Page 2 of The Duke's Unclaimed Bride
“Are you both responsible for her?” Lord Harrington snapped, glaring at the men.
“Yes, My Lord. I am Mr. Talbot. I own the St. Teresa Workhouse. This is Mr. Brackett, the bailiff of our parish. This girl ran from us today,” the breathless man explained.
“She’s a thief!” the bailiff shouted, eliciting a series of gasps from the surrounding crowd. “And an arsonist! She set fire to the dormitory and ran out here to avoid punishment!”
“I did not!” the young girl sobbed. “I was only trying to help! It’s not my fault!”
“We need to take her back to the workhouse. We will see to it that she’s punished, My Lord,” Mr. Talbot promised.
“No!” the girl sobbed.
Edith could hear the ladies around her gasping and murmuring amongst themselves. Others took a step back, not wanting to be associated with the moment.
“How did a child such as this get into our midst?”
“What if she steals something?”
“She could have any number of diseases.”
“What a feral child!”
The men holding the girl glanced questioningly at each other, as though trying to determine what course of action to take.
“Release her!” Edith called out.
All eyes turned at the sound of her voice.
“She’s achild. A frightened child. She doesn’t know any better.”
“With due respect, madam,” Mr. Talbot said. “She is my charge by law. I am the one who decides what happens to her.”
Edith held her ground and glared at him. She had met enough men like Mr. Talbot to last her a lifetime. Men who cared for a child only to keep up appearances, or to serve their own convenience, rather than out of genuine concern. Such men did the bare minimum required by their position, as anything more would cost them money.
“That’s right!” Mr. Brackett agreed. “The law is clear. She belongs to the workhouse, and she will be returned until she can prove herself innocent!”
Edith turned the force of her ire on the girl’s captors. “She’s already bruising from your grip! She can be spoken to without being treated so roughly!”
They hesitated, then lowered the girl to the ground.
The murmurs around the scene became louder.
“What a cruel way to handle her.”
“It’s the only way to deal with these street urchins.”
“But she’s just a child.”
“Is it really all right for them to handle her like that?”
Ladies glanced at each other worriedly, uncomfortable with the scene but not wishing to intervene. Some rolled their eyes with disgust, displaying scant patience for disruptions to their gatherings.
Edith shook her head and walked over to the girl, crouching down to meet her eyes. “What is your name, sweetheart?” she asked gently.
“T-Tilly,” the girl whimpered.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Tilly. Could you explain to me why you were running?” Edith asked softly.
Lord Harrington scoffed, but Edith ignored him.
