sound was deafening and even managed to make itself heard somewhere in the darkest recesses of Mr. Wolsey’s alcohol-induced slumber.
With a jerk, he shot upright before all but crumbling back down into his chair. His hands flew to his head and he pinched his eyes shut.
“Mr. Wolsey!” Caroline snapped, intentionally throwing her voice to cause him pain. She was not a vindictive person, but this behavior would simply not do. “I require your attention.”
“Go away!” he hissed, then flinched at the sound of his own voice.
Caroline fumed. Oh, if only she could take over the management of the children’s home herself! However, such a task would be impossible to hide from her parents. If only she knew someone who could replace this drunkard.
“Mr. Wolsey, I truly must protest!” Glaring at the semi-conscious man, Caroline crossed her arms over her chest in imitation of her childhood governess. “This behavior cannot be borne.”
“Silence!” the man hollered, then flinched yet again. “I don’t need your lecture,” he hissed more quietly. “Leave! Now!”
Fixing the man with a withering stare, Caroline slowly shook her head from side to side. Anger began to boil in her blood, but she forced it back down. This was not the moment to lose her head. “Mr. Wolsey, what if something were to happen? What if the children suddenly required your attention? Can you deny that you’d be of no help at present?”
Through narrowed slits, Mr. Wolsey regarded her like an insect he’d like to squash. “I told you to get out. Don’t you have some foolish women’s pastime to devote your time to?” A hint of malice sparkled in his glazed eyes, and Caroline wondered if the man truly was as mentally absent as he appeared.
Nevertheless, Caroline knew that he’d never respect her—as small a chance as there was of that happening—if she did not put her foot down now. “Mr. Wolsey, if you insist on this childish behavior, I must warn you that I will be looking for your replacement first thing in the morning.”
His head snapped back up, his gaze slightly more sober than before.
A bit of a triumphant smile tickled Caroline’s lips as she saw a hint of concern cross his face. “These children are my responsibility and I will see them cared for. Do you hear me, Mr. Wolsey?” Again, she fixed him with her childhood governess’ sternest look. “Now, go and get cleaned up before you show your face around here again.”
Knowing the man would be of no help, Caroline all but chased him out of his office before setting to work. She tossed out half-empty bottles—perhaps that would sober him up!—swept the floor and then sat down to sort through a myriad of loose parchments before turning to the ledgers. After the two-hour time frame she had at her disposal, Caroline had a reasonable idea of how many children were currently under the institution’s care, if they had been abandoned or were orphaned as well as some other characteristics, such as gender and age.
Turning to leave, Caroline paused when she found the key to the office in the lock. A small grin tugged on the corners of her mouth and, without further thought, she pulled it out, closed the door behind her and then proceeded to lock it. Then she slipped the key into her reticule.
“You look pleased,” Sarah remarked when Caroline found her a few minutes later, supervising the nurses of the children’s home in their work. All the sheets and clothes had been washed in boiling water, and the children searched for lice. Fortunately, they’d found far fewer than expected.
“I evicted Mr. Wolsey from his office,” Caroline told her triumphantly, patting her reticule. “Then I locked his door and took the key.”
Sarah laughed. “That will teach him.”
“I certainly hope so.” However, from experience, Caroline knew that those who consumed large amounts of alcohol on a daily basis were a nuisance to deal with. She’d seen it before, and she would see it again. Mr. Wolsey was only one of many.
After returning home, Caroline sent another note to Lady Woodward, hoping the lady would come to a decision before departing for the country. At present, it was summer and despite the occasional shower of rain, temperatures were pleasant and the children would not suffer too much from the abysmal condition of their home. However, all that would change once the autumn storms blew in.
Caroline shuddered at the thought of what her little darlings would have to endure. She never spent much time