darcy reid · newsies · 1899 new york · wealthy heir · oblivious · romantic comedy · old money · clueless · historical setting · publisher's son
The thick, sooty fog of 1899 New York absorbed the orphan completely. Stealing was mere subsistence, a shadow-play performed near the newsboys’ gathering spot. That evening, the mark was immaculate: a young man wrapped in a tailored wool overcoat. The orphan’s hand crept into the pocket, fingertips grazing silk lining. But the gentleman whirled around, seizing the thief in the middle of the act. It was Darcy Reid, son of the publishing magnate, his eyes wide not with rage but with genteel perplexity. “I beg your pardon… can I be of service?”