Page 87 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

“No, thankfully. We haven’t seen him.”

“That is good.” She sighed, giving me a compassionate look. “It cannot be very easy coming into so much money and having no close relatives to help you navigate the difficulties of society and the fortune-hunting men, if you will forgive me for saying that.”

I smiled, relieved that she was talking about something I actually wanted to talk about. “You are right. It hasn’t been easy.”

“That is why I asked you here, to offer my help. I have been remiss, and I realize that now and ask for your forgiveness. If there is anything you need, if you need to ask my advice—oh, I know, no one wants to be told what to do or how to think—but if you do feel the need to ask, I am very happy to help if I can.”

“I have thought a few times that I’d like to ask your advice, but I didn’t want to impose on your time.”

“No, my dear! Do not think you are imposing on me. I am yourfriend, I hope, and I want you to feel you can trust me to be discreet, to keep what you tell me in confidence, and to give you the best advice I can.”

I assured her I trusted her discretion and her sincerity. “It has been difficult, as I feel I am losing so many friends. Mr. Merritt and Lord Markeley have both asked to marry me.”

“And you refused them?”

“I did. But I am afraid my friendship with them is now at an end, and it makes me sad. There was also Mr. Welton. I felt as if he only wanted my fortune, ultimately. But I want to marry for love.”

“And you shall.” She clasped my wrist and smiled, leaning close.

“But in the meantime, I think what will make me happy is to do something good and meaningful with the fortune. That is, I think I should like to open an orphanage for children who have nowhere to go, who need shelter and food and someone to care for them.”

“What a wonderful thought.” Lady Derringer’s lips parted, and she stared at me, wide-eyed.

“Why should I live in luxury when there are innocent children starving on the streets of London? Joshua and Sarah are such precious children. I can’t bear to think that there are others like them who are cold and hungry and in danger from evil men who want to use them.”

“Of course.” Lady Derringer had a faraway look in her eyes. “I believe I may know some ladies who would want to help you in this endeavor, who are more compassionate than most.” She raised her brows. “You should speak to Lord Brookhaven about this as well. I believe he would want to help. I imagine he would have some excellent ideas about such a scheme. He has a good head for organization and the structure of such things. Yes, I think this will work out very well.”

She smiled at me as if she were very happy from some secret that I knew nothing about.

We sipped our tea and discussed various aspects of my plan,which was in its infancy but about which I had not been able to stop thinking since the day before.

“I spoke with Sarah and Joshua about their life on the streets. They wish to assist me in finding the children who need our help. They know of some, of course.”

“Yes, I would think so.”

“I will have to hire some men to help me keep the children safe, for as I have discovered, there are those who will not appreciate me taking their young workers whom they’ve been using to steal. Did you know they even use children to wade into the Thames and pick up whatever they can find from the bottom, as there are quite a few valuables and coins that can be found that way? But the children often are cut or otherwise injured by broken glass and metal, for there are all manner of discarded things in the mud at the bottom.”

Too late, I realized this was not the kind of conversation ladies would normally engage in, but Lady Derringer put down her teacup and said, “How dreadful for those poor children! Yes, it is a cruel, harsh world for orphans in London. We must do what we can, and you are so good, Miss Robbins, for most young ladies who had just inherited a fortune would never trouble themselves about such a thing.”

“I think it is mostly because I am an orphan myself, and I realize how fortunate I was to grow up in a good school rather than on the street. And that is why I wish for this orphanage to be a school, a place where they can learn and be happy, where they never have to know desperation. They can learn skills and knowledge and have a productive, happy life.”

“It will be costly,” Lady Derringer said, “but it is not impossible.”

“Anything is possible, if God so wills it.” It was something I’d heard an elderly lady in Milford say, and it had stuck with me.

“Yes, indeed. Faith and Providence are what we need for this venture.”

We discussed it a bit more, then Lady Derringer said, “I shall send you a list of names of wealthy ladies I believe might wish tobe involved, and when I am back in town, I shall introduce you to them. But I’ll also give the list to William, in case he might be able to introduce you to some of them.”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

I walked home with a lightness of heart and step. Perhaps this fortune was not only for my benefit, but also for the benefit of others.

The next morning, a visitor was announced just after nine thirty. Regular calling hours were from ten to six, so I wondered who would call at such an unfashionable hour.

The housekeeper looked ill at ease. “It is your solicitor, Mr. Sullivan, but he has a woman with him.”

“Did they say what this is about?”