“Why, you are very welcome, young man,” Alexander sounded as respectful as he was when he spoke to the other little boy the previous evening. Then, he looked up at her. “I have arranged it with the proprietor. The children are welcome to stay for the end of the month. And once that time comes, we shall arrange something else.”
“But… that is three weeks!” Marjorie exclaimed so loudly that baby Henry also turned to her, his eyes so wide that it made both her and Alexander chuckle aloud. “Oh, sorry, little darling. I shall not speak so loud again.” That seemed to pacify baby Henry enough for him to smile and coo softly again.
“Marjorie, I…” she listened to him speak, her heart fluttering like a million little butterflies inside of her belly, endeavoring to find a way out.
“Yes?” she replied, hopeful for something she dared not admit to herself, no matter how obvious it was to her.
“I was wondering if I could possibly steal you away from the children for an hour or two? Edith is of course, welcome to accompany us as well. There is… something I would like to show you.”
“Show me?” Her curiosity immediately peaked. She turned to Ella, giving her the baby. “Will you be all right if Edith and I leave you for a short while?”
“Yes,” Ella assured her. “Mary and Elizabeth will help me keep the lads under control. But they are all good kids, apart from that Swindon lad. He has promised to stay here and not steal anything.”
“I shall have a word with him before we go, Marjorie smiled, placing her hand gently on Ella’s shoulder. She knew boys like Swindon. His parents were both alcoholics and opium abusers. It was no wonder that he was left to his own devices from an early age, and if he were asked about either of his parents now, she doubted he would know where they were. It was not his fault that his childhood was cruelly stolen away from him, and at a time when he was supposed to be loved and taken care of, he was forced to take care of himself any way he could so as not to starve or die of cold in the street.
“We shan’t be long,” Alexander promised, as they went out of the room, in search of Edith.
* * *
Neither of the two young ladies had inquired as to where the carriage was taking them. Alexander did not wish to offer any prior explanation, either. He wished it to be a surprise.
“You know, the children cannot stop talking about the earl who paid for them all to stay at the inn for the night,” Marjorie told him, obviously something that had been lingering on her lips since she saw him this morning.
“They can’t?” he chuckled, endeavoring to brush it off as something that did not touch him as much as it did. But it was obvious from the way he was smiling, from the way he beamed with joy at the two ladies in front of him. Or to be more precise, at one of them.
“And now when Ella tells them that you’ve paid for them all to stay there for the rest of the month… oh, I cannot even imagine the joy!”
“That is truly generous of you, my lord,” Edith felt the need to say, and he smiled to her as kindly as he was smiling to Marjorie.
“I think it was fate, me joining you that evening. I cannot explain it in any other manner.”
“Well, whatever it was, it was a blessing,” Edith acknowledged. “We had no idea where to put them up. Hopefully, by the end of the month, warmer weather will start, and staying out in the street won’t be so dangerous to their health.”
“Unfortunately, there are other dangers from the street, apart from the fact that the poor children could get ill,” Marjorie reminded them.
“That is exactly what I wished to discuss with you,” Alexander said, unable to sustain keeping his secret for much longer.
“I’m afraid I still do not understand,” Marjorie admitted.
“All I ask is that you remain patient for a little while longer. Then, all will be clear.”
“All right,” she said happily, with nod.
He asked a few more questions about the children, especially about the little boy who had elbowed his way to him to shake his hand. Alexander felt a special connection to that little brave fellow, who knew exactly what to do in a moment when everyone else was tongue tied and frozen in place. He could not help but admire his wisdom, his character, and his manners.
The more Marjorie and Edith talked about the children, the more he wished to listen, the more he wanted to find out about them, about who they were and where they came from. A strange thrill filled him, as if his heart awakened from a long slumber, and was only now remembering what it was like to feel. He knew this sensation was not only connected to what he had done for the children. It was Marjorie as well. And he could only hope that this sensation would continue to grow and blossom.
A sudden halt of the carriage signaled their arrival. A few moments later, the doors opened, and Alexander stepped out of the carriage. He helped Marjorie out first, then Edith. The first building their sight befell was the old Miller place. No one in their right mind would be astonished to see it, and the ladies’ surprise at being brought here was evident.
“Are you certain that you brought us to the right place?” Marjorie spoke cautiously, minding her manners so she would not offend him in any way.
All three of them turned around. The Miller place stood as a sore eye among other buildings, neglected and allowing the passage of time to stomp over it brutally.
“Yes, I am absolutely certain,” he smiled, turning his attention to the house at hand. “I have brought you both here to show you this.” He extended both of his hands towards the Miller residence, with its dilapidated exterior, broken windows and the stench that would offend even rats. “I am in the process of purchasing this place, so that I could transform it into an orphanage that would never turn away any child from its doorstep.”
Marjorie and Edith exchanged glances. He seized the moment to focus solely on Marjorie, the way her lower lip trembled barely perceptibly when she was caught off guard, the way her eyes glistened even more brightly, widening in shock at the realization of what he had just told them.
“But… who will– ”
