Carenza gave her a severe look. “I don’t have the ability to find your jest amusing yet. That woman is still giving me the cut direct.”
“And I don’t see it affecting your social life, sister, so perhaps you did get the last laugh after all,” Allegra commented as she looked out of the window. “Where exactly are we going, Julian?”
“The East End,” Julian said.
“I am aware of that from the filth, but what is the address?”
“Whitechapel Road. The Cartwright Institution is quite close to the London Hospital. We’ll be there in a minute.”
Julian’s coachman knew the way and required no direction. When the carriage drew to a stop, Julian stepped out to help down Carenza and Allegra.
“Oh.” Allegra looked up at the house and the ten-foot-high wall that surrounded the front facing the road. “It is rather grim, isn’t it?”
“But solid and well-maintained,” Carenza said as they approached the side entrance. “And is that a garden at the rear? How nice for the children to have somewhere to play.” She smiled up at Julian and took his arm. “I am so looking forward to meeting the Cartwrights.”
The door opened, and Martin Cartwright beckoned them forward. He was a jovial man who had all the warmth his sister outwardly lacked.
“Come in! You are most welcome.” He shook all their hands with great vigor and led them through to the office. “I’d offer you refreshments, but I’m not sure we have any.”
“There’s no need.” Carenza smiled at Mr. Cartwright, who immediately looked smitten. “We’re far more interested in seeing your facility than sitting around drinking tea.”
Julian was once again struck by Carenza’s immense kindness and her ability to always think of the right thing to say. Allegra was her complete opposite.
“We currently have twenty boys here, which means we’re at full capacity,” Mr. Cartwright said.
“You don’t take girls?” Allegra asked.
“Not at the moment. If we do encounter young females, we take them to our friend Mrs. Mountjoy, who takes care of them in her establishment.”
The door opened, and Miss Cartwright came in. She wore her usual gray dress and apron, and her hair was braided tightly to her head.
“Good morning,” she said. “I apologize for my lateness, but the needs of my charges must always come first.”
“Absolutely.” Allegra nodded. “We quite understand and can only commend your dedication to your duty.”
Miss Cartwright almost smiled.
“We won’t take up too much of your time, Miss Cartwright,” Julian reassured her. “We know you are busy preparing for the committee meeting. In fact, if you wish, I could conduct the tour myself.”
“That’s very kind of you to offer, sir, but my brother and I know the place best.” Miss Cartwright turned to the ladies. “Would you like to follow me? We’ll start upstairs in the dormitory and work our way down from there.”
Later that afternoon, after Allegra and Carenza had returned home and had their lunch, Allegra took out her notebook and looked expectantly at her sister. “Shall we discuss the Cartwrights?”
Carenza, who had just got to an interesting part of her novel, groaned and set the book aside. “You took notes?”
“I always do.” Allegra glanced down at her neat handwriting. “If I intend to devote my time and money to a charity, I like to do my research.”
“I thought it was very well run and that the Cartwrights were realistic about their chances of success, but brave enough to try to help anyway.”
Allegra frowned. “That was my initial conclusion, too. But I did have some reservations.”
“Such as?”
“The size of their current premises. There is very little room for expansion.”
“I suspect with just the two of them managing twenty boys, they have no desire to expand.”
“But what about girls?”
