Page 9 of An Orphan for the Broken Duke

Miss Wilks sat back down, and her entire body sagged so that she looked even smaller than she already was. “It has been a rather busy few days, and stressful.” She laughed bitterly. “Mostly, it has been spent trying to find homes for the children.”

“Any success?”

“Little,” she said with another depressed sigh. “The majority of them will be shipped to other orphanages, most of which are in London. I tried to keep the children together, because I know how hard it is to move about and make new friends. Sadly, such things are not possible. Needless to say, the children have not been taking it well.”

It brought Rhys no joy to hear what was happening to the children. While most would never know it of him, he was far more sentimental than he let on. And these last few years especially, ever since he had taken a personal interest in the orphanage, he had found that he cared for these children whom he did not know.

He would have liked to have helped all of them, but that simply was not possible. What was possible, and that which he was determined to do, was to help only the one.

To save her, as I was not able to save… Rhys grimaced at the thought, unable to finish it.

“What of Lucy?” he asked Miss Wilks. “Have you given any thought to my request?”

“Ah…” Miss Wilks brightened slightly. “Now, that is a brighter tale that I do not mind telling. I know you wished to adopt her yourself, Your Grace, but you should know that an American family who has just moved to England stopped by yesterday. She was shy around them, of course…” She laughed and shook her head. “But they were truly taken with her. A young husband and his wife, wishing to start a family of their own.”

It ought to have been good news, yet Rhys was unable to see it as anything but a tragedy.

“Forgive me for saying, Miss Wilks, but surely I am a preferred candidate to a random couple who you do not know?”

“It is not so simple, Your Grace.” She clicked her tongue awkwardly. “Where adoption is concerned, we consider all facets of those who request it. And while I am aware of your status, I cannot help but believe that a family is what Lucy needs. A father, yes, but also a mother.”

“I disagree,” he argued, doing his best to keep his temper. “I can offer Lucy security and safety. That is what she needs most.”

“What of love? What of familial warmth?” Miss Wilks spoke softly, and the look in her aged eyes showed how much she believed her words. “These things cannot be bought. I do so appreciate your offer, Your Grace, but it is Lucy who I must think about. Her future is my main concern.”

It was not what Rhys wanted to hear. However, it was also not a huge surprise. Even if the American family had not shown an interest in Lucy, Rhys knew that he was going to have to fight to adopt her.

That was, after all, why he had visited Miss Wilks today. He knew what he needed to do, the only way that he might manage his adoption. Before he did such a thing, an act that would change his life forever, he had to know that it would work.

“And what if I had a wife?”

Miss Wilks blinked. “What if you… forgive me, Your Grace, but you do not.”

“But what if I did,” he pressed on her. “If I were married, then, would I be able to adopt Lucy?”

Miss Wilks looked bewildered by the question. “I… I suppose…” She gave her head a shake. “Might I ask, Your Grace, what it is about Lucy that is so important to you? There are dozens of children here who would love to have a home with you, and many who I would rather see in such a circumstance than being sent to another orphanage. Perhaps one of them —”

“No, it must be Lucy.”

“But why?”

There was a good reason for Rhys’ obsession, but it was one that he was not planning on sharing with Miss Wilks. Not only was it deeply personal, but it was also not something that Rhys liked to think about, let alone speak openly about.

All that mattered was that he needed to adopt Lucy… to save her.

“So, to confirm, if I do marry, then I will be able to adopt Lucy? If I can give her a family, one that will raise her with love… that will be enough?”

Miss Wilks considered. For a moment, he thought that she was going to deny him again, but he looked determinedly at her, needing her to see in his eyes just how important this was.

“It will be,” she said at last. “If such a circumstance transpires, then I do not see how I can possibly deny you. But I must warn you, the family that I spoke of was very interested, and I expect them to return any day now. If they do, I will not be able to deny them.”

“That is fine.” Rhys pushed back his chair and stood. “I will return shortly, Miss Wilks, at which time, I expect to be leaving here with Lucy. Good day.”

He turned and walked from the office then, without looking back. On his way, he thought to stop by Lucy and see her again… but he resisted that desire, not wanting to get his own hopes up. If he did see her, and if he failed to make the adoption permanent, it would hurt. Worse, it would remind him once again of his failure…

Thirty minutes after leaving the orphanage, Rhys found himself standing at the front door of a dilapidated townhouse.

He had expected it to look as it did, because he had done his research and knew the history. Not so long ago, its owner had been a respected member of the gentry, rich but not vastly so, the type of man that people spoke about with nothing but praise. Sadly, his good nature saw him being taken advantage of, which saw his fortune dwindle, which had left him penniless by the time he died. That had been three years ago.