Women of Pemberley by Rebecca Ann Collins

beg for odd jobs so they may feed their families. Everywhere, everyone predicts revolution because governments seem incapable of doing anything to alleviate the misery of their people. If the famine spreads, there is no doubt at all that there will be civil unrest," he warned.
"Speaking of famine," Mr Darcy intervened, "we have had letters from Huw Jenkins and Kitty, who have been in Ireland working to help the poor. They speak of dreadful poverty and suffering as a result of the failure of the Irish potato crop."
"What is worse," added Mr Gardiner, "successive British governments have done very little to help the poor farmers. Starvation is rife, and women and children are dying while men are wandering the lands in search of work or food."
Emma had heard nothing of this, being closeted away in Kent or Mayfair, where Ireland had barely received any attention.
"Is this true?" she asked Emily, who was sitting next to her, and the reply shocked her deeply.
"Indeed it is," said Emily, and reaching into her reticule, she produced a letter received just two days ago from Kitty, in which she begged them to keep her two children for a few more days, for she could not possibly leave the work she was doing.
Dearest Emily, she wrote:
It is not possible for me to leave, to turn away from the pleading eyes of starving children and the begging hands of women wanting food not for themselves, emaciated though they are, but for their dying children.
Driven by compassion, Kitty wrote to ask that her family's share of Christmas food and gifts be donated to the same charity.
    Mr Darcy and Lizzie always send us a generous hamper for Christmas. Huw and I feel we would like to donate it, together with our gifts to the Irish poor. It is the very least we can do.
    I am so ashamed to think that we lived our lives so comfortably, unaware of the misery and suffering of our neighbours across a narrow stretch of water.
    Reading Kitty's letter, Emma felt tears flood her eyes.
Emily was explaining how Kitty and her husband had gone to Ireland with their two elder children, Anne and Maria, to work with a charitable church group, leaving their two boys with the Courtneys.
"They have set up two soup kitchens, a creche for orphans, and are trying to provide some basic medical care for the sick. But they are being overwhelmed and just cannot cope."
Returning Kitty's letter, Emma pleaded, "I want to do something to help, Emily, anything useful. I feel as if I have spent so much of my life in ignorance. Please let me help."
There was no doubting her sincerity, and Emily accepted her offer with alacrity, inviting her to join their group. Caroline Fitzwilliam, Becky Tate, Cassy Gardiner, and Emily Courtney had started working to help the poor many years ago, when the farm folk of the Midlands had been thrown onto the streets by the bailiffs as landlords enclosed their small farms and took over their cottages.
They had continued their good work with the active assistance of the Darcys, Sir Thomas Camden, and the Gardiners, whose help had been invaluable in collecting and distributing food and clothing to the needy.
Emma was enthusiastic; she wanted to start immediately, promising to get her parents to help as well. "I know Mama will want to help," she declared, "and Papa knows many businessmen, who may be persuaded to donate money."
Emily was delighted. "Well Emma, if you will come along to our meeting at the Kympton Church Hall on Friday, I promise we shall have plenty for you to do."
Emma had always admired Emily Gardiner, an intelligent and independent young woman who had shown extraordinary courage in the face of sorrow when she had lost her first husband--courage that had proved an inspiration to others in the family.
Since her own marriage to David Wilson had taken her to London, Emma had had less contact with many of those she had known at Pemberley. She had missed both Caroline and Emily. Now, life had brought them together again, and she rejoiced at the