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“But your coin can feed more than one person,” she said, holding the bread up.

She began to tear pieces away. “The next time your mother gives you a coin, remember that the coin can help many people at once. Find a baker and purchase all of the bread that coin will buy, and then give that bread to the poor. You will be looked upon as a great and generous benefactress.”

Clearly, Caria had never even considered such a thing and she looked at Maitland, at the pieces of bread she had lined upon on the table, before finally looking to her mother.

“How much bread will a coin buy, Matha?” she asked. “Will it buy enough to feed many people?”

Jordan had a smile on her lips as she glanced at Maitland. “I think it will buy enough tae feed several,” she said. “I like the lady’s solution.”

As Caria grinned and picked up one of the soft pieces Maitland had torn off, popping it into her mouth, Thomas looked at his mother over the child’s head.

“This lovely and wise creature is Lady Bowlin, Mother,” he said. “Forgive me for not introducing you earlier. She is Desmond’s sister, on her way to take charge of a charity in Edenside.”

“Edenside?” Jordan repeated as if surprised. “The foundlin’ home?”

Maitland nodded eagerly, realizing the woman knew of it right away. “You have heard of it, then?”

“Aye,” Jordan said hesitantly. “My husband and I are patrons of Kelso Abbey. The foundlin’ home is part of that, although it recently became a point of contention between me and the abbot.”

“Why a point of contention, my lady?”

Jordan thought a moment about how to phrase what she was about to say. Not knowing the lady, or her loyalties, she was careful about it. But more than that, it was a very sensitive subject she was about to speak on.

“The abbot’s sister ran the foundlin’ home,” she said. “She was a very rich woman from Roxburgh and she felt it was her duty tae take care of the less than fortunate, as she would say, but the truth was that it was all for show. The woman dinna care about the bairns in her care.”

Seated next to his wife, William put a hand on her arm. “Jordan,” he said softly. “Not now.”

But Jordan wouldn’t be silenced. She was an opinionated woman and especially about things she didn’t agree with, and she suspected Maitland truly had no idea what she would soon be facing with Edenside and its dark past.

She was doing the lass a favor.

“Lady Bowlin needs tae know, English,” she shushed him, returning her attention to Maitland.

“The woman had her servants manage the charity and she was the patroness in name only. There used tae be twenty-one children at the charity, all of them homeless waifs with no parentage, no hope. Rumor had it that one of the servants was sellin’ the children tae whoever was willin’ tae pay the price, for any purpose.

The abbot’s sister was never the wiser until one of the children turned up dead in a field outside of Kelso.

That was when the sky crashed down on the woman.

I threatened tae pull our patronage if she wasna dealt with and the last I heard, she’d moved tae London and her servants with her. Her great house now sits empty.”

Maitland was looking at Jordan in shock. “That is the most terrible thing I have ever heard,” she breathed, genuinely disturbed. “My God… those poor children. But why were they sold? Who would do such a thing?”

Jordan lifted her slender shoulders. “Greed,” she said, disgusted. “It was purely for the money. A greedy servant saw a commodity in the children, like cattle or sheep.”

Maitland was beside herself. “Selling them like… like livestock,” she breathed. “What a beastly thing to do. But you said there used to be twenty-one children? How many are there now?”

“Seven.”

Maitland’s jaw popped open. “Out of twenty-one ?” she gasped. “My bishop never told me these stories, not even a hint of them. I have never heard anything about this.”

Jordan accepted a cup of wine as a servant came to the table. “I am not surprised,” she said. “It is possible he doesna even know. ’Tis not somethin’ the abbot at Kelso wishes tae get around, for it would reflect very badly upon him.”

“But you know,” Maitland said, almost insistently. “Have you demanded justice for these children? Surely they must have someone defend them.”

Jordan glanced at her husband, then, only to see that he was looking away, drinking his wine.

It was clear from that glance that it was a distressing subject for the both of them.

The de Wolfe name stood for honor and character, so for something like this to happen to a place they were supporting was clearly disturbing.

“The clans know,” she said quietly. “My father was the chief of Clan Scott, years ago, and the clan from Lothian Castle is still my kin. They knew what happened and from their lips, other clans knew. They cornered the abbot one day and demanded tae know who the children had been sold tae. Some were found, some were not. Those who were found were taken in by the clans, so not tae face the terrible memories of Edenside again. Sorry tae tell ye such things, lass, but ’tis best ye know what ye are walkin’ intae since no one has seen fit tae tell ye. ”

Maitland was almost in tears by that point. No one had told her any of this and she could only hope it was because they didn’t know. She couldn’t imagine Buxton sending her to a house of horrors and not even tell her about it.

No wonder Kelso had looked outside for someone to manage their charity.

“Thank you for telling me, my lady,” she said, her voice tight. Then, she looked to her brother. “Did you hear any of this, Des?”

Desmond shook his head. “I have not,” he said grimly. “I do not attend mass in Kelso, nor do I pay attention to gossip. It is possible someone might have muttered such things to me, but I surely cannot recall. I must admit that I feel rather stupid for being ignorant to all of this.”

Inevitably, both Desmond and Maitland looked at Thomas, who was still sitting there with Caria on his lap. When he saw their attention upon him, he simply shook his head.

“Much like Des, I do not attend mass there,” he said.

“My parents attend, but I have not in many years. Although I have heard whispers that Edenside was poorly run, neither my mother nor my father have ever mentioned what my mother just told you. It simply never came up and, to be completely truthful, the only thing that concerns me is information pertaining to the safety of the border and the safety of my family. I am a warrior, not a crusader for lost children, as harsh as that sounds. What happened at Kelso is Kelso’s problem, not mine. ”

“It happened very quickly,” William finally spoke up, nearly cutting off his son.

“Let me clarify this before you start believing your mother and I have been negligent when it comes to the welfare of foundlings. Everyone believed the charity was being run quite ably until the dead child was found. Then, it all unraveled in a matter of a few days. When we found out and threatened to pull our support, the abbot’s sister was already on her way to London.

The abbot swore he had no knowledge of what was going on and because we have known and trusted the man for twenty years, we believed him, and you know I am not one to give my trust easily.

Now that Lady Bowlin shall be heading up the charity, it seems to me that we must focus on ensuring the children that remain there, from now on, are given the best care possible. So, let this be the end of it.”

It was both a command and a request. Given that this day had already been upsetting enough, William didn’t want the tale of the missing children to take over the conversation when he had more important things on his mind.

The disappearing children had happened several months before and, in truth, Kelso was still reeling from it.

It had been a horrible situation that they were trying to overcome and that was the way it needed to be looked at– all they could do was move forward and not make the same mistake twice.

But it had been quite a revelation to Maitland, who was still sitting there in shock as the trenchers were brought forth from the kitchens.

Big discs of stale bread were placed before the diners, filled with meat and gravy and vegetables.

The smells of beef that rose up filled the nostrils and the focus was diverted away from the lost children of Edenside and on to the meal at hand.

At least, that was what they all pretended.

But Maitland couldn’t shake what she’d been told.

She’d always had the unfortunate problem of feeling too deeply for things and taking them personally.

She ached for a fallen sparrow and wept for a lost child.

That was simply her nature. But she pretended to move forward as the others were, spooning the delicious beef into her mouth as soft conversation went on around her.

But inside, she was filled with sorrow.

“What are your first plans once you reach Edenside, Mae?” Desmond asked, his mouth full of bread. “Do you have any grand plans for the place?”

Maitland looked at him. “Until I found out about the horror of its past, you mean?”

Desmond shook his head. “I assumed you had a plan when you came, regardless of what you have been told,” he said. “My little sister always had a plan, for anything she ever did. What is your great plan for Edenside?”

Thinking about what she intended to do for the charity somehow made her feel better about the terrible things she’d heard about it. She knew for a fact that she would never permit the children in her charge to know fear or heartache or hunger. She was too determined and smart for that.

“Well,” she said, swallowing the bite in her mouth. “I am hoping to make it a productive charity. The first thing I must find out is if the charity owns livestock, like sheep or cows.”