“You already are by allowing me to work here,” Georgie said.
“That is not what I meant.”
“I know, but I do not want to be in anyone’s debt.”
Lord Grenton turned his back to her and muttered something incoherent under his breath. After a long moment, he turned back around.
“You are a stubborn young woman.”
“So you have told me on multiple occasions.”
“I should dismiss you.”
“That is your right.”
Lord Grenton let out a frustrated sigh. “But I won’t. Not yet.”
Georgie let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding. “You won’t regret this.”
“I have a feeling that I will.” Lord Grenton glanced at the orphanage. “Truth be told, I do not trust Mrs. Hughes to run the orphanage in your stead, especially after today.”
“Mrs. Hughes is…” Her words trailed off as she tried to think of the right words. “Frankly, I don’t know how to properly describe her.”
“I do not condone her sending Sarah to work for Mr. and Mrs. Willis,” Lord Grenton said. “They were both very unpleasant people, and I was forced to pay a substantial sum for Sarah’s release.”
“She wasn’t a prisoner.”
“No, but they claimed to have accrued expenses in her name,” Lord Grenton shared. “I could have returned with the magistrate, but it wasn’t worth my time to do so.”
“You did a good thing today.”
“I am just grateful that I was in a position to help,” Lord Grenton said. “Although, you must accept that there will be a time when the girls do need to seek out employment.”
“I am well aware, but with any luck, they will obtain positions better than a scullery maid if they wish it.”
Lord Grenton nodded in agreement. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have tarried long enough, and I have work that I must see to.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Lord Grenton hesitated for a moment before he offered his arm. “May I escort you inside?”
“Thank you.” As she placed her hand on his sleeve, a thrill coursed through her, causing her to wonder what her fickle heart was about.
ChapterThirteen
William sat in the corner of White’s as he sipped his drink. He was in a surly mood, and he knew the source of his discontent—Miss Lloyd. He kept replaying their previous conversation in his head, wondering if he could have said or done something different that would have convinced Miss Lloyd to confide in him.
It greatly bothered him that she didn’t fully trust him. She had confessed some details of her past, but she was still keeping secrets from him. Why did he care? Miss Lloyd should mean nothing to him, but she did. There was something about her that intrigued him. She had the ability to draw him in, beguiling him in the process, and he was powerless to stop it.
Blasted woman! He had wasted entirely too much time dwelling on his headmistress. Why couldn’t he just dismiss the woman for good and be done with it, ending this loop of torment? But he already knew the answer. Miss Lloyd was precisely where she needed to be. She was bringing his mother’s vision of the orphanage to fruition—which he had to admit both pleased and aggravated him.
His mother would have liked Miss Lloyd. She had a fierceness about her that very few women of Society possessed, but she also lacked restraint. She’d proven it by going to the market, despite him ordering her not to. Miss Lloyd had been most fortunate that Miss Ashmore was able to save her from her attacker.
What if Miss Lloyd had been abducted and he’d never seen her again? William tightened his hold on his glass at the unpleasant thought. Miss Lloyd may have disrupted his life, but that didn’t mean he wanted her gone. Frankly, she was the only thing lately that gave him a reason to smile.
Hawthorne’s voice broke through his musings. “I didn’t expect to find you here this evening,” he said as he sat across from him.
“I wanted a drink,” he replied, bringing the glass up to his lips.
