It will depend a bit on exactly what her social class is. The rules for an aristocrat, even a fairly impoverished (by the standards of the aristocracy) one, will be rather different from those applied to the daughter of a businessman, for example. It also depends on the type of "decent company" you're talking about; if the people around her are largely working people they will be much less shocked by a woman with servants but no chaperone than if they themselves are landed gentry or aristocracy.
I agree with sollersuk that with a decent income on which to live, she probably won't seek to earn her living, but might pursue an artistic or perhaps even scientific pursuit; she might be a very early fossil-collector (like Mary Annings), or a writer (like Mary Lamb but without the murdering bit) or a political activist (like Elizabeth Fry). It's not impossible that she would profit from whatever occupation she pursued (writing, painting, and fossil-hunting could all be reasonable lucrative), but it will be considered somewhat more genteel to treat it as a hobby than to do it as a job.
I think this has been fairly comprehensively answered below, but basically if she wants to start receiving guests other than close (female) friends and/or family members, or paying visits, she'll need a companion. A recent bereavement will prevent her from doing so for a few months, but not much longer.
From the sound of it, she needs her companion to be one of two sorts; either someone who will do the bare minimum and not interfere (because she's elderly and infirm, or just someone who keeps to herself), or someone who actively shares her interests and attitudes, and wants a certain measure of independence for herself too.
I read a lovely article recently, which I now can't find, about two women in the 19th century who basically stuck their middle fingers up at society and set up home together (as companions, it was assumed, but probably actually as a relationship); they were seen as eccentric but basically respectable because there were the two of them, so there could be no thought of impropriety.
I agree with sollersuk that with a decent income on which to live, she probably won't seek to earn her living, but might pursue an artistic or perhaps even scientific pursuit; she might be a very early fossil-collector (like Mary Annings), or a writer (like Mary Lamb but without the murdering bit) or a political activist (like Elizabeth Fry). It's not impossible that she would profit from whatever occupation she pursued (writing, painting, and fossil-hunting could all be reasonable lucrative), but it will be considered somewhat more genteel to treat it as a hobby than to do it as a job.
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Also, how long between when her mother died and when she really *ought* to have a companion, if indeed she must?
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From the sound of it, she needs her companion to be one of two sorts; either someone who will do the bare minimum and not interfere (because she's elderly and infirm, or just someone who keeps to herself), or someone who actively shares her interests and attitudes, and wants a certain measure of independence for herself too.
I read a lovely article recently, which I now can't find, about two women in the 19th century who basically stuck their middle fingers up at society and set up home together (as companions, it was assumed, but probably actually as a relationship); they were seen as eccentric but basically respectable because there were the two of them, so there could be no thought of impropriety.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies_of_Llangollen
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