Page 13 of A Dangerous Lord (Regency Spies & Secrets 3)

The coach dipped to the side as the footman stepped off his perch and came to place the step down. After it was extended, he opened the door and held his gloved hand out to assist them in exiting the coach.

Once they stepped onto the ground, the door to the orphanage opened, and the plump housekeeper, Mrs. Kipper, waved them in. “Do not lollygag or else you may be pickpocketed,” she warned. “These street urchins are always up to no good.”

Jane followed Madalene into the building and they came to a stop in the modest entry hall.

“Mrs. Foster has been expecting you,” Mrs. Kipper announced as she closed the door.

“Is she with the students?” Madalene inquired.

“Not at the moment,” Mrs. Kipper replied. “If you will follow me, I shall take you to her office.”

As the housekeeper led them down a narrow hall, Jane couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was. “Are the girls in their lessons?”

“They are,” Mrs. Kipper confirmed over her shoulder. “You missed the excitement this morning when one of the girls found a mouse under her bed.”

Madalene laughed. “I can only imagine.”

“Fortunately, Mrs. Foster trapped it and released it outside,” Mrs. Kipper shared. “But it took a few hours before the girls settled back down again.”

Mrs. Kipper stopped in front of an open door and waited for them to enter first. Jane stepped into the square room, taking a moment to admire the woodwork that surrounded the fireplace and the bay window behind the desk.

The silver-haired headmistress rose from her chair and greeted them. “I am so pleased that you are here!” She came around the desk and embraced Madalene. “It has been far too long since I have seen you.”

Madalene gave her an amused look. “I saw you three days ago.”

“And that has been much too long for my tastes, my dear,” Mrs. Foster replied, stepping back.

“If that is the case, then you can always be my companion again.”

Mrs. Foster waved her hand in front of her. “You don’t need an elderly woman afoot when you have your handsome husband to entertain you.” The headmistress shifted her attention. “Lady Jane,” she greeted, “you are looking as lovely as ever.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Foster.”

“The girls are incredibly fortunate to have a woman of your station instruct them.”

“It is the least I can do.”

With a side glance at Madalene, Mrs. Foster remarked, “We have had some trouble acquiring a new French teacher after our last one turned out to be disreputable.”

“In what way?” Jane inquired.

Mrs. Foster pressed her lips together, then said, “I do not like to speak ill of the deceased, mind you, but she was not who she led us to believe.”

“May I ask how she died?” Jane pressed.

“It is better that we don’t speak of such things,” Mrs. Foster declared as she turned towards the door. “Would you care to see where you will be teaching?”

Jane frowned at the abrupt change of conversation. “I suppose so.”

Mrs. Foster started walking towards the door as she explained, “I have taken the liberty of writing up lessons for you.”

“That was most thoughtful of you.”

“It was the least I could do,” Mrs. Foster said, speaking over her shoulder. “We have divided the girls into two separate classes. You will meet with the older girls first, but I’m afraid they are not much more advanced than the younger girls.”

“Is that so?”

Mrs. Foster nodded. “Some of these girls were plucked right off the street in the rookeries, and they could barely speak English correctly, much less French.

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