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“They are more than welcome to play, but I won’t be paying them for that.”
“You hardly pay them as it is,” Miss Locke declared.
“I don’t hear any complaints.”
Miss Locke’s eyes narrowed slightly. “If anyone dares to complain, you dismiss them.”
“For good reason,” Albert replied. “Any simpleton can do this job.”
“They are not simpletons, Mr. Huxley.”
Albert let out a disbelieving huff before gesturing towards Guy. “Miss Locke, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Stewart. You will be pleased to know that the bank sent him here to inspect the colliery.”
Miss Locke turned her attention towards him. “I didn’t think the bank cared about what happens to these people.”
“That is not true,” Guy replied. “We care very deeply.”
Miss Locke gave him a look that implied she didn’t believe him. “This mine should be shut down,” she declared.
“And why is that?” Guy asked.
“The working conditions are horrendous, and it is only a matter of time before there is a terrible accident, much like what happened at the Felling Colliery.”
Albert let out a heavy sigh. “Only ninety-two miners were killed in that explosion.”
“Only ninety-two?” she repeated.
“My point being that it could have been a lot worse, but the explosion was contained to just the pit,” Albert said. “And Sir Humphry Davy is currently working on a safety lamp to solve this problem. You just need to be patient.”
“I daresay I cannot stand idly by and watch you treat these children so deplorably,” Miss Locke asserted.
Albert shook his head. “We are treating them no differently than how other mines treat their workers.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Miss Locke stated firmly.
“Go home,” Albert encouraged. “It isn’t safe for you to be here.”
Miss Locke tilted her chin stubbornly. “I have never had any reason to fear for my safety,” she said.
“You could soil your gown,” Albert pointed out.
“That is the least of my concerns,” Miss Locke remarked. “These poor children are in threadbare clothing, and many of them don’t even have a blanket to sleep with.”
“A blanket is not a necessity,” Albert insisted. “Besides, the children can huddle together on the straw mattress if they are cold.”
Miss Locke turned her attention towards him. “What are your thoughts on the matter, Mr. Stewart?”
“I think it is admirable that you care for the children’s welfare,” Guy replied honestly. “It is refreshing to find someone who advocates for others with such passion.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stewart,” Miss Locke said.
Before he could reply, a voice came from behind them. “Mr. Huxley,” an old, weathered man said. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
Albert nodded. “If you will excuse me, I will be back shortly.”
As Albert walked away, Miss Locke muttered under her breath, “Insufferable man.”
Glancing down at the basket in her hand, Guy asked, “What did you bring to feed the children?”
