Annie Chapman's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Annie Chapman pressed her back against the cold brick wall, watching the gentleman's carriage roll past. Her breath made small clouds in the October air. She needed a patron—someone rich and powerful enough to keep her safe from the dangers of Whitechapel's streets. The gaslights flickered overhead as she smoothed down her purple skirt. Tonight she would find him, the man who could protect her from hunger and fear. But standing on street corners wouldn't work. She needed a real plan—a way to meet wealthy men without looking desperate. The answer came to her Tuesday morning when she passed the market square. Vendors lined the walkways, selling everything from flowers to fabric. Rich folks stopped at the stalls, browsing and chatting with the sellers. Annie counted her coins. She had just enough to buy lace and dark cloth from the textile merchant. By afternoon, she'd draped a borrowed table with ornate fabrics and arranged her few decent items—a velvet ribbon, some silk scraps, a pair of embroidered gloves. The stall looked elegant, like something from a Gothic tale. Men in top hats walked past, their eyes lingering on her display. One smiled at her. Annie smiled back, her heart beating faster. This could work. This could change everything.