A Dangerous Pursuit (Regency Spies & Secrets Book 1), Laura Beers [romantic books to read TXT] 📗

“That you have.”

The door to the office opened, and Mrs. Kipper stepped into the room. She met Madalene’s gaze and announced, “Lady Hawthorne and her daughter, Lady Jane, have come to call.”

Madalene rose from her chair. “Will you show them in?”

“Yes, Miss,” Mrs. Kipper replied before departing from the room.

A few moments later, Jane glided into the room with a bright smile on her face. “What a charming orphanage.”

Madalene walked around the desk to greet her friend. “How would you know exactly?” she joked. “You have only seen the entry foyer and Edith’s study.”

“I just know that I am going to love everything about this orphanage,” Jane said matter-of-factly.

Lady Hawthorne walked into the room and came to a stop next to her daughter. “When you told us of your vision, I never imagined you would have brought it into fruition so quickly.”

“I promised my mother that I would open the orphanage as quickly as possible,” Madalene revealed.

With a tender smile, Lady Hawthorne said, “And you have succeeded in that regard, my dear. Your mother would be so incredibly proud of you.”

Touched by her words, Madalene gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you for that, Lady Hawthorne.”

Lady Hawthorne arched an eyebrow. “Since when have you started using my title?”

“My apologies, Harriet,” Madalene replied.

“That is much better,” Harriet said before she turned her attention towards Mrs. Foster. “How have you been faring, Leah?”

Mrs. Foster rose from her chair and placed her needlework on a side table. “Frankly, I am getting older, and I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

Harriet laughed. “I must agree with you there,” she replied. “I find that growing old does not agree with me, either.”

Jane spoke up. “Are you able to take us on a tour of your orphanage?”

“I am,” Madalene confirmed. “The girls are in their lessons right now, so it is a perfect time to observe them.”

Clasping her hands together, Jane said, “I do so love that you are educating these young minds. How very progressive of you.”

“Our goal is for the girls to find respectable employment upon leaving the orphanage.”

“That is most impressive,” Harriet remarked.

Madalene walked over to the open door. “We hope, in due time, that the orphanage will earn a name for itself,” she said.

“I have no doubt,” Jane stated. “After all, you are in charge of it.”

“That is kind of you to say,” Madalene said as she led them through a narrow hall, “but the truth of the matter is that we are still new.”

“How do you intend to place the girls in households with no recommendations?” Harriet asked.

Madalene glanced over her shoulder as she replied, “We are hoping to add more patrons to the committee for that reason.”

Harriet nodded approvingly. “I would be happy to be a patron.”

“That pleases me immensely to hear, but you haven’t even seen the entire orphanage yet,” Madalene said, stopping at the base of the stairs.

“I have no doubt that everything is up to the task,” Harriet remarked. “Frankly, you could have shown me a dilapidated building and I would have still offered to be a patron.”

“You are too kind,” Madalene acknowledged.

Harriet smiled. “I want this orphanage to succeed because it is important to you. I will help you in any way you see fit.”

“A recommendation from Lady Hawthorne would go a long way in helping to secure employment for these girls,” Madalene revealed.

“Then consider it done,” Harriet said. “Besides, we are constantly in need of new servants at Hawthorne House. I will speak to our housekeeper about that.”

Jane glanced up the stairs. “Is it always this quiet in an orphanage?” she asked.

“Not at all,” Madalene replied quickly, “but the girls are tucked away in their lessons.” She smiled. “You should have heard the commotion when it was raining outside, and the girls were forced to play inside.”

“I can only imagine,” Jane said, “especially since we had a few bouts of unruly behavior ourselves at school.”

“That we did,” Madalene agreed with a chuckle as she started up the stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Madalene led them towards a closed door. “Miss Gaillard is our new French teacher,” she revealed, “and she has quite a way with the girls.”

Madalene opened the door and stepped into the room. The girls were sitting on chairs in a circle and Miss Gaillard was speaking French to them.

Miss Gaillard stopped speaking and met her gaze. “Good morning, Mademoiselle Dowding,” she greeted in her usual thick French accent.

“Good morning, Miss Gaillard,” Madalene replied. “I apologize for the intrusion, but we were hoping to observe your lesson.”

Miss Gaillard nodded her understanding. “We are learning how to say our colors in French.” She glanced down at the girls. “Would anyone like to demonstrate what they have learned for Mademoiselle Dowding?”

A lanky girl raised her hand. “I would, Mademoiselle Gaillard,” she replied energetically as she kicked her feet under her chair.

Miss Gaillard gave her a look of approval. “Begin when you are ready, Tabitha.”

Jumping up to her feet, the girl recited, “Rouge, orange, jaune, bleu, violet, brun, noir, blanc.”

“Well done, Tabitha,” Madalene praised.

The girl smiled proudly as she rocked on her heels. “Mademoiselle Gaillard says that I am a natural at speaking French.”

“Does she now?” Madalene asked, smiling at the girl’s exuberance.

Miss Gaillard interjected, “It is true. Like Tabitha, all my students are excelling at a very rapid pace.”

“That is wonderful to hear,” Madalene praised.

“Earlier, I was telling the children about my childhood home in France,” Miss Gaillard shared, “and about all the brightly colored flowers that grew in fields that surrounded us, including the poppy flower.”

Jane stepped further into the room. “I am not familiar with the poppy flower.”

“It is a vibrant red flower that brings much joy to the people who look upon it,” Miss Gaillard said with a wistful tone in her voice. “I miss gazing at them from my room.”

“How long have you been in England?” Lady Hawthorne asked.

Miss Gaillard gave her a sad smile. “Since before the war,” she replied.