Page 23 of The Elusive Phoebe (The Widows of Lavender Cottage #1)

Chapter Sixteen

T he morning air was crisp as Phoebe and Archie made their way to Lady Joanna's estate. They had sent word at dawn requesting an emergency meeting of the core Widows, and by ten o'clock, the familiar salon was filled with concerned faces.

Lady Joanna presided from her usual chair, her sharp eyes obviously taking in both Phoebe's obvious distress and Archie's protective stance beside her.

Lillian sat nearby, one hand resting on her rounded belly, while three other trusted Widows completed the circle: Mrs. Catherine Mills, Lady Harriet Greene, and Mrs. Sarah Whitmore.

"Now then, my dear," Lady Joanna said gently, "your message suggested some urgency. What has happened?"

Phoebe took a deep breath. "I've learned the truth about my late husband and my inheritance. And I'm afraid it puts all of you—puts Somerset itself—in potential danger."

The room fell silent. Lady Joanna leaned forward slightly. "Go on."

Over the next hour, Phoebe and Archie laid out everything: Lord Smalling's work as a spy, the threats from both English traitors and Irish revolutionaries, the vast inheritance that made her a target, and the puzzle Robert had left requiring her to visit all her estates.

When they finished, the silence stretched for several long moments.

Finally, Lady Joanna spoke. "You want to visit these estates now? Rosemont Hall, Brighton, London?"

"Yes," Phoebe said. "I need to understand what Robert left for me, and I need to claim what's mine. I can't hide forever."

Mrs. Sarah Whitmore leaned forward. "These aren't common criminals or even typical political agitators. They're trained operatives with resources, connections, and years of experience in finding people who don't want to be found."

"Exactly," Lady Joanna continued. "And one man, no matter how wealthy or well-connected, cannot provide the kind of protection Phoebe needs. Not against enemies like these."

Phoebe felt a chill run down her spine. "Then what do you suggest? I can't stay hidden forever, but I can't travel safely either?"

Lady Joanna's expression shifted, a calculating look entering her eyes. "Actually, my dear, I think you can travel. But not the way you're thinking."

"What do you mean?"

The older woman turned to the other Widows. "Ladies, what do you think of Operation Scattered Roses?"

Mrs. Catherine Mills broke into a slow smile. "Oh, that's brilliant."

"What's Operation Scattered Roses?" Archie asked, clearly frustrated at being left out of the conversation.

Lady Joanna stood and began pacing, her mind clearly working through details. "Lord Lytton, you're thinking like a man—one target, one protector, one fortress to defend. But we think like women. We think like survivors."

"I still don't understand."

Lillian grinned. "They're going to make it impossible to find the real Lady Smalling because there will be dozens of Lady Smallings all across England."

Phoebe's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "You mean..."

"Decoys," Lady Harriet said cheerfully. "We're going to flood the country with false Lady Smallings. Every widow in our network who even remotely resembles you will suddenly become a recent widow named Lady Smalling, traveling about England on mysterious business."

Mrs. Sarah Whitmore pulled out a small notebook. "We can have sightings in Bath, York, Canterbury, Brighton, even London. Multiple sightings, conflicting information, contradictory stories."

"While the real Lady Smalling," Lady Joanna said with satisfaction, "remains safely hidden in Somerset, gathering strength and making plans." She winked. “Or so others will believe. But in reality, she will be visiting the estates as planned.”

Mrs. Catherine Mills grinned. "Our enemies will be scattered across England, chasing shadows. They'll be frustrated, exhausted, and making mistakes."

"More importantly," Lady Joanna added, "they'll have revealed themselves. We'll know who's looking for her, what resources they have, and what their weaknesses are."

Phoebe felt a mixture of admiration and anxiety. "It's ingenious, but it's also incredibly dangerous for all of you. I can't ask you to take such risks."

"You're not asking," Lillian said firmly. "We're offering. This is what we do, Phoebe. We protect each other."

Phoebe looked around the room at these remarkable women—her friends, her chosen family—who were willing to risk everything for her safety. Then she looked at Archie, whose love was genuine but whose protection might not be enough.

"How would it work?" she asked quietly. "This deception plan?"

Lady Joanna smiled. "Leave that to us. By tomorrow evening, there will be Lady Smalling sightings from Bath to Edinburgh. Within a week, your enemies won't know which way to turn."

"And in the meantime?"

"In the meantime, you become the woman you need to be to survive this inheritance," Mrs. Catherine Mills said. "A woman who can protect herself, make difficult decisions, and claim what's rightfully hers."

Phoebe was quiet for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "All right. I trust you. All of you."

Despite everything, Phoebe found herself smiling. "Archie, they're right. This is bigger than what either of us can handle alone."

He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "Very well. But I want to be involved in planning your protection here in Somerset. If we're making this place a fortress, I want to help build the walls."

"Agreed," Lady Joanna said. "Welcome to the real Widows of Somerset, Lord Lytton. I think you're about to discover we're far more than a social organization."

As the meeting broke up and the Widows began planning their elaborate deception, Phoebe felt a strange mixture of fear and excitement. She was about to become the center of a spy game that stretched across England.

But for the first time since reading Robert's letters, she felt like she might actually survive it.

The Widows of Somerset were going to war, and heaven help anyone who stood in their way.