“Not so bad?” Darcy said with surprise. While he did not wish to have Georgiana constantly cringe in gratitude, he hoped that she was aware that they were undertaking difficulties for herbecauseit would in fact be quite bad for her if any of those solutions were used instead. “If this is about how uncomfortable you often are in company, I think that shall become better eventually.”
Elizabeth grinned at Darcy. “My dear, I do not think Georgiana at all was thinking about thebenefitsof living in an isolated house in the Scottish Highlands, with only a few hermits living in caves and the wolves around for twenty miles.”
“No, no,” Georgiana giggled. “I meant, I only mean that those whose families wholly cut them off, or who are poor suffer far more.”
“Not even if the winds shriek over the moors, there is a blizzard that never ends, not even in July, and there is an old caretaker whose hand had all the flesh scalded from the bones in a mysterious accident and who onlyspeaks in inarticulate grunts? And we must not forget what is hidden behindthe curtain.”
After laughing, Georgiana said, “At least I would not need to worry aboutfood.”
“Which is superior to the situation of most ‘unfortunate mothers’.” Elizabeth agreed.
Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and gripped it. He knew that while she had never been close to starvation, she had often worried about the material requirements, clothes and shelter and food, for her children. He was so happy that he had saved her from that situation.
“As an heiress I will never need to worry about such things,” Georgiana said. “I’ve realized how fortunate I am while I talked with Mrs. Reynolds about what I might do.”
“Ah,” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “I had noticed that you have occupied much of her time of late.”
“Mrs. Reynolds said that I was not keeping her from any important duties!” Georgiana exclaimed.
Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana, “And you were not. But what is your idea?”
“Mrs. Reynolds told me about the Foundling’s Hospital in London; it is a place that takes young babies in, so that their mothers can go back into service. Even though it is very sad, and very terrible for the mothers that they must send their children away, it is often the best for the children. The mother cannot feed themselves or the children without working, and they cannot work while having the children with them.”
“I know about it,” Darcy said. “We have been subscribed to it at the rate of twenty pounds a year since it was founded. Grandfather’s name was signed on the royal charter establishing it.”
“Oh. I did not know that,” Georgiana replied, a little deflated. “But why then do they not have enough money? Mrs. Reynolds said that far more women apply to have their children taken into the hospital than there are places for children.”
“There are a great many children in England who are born in such circumstances,” Darcy said. “I believe it received a great deal of support from parliament at one time, but that support was removed because of its cost. And the foundling hospital is open to women from anywhere in the country.”
“Yes, yes,” Georgiana said, “but what happens to those children who cannot find a place? I am sure some of them die from hunger. But I thought, perhaps if an institution like it was established in Derbyshire, so that women who live in the county can visit their children more easily. It would still be very sad, but not so sad. And I know that my fortune would not be enough to fund a large institution, and—”
“And I would not allow you to dedicate all of it to such a cause,” Darcy said with a smile, “No matter how meritorious it is.”
“But a small one could be established. And...and...it would be wrong for my life to be easy, simply because I am rich, and I have a brother and sister who love me, while I did nothing to help others. Not all of my fortune, but I must, I must do something with some portion of it. We can make things better, is that not worthwhile? Even if we cannot fix the whole of the problem, even if I can do very little, I can do something to help. Do you not recall the parable of the talents?”
“That one must do what one can with the gifts that one is given?” Darcy smiled at his sister. “I am very proud of you for this notion—Elizabeth, what do you think?”
“It is a good idea,” Elizabeth said. “Though I believe you would only be allowed to alienate substantial portions of your income after you are of age. If one is to set something of this sort up, you must do so in a way that there will be sufficient funds guaranteed for any children who are taken on.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Georgiana agreed.
His sister still had that girlish face, but she already seemed notably older and more serious than she had when he had first come to Ramsgate. And she looked happy.
Darcy offered, “I will gift land for the construction of a building—done simply and cheaply. Even if most of the mothers who we help are from outside of the parish, it is more healthful for children to grow up further away from the city. I would not establish it in Derby.”
“You mean it!” Georgiana exclaimed. “You do really think this is an idea worth doing?”
“Elizabeth did once tell me to fund an orphanage or a grammar school, and while not precisely either, this would have the virtues of both.”
“Youdid, as I recall, actually fund such organizations,” Elizabeth said laughing.
“I always listen to my wife.”
“If this is to be an institution educating children as they grow,” Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, “I imagine there will be a requirement for books to be purchased for it.”
“I see what you mean,” Darcy said drily.
“Well, of course,” Georgiana said. “I imagine—oh, you mean it would be an appropriate use of your book money.”
