Luke gave him a look that said he knew what his brother was doing, but Rodger was looking intently at Miss Pembleton.Clearly his social awkwardness comes second to peace-making...
“Of course! Who better to learn from than those who make it their life’s work to tend to such things?” Miss Pembleton suppressed a smile when she glanced at him, and he noted the growing tightness to his jaw.
“It is not a question of who best to learn from, but a question of propriety.” Luke explained, his voice level and even.
Miss Pembleton arched an eyebrow at him. “I am never unchaperoned with them.”
“I should hope not!” Luke shook his head. “But that does not make it appropriate for a young lady.”
“I like to think of it as stretching propriety.” Miss Pembleton flashed him a smile.
Rodger laughed softly, and one of her sisters seemed ready to amend Miss Pembleton’s statement. But he was not done. “There is no such thing as stretching propriety. Behaviour is either within the realms of such a thing or it is not.”
“Quite so,” agreed Duchess Emberly, “and as I am sure you know Emily has all the fine accomplishments of a young lady! Why she only need to hear a piece once to be able to play it.”
Rodger seemed impressed, though neither of them heard this for the first time, and was about to ask her something... but Miss Pembleton could not let it go.
“Are you always so black and white in your thinking? Or is it only in the matter of gardening that you get... peeved?” Miss Pembleton asked, an edge to her voice.
He is too trusting for his own good.An improper wife could be his downfall, and ever worse, the downfall of their children.
“You will have to forgive my brother, Miss Pembleton, he is not quite as philosophical as I am.” Rodger grinned.The bastard was amused! At his expense!
“Philosophy does not enter into it.” Luke pointed out. “It is not proper.”
“I thought you said that a woman’s mind was the most important aspect of her character. Am I not simply strengthening my mind by learning? How would you propose to do such things?” Miss Pembleton said.
She thinks to use my own words against me.Luke gave her a flat look and then gestured to the bookshelves around them. “Through books of course, like a civilised person.”
“Are gardeners not civilised?”
Luke shook his head, sensing that she was trying to trap him with her rhetoric. “Of course they are, but a gardener will be limited in the knowledge he can pass down, and biased at that. A single person cannot be the font of all knowledge.”
“But books are generally written by one person. Surely, they are just as fallible in that instance? Books curate the knowledge they impart, in the same way that a gardener would share what skills he feels are best suited.”
“But many books together offer a greater scope of knowledge. Besides, books are the proper way to learn,” Luke insisted.
“Well, what if the gardener had written a book? Would that not be the same as reading then? So I might as well just talk to many gardeners.” She turned away from Luke, smiling at Rodger as she explained. “Besides, I like to be able to see things, to smell them, to touch them. Books cannot pass down the sensation of leaves beneath your fingers, nor can they capture just how physically exhausting gardening is.”
“Which is why ladies tend to hire gardeners.”
“I-” Miss Pembleton began, but before she could say anything, Duchess Emberly said loudly, “What is your favourite flower, Lord Baine?”
“I would be hard pressed to pick just one, Your Grace. But I believe roses are quite pretty.” Rodger said, his lips twitching with barely-disguised amusement.
“In that case, Emily could show you around the rose gardens here,” Duchess Emberly suggested. “She had quite an active part in arranging them. And my sister and I could keep your brother company while we chaperone!”
Luke did not miss the grateful look Miss Pembleton shot at her sister. There was clear love and affection between the sisters. Yet, this only proved his point: even they knew they had to protect her from her own words.
But what would happen when her sisters were not around, which would be the case if she were to marry Rodger?
As Luke opened his mouth to respond, a clock chimed five times.
“I am afraid we must take our leave of you gentlemen.” Duchess Emberly stood, and her sisters stood with her. “We must get changed and ready for dinner.”
“Of course.” Luke stood up, gesturing for Rodger to do the same.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Pembleton.” Rodger smiled to the young woman.
