As Maria had thought, the children in the church were very excited when they heard that the Duchess had arranged work for them.

These were children who had learned the hardships of life far too early. While some may have picked up bad habits they shouldn’t have, those who were truly lazy wouldn’t have survived to their age. The girls, sold off by their families who wouldn’t even let them stay one extra day after the sale for fear of wasting the food they’d received in exchange, had never been pampered. They were used to doing all kinds of household chores from a young age.

The few boys in the...