“How do you mean?” Viv cursed her lack of tact. The conditions of the slum had called to her on an elemental level. Help them all. Yet . . . how? A flicker of her uncomfortable conversation with Lady Galeworth provided the answer. “I’ve heard it said that there is—or perhaps was—a women’s auxiliary to help those wives, mothers, and widows who have fallen on difficult circumstances.” Alice regarded her with intense frankness. Bearing the scrutiny, Viv calmly sipped her tea, noticing the lack of sweetness. When was the last time she’d taken refreshment without sugar? The twins’ nurse had laughed at her the first time Viv tasted it, there in the Christie brownstone, even going so far as to add more just for the amusement of her amazed reaction. Seeing the woman’s doubt, Viv continued her pitch. “I noticed clusters of women throughout these shanties, all of them gathered together to share the work and childcare. That’s what I have in mind, but on a much larger scale.”
