“But that place is a ruin. You are better off purchasing a plot of land outside of London, and building the entire thing yourself, bottoms up.”
“That’s not the point, old boy,” Alexander explained. “I need the Miller residence. The location is ideal for what I have in mind.”
“To build an orphanage?” William stated again, the note of disbelief still strung in his voice. “But that won’t bring any profit.”
“I don’t need it to bring profit, old boy. I have profit coming from all sides, investments, tenants of all the properties I own. The list is endless. This would be for no profit at all. This would be solely out of desire to help.” He waited for a moment for his friend to comment, but there was nothing. No confirmation, no opposition. So, he continued. “I need you to tell me how quickly we can start the works.”
“You need to purchase the place first, Alexander.”
“That is what I have you for. How quickly can you have it done?” Alexander smiled confidently.
William released a sigh, his eyes darting somewhere up towards the ceiling, as he made quick calculations in his mind. “We need to speak to Timothy Longfellow. He is the one that inherited that wreck.”
“Will he sell?”
“Not if you approach him as zealously as you’ve approached me, Alexander. He’ll make the price sky-high if he hears how eager you are to purchase it. Just… allow me to handle this, all right?”
“I knew you would not let me down, old boy,” Alexander grinned.
“I shall make it my priority,” William added. “So, you should hear from me in a day or two.”
“You don’t know what this means to me. Truly,” Alexander’s voice grew softer, once again thinking of Marjorie and what she would say to his plan. His heart fell as if it were about to explode.
“Let us not become mushy maidens now, old chap,” William frowned, but he still did partake in some more tea.
The two continued to discuss unimportant matters, as the most relevant one had been dealt with successfully. Upon William’s departure, Alexander sat down to write a quick letter to Percy, informing him of a change of plans. The three of them would not be meeting today for a stroll or any such thing. He added that he would notify Percy of any upcoming plans.
His own plans though were different. They were selfish. They were wonderfully, greedily, splendidly selfish because he wanted Marjorie all to herself today, without Percy’s interference.
The old Miller place would be splendid. He knew it. Marjorie would love it. And somehow, all would be right with the world.
Chapter 13
Marjorie nodded to the inn’s proprietor as she climbed up the stairs the following morning, having come down to assure that the children would be fed for breakfast. The man, who could not have been more than fifty, and with a perpetual grimace on his face, just nodded as she passed. Marjorie was certain that he did not particularly fancy the notion that he had almost thirty children underneath his roof. He probably considered them filthy thieves. She wondered what he would say to her telling him she was once exactly like them. What would he say to her pretty dress, and pretty manners? She smiled as she climbed up and entered the first room.
Ella was wiping the baby’s face with a cloth she had washed in some water the previous night. Henry didn’t seem to appreciate it, and he was rather vocal about it.
“Come nah, Henry,” Ella was more patient than Marjorie could imagine anyone be under the circumstances. Her heart ached for not only them, but for all the others as well, whose grateful glances she could not avoid even if she wanted to. “We need t’ get ya nice and clean for the day.”
Marjorie waited until Ella was done. Henry’s cooing signaled that the morning scrub down was finally over, and she sat him up on the bed. Immediately upon resting his eyes on Marjorie, he smiled. Ella turned quickly.
“Good morning, Miss Marjorie,” Ella chirped. Marjorie wondered where this sweet child had the energy for such cheer. Then she remembered. It was Alexander. He was the one who made them all believe that miracles were still possible, even the darkest of days.
“How did you sleep?” Marjorie smiled, walking over to the bed, and picking up baby Henry. His bright blue eyes mirrored her own, and his lips curled at her joyfully.
“Better than in a long time,” Ella said a little shyly. “Henry only woke up once. Usually, he wakes up several times, cries, and it’s very hard to calm him down and get him back to sleep.”
Marjorie just nodded, not wishing to ask the reason behind it. The reason was obvious. Henry was crying because no one could fall asleep easily on an empty stomach, especially a baby who could not understand why it was not being fed regularly.
Marjorie turned to Ella. “I’ve asked the proprietor to please send breakfast up again, like yesterday, so we’ll feed baby Henry shortly.” She touched noses with him, then blinked and curled up her nose, to make him giggle. “Yes, we are. Yes, we are, little darling.” Immediately, Henry giggled, his eyes widening, his lips opening widely, showing only four cutest little teeth.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, although it was open. Both looked in that direction, surprised to see Alexander standing there, with his hat in his hand, lowered down to his thigh.
“I apologize, am I interrupting?” he asked instead of a greeting.
“No, of course not,” Marjorie smiled, and she placed baby Henry on her hip and walked over to him. “See, Henry? This is the man who helped us yesterday. Would you like to say thank you?”
Marjorie took the baby’s hand and reached for Alexander. She expected him to pull away, to be even more uncomfortable than the previous day, but he surprised her by wrapping his fingers gently around the baby’s hand. He was not only smiling. He was glowing from the inside.
