Daunting Dilemmas: The Wellington Mysteries, Vol. 3, Adventures of a Lesbian Victorian Detective by Edale Lane

Author:Edale Lane [Lane, Edale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Past and Prologue Press
Published: 2022-12-14T16:00:00+00:00

Having changed into a comfortable house dress and put a pot of stew on the stove to warm, Stetson settled into a stuffed armchair in her living room with her worn copy of Oliver Twist to revisit the book she had loved as a child. One of her heroes, Charles Dickens’ engaging tales of action and character development, marked with unexpected plot twists, were at their core a plea for social justice in England. If her nation was to lead the world, it could only do so from a position of morality and compassion, else they were simply another incarnation of the Roman Empire.

Dickens’ cumulative works had proved extremely influential as readers began noticing the plight of the poor and flaws in the administration of justice. Orphanages had improved since 1838 when this beloved serial book concluded, and more regulation existed to stamp out the practice of child slavery; however, she knew firsthand it persisted, despite laws designed to protect children. Workhouses were still dangerous depositories for poor parish boys even with legislation of the Factory Act and Education Act aimed at protecting children from exploitation. Dickens raised awareness, which ignited a movement whose banner was carried primarily by middle-class citizens. With new housing and sanitation laws, there were already swathes of the East End being demolished and rebuilt to higher standards. Still… Stetson couldn’t help but think of little Jonah as a type of Oliver. A wistful feeling stirred in her heart, hoping he, too, would get a happy ending.

The feel of the familiar leather cover in her hands, the long-earmarked corners from her previous reads, and the smell of the pages wrapped Stetson in a nostalgic embrace, reminding her of her loving mother, the support of the theatre troupe, and the happy days of her childhood. They never had much money, but always enough. She never went to bed without supper, nor was compelled to sleep in a cold room. Love and laughter had always surrounded her, even in the frequent times she got in trouble for venturing where she shouldn’t or being too over-zealous about something she wished to do. Nate used to tell her mother, “You could as soon tie down the wind as corral that little rascal, Miss Bernadette. Might as well let her fly.” She longed for every child to enjoy the blessings she had known growing up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.