“A butler?” Hawthorne repeated.
“Yes. Isn’t it absurd?”
“It is,” Hawthorne replied. “I don’t believe I have ever heard of a butler at an orphanage in the rookeries.”
“Miss Lloyd was adamant that Wilson remained at the orphanage and refused to back down even when I threatened to dismiss her.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“It took so long to find a lady to fill the position that I didn’t want to do something that I might regret later.”
“That is understandable.”
“Besides, Wilson offered to work at the orphanage for only room and board, so it costs very little to keep him on.”
Hawthorne’s brow lifted. “That is generous of him.”
“I thought so, as well,” William said. “Frankly, I find it admirable that Miss Lloyd has inspired such loyalty in her household servants.”
“Miss Lloyd sounds like a remarkable young woman.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. She has yet to acknowledge her reduced circumstances and still dresses in fine gowns. She looks entirely out of place there.”
“Perhaps that is all she has.”
“That may certainly be the case,” William said. “Her father recently passed, and she is still in mourning.”
Hawthorne hailed a hackney. “It sounds like you are both grieving the loss of a loved one.”
“We are, but I wouldn’t read anything into it,” William said. “I am not entirely sure if Miss Lloyd is a good fit for the orphanage.”
“You intend to fire her?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but she had the ridiculous notion that we should hire tutors for the orphans.”
“Why is that ridiculous?”
William knitted his brow. “The orphans are being trained to work as scullery maids, and they should be content with doing so.”
“I see no harm in educating them.”
“Now you are starting to sound like Miss Lloyd.”
A black hackney pulled in front of Hawthorne. “Would you care for a ride back to your townhouse?”
“No, I would prefer to walk.”
Hawthorne bobbed his head. “I will see you tonight,” he said before shouting up an address to the driver.
William started walking down the pavement as his thoughts turned to the orphans. What if Miss Lloyd was right? If they hired tutors, it would benefit the girls. But at what cost? The money for tutors would be minimal, but would the girls still be willing to work as scullery maids? What happened if they refused the positions they were offered? After all, he was running an orphanage, not a boarding school.
Botheration.
Why couldn’t Miss Lloyd have left well enough alone? Why did she want to make changes so soon after she’d arrived?
He had a feeling that Miss Lloyd was used to getting what she wanted because she was so blasted beautiful. But that would not sway him. He was strong enough to not let his emotions dictate his actions. He had a job to do, and no one, not even Miss Lloyd would distract him from that.
A short time later, he arrived at his townhouse. The door opened and Thorne greeted him. “Good afternoon, my lord.”
