“Then you are associating with the wrong people, my lord.”
Lord Grenton returned the money to his waistcoat pocket. “I wish you luck with your endeavors, Miss Lloyd,” he said.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I hope you find a headmistress who will love those girls as much as I do.”
“That is a tall feat.”
Georgie looked at him furtively, trying to read his eyes, but they were guarded, revealing nothing. “Enjoy the rest of your meal, my lord.” She didn’t wait for his response before she brushed past him and headed towards the entry hall. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn’t dare cry in front of Lord Grenton.
She may have only been at the orphanage for a short time, but she had grown to love those girls. They had been her responsibility, and she believed in them. She knew they were capable of great things, and they needed to be given the chance to prove it. Would the next headmistress share her same vision? She certainly hoped so.
Georgie came to a stop in the entry hall and swiped at a tear that had escaped and was rolling down her cheek. She would be just fine. She would have to sell some of her mother’s jewelry, but she would survive this. It would be all right.
ChapterTen
William watched as Miss Lloyd walked away, working hard to ignore the twinge of guilt that he felt. He’d had no choice but to dismiss her. She had deliberately disobeyed him, and he couldn’t overlook that. Why did she have to be so obstinate?
He had made the right choice. Miss Lloyd was entirely too headstrong to be a headmistress. She would fill the girls’ heads with a sense of grandeur, and he couldn’t allow that. He needed to find a headmistress who would be practical and more submissive to his requests.
He stifled the groan on his lips. It had been so difficult to find a lady to fill the position of headmistress in the first place. Finding a replacement wouldn’t be an easy task, but he couldn’t stand by and let Miss Lloyd continue to run the orphanage. She would turn all of the girls into bluestockings.
A part of him knew that he was just looking for a reason to justify his actions.
As he turned back towards the dining room, Lady Hawthorne approached him with a frown.
“You dismissed her?” she asked.
“I did.”
“Are you mad?”
It was William’s turn to frown. “I am not.”
Lady Hawthorne rested a hand on her hip. “Miss Lloyd was the best thing that happened to that orphanage. She breathed fresh life into it.”
“She was insubordinate.”
“In what way?”
“I told her not to go to the market, and she defied me.”
Lady Hawthorne arched an eyebrow. “Is she your prisoner?”
“She is not.”
“Then why should you dictate her every action?”
“Miss Lloyd is my employee.” He stopped and corrected himself. “Shewasmy employee, and I expected her to behave accordingly.”
“Why is going to the market so terrible?”
“It isn’t safe for a lady.”
“Why should that matter to you?” Lady Hawthorne asked. “Did she ask you to accompany her to the market?”
“She did not.”
“Then why did you take issue with it?”
