Grace’s blonde head popped around the door. “Pardon me, Your Grace. I am looking for Lady Caroline, and I was told I could find her here.”
“And so you have. Come in, Grace.”
Grace entered the room and shut the door behind her, but she did not move any closer. Caroline beckoned her with a waveof her hand. “Please join us. Do you remember Emma’s sister, Lady Davenport?”
“Yes, good afternoon, Lady Davenport.” Grace crossed the carpet and sat on the edge of a chair.
“Please call me Lucy. In Emma’s private rooms, we don’t bother with titles. You are among friends.” Lucy smiled.
“Why did you need me?” Caroline asked.
“I wanted to apologize for yesterday afternoon. I’m sorry for ruining a lovely shopping trip.” Grace stared down at her tightly clasped hands.
“It’s all right, Grace,” Caroline replied.
“What happened?” Emma asked.
Grace looked up. “We were at the modiste's, and Caroline was talking about how I needed ball gowns, and I lost my composure and burst into tears. I am so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, but I don’t understand.” Caroline leaned forward. “What did I say to upset you?”
Grace shook her head. “Speaking about going to balls and social functions…the idea overwhelmed me. I’ve never been to a social function like that.”
Caroline, still confused, tried to wait patiently for Grace to explain further.
Grace finally met her gaze. “It’s just that I’ve been alone for so long. After my mother died, I had no one. My father was a tyrant, feared by everyone, most of all me. Cage visited when he was in England, but he and our father did not get along. Well, I don’t know if I can mingle at fancy society functions. I’m terrified at the prospect.”
Caroline reached out to cover Grace’s hand with her own. Her heart broke for this girl. For all the things she had endured. “You are not alone any longer. You and your brother are reunited, and you have gained a friend in me.”
Grace tentatively returned her smile. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
“Soon you will be part of our big crazy family,” Emma said. “Trust me; you will never be alone again.” She laughed and rolled her eyes.
Grace giggled, and Caroline was happy to see a genuine smile bloom across her face. “Grace, maybe you can help us with something. We were just discussing how we might best help women who are working as prostitutes to choose a different path if they want.”
Grace’s gaze swung to meet Caroline’s, and panic flared in the other woman’s eyes. “Grace has some experience working with these women through her charity work. Isn’t that right, Grace?” She kept eye contact and nodded her head slowly.
To her credit, Grace seemed to realize quickly Caroline had no intention of outing her secret. “Um, yes. I have had the opportunity to speak with many women who came to the church for help.”
“Your father let you do charity work that involved prostitutes?” Emma asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Well, he approved of doing charity work. I don’t believe he paid close enough attention to me to know the particulars. We gave food baskets to all sorts of people who needed help,” Grace replied.
Caroline was impressed by Grace’s quick thinking. “Grace, what do you think would be valuable to help women who are working as prostitutes? What do they need?”
Grace chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “Well, what I heard a lot was that often they felt stuck because they had nowhere else to go. No skills to do anything else. Many are too ashamed to return to their families if they even have any family. Some never want to go back to bad situations they had escaped.Many owe money. Some just made bad decisions.” Her voice wavered.
“What I hear you say is that some of the women would want to leave if they had other choices.” Caroline mulled over this information. A place to go, a safe place. A chance to reinvent themselves. “We could set up a place that would offer temporary housing to women and perhaps training classes to prepare them to work in household service.”
“Doesn’t the church already do something like that? What’s it called…The Magdalen Hospital,” Lucy asked.
Grace nodded. “But it has a reputation for being very harsh. Women must repent their wicked ways, live like the sisters of the cloth. Many women don’t wish to go there and be judged harshly.”
Caroline, Lucy, and Emma all nodded sympathetically.
Emma spoke up. “What about the house on Green Street? It’s been closed up for two years. I haven’t had the heart to sell the place.” She glanced over at her sister. “It’s where we lived for so long. But there’s no use in wasting the space. Use it. Start your sanctuary right here in the city.”
Caroline jumped up and threw her arms around Emma. “You are the most brilliant, best sister-in-law and friend anyone could have!”
