The Artful Dodger

Chapter 3

Slowly, Nancy exited the flat, clutching her cloak over her head for a disguise. She took the shortcut to the market, all winding alleys and dangerous pathways. When she got to the main town, she walked along the busy streets. She was looking for the familiar blue jacket and top hat, and after a while of searching, Nancy saw him and Charley Bates wandering around the square, which she assumed was because they were looking for their next target. But they weren't.

Suddenly, she noticed who they were staring at. Her blood ran cold. It was some pretty flower seller girl. She could see Dodger trying to impress her, walking past and doffing his hat, which earned him a smile from her. Charley and the Dodger then leaned up against a stall, staring and whispering, before the Dodger himself strode up to her confidently. From where Nancy was, she could hear every word. Her blood boiled.

"Hullo, pretty! The name's Jack Dawkins, but you can call me Dodger. You?"

Nancy's heart was bursting with jealousy. Yes, she knew she had no claim over him- after all, she was with Bill, but she couldn't help but feel angry at this intruder. There was no going back and now she had to endure watching him flirting with some other girl.

However, Nancy did not know the full story. For the pretty flower girl was in fact terrified. Her small family had just moved, and she had to get used to a new selling ground and also make new friends. However, it wasn't so bad, she'd discovered rather quickly. It was only her first day, but she had already spotted a pair of friendly looking boys. One was handsome with a blue jacket and top hat, though rather small for his age, with big brown eyes, and the other looked friendly and seemed to laugh a lot. They had seen her too, so she smiled and continued selling her posies, trying not to let her nerves show through. They walked past the girl several times, the boy in the blue doffing his hat to her. She blushed- he was really quite good looking. Both boys leaned against a wall for a while, and then the handsome one came up to her.

"Hullo, pretty! Name's Jack Dawkins, but you can call me Dodger. You?" He spoke in a clear, confident voice.

She stared back for a few seconds before replying. Why was he talking to her?

"Hello, Dodger. I'm Rose. I'm new here, maybe you could show me around?" she said, before kicking herself. Needy, desperate, that's how she sounded.

However, he did not seem phased. On the contrary he nodded, a smile spreading across his face.

"Sure thing, dear! Permit me to assist you across the road?"

He took Rose's arm and helped her cross though there was not much traffic apart from a swarm of market traders. Not only that, but she didn't even want to cross in the first place.

"Why, thank you, Dodger! I feel so much safer around you," Rose joked, but then she noticed an older girl behind a stall. This would not have been unusual, but she was staring at them with an expression of intense dislike, and this was making her feel uneasy.

"Dodger? Who's that girl? Do you know her?" Rose whispered.

The Artful Dodger turned and spotted her. She was wearing a loose red dress which looked slightly faded, and her ginger hair flowed over her shoulders, partly tied back. Rose had never seen her before but Dodger seemed to recognise her at once.

"That's our Nancy! Charley! Look, Nancy's come to see us!"

Charley peered over and waved. The girl stiffened, having been spotted, but then waved and pretended to look surprised to see them. Badly, behind a wide grin, she tried to conceal her emotions, but her smile looked scary and intimidating rather than friendly. However the Artful Dodger did not notice this and he grabbed Rose and dragged her over to Nancy. Nancy's flouncy red dress was torn and tattered, and she smoothed it out hastily when she saw the Dodger approaching.

"Hey Nancy! Here's a novelty! This is Rose, flower seller, what d'yer think of that?" said the Dodger, still not noticing that Nancy looked very pained and rather like she wanted to disappear.

"Ah, hello Rose," she said over-cheerfully, "So you've met the charmin' Dodger?"

Rose, who had already noticed the expression of dislike on Nancy's face, replied politely but apprehensively- she had no idea why Nancy seemed to hate her after less than thirty seconds of acquaintance.

"Pleased to meet you, and yes I've just met Dodger here, rather charming lad I suppose," she said, then after seeing Nancy's face harden even more, she tried to think what to say to her to loosen the older girl up.

"Nancy, are you alright?" interrupted Dodger, finally seeing that Nancy wasn't acting quite her normal self.

"Naw she's annoyed with Dawkins!" said Charley Bates in his usual loud, obnoxious voice, "we're talkin' to people when we're supposed to be gettin' on wi'... our jobs. Betcha Nancy's spyin' for Fagin! Ha! But Nance you make sure yer tell 'im that it were all Dodger's idea an' I 'ad nothin' to do with it!"

Charley Bates ended in a great roar of laughter though nothing remotely funny had just been said. Rose tittered politely, not understanding a word of his cockney accent, while Dodger looked at Nancy wide eyed.

"You're not gonna tell Fagin? Are you? Hell Nance, thought I knew you better than that! Spyin' on the Artful!" said the Dodger, shaking his head and lifting his hat in an exaggerated display of disgust.

Nancy shook her head quickly.

"I weren't spying on you for Fagin, Dawkins. I weren't spying on you for nobody but myself. I got my own mind and I don't need no robber to tell me what to do!"

"Nance was spyin' for herself? Oh that's a laugh!" shrieked Charley, laughing again but the other three people looked very serious.

"Nancy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you were..." began Dodger but Rose interrupted.

"Robber? Who's a robber? Who's Fagin?"

Nancy flushed when she realised what she had said in front of a stranger. Who knew? Rose could be the daughter of a policeman- sent to keep an eye on the small scale pickpockets! Nancy mentally kicked herself.

"No! I didn't mean robber like a thief... it's a street name for someone who's tight with their money... y'know what I mean." she said slowly.

Dodger, who was standing a little way behind Rose pulled a face at Nancy and quickly re-entered the conversation, seeing that they had to leave before any more awkward questions were asked.

"Rose, it's been lovely meetin' such a pretty girl as yer'self but me an' Charley an' Nancy got to go now, will you be here in the morn?"

Rose nodded, and waved goodbye to the people who soon melted into the crowd as if they had all been taught. In fact... perhaps they had.