William stepped into the entry hall and said, “I need to speak to Miss Lloyd.”
“Do you have a calling card?” Wilson asked as he closed the door.
Frowning, William pulled one out of his waistcoat pocket and extended it towards him.
Wilson glanced down at the card before saying, “If you will wait here, my lord, I will see if Miss Lloyd is available.”
As the butler walked down the hall, William found himself fuming at the utter lunacy of it all. How dare Miss Lloyd employ a butler as if this was her private residence. It was an orphanage!Hisorphanage, and he refused to let Miss Lloyd make a mockery out of it!
William wasn’t going to wait around to see if she would agree to see him. No; she had no choice in the matter, and she would listen to what he had to say, whether she wanted to or not.
He had just started down the hall when Wilson emerged from a doorway. “Miss Lloyd will see you now.”
William didn’t say anything as he stepped into the office. He opened his mouth to start his tirade, but the words died on his lips when his eyes landed on Miss Lloyd. She was stunningly beautiful, with her dark hair piled high atop her head, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. She was not at all how he’d envisioned his new headmistress. But he was not one to be swayed by a pretty face, so he mentally shook himself and returned to the task at hand.
Miss Lloyd rose from her seat. “Lord Grenton,” she said, her voice gracious. “It is a pleasure to be meeting you.”
Rather than exchange pleasantries, William decided to get straight to the point. “Do you take me for a fool, Miss Lloyd?”
She held his gaze, showing no sign of fear or weakness, or even surprise at having concluded with greetings so quickly. “I do not know you well enough to decide one way or another.”
“You hired a butler,” William said.
“I did.”
“And you brought a cook and a lady’s maid.”
“That is true, as well.”
William walked closer to the desk. “I do not know what circumstances caused you to seek out employment, nor do I care, but I expect people who work for me to be prudent.”
“I understand.”
“Clearly, you don’t,” William remarked. “A headmistress of an orphanage does not maintain a household staff.”
“There were some extenuating circumstances, and I…”
William held his hand up, stilling her words. “If you wish to keep them on, their pay will come out of your income.”
“That will not pose a problem.”
“I doubt your income will cover a butler, so you will need to dismiss him.”
Clasping her hands in front of her, Miss Lloyd demurely shared, “You will be pleased to know that Wilson has graciously agreed to work here for only room and board.”
William’s brow lifted. “How did you manage that feat?”
“He offered, and I accepted.”
“Can you trust him?”
Miss Lloyd nodded. “Yes, he was the butler at my previous residence,” she replied. “He has always been extremely loyal to my family.”
“Regardless, that is one additional mouth to feed, and I do not feel a butler will prove useful at an orphanage,” he said. “You will dismiss him at once.”
“I will not.”
“I beg your pardon?”
