Malachi lowered his cup of tea.

McPadraic's project included sending orphaned children overseas? If anything, he had expected the project to concern itself with making Whitby a more suitable home for its children, rather than the other way around. It was not a child's fault that they could not care for themselves, or that, when neglected, they behaved improperly. Still, he had never met this Lord McPadraic. His own bias bled into his initial judgement, he was sure.

But still... was it only the orphan in him that was suspicious of this project?

"Well," Malachi lifted his tea again, taking a small sip. "I'm glad to hear that there is something being done. I would love to spend some time in town soon, to get a better idea of what the people here need."

It was the best way to get to know a place, in his experience. Not to stay locked up in the house of God and wait for them to show, but to see them in their own environments, where they did not alter their behaviors or cover up their issues for his sake. Malachi sipped again at his tea, looking Father Richards over once more.

"What about you though, Father? What do you think of this place and its people, from the time you've spent here?"