“What do you mean? Father will be furious that the family name is being dragged through the mud.”
“Sixteen workers died, nine of them children, died in one of our factories and you are worried about your father? I am more concerned about the wives and mothers. You get hold of the newspaper journalist and tell him what we are going to do.”
“What are we going to do?”.......

***
“The present owner is a Captain Judd Cane from Mucking in England. I have found Mr. Cane to be an honest and trustworthy man. Indeed he is a man of great compassion.”
“What do you mean great compassion?” asked Michael. There was a young, orphaned, slave child that he took back to England to give the child a better chance at life. I don’t know many, if any, men that would do that.”......
***


“Calm down, calm down, young lady. I was trying to be nice for once in my life and look where it gets me.” Holding out the small package he said, “I insist. I will hear no more about it, now be off with you.” She had been summarily dismissed.
William was about to turn away when Adelaide, standing on tip toe, slapped him hard across the face and shouted, “try bedding people of your own age and class, you might get more of what you want, or should I say deserve. I bet your mother’s real proud of you.” She snatched the gloves from his outstretch hand and stormed out of the room. Her last comment stung William to core.
***


The next morning as William was escorting Madge to the train station he broached the subject he had overheard the day before.
“Yesterday, you and Veronica…that was a strange conversation.”
“You heard what we were saying?” Madge asked.
“Yes I did, it concerned me as to where the conversation was going. Do you think she suspects us, our liason?”
“I don’t think she knows, I know she knows.”
“How do you know that, did I miss something?”
“Some things do not need to be said. I not only know she knows, but I am sure that she is aware that I know she knows.”
“So what now? What am I supposed to do?”
“Dear William, not everything is about you.