“I am as well,” Audrey said. “Please take a seat, both of you. There’s something else I need to discuss with you.”
Both girls sat on the sofa with expectant looks on their faces.
“I had a meeting today with Mr. Haggerty,” Audrey said.
“Papa’s solicitor?” Grace asked.
“Yes. I’m afraid the news isn’t good. Our quarterly allowance is being cut in half.”
“Cut in half!” Grace cried. “We barely have enough to get by on as it is.”
“I’m fully aware, Grace. There’s nothing we can do about a bad harvest. Tomorrow, I shall seek employment again,” Audrey said. “I cannot afford to take any more time to mourn Papa.”
“I’m seven and ten and perfectly capable of workingas well,” Grace said. “I’ll seek a position with you.”
“I know you’re quite capable, dearest, but there’s no need for you to do anything yet. I would prefer you stay with Mia. I don’t like the thought of her being alone in the house.”
“Where will you go?” Mia asked with a trembling lip.
Audrey could see that she was definitely not warming up to the idea of her working again, especially after hearing about her awful encounter with Edwin. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I will no longer seek a position as a maid and plan to go see Mama’s old modiste, Mrs. Beaumont. Perhaps she’ll have some piecework I can do for her.”
“Does that mean you’ll be home at night?” Mia asked.
“If things go as I hope, yes. I’ll bring the pieces home so that my working for Mrs. Beaumont can remain a secret. But, sisters, we must all tighten our belts as much as possible in the meantime.
Audrey decided against telling her sisters that the heir had been found. She did not want to spend the next six weeks or more trying to answer their questions when she didn’t even know the answers herself.
“I suppose all this means no more treats,” Mia said with a pout.
Audrey snickered. “Perhaps not as many, but Mrs. Culbert is very creative in the kitchen.”
That brought a smile to all their faces.
“Audrey, will you play for us?” Grace asked. “It’s beensuch a trying day.”
Audrey nodded. “Of course.”
She took solace at the pianoforte. Music was her passion, and it filled her soul with joy. She loved to play, as it reminded her of the happy days she’d spent taking lessons from her mother. Her mother had played beautifully, and Mary had encouraged all her daughters to practice. Both Grace and Mia were proficient on the instrument, but it was Audrey who excelled.
She walked to the pianoforte, took a seat, and began to play some of their mother’s favorite tunes. She sang several songs for her sisters and was pleased to know that, at least momentarily, she’d lifted their spirits.
Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about their diminished situation.
Chapter6
New York City
Jacob looked over the largestack of letters on his desk. He was ecstatic that including articles for women in the paper had turned out to be so lucrative. With such an enthusiastic response for more articles, he’d be able to include a few more in the Friday edition.
He loved flexing his journalistic muscles, and the more he wrote, the more he realized the power of his words. His article on the challenges faced by women seeking paying jobs outside the home had been the most popular thus far. Jacob was more determined than ever to bring issues affecting women into the light. After speaking with the wives of his employees, he’d begun to understand how stifled some of them felt at not even being given a chance to prove they could do more than raise children or cook a decent supper.
He walked out of his office and down the hall to consult with his editor.
“Robert, a word, please,” Jacob said when he got tothe man’s desk.
“Sure, Jacob. What do you need?”
“I have a large stack of women’s letters on my desk that need to be gone through. I trust you to figure out the best placement of articles and recipes to fit within the confines of the newspaper’s layout.”
