A/N:I was watching period dramas on youtube and I thought I might try my hand at writing a period type I did one that took place in the Edwardian age,now it's time for Victorian age. Will have a Christmassy feeling to it.
Background: It's 1848 and Queen Victoria is on the streets are crowded .Typhoid is rampant and so are other diseases. Life is not good if you are poor even if you are a child. Some people are lucky enough to get out of the city and go to the country to work as domestics for the wealthy.
On a cold winter's night ,three small and rather cold children sat huddled on the church steps. The oldest girl who was barely five years old held a plaid bundle,every once in a while the bundle let out a soft whimper.
"Where's Momma,I'm hungry." the younger of the two boys said,he looked to be around four,like his sister he had black hair and freckles.
The oldest of the four children a blonde haired blue eyed boy around seven bit his lip,then turned to his younger brother."Momma promised she'd get us food,when she got back."
Several people went past hurrying up the steps coats pulled tightly around them to ward off the winter's didn't even notice the children sitting there;it was nearly Christmas and they all had other things on their minds ,none of the least were four half starved children shivering in the cold night these people were the rich sort and had their noses so far in the air they didn't see what was below them.
Their mother was across the street in the pub where she waited on tables and sang for the customers it was not the best work nor was it the most respectable,fights sometimes broke out when some of the men had been drinking too much.
Helen was young and pretty even after having four children and she had an incredible singing only problem when she was hired was that children were not allowed in the pub and she couldn't very well leave four small children home by themselves which was why she left them on the church steps .
Peter stood up,swaying slightly from hunger,they had only had bread all day and not very much of it had been stale ."Come on." he said helping Edmund to his feet.
Susan stood up carefully,so as not to wake up the fourth and youngest member of the family,Baby Lucy who was barely a year old,"Where we going.?" she asked,"Momma said to stay put."
"We are,were just going in the church to get warm,I'm sure Momma won't mind."Peter said pushing open the doors of the it was warm and ceiling was high and the floor so polished,that you could see yourself in it when you looked down. The church was hardly crowded only a handful of people occupied the pews and they were way up in the front,so no one noticed the three of them as they slipped into the pews. The back of the pews were so high,and they were so small that even if one were to look in the back they would not be able to see them anyway.
They probably would have been able to sit there unnoticed if Lucy hadn't chosen that moment to wake up and start crying,the sound filled the otherwise quiet raised their heads eyes searching for that most unpleasant sound.
Susan and Peter tried to hush her,but to no avail only Momma knew how to quiet Lucy down when she started to cry.
"What are you filthy children doing in here." a woman bedecked in a fur coat and hat demanded .She looked with disapproval at the three of them taking in Susan'smatted and tanlged braids,Edmund's runny nose,and Peter's too small coat.
"Nothing,were cold." Peter said not liking this lady one bit,by now everyone had come over including the priest.
"Isn't there a place for children like them" another woman said her nose wrinkling in distaste.
The priest nodded and said in what he thought was a kindly fatherly manner,"Now,children,let me have your names and ages and I'll take you to a nice orphanage."
Peter glared,"Were not orphans our Momma's across the street." he said indignantly.
The women of which there were eight exchanged horror stricken glances; to think of a women setting foot in that despicable place.
Once again they were outside ,huddled against each other for warmth,but this time they weren't alone,they had been joined by several other children the oldest was around thirteen the youngest four,Lucy didn't count because she was only a babe.
"Who's hungry." The oldest boy asked,several of the children raised,Edmund included,until Susan yanked it down glaring at her little never told anyone how hungry they got or the nights they had to go to bed hungry because there was no food at all to eat.
The boy looked at the Pevensies a smirk on his face,"This is our turf,you know,but you could stay if you go steal us a couple of apples from that vendor." he said
"But that's stealing!" Susan gasped who even at the age of five would never dream of stealing anything no matter how hungry she was .In fact all three of them from the earliest age had been taught right from wrong.
"They won't do it,they're just a bunch of babies." a ten year old girl said .
"I'll go."Peter said before he could lose his courage hated being called a baby and besides Susan and Edmund needed to eat .
"Peter,don't ,Momma said stealing is wrong." Susan said in the sort of voice one uses when they are about to cry.
"I..I don't care."Peter gasped which really meant he did care."Anyway were hungry, it shouldn't be wrong " he said over his shoulder .He made his way over to the vendor .
The vendor a rather portly looking man was busy with a customer,so he didn't see Peter as he stood on tiptoe and grab several apples,but since his hands were so small he could only grab two .He took off running.
"Hey! you get back here."The vendor shouted his face red as he took off after him.
They ran through the streets,Peter was younger,thinner and faster so he managed to elude the disgruntled vendor until he ran into something soft yet solid he fell to the ground .the apples fell from his hand and he looked up to see the face of the constable staring down at him.
The vendor caught up to him ,face red and out of breath."Arrest that boy,he's nothing but a common thief." he said,"I make a living from selling apples and I don't need little ragamuffins thinking they could just come and steal apples whenever they want."
The constable who wasn't that bad as far as constables went looked down at Peter."I have half a mind to let you spend the night in a jail cell." he said.
Upon hearing this Peter went white,he was about to say something when a voice broke through.
"Peter James Mark Pevensie,how dare you steal apples." Helen came over holding Lucy,a very angry look on her pretty face,Susan and Edmund hid behind her skirts.
"I'm sorry sir,my children,they aren't thieves,their father and I taught them right from wrong." she said to the vendor .Luckily the vendor appreciated beauty in a woman and when he looked at Helen he forgot what he was so upset about.
"Well, no harm was done,I guess you could let the boy go back to his mother." he said to the constable.
As soon as they left Helen turned to her oldest."Peter,why would you steal apples ." she asked all the anger drained out of her.
"We were hungry " was all Peter said,eyes down cast."Are you going to punish me?" he asked .
"No."Helen said ,"But if I hear of your stealing I will give you a whipping so bad you will remember it when you're a teenager." she warned.
Susan woke up because she felt cold,she rolled over,Momma wasn't in bed and she sat up,shivering as the cold night air seeped through her thin the quilt off her bed,she padded over to her brothers bed,making sure not to step on the floorboard near the cradle where Lucy lay sleeping.
She shook Peter awake and waited until he opened his eyes,"Let me in,I'm cold." she whispered.
Peter scooched over taking care not to wake up Edmund,though there was little danger of that since the little boy could sleep through a thunderstorm and a cannon blast.
"Momma's not in bed." the little girl said,"Do you think she's run away." she asked
"Momma's don't run away."Peter said in what he hoped was a confident voice.
"Maybe she got tired like Daddy."Susan said .Their father had died several months ago from cholera."Who'd take care of us,then."she asked crying
"Shh,don't go crying,you'll wake up the babies."Peter said wiping Susan's eyes with the corner of the blanket."Besides I'd take care of you,Eddie and Lucy." he promised.
"You will."Susan asked her tears forgotten as she gazed at her brother with adoration.
Peter nodded,"Daddy said I 'm man of the house." he said.
Susan giggled,"You can't be a man you're only seven ." she said intertwined her hand in his and the two of them fell asleep.
A/N: Enjoy ,Read and review