There were two St. Hilda's in Whitby. He had forgotten about that. Did they mean to confuse visitors? At least he had figured it out pretty soon after the different directions didn't match and he had asked a third person about it. He would look quite a fool if he showed up at one believing it was the other! Haha!

Still, he didn't know which of the St. Hildas' priest the kid had been referring to (if he had been truthful at all). He decided to try his luck with the Catholic one first. It was closest to the harbour, and Catholics were more likely to refer to their ministers as priest.

Not that he enjoyed entering a Catholic church with all its wasteful opulence and idolatrous images. He had the respect at least to take off his hat, but his steps were uncertain as he entered the strange place with its unfamiliar set up. The smell of incense was strange too, though not unpleasant. The statues and paintings on the wall made him feel like he was a schoolboy back in morning chapel. He suppressed the associative yawn.

The church, by way of its silent priest sitting devotedly in the front pews, possessed a calm that could have even felt unnatural.

More unnatural than that, however, was the way that said priest’s head was lowered in what might have appeared to be contemplation over his bible – but his eyes were closed, and Malachi was asleep.

Thankfully the creak of the door was a sound he knew well, and he was jostled from his slumber with a lift of his head. He closed his (new) bible and set it aside, casting a glance to the man that had entered the church.

“Good afternoon,” Malachi greeted, and left it there, in case the man merely came to pray.

Ah there was the priest. A priest at least. Tobias approached awkwardly. Not quite what he had in mind. The dark cassock on the tall man made him look more severe. But that was probably the idea. He was supposed to be stand far above his flock, wasn't he?

"Excuse me, sir," he said. "I apologize for talking business in a church, but there's a lad who's asked me for a job. He claims a priest from St. Hilda's paid for him to stay at hotel. Do you know owt about it?"

Malachi rose from the pew, approaching the visitor with a calm and confident stride. His hands folded neatly at his back on his way.

“A hotel…?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment or two, before recognition flickered in his eyes.

“Ah- yes. Edmund Reynolds, you mean? I came across him and his younger sister late one night, and as they had nowhere to stay, I put them up in a room. You’re considering hiring him?”

"Aye that's the one. Well, that was kind of ye, then. These streets are no place for children at night." Or for grown ass farmers, he sadly knew from experience. "I can only hire 'im for short jobs, I'm afraid. Just wanted to see whether he was reliable." he said. It seemed the kid had told him the truth. Except... He frowned lightly. "Didn't say owt about a younger sister."

He was glad to hear that Edmund had an employment opportunity, even if it was temporary. Hopefully that would ease some of the burden on the poor boy’s shoulders, if he could make money for himself and Mable without depending on someone else.

Not that Malachi minded. Not a bit.

“Oh,” his head tilted slightly at that. “Yes, he has a sister just a few years younger. She’s a lovely girl – they’re both good kids. Just a little down on their luck.”

"Hmm," Tobias's frown weakened and he nodded. He would have hired the girl too, but where would she stay? A lad like Edmund could probably even camp out if the weather permitted, but that was not suitable for a girl. "Me farm is in Castleton. 'E'd have to find a place to stay; its too far out. How long 'ave ye known him, if ye don't mind me asking?" He wanted to get an idea of how reliable the priest's evaluation was. "I'd let 'im sleep in t' barn, if I know 'e can be trusted. Got me family and servants to think about, ye see?" he explained.

Castleton? But when would he ever have the chance to visit them, if Edmund and Mable found somewhere to stay out there?

…He reminded himself that they were not his children. They had plans of their own, he was sure, and they had never said that Whitby was a permanent home just because they were here now. Malachi would be happy for them to take better opportunities if they presented elsewhere, of course he would.

He would just… miss her. He’d miss both of them, once they left.

“Yes, I understand,” he dipped his head. “I’ve known them for almost two months – as long as I’ve been in town myself, sir. I admit I’ve worried about Edmund getting drawn into the wrong kind of crowd here, if he doesn’t find work… but an honest man like yourself would make a good influence. He has a good heart, and I have faith in him.”

There was a slight widening of the eyes when the priest mentioned his concern the boy might get involved with the wrong crowd. That was an issue of concern, not just for the kid himself, but also for Tobias if he hired them. Alice was enough to handle, and they had a young babe that took up what energy was left. And his maid and farmhand, though raised well, were very young. He had a responsibility to keep them far away from bad influences.

And so the appeal to his own Christian duty only went that far. He'd have to keep a close eye on the kid if he were to take him on. "I'll give him a chance. However, if he's a bad influence on my staff" - and wife, but he left that reference to the embarrassing state of his home life unsaid -", he's out. What about his sister? She can't sleep in a barn. Would ye continue to look after 'er while 'er brother is away?" He could hardly ask Jenny and Nat to share with yet another. He supposed they could make another guest room if he moved some junk out of the spare room, but was he going to offer a guest room to someone who worked for him? More importantly, was he willing to take in yet another child?

It hadn’t been his intention to dissuade the man in any way, but Malachi also didn’t feel it appropriate to lie. It was his word as a priest, after all, and he did not want this farmer thinking him a liar if Edmund did end up doing anything.

He didn’t think he would, of course. It was just a minor concern.

“Yes, of course. It wouldn’t be a problem.”

He couldn’t imagine the two willingly separating like that, but if it came down to it – if Edmund needed him to care for Mable – he would gladly do so.