Snippet #1482221

Jane stared at the group who surrounded her for a moment. She was shocked. They'd seen her hand. She was breaking every promise she'd made to her father and she hadn't even been outside the house for more than a few hours, perhaps not even that. She was beginning to feel that her father's wish for her to stay within doors was not so useless as she'd always thought. That did not, however, mean that she did not chafe.

These boys wish to see my hand? she thought darkly. Why should I not show them it? I shall never again see the light of day now that I am surely caught so why should I bother keeping my secret? The dire warnings of her father, which had so frightened her in childhood, floated back to her mind and she batted them away. What would these urchins do? It seemed there was little they could do.

"I would gladly show you my hand," she said softly, "but I cannot do so here. For all I know that you mightn't hurt me, there other who can and will because of my hand. At least, that is how it sounds from the mouth of my esteemed father. If you wish to see my hand, then you shall have to find somewhere safe that I might be able to remove my glove once more without fear. Do you understand me?"

Jane stared thoughtfully at each of their faces, unaware that someone less harmless than she perceived this group to be had already seen her hand. When she felt certain that they understood and could be trusted she broke into a timid smile.

"Also, if you would be so kind, I am a touch lost..." She blushed to admit it, though she should have known from the start that she would end up lost. Not only had she never been out of her own home, she was directionally challenged enough to sometimes get lost in the only surroundings she'd known for the past decade. "I live on..." All the studying she'd done to keep herself occupied while she had nothing better to do had improved her memory so that it wasn't difficult for her to remember which street she lived on regardless of the fact that she'd never paid attention to her address before. "...Curzon Street... I passed a large park on the way to the river... I don't live far from that park. You see, I don't know how to return to that park and..." She swallowed, trying to remain delicate as her blush deepened, "I do not know how to return to Curzon Street from that park... I am not even sure which part of London this is, or which part I need to be in." She buried her face in her hands but did not begin to cry again. This time she laughed at her own ridiculousness. She knew enough about social class in theory to know that she shouldn't even be talking to this group and yet she couldn't bring herself to speak with those dressed as finely as herself.

When she had finished laughing she looked at the group and shook her head. "Oh, what would Mrs. Doyle think of me now. She'd have a fit. Very well, then. Lead on."