“That won’t be necessary,” he replied. “I am not hungry this morning.”
“Very good,” Thorne said.
William headed towards the rear of his townhouse, where his study was tucked away in the corner. He came around his desk and sat down. He reached for the first letter from the pile of correspondence and unfolded the paper.
He had just finished reading it and put it down when Thorne stepped into the room. “Mr. Mason would like a moment of your time.”
“Send him in.”
Thorne tipped his head. “Yes, my lord.”
His solicitor stepped into the room only a moment later with a smile on his face. “I come bearing good news,” Mr. Mason said.
“Which is?”
“I have hired a headmistress for the orphanage,” Mr. Mason announced as he approached the desk.
“That is surprisingly good news.”
Mr. Mason removed the satchel from his shoulder and set it down on a chair. “I thought you would be pleased.”
William leaned back in his seat. “Where were you able to find her?”
“Miss Lloyd recently lost her father and fell on hard times,” Mr. Mason explained. “She came highly recommended by my sister.”
“What are her qualifications?”
Mr. Mason gave him a blank stare. “She is a lady.”
“Yes, but what else?”
“What else matters?”
William gave him a pointed look. “How do you know this Miss Lloyd can handle the demands of running an orphanage?”
“My sister has assured me that Miss Lloyd is clever.”
“You didn’t ascertain that yourself?”
Mr. Mason looked unsure. “I spoke briefly to Miss Lloyd, and she appeared to be of a sound mind.”
“I shall have to determine that myself.”
“I assumed as much.” Mr. Mason reached into his satchel and pulled out a piece of paper. “Now that is behind us, I need your signature on this document.”
William wasn’t ready to move forward yet. He had a few more questions. “I wish to know more about Miss Lloyd.”
Mr. Mason placed the paper in front of him on the desk. “She is a pleasant young woman, just shy of her majority.”
“That is quite young,” William observed. “Does she not have any other family to care for her?”
“Apparently not, my lord.”
“Where does she hail from?”
“Brighton.”
William picked up the paper in front of him and reviewed it. “Why are you requesting additional funds for the orphanage?”
