Sari Robins - [Andersen Hall Orphanage] Read Online Free Page A

Mr. Graves,” Jack mumbled.
    Catherine frowned. It seemed the gardener, Mr. Graves, was breaching the rules of Andersen Hall. Knowing Headmaster Dunn, the man would likely lose his position, which was a shame, really, after so many years of service. She wondered if Mr. Graves would think it worth it in the end. But that was not her problem. Protecting the children and keeping the orphanage running smoothly was.
    “Do you all confirm that Mr. Graves gave you the…whatever is in this jug?” she asked.
    “He didn’t give it to us.” Kirby kicked the dirt. “He bloody sold it.”
    Overlooking the profanity, she asked, “How much?”
    “Two shillings.” Jack looked up, interest gleaming in his brown eyes. “A deal, he said.”
    “You were cheated,” she replied brusquely. “And now you have nothing but a punishment and empty pockets to show for it.”
    “The bugger!” Kirby cried. “I used my last pence on that stuff!”
    Catherine sighed, seeing the sense of betrayal flash across their faces. What they did was wrong, but hadn’t they already paid with their lost coin? Lesson learned, perhaps?
    Jack shoved his cap back on his head, imploring, “So you won’t tell the headmaster?”
    “I am beholden to tell him about Mr. Graves’s infraction. But that doesn’t mean that I have to name names.”
    The lads’ shoulders sagged with obvious relief.
    “So what’s our punishment?” Kirby asked, scratching his privates.
    Ignoring his indelicacy, Catherine considered the situation for a moment. She needed to remain firm with them, but could hardly fashion something onerous at this point. “I will let you know once I’ve come up with one that suits the offense.”
    Kirby groaned.
    Jack muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
    “Go back to the dining hall,” Catherine instructed. “I’m sure that Mrs. Burton would appreciate some assistance with scouring the pots.”
    Slowly, the lads shuffled off, sulking.
    Catherine eyed her brother. “Jared, you remain here.”
    Her brother stopped and waited, watching his friends drift off as if he would have eaten his own arm to have been able to join them.

Chapter 3
    “W hat is the matter with you, Jared?” Catherine demanded of her younger brother once the youths were out of earshot. “You continue to flout my instructions about those lads. They’re no good for you and drag you into trouble at every turn.”
    “But they’re my friends,” he ground out.
    “They are not in your league and you know it.”
    “Don’t be such a snob.”
    Frustration filled her so powerfully she yearned to yank on his golden brown hair and scream in his ear until he finally understood her. Instead, she gritted her teeth. “I’m not talking about social status. I’m talking about intelligence, prospects—”
    “Just because they don’t like books or music doesn’t mean that they aren’t honorable.”
    “It’s more than that and you know it. You might be living here amongst the other charges, but you are expected to behave in a manner befitting your station.”
    He crossed his arms, glowering. “What station is that, Catherine?”
    “Don’t be a buffoon.” She lowered her voice. “You are Baron Coleridge and you need to start acting like it. How can you expect to travel in higher circles if you have the manners of a street hooligan?”
    “I thought you said I was supposed to fit in.” His voice was taunting.
    “Don’t take my logic and twist it around.” She scowled, irritated. “Not announcing to the world that you are a peer of the realm does not mean that you are at liberty to act like a ruffian. It’s beneath you. It’s beneath all of the boys here, in fact, but they don’t know better. You do.”
    Tense silence encased them as she waited for a response, some semblance of responsibility for his actions. Her patience was met only by the crackle of shrubbery whipping in an agitated wind.
    Jared crossed his arms, pouting like a three-year-old