Page 105 of The Duke’s Hidden Duchess

“This may take some time.”

After a moment, she sat.

“What is it?”

“A foundation.”

He looked down at the first page.

“For what?”

“For women like the one I was.”

That brought his eyes back to her.

Selina rested her hands upon the table.

“Not a charity in the usual sense. I do not want women standing in a queue to be judged sufficiently deserving of rescue. I want an establishment that helps gentlewomen who must earn their own living to find respectable positions, and that does rather more than write their names into a register and hope the gentleman employing them is honourable.”

Nathaniel said nothing.

Encouraged, or perhaps merely committed, she continued.

“It would verify positions before sending women into them. It would stand behind their characters when they have no family willing to do so. There should be temporary rooms for those between situations, because a woman with three pounds left cannot afford to wait six weeks for the right employment and is therefore very easily persuaded to accept the wrong one.”

Nathaniel turned to the second page.

Selina had divided the expenses into columns.

House. Salaries. Coal. Candles. Food. Correspondence. Legal expenses. Contingencies.

Every figure had been calculated with almost aggressive restraint.

“You have allowed eight pounds for legal expenses.”

“I expected you to object to something.”

“I object to eight pounds.”

“I thought you might.”

“It is not enough.”

Selina paused.

Nathaniel tapped the line. “Eight pounds will not do. If the establishment is meant to protect women from employers who take advantage of having no family behind them, the solicitor cannot be ornamental.”

“What do you propose?”

“Sixteen.”

“Twelve.”

Nathaniel looked at her. “Fourteen.”

“Thirteen.”

“You are bargaining with your own husband over three pounds.”