Patience Hurst: Thief! Thief!
Subject: Accosted by a thief.
Who: Patience Hurst
Where: A London shopping street
Warnings: Mild violence
Open To: Anyone


Patience loved shopping. If she were to make a list of her favourite things shopping would come second she decided after attending parties. She decided she liked parties the most as they gave her an excuse to shop and do other things she enjoyed. After all, the daughter of a prominent Lord could hardly be seen attending an engagement in a dress she had already worn out – and a new dress meant new ribbons, shoes and sometimes if the occasion called for it jewellery. She had already been to the ribbon shop and was on the way to her dress-makers. They had such beautiful fabrics in although since the problems in France had begun their patterns had become much less outrageous. Patience preferred it that way. Having seen what her cousin Angélique thought fashionable she was glad she had never had the inclination to spend a summer visiting in aunt and uncle at the French Court.

No doubt Angélique would wear something scandalous to her father’s ball.

Stopping to gaze at her reflection in a shop window Patience noted that she should by herself a parasol. It would hardly do for a lady of her station to become tanned and worse already the freckles upon the bridge of her nose were beginning to show. So intent was she on this worry and on considering how she would out-do Angélique without causing a scandal herself that she failed to notice the young man who had come to stand at the window besides her.

In one quick moment he had gone from gazing in at the display to grabbing Patience’s little purse, and all the money she had brought for her shopping tip, shoving the young girl off balancing and run off into the crowded street. Patience fell, screaming, onto the dirty dusty path – embarrassed and horrified, able to already feel tears from the shock welling up in her eyes.

“Stop him! Someone stop him” She screamed. “Thief! Thief!”