A faint blush came to the housekeeper’s cheeks. “Would you care for some refreshment?” she asked.
“That won’t be necessary. I do not intend to stay long.” Lord Grenton gestured towards the hall, indicating Georgie should go first. “Shall we, Miss Lloyd?”
Georgie headed down the hall and stepped into the office, turning as Lord Grenton ducked into the room. Her gaze remained fixed on him, but she felt no need to speak first. She wasn’t quite sure why he was even here. He had already fired her; what else needed to be said between them?
Lord Grenton attempted to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “How are you this evening?”
“Not well,” she replied. “I would appreciate if you would skip the pleasantries and just say what needs to be said.”
Lord Grenton’s eyes held approval. “After you left, I realized that I may have been hasty in my decision to dismiss you.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I have come to correct my mistake.”
Georgie had not been expecting that. She hadn’t thought it possible for a man like Lord Grenton to admit that he made a mistake.
Lord Grenton continued. “If you are in agreement, you may stay on as the headmistress, and we can put this unfortunate situation behind us.”
“May I ask why you changed your mind?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
Lord Grenton shifted uncomfortably. “Lady Hawthorne appears to be quite fond of you, and she took issue with my dismissing you,” he said. “Furthermore, I came to realize that my mother would have appreciated all that you are doing for the orphans.”
“I do hope that is the case.”
“May I speak freely?”
Georgie’s lips twitched. “I thought you were.”
“I am not quite sure what to make of you,” Lord Grenton said. “Your stubborn nature is maddening, and you refuse to listen to reason.”
Georgie remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
Lord Grenton glanced over at the darkened window before continuing, “But you love these orphans, and I do credit your feelings.”
“It is easy to love these girls, my lord.”
“I believe that is what my mother would have wanted,” Lord Grenton said. “You are bringing her vision for this orphanage to fruition.”
“Out of curiosity, why did your mother want a lady to run the orphanage?”
Lord Grenton shrugged one shoulder. “She never said why,” he replied, “but my guess is that she wanted someone who would advocate for the girls.”
Georgie could hear the love in Lord Grenton’s voice as he spoke about his mother. “Your mother sounds like a good woman.”
“She was the best of women,” Lord Grenton responded. “I have never met a more formidable person than her. When she set her mind on something, she would do everything in her power to make it happen.”
“My mother was similar in that regard,” Georgie admitted.
Lord Grenton grew silent. “After my sister died, my mother turned her sights to opening an orphanage. She was determined to save as many girls as she was able to.”
“That is a noble pursuit.”
“It took her much longer than she intended, and she passed before it opened,” Lord Grenton shared. “She made me promise that I would continue her life’s work.”
