Page 44 of The Elusive Phoebe (The Widows of Lavender Cottage #1)
Chapter Thirty-One
T he London townhouse felt transformed the morning after the arrests. Sunlight streamed through windows that had witnessed such darkness the day before, and the bustle of loyal servants going about their duties seemed almost miraculous after the fear and uncertainty they had endured.
Phoebe sat in Robert's study, the assembled cipher device gleaming on the desk before her. Archie had gone to coordinate with Sir Charles Whitmore about the prosecution of the traitors, leaving her alone with the final mystery her late husband had created.
The device was beautiful in its complexity—the music box from Rosemont, the compass from Brighton, and the intricate central mechanism from London all fitted together into something that looked almost like a miniature astronomical instrument.
Symbols and letters covered its various surfaces, waiting to be deciphered.
"My lady?" Hollings appeared in the doorway, carrying a tea tray. "I thought you might need refreshment after yesterday's ordeal."
"Thank you, Hollings. That's very thoughtful." Phoebe accepted the cup gratefully. "Have you heard anything more about the arrests?"
"Tanner and his associates are being held at the Tower, my lady. Lord Pemberton is singing like a canary, apparently eager to save his own neck by implicating his confederates." Hollings's expression was satisfied. "Sir Charles believes they've rounded up the entire network."
"And the Irish conspirators?"
"Being tracked down across the country as we speak. It seems Tanner kept meticulous records of all his contacts." Hollings paused. "Lord Lytton sent word that he'll return within the hour, and that you should expect visitors this afternoon."
"Visitors?"
"He didn't specify, my lady, but he seemed quite pleased about something."
After Hollings departed, Phoebe turned her attention back to the cipher device. She had been studying it for nearly an hour when a pattern began to emerge. The symbols weren't random—they formed coordinates, dates, and what appeared to be a complex combination that might open... something.
She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't hear Archie's return until he spoke softly behind her.
"Any progress?"
"I think so," she said, not turning around. "Look at these markings—they're not just decorative. They're instructions."
Archie leaned over her shoulder to examine the device, his nearness sending familiar warmth through her. "Instructions for what?"
"I'm not certain yet, but..." Phoebe traced one of the symbol sequences with her finger. "This looks like a date—the day we were married. And this..." She pointed to another section. "These are definitely coordinates. London coordinates."
"Somewhere in the city?"
"Somewhere in this house, I think." Phoebe stood, the device in her hands. "Archie, what if this isn't just revealing Robert's intelligence secrets? What if it's showing us something else he left behind?"
They spent the next hour following the device's cryptic directions through the house. The coordinates led them to specific rooms, where certain symbols on the device began to glow softly when they were in the correct location.
It was in the conservatory—a beautiful glass-roofed room filled with exotic plants—that the device finally activated completely. As Phoebe aligned the final symbols according to the cipher's instructions, a hidden panel slid open in what had appeared to be a solid stone wall.
Behind the panel was a small chamber, and inside that chamber was something that took Phoebe's breath away.
Wedding gifts. Dozens of them, carefully preserved and arranged on silk-lined shelves.
But these weren't the traditional silver and crystal she might have expected.
These were personal treasures: books of poetry with handwritten dedications, musical compositions Robert had written for her, sketches of improvements he had planned for their various homes, and at the center of it all, a simple wooden box.
Inside the box was another letter.
My Dearest Wife, Today marks six months since I last saw your face, and I find myself wondering if you think of me with kindness or only with regret. I pray it is kindness, for I think of you with nothing but love...
At the bottom of the box was one final item—a jeweler's case containing the most exquisite necklace Phoebe had ever seen. Emeralds and diamonds set in delicate gold filigree, designed to complement her coloring perfectly.
The note attached read simply: For our first anniversary. I hope by then you will have learned to love me as I love you.
Phoebe sank into a nearby chair, overwhelmed by the magnitude of Robert's devotion. "He prepared all this during our separation. Wedding gifts for the wife he hoped would someday come home to him."
"And now you have them," Archie said gently. "His final gift to you—proof of how much you were loved."
"Archie," Phoebe said quietly, looking up at him with tears in her eyes, "ask me your question now. Please."
But before he could respond, the sound of carriages arriving echoed from the courtyard outside. Multiple carriages, by the sound of it.
"Our visitors," Archie said with a mysterious smile. "I think you're going to be very pleased to see who's come to London. "
They made their way to the front hall just as Hollings was admitting a stream of familiar faces. Phoebe gasped with delight as she saw who had come to celebrate with them.
Lady Joanna led them in first, magnificent in traveling dress and looking thoroughly pleased with herself. Behind her came the most wonderful sight—all four of the decoy Widows, chattering excitedly about their adventures.
"Phoebe!" Charlotte called out dramatically, rushing forward to embrace her. "My dear, you look positively radiant! Much better than when I last saw you looking so tragic in my mourning attire."
"Charlotte! How wonderful to see you out of character," Phoebe laughed, returning the embrace warmly.
Margaret followed, grinning broadly. "I do hope you appreciate the chaos we've caused across England on your behalf. Poor Yorkshire may never recover from my supposed property acquisitions."
"And Canterbury will be expecting the mysterious Lady Smalling to take religious vows any day now," Caroline added with a mischievous smile. "I may have gotten rather carried away with my spiritual crisis."
"While London society is still buzzing about my dramatic flight from the capital," Victoria concluded with satisfaction. "I left three broken-hearted suitors in my wake."
Lillian and Oliver arrived next, Lillian moving more slowly due to her advancing pregnancy but beaming with happiness. "We couldn't miss this celebration," she said, embracing Phoebe carefully. "Especially when we heard about yesterday's excitement."
"You heard about that already?" Phoebe asked in amazement.
"My dear," Lady Joanna said with a slight smile, "the Widows' communication network is remarkably efficient. We knew about the arrests within hours."
"But how did you all get here so quickly?" Phoebe asked as they moved into the drawing room.
"We were already en route," Lady Joanna explained. "Lord Lytton sent word yesterday morning that you might need assistance, so we mobilized immediately. The government officials were quite helpful in coordinating our arrival with their own operations."
"It was the most exciting thing I've done in years," Mrs. Whitmore said with enthusiasm. " Military precision, secret signals, coordinated timing—quite like old times."
As the afternoon progressed, the London townhouse filled with laughter, conversation, and the joy of friends reunited after successful adventures.
Each of the decoy Widows regaled the group with detailed accounts of their performances, complete with imitations of the confused enemies they had led astray.
"The poor Irish agent I encountered in Bath," Charlotte reported with glee, "was last seen heading toward Scotland, convinced I was traveling there to visit ancient clan holdings."
"While mine in York is probably still searching Yorkshire estates for a mysterious widow with vast property holdings," Margaret added.
"And the gentleman who approached me in Canterbury may well spend the rest of his life visiting religious sites across England, looking for a penitent widow seeking spiritual guidance," Caroline concluded.
Victoria's London adventures, in particular, had the entire group in stitches. "I do believe one of my rejected suitors has sworn off widows entirely," she reported. "He told his friends that wealthy widows are far too dangerous for sensible men to pursue. "
As evening approached and the group settled in for dinner, Phoebe found herself surrounded by the most remarkable collection of women she had ever known.
These friends had risked their safety, abandoned their comfortable routines, and traveled the length of England to protect her—and they had done it all with skill, courage, and considerable enjoyment.
"I want to thank you," she said, rising from her place at the head of the table. "All of you. You've given me more than safety—you've given me a family, an education, and the confidence to claim my own life."
"And you've given us purpose," Lady Joanna replied. "The opportunity to use our skills for something that truly mattered."
"To the Widows of Somerset," Lillian proposed, raising her glass. "The most formidable secret society in England."
"To friendship," Phoebe added. "And to the courage to choose our own destinies."
As the toasts concluded and conversation resumed, Archie caught Phoebe's eye across the table. She nodded slightly, and he rose from his chair.
"Ladies," he said, commanding the attention of the room. "If I may interrupt for a moment? "
The table fell silent, all eyes turning toward him with obvious anticipation.
"Phoebe," he continued, moving to stand beside her chair, "you asked me earlier to ask my question. I think this is the perfect moment, surrounded by new trusted friends."
He dropped to one knee beside her chair, and the entire room seemed to hold its breath.
"Lady Smalling," he said formally, then smiled. "Phoebe. My dearest friend, my greatest love, the woman who has made me believe in second chances and new beginnings—will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
The silence stretched for a heartbeat, and then Phoebe's face broke into the most radiant smile anyone in the room had ever seen.
"Yes," she said simply. "Yes, Archie, I will marry you. After we draft a proper contract." She grinned in Lady Joanna’s direction.
The room erupted in cheers, applause, and tears of joy. But through it all, Phoebe's eyes remained fixed on Archie's face, seeing in his expression the promise of a future built on love, respect, and the freedom to choose their own path together.
As he slipped Robert's emerald necklace around her neck—her "something old" and her blessing from the past—Phoebe knew that she had finally found her way home. Not to a place, but to a person who would cherish her independence as much as her love.
The Widows of Somerset had taught her that a woman could be strong, capable, and free. Archie had shown her that love didn't have to diminish those qualities—it could enhance them.
And surrounded by friends who had proven that women could accomplish anything when they worked together, Phoebe looked forward to a future full of adventure, partnership, and the deep satisfaction of a life chosen rather than endured.
The celebration continued long into the night, but for Phoebe, the real celebration was just beginning.
She had solved Robert's final puzzle, survived her enemies' attacks, and discovered that sometimes the greatest treasure isn't hidden in secret chambers—it's found in the courage to trust your heart to someone worthy of holding it.
As London sparkled outside the windows of her townhouse and the laughter of her chosen family filled the rooms around her, Lady Smalling—soon to be Lady Lytton—knew that her greatest adventure was still to come.