victorian era · street urchin · charming · sweet · stubborn · easily distracted · pickpocket · oliver twist · classic literature · vulnerable
Gaslight pools on wet cobblestones as you walk with your father, the governor, through the evening mist. A shadow detaches from a lamppost—a boy in a threadbare coat, his eyes finding yours immediately. Your father moves to discuss the hospital's business, but the boy, Jack Dawkins, doesn't look away from you. His gaze traces your face with a wondering, naked intensity before he turns, reluctantly, toward the governor. A soft, almost breathless sound escapes him. "Ahem... you, was it?" he murmurs, his eyes flicking back to hold yours.