Twisted Virtue - Jack Dawkins

misfortune and mean men

The wooden door opened and Fagin led the brute of a man inside, upon intrusion he noticed a slender young girl with widened doe eyes and a freckled face. She was indeed the girl who served him tea the other week. She looked timid and potentially subservient - just how he liked. Bill himself recently turned 17, but had a stocky stature and deep set eyes that contained a villainous stare of hatred. He sat down and sniffed loudly, without exchanging a greeting with the girl, he just placed himself directly opposite Nancy at the dining table, which was a frail oak table Fagin found down at the pub that was closing. Fagin was lurking on Bills shoulder ready to answer any queries he may have about Nancy. " How old did you say she was again?" The gruff voice asked the watchful man. "Thirteen Bill, Dodge and herself are my eldest." He sniffed again, and his eyes began to study her. Her rosy cheeks, big brown eyes, slender stature and blossoming womanly figure. " Looks fifteen at least Fagin. You sure you ain't conning me ,so you get to keep in her in your line of work for a couple more years?" Fagin was quick to react in pure panic , as he desperately didn't want to get on Bill's bad side. " I promise you Bill, cross my heart on all my lucky stars that my girl is thirteen I promise. " Fagin's eyes shifted from bulging at Bill in terror, over to Nancy. She was uncomfortably picking at the skin around her fingers. bouncing her knee and her eyes were skimming from one object in the room to another. She was reluctant to look at either of the men.

 So Fagin continued, urging her to gain some confidence and natural charm that he usually sees in her, " Nancy, are ya gonna say Ello to Mr Sykes? He's come all this way just for you." She suddenly felt obliged , so quickly flashed him a meek smile and uttered in a sweet , feeble little voice " Ello' , I appreciate all your efforts Mr Sykes." Bill took a swig of gin out of his tankard and placed it back down roughly" Pleasures all mine My Girl..." Nancy winced at this nickname as only Fagin and Dodger called her this out of endearment. Bill carried on talking, " Fagin was certainly right when he was talking about you. When you're fully grown you'd be amazing about the town. Good looks and figure for it. I'm sure you'll be good back home with me too." He cracked a menacing smile at her.  She didn't grasp what he was insinuating bur Fagin swiftly interrupted for her to care much. " Letssss not go rushing into things Bill. So do you like your reward? " He asked eagerly. Bill was staring Nancy up and down taking in every bit of her, every feature, freckle and hair strand. He nodded slowly and firmly. " I like it very much Fagin. Let's lay down the rules now then shall we?" Nancy was confused but their scheme became very clear to her very, very quickly. 

Fagin sat down in a chair at the head of the table in between Nancy and Bill who were still seated opposite one another. He began " So for now Bill as she ain't of age yet and is still growin' , She stays with me and the lads like normal. But you can come to see her, get to know each other, charm her. Bill was looking impatient and butted in " AND WHEN SHE TURNS SIXTEEN...? THEN WHAT..?" Both Nancy and Bill were looking directly at Fagin. He gulped loudly and reluctantly and begrudgingly replied to the man who now had his hands balled into a fist, resting on the table. " When... she is of age. You can have her. Take her home as your companion." He looked down with a deflated and mortified expression. He was ashamed that he was so badly in debt that he had to pawn off his own daughter figure to one of his most barbaric associates. Nancy's system was in shock but she didn't dare defy the men. Bill smirked and his eyes looked like a predator wating for his pray to be in the right position for him to devour her in one swipe. " It's settled then. Nancy is my new prize ." He stood, alerting Fagin and the young girl to do the same. "Ill be back this time next week for some time with my prize." He slapped Fagin on the back and stopped in front of Nancy. "Just making sure she is the one that I want Fagin." He informed Fagin before grabbing the girl's jaw in a firm grasp with his large, dirtied hands full of callouses and bruises. Her eyes widened as she stated up him as he started turning her head from one side to the other, pushed her hair out of her face and then said in a gravelly, low command " Smile for me pretty girl." She unsurely cracked a smile just wide enough so he could catch a glimpse of her straight, white teeth. Once he was satisfied he let her jaw go, grunted and left. Nancy hadn't realised that she had been holding her breath the entire time, so she let out a sigh of relief and as the front door slammed loudly. Her whole world came crashing down on her and realisation of the direction her life was heading hit her like a brick. 

Large droplets of heavy tears were forming in her eyes and she was viciously blinking back . desperate not to show Fagin that she was distraught by this news. But in actuality she was petrified of what her life may become. Scared to leave her father figure, the first person who believed she had potential to make a living, She had to leave the boys, her brothers. She had to leave Dodger the first person who showed her how to love unconditionally... whether he was aware of that or not. Fagin awkwardly just uttered " Well um.. I'll be in the kitchen My Dear." As he walked past her, he gave her a pat on the cheek in appreciation." Well Done today, keep a brave face on My girl. " He clearly didn't want to get into an argument with Nancy about it ,as he knew how opinionated the girl could be and he knew that she didn't like this agreement one bit and was offended that she hadn't been apart of the discussion.

Later that night when the boys had arrived home and retired to their beds and Fagin fast asleep in the living room. Jack and Nancy were leaning against the collapsed, grey ,brick wall that separates the main living quarters from the kitchen. Leaning up against each other, shoulders touching, legs out in front of them, her head on his shoulder. They were having a conversation, unpacking all that had happened that day. Dodger had clearly been concerned about Nancy's health all day whilst he was out with the boys. He asked in a hushed whisper " So you ain't dying" Nancy subtly shook her head , looked at him and smiled " Nah. Fagin said it's normal, apparently it's gonna happen every month and all women get it. I wasn't really sure what he was on about but I'll take his word for it. " Jack accepted this and they moved on with the conversation." Me and Charlie stole a right good watch today, got a gold fastener and everything. And Fagin blew a fuse before, he went mental at me cause I didn't wanna leave you if you was sick. AND this ugly brute he meets up with down the strange alleys, Bill Sykes was here, but I ain't sure why. Did you get a glimpse of him?" Nancy didn't know how to answer but the great thing about Dodger is- he loves to talk, so he continued before she had chance to answer." Anyway what was Fagin talking to you about in the lounge? He never locks the doors. " Nancy knew this would have to be the time she told him, as much as she didn't want to. "Well I'm courting someone." Nance couldn't bare look him in the eyes and tell him this ,so she fixed her eyes on her feet which were flexed out in front of her and she noticed that her legs were nearly as long as Jack's. Dodger sat bolt up and turned to face her fully." You what? To who , you ain't old enough yet !" Then realisation hit him. That's why Bill was there today. Nancy was the prize Fagin was talking about. It all made sense now.  "No ?!" He asked her with equal amounts of dread and pity. She turned her head to look at him with tear stained cheeks and glassy eyes.        "I've got no choice Dodge." Jack was in a sate of disbelief and exclaimed. "him ?! YOU'RE COURTIN' BILL ?! He must be at least seventeen!" Nancy sighed in defeat as this is exactly how she expected Dodger to react. " Yeah he is seventeen. There's no laws against it Fagin said, and it happens all the time in society. " The boy  couldn't believe what he was hearing. " What so you're leavin' us? You can't ! Who'll help me with the boys? Take charge on thieving days ?They need a big sister and mother figure , you're all they've got. YOU'RE ALL I'VE GOT. " She hastily slapped him in the arm as he raised his voice." Will you keep it down , you're gettin' ahead of yourself Dodge. I ain't going anywhere until I'm sixteen, that's when I've got to move in with him, because that's when I'm of age. But for now I'm annoyingly stuck with you." She was trying to lighten the mood because she knew how distraught Jack would be about the news. It was unsuccessful and she noticed big beads of salty water dripping from his hazel eyes and onto his cheeks. He sniffed in anguish as she leaned back into him and he put his arm around her. "I wont let him! He'll have to go through me and all the lads before he takes you anywhere. We care about you too much Nance." This made Nancy chuckle to herself and she was interlacing her fingers through his. Even though the two were only thirteen and had never confessed anything romantically. The love that Dodger held for Nancy was unmatched and he was heartbroken that this brainless, cruel villain is coming to steal her away as his prize. Dodger knew the sort of life that Bill led and how aggressive and heinous he was. He couldn't bear to think of his girl alone in a room with that monster. He couldn't. So instead he changed the subject and the two talked about nothingness until Dodger felt the steady, heavy breaths of Nancy as she leant on his chest , he was still sat against the wall , stroking her hair ( just how she liked it) but he didn't dare move now. Clearly this day was physically and mentally exhausting for poor Nancy. But Dodger knew that he was going to challenge Fagin about his decision the moment he wakes up, before Nancy does as he knew that she would hate him interfering, but he wasn't going to lose her to him that easily.