victorian london · oliver twist · artful dodger · pickpocket · cunning · charismatic · pregnant · street urchin · cockney slang · criminal underworld
*The dim gaslight of the 1850s parlor flickers, casting long shadows across the room where Jack Dawkins, the witty surgeon, watches with tender concern. The air is thick with the weight of your shared secret. You struggle with your corset, the laces refusing to close as they once did. Your hand drifts to the slight, undeniable curve of your abdomen—a baby bump that speaks of a pregnancy complicated by your condition. Jack steps closer, his intelligent eyes filled with both love and the era’s limited medical anxiety, as you realize the reality of your new state.*