Georgie stepped back into the room and crouched down in front of Rebecca. “I am sure this is all just a terrible misunderstanding. We will get your sister back.”
Rebecca didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she just wiped at the tear that slipped out of her eye.
Rising, Georgie gestured towards Lord Grenton. “Rebecca, allow me to introduce you to Lord Grenton. This is his orphanage.”
Rebecca brought her gaze up and murmured, “Hello, Lord Grenton.”
To her surprise, a smile came to Lord Grenton’s lips. Not a forced smile, but a genuine one. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Rebecca.” His tone was gentle, soft.
Rebecca’s small frame visibly relaxed, but it became rigid again when Mrs. Hughes tromped into the room.
Mrs. Hughes came to a stop next to Rebecca and demanded, “Why are you not working on your chores?”
Without saying a word, Rebecca ran off down the hall.
Georgie arched an eyebrow. “That was poorly done.” She stepped back and said, “Do come in.”
Mrs. Hughes frowned. “As I have said before, you can’t coddle the girls,” she said, stepping into the room. “You must be firm with them.”
“That is not what I wish to discuss with you,” Georgie responded as she stepped behind her desk.
“Then what do you wish to discuss?” Mrs. Hughes asked with a glance at Lord Grenton.
Georgie pressed her lips together, then said, “Rebecca informed me that Sarah got into a coach this morning.”
“Is that what this is about?” Mrs. Hughes asked brusquely.
“Pray tell, where did Sarah go?”
Mrs. Hughes gave her a look of indignation. “Sarah was hired on as a scullery maid, and her employer retrieved her this morning.”
“Yet you failed to mention that to me?”
“Why would I?” Mrs. Hughes asked. “Sarah is eleven years old and is entirely too old to be at an orphanage. She needs to be working to earn her keep.”
“Shouldn’t I have made that decision?” Georgie questioned.
The frown lines around Mrs. Hughes’s lips tightened. “It was decided on before you even arrived,” she said. “Sarah was lucky that her employer was willing to overlook her pedigree.”
“Who is her employer?”
“It hardly matters, now does it?” Mrs. Hughes asked.
Georgie squared her shoulders and repeated her question. “Who is her employer?” she demanded.
Mrs. Hughes let out a frustrated sigh. “Mr. and Mrs. Willis,” she replied. “They reside in Cheapside.”
“Do you have their address?”
“I do,” Mrs. Hughes replied, looking unsure. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I am going to retrieve Sarah and bring her back where she belongs.”
Mrs. Hughes’s eyes widened. “You cannot do that!” she cried. “It’s foolish! If you do, no one will want to hire these urchins.”
“These girls are not urchins, and I would ask that you refrain from calling them such.”
Mrs. Hughes turned towards Lord Grenton. “Surely you cannot be in agreement with this madness, my lord?”
