgently at him. "I'd have taken the girl under my wing anyway. You know I have a soft spot for girls with bullying mothers."

-- Main.GingerStampley - 21 Dec 2004