Boston, April 1881

Nora gazed out the window overlooking the Denton's gardens and sighed. She really had been looking forward to tonight until Aileen's untimely announcement in her bedroom. However, once they arrived her sister had not even glanced at Mr. Denton. Unfortunately, Mr. Denton had also not even glanced at Nora. They were placed at opposite ends of the table at dinner. She had been seated next to Irving and he had followed her the rest of the night. She had finally convinced him that it didn't seem proper for him to ignore the other young ladies and he grudgingly walked away while she had retreated to one of the windows. Without warning, a glass of punch was thrust into her hand and she looked up into the smiling eyes of Mr. Bryan Denton.

"Miss Kelly, finally." he said in a conspiratorial tone. "I am sure I have made the obligatory conversation with every other guest in here which leaves the rest of the evening for the one person I have wanted to spend my time with all along."

Nora felt her cheeks warm and hastily took a sip of punch.

"Thank you for so conveniently dispatching Mr. Harrison. I was wondering how to do that myself when I noticed you alone and couldn't believe my good fortune."

Nora couldn't help but laugh at his blunt statement. He laughed with her then turned suddenly serious.

"Nora," her eyes widened at the informal use of her first name. "My plan tonight was to ask if I could call on you this week. I have wanted to do so for quite a while but it seemed as if you and Irving were close to an understanding. I waited a while but no announcement has come forth so I wondered…" his voice trailed off as he looked at her questioningly and Nora didn't hesitate to jump in with a reply.

"We are not courting exactly. My mother and Mrs. Harrison have always arranged between themselves to pair us up for most events since my coming out. They are best friends you see and…" it was Nora's turn to trail off.

"I do see. I also see that Irving doesn't seem to mind." Nora looked down.

"No he doesn't mind but I don't really feel that way about him." She glanced up to see Mr. Denton smiling at her words and her stomach flip flopped.

" I am glad of that." He told her. "Please call me Bryan."

"B..Bryan." She stammered. "You said your plan tonight WAS to ask to call on me. Is that no longer the case." Bryan let out a deep breath before answering.

"Circumstances have changed although my feelings and intentions toward you definitely have not. I have been offered and accepted a position as a reporter's assistant. I want to earn my own way in this world and intend to do so reporting. I want to travel and write history as it happens."

"Bryan, that's wonderful!" Nora chimed in with genuine excitement for him.

"Yes, I am very happy for the opportunity. I am telling my father in the morning and then catching an afternoon train." Nora felt her heart sink.

"Catching a train? Is your position not with the Boston Herald?"

"No. I am working for the New York Sun. I cannot call on you because I will not be here for a while but I am hoping you will consider waiting for me to get established and write to me in the meantime." He looked at her hopefully.

"Of course! I will do both." Nora nodded and Bryan quickly added.

"It wont be easy. I don't foresee my father being happy and he may cut me off. I will literally be earning my own way and it wont be the way that you are accustomed to. Your family approves of me now but may not once I am on my own." Nora pushed the rational side of her thoughts aside. The ones telling her that her parents would never approve of that and how important social standing was to them. She told herself that her happiness was the most important to them above all and she knew she would only ever be happy with Bryan.

"It will be perfect." she told him. "Life isn't always easy but what matters is who we go through it with." Bryan smiled again and Nora blushed. In embarrassment she turned her face away back towards the window. Outside she detected slight movement and saw two figures embracing. She gasped and said, "Bryan, I would love to see your gardens if you would accompany me outside." His eyebrows shot up.

"Nora," he chuckled, "I didn't think you would be so forward." Normally she would have blushed again but she was too preoccupied. Setting her glass down, she scanned the room briefly.

"You don't understand. I just saw a couple outside and I am pretty sure the lady was my sister. They were embracing and there was no one else in sight." Bryan's teasing grin turned somber.

"I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me. I cant imagine why anyone would be out in the dark in the cold for any honorable reason. Come, we can fetch your father and retrieve your sister."

"No! I don't want to cause a scene especially if i am mistaken."

"Alright." he agreed. "Follow me. I know the quickest way to the gardens. We should probably bring SOMEONE though so we are not seen leaving alone and destroy your reputation the day before I leave." Nora nodded in agreement but felt anxious over the time being wasted talking about it.

"Mr. Harrison will come. I may not want to marry him but I do trust him." She weaved her way through the crowd of guests until she reached Irving who was standing with a group of gentleman including their fathers.

"I would love to see the gardens. Mr. Denton has kindly agreed to show me and we would love for you to join us." Mr. Kelly burst out laughing.

"Nora! The gardens? In this weather? Is there even anything in bloom?" Irving's father waved a hand dismissively.

"Aw, let them go. Who knows what ideas young people get in their heads? We are probably boring them. Remember the crazy things we came up with at their age? Like the time with that goat in school?" They both started reminiscing, Nora forgotten already. Irving saw the desperation in Nora's face and ventured in his serious way,

"What a capital idea. We should go and see the gardens at once." The two of them followed Bryan and were a coulple of steps into the garden when a pink cheeked Aileen came walking up the path towards the house."

"Gentlemen, would you give us a moment?" The boys walked a distance away. Far enough for privacy but close enough to remain in sight. Aileen patted her hair.

"It was so crowded in there. The fresh air is working wonders for me. I was getting quite a headache." Her breath came out in chilly puffs.

"Who were you with?" Nora demanded bluntly and Aileen's eyes shifted.

"I dont know what you mean. I came out here to clear my head."

"Yes, you have been saying that a lot today."

"I'm sorry, Nora. I know I shouldn't have come out alone but I didn't want to bother anyone." She gathered her skirt and made to move past Nora but the older girl grabbed her arm.

"I'm sure you were thinking of everyone else and didn't want to bother anyone. It definitely didn't bother me at all to look out of the window and see you locked in the arms of a man in the shadows." She spat out sarcastically. Aileen wrenched her arm free.

"Your silly accusations are making my head hurt again. I think I should tell mother I need to leave." she rubbed her temples.

"Aileen please." Nora pleaded. "I am worried about you. Who were you meeting out here?"

"Why would it matter even if it were true? Which it is not. I thought I needed some air but I think I really just need to go find mother." She walked inside and Nora sighed. Aileen had never lied to her before and she had done so twice today. Not to mention she was terrible at it. The worst part though being that Nora was sure that Aileen was covering for that terrible Frank Sullivan.

New York City, Summer 1899

I stood on the stoop of O'Malley's considering my options and found that they were zero. I could go back to the Jacobs and ask for help but they would tell Jacky and he would know that I lied and he would try to send me back to Uncle Irving and Aunt Nora. I could go to the Drexels but that would require facing my "practically betrothed" status. Reviewing my options again in futility, I jerk aside when I am elbowed by a burly man entering the 'decent' place. Two more men are behind him and when one grins and winks at me I jump off of the stoop and practically run down the street, my bag banging painfully into the side of my leg. I stop a few streets away to catch my breath and am relieved to see that nobody has followed me. Not knowing what else to do I continue to walk. I don't know what places are ok to stay at and I am now wary of trusting anyone. When my feet are full of blisters and I am so exhausted I could fall asleep in the middle of the sidewalk I spot a bench. Using my bag as a pillow, I curled up on it and fell asleep.

I woke to someone roughly shaking me.

"Wake up! You are killing my business!"I cracked open my eyelids and looked into bright blue eyes. Startled, I reached for my blanket and promptly fell off of the side of my bed. Except it wasn't my bed and there was no blanket. Disoriented, I took in my surroundings and in a rush recalled falling asleep on a bench. Mortified and now bruised from my collision with stone and dirt I scrambled up and dusted myself off as best as I could. I attempted to sit back on the bench and was yanked back up by my arm.

"No way are you staying anywhere near here. You are scaring away my paying customers." I looked down at the death grip he had on my arm and pried it away.

"I beg your pardon? YOUR corner? I believe it belongs to the Burrough of Brooklyn." I added in a mutter. "If I am even still in Brooklyn…" I shaded my eyes with my hand and tried to find any discerning landmarks or signs.

"You must be new here or you would know how dumb it is to say what you just did. So, I will ignore it this once. See, I run Brooklyn and THIS is my corner and bench." He leaned over and hefted a stack of papers. "Now leave. Nobody wants to come over and buy my papes with your ratty self sleeping next to me. Nobody wants to see a dirty, cast out hoity toity. So, leave or I will make you leave." I didn't want to admit how much he intimidated me seeing as we were about the same height and he was so scrawny and all but I believed without a doubt that he would somehow make me move. Trying to ignore the fact that he called me ratty, I snatched up my bag, drew myself up to my full height and mustering my dignity queried,

"Seeing as you run Brooklyn, could you tell me how to find my way out of it and back to Manhattan. I need to get to Tibby's."

"Tibby's? What are you going there for?" He took a penny from a gentleman in a bowler hat and handed him a paper. I sighed. Jacky would call me pathetic if he could see me. I couldn't even last 24 hours on my own when he had been doing it alone for years now.

"I am meeting my brother there at noon." The boy shoved his face close to mine.

"Your brother?"

I backed away from his scrutiny. "Yes, my brother!" I snapped. "Do you know where Tibby's is or not?" His blue eyes continued to scan my face when a vaguely familiar voice spoke behind me.

"Hey there Spot. Isn't your stack nearly gone by now?" Without looking away he responded.

"Yeah but this girl was sleeping on my corner. You headed to Sheepshead?"

"Of course. I got a hot tip."

"You always got a hot tip Racetrack." I whirled around.

"Racetrack!" I exclaimed.

He looked up from lighting a cigar. "Yeah that's me. Hey! Whats Cowboy's sister doing in Brooklyn? She was sleeping on a corner? That's funny. Jack said she lives in a big fancy house with servants." Before I could open my mouth to answer Spot stepped around and in front of me.

"Jacky boy's sister? I didn't know he had one." Racetrack propped up a foot on top of a small stack of papers on the ground in front of him and hooked his free thumb on his pocket. The other hand still held a cigar which smelled awful and I wrinkled my nose. He shrugged at Spot.

"She showed up yesterday at the center. Must have been after you rode away with Teddy Roosevelt which must have been nice." Spot nodded but when he didn't offer the details Racetrack was fishing for he continued. "Cowboy was really excited. Surprised us all especially since she's obviously got money and Sneider never mentioned her during his whole Jack Kelly is Francis Sullivan, his mom is dead and his old man is in jail and theres no family waiting in santa fe." My heart jumped to my throat upon hearing Santa Fe. Jacky was still holding onto that apparently.

"Jack said this morning that she took a cab to some fancy hotel last night." Spot didn't even spare me a glance.

"Obviously not since I had to wake her up this morning. She's been killing my business. Are you sure she's Cowboy's sister?"

Finally finding my voice I said, "Sorry to interrupt but if you could be done discussing me like two gossipy old ladies I would really like to get to Tibby's and I have no idea where I am! I didn't mean to ruin your whole day by falling asleep on a bench. I was supposed to have a place to stay but then it turned out to be O'Malley's run by Pat the creep who tried to swindle me and make me a lady of loose morals! Now, before I —" My voice broke off as Racetrack and Spot snickered.

"It is not funny!" I insisted as they both began laughing boisterously. "One of you had better tell me what is so amusing right now or—" Spot's laughter stopped abruptly and his face darkened.

"Or vat?" he countered in a quiet yet deadly tone. I gulped. "I don't care whose sister you are. Nobody talks to me that way. Nobody."

I took a step back and quickly decided although I didn't understand the weird politics of this kid 'running Brooklyn' I definitely didn't want him as my enemy. "Please forgive me." I said politely and rapidly. "I would greatly appreciate however, if you explained the humor of what I said. I gave a smile and tried not to grit my teeth. To my surprise and relief he smiled back.

"Apology noted. Even though you didn't want to say it."

I grinned back a little. "No I didn't, not really." I admitted.

"Maybe you are Jacky boy's sister after all. So you know, Pat o Malley's girls are not 'ladies of loose morals' as you call them. Its just a tavern and the girls brighten up the place. Serve drinks, make conversation going smoothly, and the card cheating low. Pat's a good guy. He gives down on their luck girls a job and a place to stay and people to call family. His girls aint what you think."

I looked down at my feet ashamed. I had judged them so harshly without knowing any real facts about them at all. "He still tried to swindle me." I mumbled to my shoes. The boys both laughed.

"Of course he did!" Racetrack interjected. "He may be a good guy deep down but he's still gonna take any chance he can to make a penny!" He nudged me. "Come on. I will take you to TIbby's to see Cowboy as soon as I sell some of these papes. Did you walk all the way here from O'Malley's?"I shrugged and he let out a low whistle. "Thats a long walk for sure. Well, see ya Spot." Spot nodded in reply back to focusing on the sale of his papers.

Racetrack set off at a brisk walk hawking his papers as he went and I followed behind, carrying my bag which was getting heavy quickly, my arms already sore from carrying it around the night before. I was beginning to think I didn't want to tell Jacky about my night at all but with Racetrack now involved it probably couldn't be avoided. "Maybe Racetrack won't tell him." I thought then said aloud, "Hey Racetrack?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking, maybe you could keep my whereabouts last night between the two of us?"

"You nuts or something?" he scoffed, "I would never lie to Cowboy. He's a fellow newsie and one of my best friends. You should tell him yourself since you are his sister but if you don't then I will have to. He deserves to know and it looks like you might need some help." I groaned. While I knew he was right I worried that once Jacky found out I had lied by letting him assume things he might not even care that I had found him at all. He definitely wouldn't want to help me. Still it was the right thing to do.

"Thank you Racetrack. I will tell him myself and I am sorry for asking you to lie to my brother. I wouldn't want to strain your friendship."

Racetrack stopped walking. "Cowboy and I have been friends far too long for that. Saved each others necks more than a few times. He and Dave became like family real fast but its only been a little while. Things seemed real tense between them this morning and your name was mentioned."

"Jacky and I went to the Jacobs for dinner last night and David immediately showed his intense dislike for me. He accused me of thinking striking is a game and told me to go home. My brother got really mad and so did his father. David left before dinner was even over. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." I leaned against a nearby building and set my bag down. Racetrack followed my lead and propped a foot behind him against the wall.

"Wow, Evette. Stirring up trouble. You must be related to Cowboy or something." He laughed at his own joke then looked at the sky and added, "Bet you a penny we won't make it to Tibby's by lunch."

I raised an eyebrow, "Not taking that bet. No worries. We can take a hansom."

Racetrack snorted, "Sure, we can just take a hansom! And I got my own box at Sheepshead. Weren't you just sleeping on a bench? How do you expect to pay for that?"

"You obviously expected me to have something since you just tried to gamble with me." I retorted.

"I don't think all deep like that. Every person is a new opportunity to line my empty pockets. You could be on your last cent and I will gamble you for it. Most times I win. It's a gift." He pushed away from the wall and squinted down the street. "Would be nice if you could pay for a cab though."

As he hawked a few more papers, I weighed my options. Paying for a cab let him know I had some money and he might try to rob me but he was my brother's friend so I could most likely trust him. In all honesty, he might be trying to mess with me about being an opportunity to take my money. "What are you waiting for?" I finally called over. "Find us a cab!" Racetrack smiled and did as asked.

We rode in silence for a bit until he spoke, "Dime says Cowboy loses it when he finds out you slept in Brooklyn on a bench. Spot's bench!"

"Gee thanks Racetrack. You are such a pal for reminding me."

"Anytime." he smirked.

"Do you even have a dime to lose?" I asked spitefully. It was a low blow but worth it to take the smug expression from his face.

His grin only intensified as he countered my jab, "Oh, I don't plan on losing."

As irritating as he was purposefully being, I liked his straight forward, easy going manner. I also appreciated the fact that he was willing to help me out and derail his own day and sale of his papers. "Thanks for helping me out. Let me buy your remaining papers from you.

He frowned. "It's a favor between friends. I don't want your money."

"You just said five minutes ago that you DID want my money."

Racetrack crossed his arms, "I will win that money fair and square. I don't need your handout." He looked away and the mood turned awkward.

I scrambled for the right words. "I'm not giving you a handout trust me. Just thought a friend could lighten another friend's load. I am really grateful for your help today so how about I get your lunch this time. You can get mine next time when you have had more selling time."

After a moment he unfolded his arms and nodded, "Lunch sounds fair." His pride mollified, a bit of the awkwardness eased away. I had forgotten how this stuff worked sometimes. Just because someone was scraping by didn't mean they wanted your charity just the means to be able to help themselves. Unless you were my father but I didn't want to think about him. The cab stopped and I paid the driver.

Racetrack and I entered Tibby's, my stomach rumbling. I looked for the menu but stopped when I heard the tone of loud, angry voices outside.

"Go figure." said Racetrack. "Jack and Davy are still mad each other." The bell of the door chimed and Les slumped in.

"Somebody do something will you? They're driving me crazy." They both looked pointedly in my direction.

"Me? Why me?"

"It's you they are fighting about." Les answered. "David says you are suspicious. That things don't add up or something." My stomach plummeted. I shoved my bag and some money at Racetrack.

"Enjoy your lunch, friend." Then, squaring my shoulders, I stepped outside to face the bickering boys.