Victorian Nocturne

On occasions when she could afford it, Fox would make her way out to Kempton Park to see the horse races. Although she couldn't abide the animals in close proximity, she didn't mind watching them run from a distance, and the racecourse catered to all social types from what she'd seen. A fine way to spend one of the final days of summer, all in all.

She was in shirtsleeves that afternoon, having left her coat behind because of the warm day. The brim of a workman's cap shielded her eyes from the early afternoon sun, and she looked down at the tout form in her hand before making a mark on it with the stub of a pencil. A few pounds might be all she could afford to spend, but as long as she was careful with her bets she wouldn't lose track of how much she might lose. Moderation was the key to everything.

The apprentice made her way through the crowd, the racing form slightly crumpled in her grasp. The first race was to start in twenty minutes.