Coal Among Diamonds │Benedict Bridgerton

Chapter Seventeen: Lady Danbury Always Gets What She Wants

"One visit to the Bridgerton's and you are already thinking about children. Mrs. Bridgerton is certainly good," Lucy remarked while regaining her composure and putting the missing pieces together.

"Mrs. Bridgerton talked about how wonderful it is to have a large, loving family. And I was wondering whether you ever miss that."

Lucy suspected that her lack of children wasn't exactly what occupied her niece's thoughts but decided to answer the question the same.

"Why would I miss having children? I have my hands full with my two children: they call themselves artists, but in practice, they are just big children," she replied playfully without hesitation.

Franny continued to glare at her aunt.

"First of all, I am still young, I could have children if I decided to. Second of all, and more importantly, no, I do not miss having children. I am happy and content with my life," Lucy replied in a more serious tone.

"I thought that a woman can only be content with being a mother."

"Having children is a noble pursuit, it requires an immense amount of love and patience, as well as selflessness. I have the utmost respect for Mrs. Bridgerton for giving birth to and bringing up eight wonderful and charming human beings, and I applaud every mother. Albeit, for some women, having children is not their life pursuit, and that is okay as well. The point is that we should support each other regardless of the decision we make."

"So, you are saying that my life can be full even without having children?"

"Franny, having children can be a blessing. But for many, it is simply not: some cannot have children while others desire not to have them. That does not mean that their lives cannot be happy or fulfilled. I have a husband I love, a marriage full of laughter and understanding, my freedom, and even a bothersome niece. There is nothing else I need or lack."

"But Auntie, there are very few ways for a woman to be content. We are not allowed to attend school, to make money, to have a career, and we can rarely be accomplished artists. I wonder what is there to fight for? I feel this great sense of injustice, for, I have a mind, I have ambition and I have talent, and yet only my body and at most my heart matters. Why is it that women cannot aspire more than to be wives and mothers? What if I wanted something else?"

"Then you must find out what it is that you want and fight for it with all the courage you have in you. And you have an immense amount of courage. I do believe you will find your own way Franny, after all, you have never run away from a challenge."

Franny beamed at Lucy lovingly. There was nothing like a motivational speech by auntie in the morning.

"And, if you were to find someone who would support you on that journey, let us say a fellow artist, that would not be intolerable, would it, hmm?"

Franny bit her lower lip, and nodded slightly, "No, it would not be."

"And," Lucy continued, "Henry and I if you permit me to say so, we consider you our own."

"Of course, Auntie. But I am already grown-up."

"My favourite kind of children."

For a few minutes, they sat in silence, Lucy sipping her tea patiently, while she watched as her niece shifted in her seat and fiddled with the hem of her dress, sensing that they were not quite done yet.

"Auntie," Franny sat up, and Lucy instinctively sensed she was about to ask something important, "I want to know how babies are made."

"To have one?" her aunt replied, without missing a beat.