Ophelia hesitated. The idea of letting the child loose to explore didn't appeal to her, necessarily. What if he broke something? Or wandered outside and got lost in the neighborhood? Or hurt himself? She wasn't comfortable enough in her role as a foster mother yet to know what exactly she should and shouldn't allow him to do. She couldn't use her own childhood as a metric, either; surely well-bred, wealthy young people did not run about rampant as she and her siblings had done on the farm she'd grown up on. She would hate for Mr. Devine to think she was uncultured and brash if she allowed the child to do something he oughtn't to be doing.

But on the other hand, she didn't know what to suggest instead. Letting him explore did seem like the most logical course of action, and maybe it would prevent him from getting lost and accidentally getting himself into trouble later down the road.

"Perhaps with a maid," she decided. There could be no harm in that, could there? "I shall send one up."