Her stomach gurgled.
She shot a fleeting glance at Deerhurst, sighing in relief when he hadn’t noticed such an embarrassing sound!
Mrs. Plum set the tray down and poured them each a cup of tea, motioning for Phaedra to sit. Phaedra snatched up a biscuit and lowered into a chair as she watched Deerhurst with interest.
Mrs. Plum turned to Deerhurst. “A word, my lord?”
Deerhurst nodded and said to Phaedra, “Do you mind keeping an eye on the girls for a moment?”
“No, of course not.”
“They are a handful,” he warned.
“They are just girls,” she countered with a smile and reached for the tea.
The moment Deerhurst and Mrs. Plum left the room, Phaedra found herself surrounded by the three girls, none of whom could be older than seven years of age. She swallowed her tea.
“Are you a true lady?” Macy asked.
Phaedra paused, then lowered her voice. “What makes you believe I am?”
“Your dress,” Macy said with confidence.
Evie nodded. “I’ve never seen such a pretty dress.”
“And you’re beautiful. Only true ladies are as beautiful as you,” Macy said.
“Well, that’s not true,” Phaedra said, pinching Macy’s cheeks. “I can tell—you three will be great beauties one day.”
They all giggled.
“Soareyou a true lady?” Maddie asked.
Phaedra nodded. “I am.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “But keep it a secret, all right?”
The girls nodded.
“I would like to be a lady when I grow up,” Evie said.
“You cannot become a lady,” Macy said. “You have to be born one.” Her little face turned to Phaedra. “Tell her.”
Phaedra smiled. “Normally, I would say you are right. Times have not changed all that much, but we women grow stronger with each passing year. You do not have to be born a lady to become one. If you wish to be a lady one day, then go and claim your lord.”
“Truly?” Evie asked in awe.
Phaedra smiled even wider. “You can be whatever you’d like to be, Evie. You too Macy. And you as well, Maddie.”
“But Mrs. Plum said we should aspire to become seamstresses or maids in a grand house,” Maddie said, still skeptical. “She says the world is not kind to people like us and we should always know our place.”
Phaedra sighed. “Mrs. Plum is not completely wrong, nor is she entirely right. You should know the rules of the world. How else are you to break them?” She smiled. “Do not let anyone tell you how you must live. You and you alone are in charge of your life.”
“Have you ever broken the rules?” Macy asked.
“Oh, all the time,” Phaedra said. “I am breaking one right now by being here.”
“But you’re a lady,” Evie breathed. “Ladies don’t break the rules.”
“On the contrary, dear. I’ll let you in on a little secret. We ladies know how to break the rules best.” Phaedra paused thoughtfully. “That being said, I do not mean you should disobey Mrs. Plum. However, whether you’re a lady, a seamstress, or a maid, we are all still little girls inside our hearts, and little girls should never stop dreaming, don’t you understand?”
