Started on March 8, 2005, at 7:33pm.
Finished on ….
NOTE: Nancy is 10 in the beginning of her journal. (1875)
And about 20 when she dies. (1785)
Nancy cried silently into her pillow. The tears swelled in her eyes. Bill hadlashedout ather again, like he always did. Each night it was more violent. Every night he would get drunk, and every night "she" did something wrong. It hadn't always been that way. Nancy grabbed an ancient looking book and looked back into the pages of her journal and began to read.
May 14, 1875
Dear Journal,
Today Daddy and I are to take a walk down to Lancaster's for some eggs. Stuart Lendinthal might be there, so Daddy is making me wear my nice blue dress. I love it so much. He wants an arranged marriage with the Lendinthal family when I turn 15. They are rich, but I want someone interesting. He is always a bore, and never is any fun. Oh, well. I must go. Daddy's calling and Stuart's family would be appalled if I were to be late.
Love,
Nancy Annette Thompson
Nancy continued to read, engrossed in her past.
Again May 14, 1875
Oh my goodness, journal! You shall never guess what happened! Today in the market I saw the most peculiar thing. There was a boy about 5 years my senior and a tall boy there, and they were following this Magistrate around. I hadn't the slightest idea of what they were doing until the older boy slipped the wallet out of the man's pocket. I didn't utter a word, and now I am shameful. The poor old man! I do suppose he has quite a bit more pence where that came from, but oh, the guilt. And those boys who did it…
Time for bed, but I shall write in you soon.
Love,
Nancy
Had Nancy had known Bill before, she would have known that that was his first day on the job. Nancy sighed and looked at Bill, the candlelight silhouetting his ruggedly handsome face. She looked at him, as if for the first time and admired him. He was handsome, if a bit rowdy, and he looked after her, and with him you always knew you were safe. It was others she feared for.
"Bill…" she whispered. "Bill…" He awoke slowly.
"Nancy…"he groaned.
"Do you remember when we first met?" she asked him with a smile and a glow.
"Yes…now get to bed." He muffled carelessly. Nancy smiled at him, crawled in beside him, and cuddled to him close. He was her protector, ever since she was brought into Fagin's gang. That night she dreamt of her diary and remembered everything.
LONDON 1875
Everyone was ignoring her. "Where's Daddy?" Nancy asked desperately to her Aunt Ida. No answer. She ran down the hall into the den and found more nurses and Bobbies. "Excuse me, but where is my father?" she asked loudly at the closest nurse. "Please." She whined.
"Do run along, miss. This is no place for a child."
Tired of people ignoring her, she did something she never had before. She walked out of the house on her own and walked the streets of London. It was only noon, so she was unafraid. She decided to head to the park, and Nancy sat down to think her life over there.
In the distance, she spotted a boy about 15 with dark ragged hair and such a handsome face. He was looking over at her, and she blushed. She was not accustomed to flirting. Stuart always engaged in a simple and boring conversation that she found herself not taking any part of. Something about him fascinated her, and she couldn't look away. She snapped out of it and looked away, as he headed near to her.
He approached and began to speak. "What's a pretty girl like yourself doing here alone?" with that, the boy smiled a toothy smile. She looked away, her father had told her to ignore any boy that talked to her. It was proper. But he wasn't an ordinary boy. He grabbed her hand lightly and pulled her off the chair and they began to walk in the park.
"What's your name, miss."
"Nancy." She stated smoothly.
"I'll be guessin' that your home is in the nicer part of London." He had said this while eyeing her up and down, and Nancy felt strangely awkward.
His behavior was unlike any man she had met, or any boy she had met. And she was intrigued.
"No. I am not from around here. And I suppose you are." She grinned.
Apparently he was proud of his raggedness and he laughed, "What made yathink that, now?"
She laughed with a glint in her eye, "Oh…just a guess." Nancy teased.
Nancy found herself amazed that she too was flirting with him. He was already bringing out the best in her. All of a sudden, he began to fidget. Nancy assumed that it was the magistrates and replied slowly,
"If you must go, may I at least know your name?"
The boy seemed confused and sighed,
"I don't have ta go, I was hoping…that you would…well."
"Well, what?" she demanded.
He looked at her, and it was then she realized that he had the most gorgeous blue eyes.
"What were ya runnin' away from, girl?" Nancy sighed, " My father had a stroke and they aren't sure if they can make him better. Everyone ignored me, and I felt useless. So I left."
"That's…that's a shame, shame…" he said slowly as if processing his thoughts.
"If you feel useless there, well…I know a place where they'll make you feel right at home."
Curious, Nancy replied, "Where is this place?"
He smiled, "I'll show you. It's where I take up lodging. It's not as nice as where you're from, but I'd say the people are a lot better…er…nicer. Fagin'll let you stay. What d'ya say, Nance?"
Nancy processed everything and grinned. It was her chance at adventure. "Ok. Lead me there."