One of the first things they did after breakfast was to go shopping as soon as the stores opened. Serena was no longer barefoot and cold, but her attire was hardly appropriate for the streets of London. One quick trip in Oxford Street and she was now dressed considerably better, while Freddie's wallet felt considerably lighter.
They spent the rest of the day mostly sightseeing. The city, which Serena soon found out was called London, was actually quite old and popular in this world. People from everywhere came to live here for a time, or for ever, and the city just kept growing bigger by the year. Freddie took her to see all the most famous sites, giving her a bit of history with every place they visited. The city was so big and there was so much history behind it, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and confused, Serena felt like gobbling everything up with a hunger she had never felt before. Everything about this city, this whole world actually, seemed to fascinate her, and she simply wanted to learn more.
By the end of the day, despite her desire for more touring, Serena felt like she needed to rest. They’d been walking and riding busses all over the city, visiting all the different places and attractions that Freddie thought she might enjoy, and they were both now feeling quite worn out.
Evening found them sitting at the dining table in Freddie’s small flat, sharing a giant pepperoni pizza they’d picked up on their way home. Serena was once again impressed and did not fail to show it.
When time came for bed, Freddie led her to the guest room.
‘I assume I will see you again tomorrow,’ he said, ‘but in case I don’t, it was really nice to meet you, Serena. I had a good time today and I hope you enjoyed yourself too.’
‘Oh, thanks, Fred; I had a great time too. And I hope I will come back tomorrow; there’s so much more that I want to see and do here.’
Freddie smiled.
‘Goodnight then. Oh, and say “Hi” to your dad from me.’
‘Will do. Goodnight.’
Freddie shut the door and left her on her own. Serena had never been happier to see a bed. She’d never been so tired in her life, just like she had never felt hunger, or thirst before. In some things this world could be a bit more like her Endërland.
Bessie’s poor feet ached as if she had just walked over lit coal, yet she would not relent. Little Drake had more growing up to do before he could outrun her,
‘Here now, you little devil. Stop running from me and come get dressed, or I swear I will tell the missis.’
‘No,’ Drake’s melodious voice echoed from the end of the hall where he had finally been cornered. Nowhere else to go. Bessie smiled a mid-evil smile, the kind she only shared with the little devil. She advanced towards him, confident that she had won this one. As she got close enough, Drake made one last attempt to escape her grasp, but failed miserably. The punishment, a few good minutes of tickling, until he could laugh no more and the nanny decided to stop before she’d have to change him again.
When she was done dressing him, Bessie gave the boy a quick kiss on the forehead and arranged his little hat. The five-year-old looked the proper gentleman and then some.
‘Off you go now. Your papa will be waiting outside for you. Now don’t you forget to bring me something nice, you hear?’ She winked at him as he began walking towards the door. The child winked back at her and disappeared beyond the front door and into the carriage where Mr. Bagley was waiting.
This wasn’t the first time Bagley junior had joined his father on a trip. In fact, it wasn’t a trip at all, more like work, and at his young age Drake was already a highly skilled worker. The Bagleys were in the goods business, more specifically, confiscating them from unassuming individuals, whose only fault seemed to be caring for a poor abandoned child in need of their assistance on what would turn out to be a most unlucky day for them. Drake’s fingers could really perform magic, making wallets disappear from people’s pockets and reappear in his father’s hands. He was already the Bagleys’ pride and joy and promised to be quite, well, promising.
The trade so far was going well. They travelled from county to county, never going twice in the same place within a short period of time so as to avoid getting caught. And almost every time they came back home with a considerable number of wallets, purses and other valuables. It wasn’t enough to set them for life, but it kept them living more than comfortably. Of course, the biggest cut was always put aside and added to The Fund.
The Bagleys’ ultimate dream was to buy a nice respectable house in a nice respectable neighbourhood, where nice respectable first class people lived. They weren’t quite there yet, but they were getting closer by the year. They had started in the slums, both of them, Mr. Bagley a pickpocket in the streets of the merciless city, and Mrs. Bagley the daughter of a small innkeeper, who ended up gambling his fortune away and almost selling his only child to slavery. Need and passion had brought the two of them together and they had made their own fortune ever since, she with her smart wits and he with his quick fingers and light feet.
Ten years since that day they were still together, now living in a small two-storey house in one of the better neighbourhoods of Whitechapel. They kept one maid slash nanny, whose earnings they “trusted to the bank along with their own finances”, or so they would tell her. And since they were unable to have any children of their own, they were forced to “adopt” little Drake, who had turned out to be their best investment up to date. Things were definitely looking up for the Bagleys. In a few years’ time, they would finally have their dream life in their dream home and then all would be well with the world. Or so they kept telling little Drake. The truth would soon prove to be much more different.
Chapter 3
Open Horizons