Jack smiled at Olivia’s surprise. The young girl – wearing male clothing, as always – had been born in London, abandoned in London and forced to learn to live on her own in London. She had never seen Hyde Park or any of the great gardens patronised by the rich and powerful; she had certainly never left the city. The green farmlands that surrounded London, supplying the city with food and drink, were completely new to her. Jack, who had seen them before, found himself reflecting, instead, on their other aspects. If something were to happen to the farms, London would starve. Their little steamboat was heading up the Thames, away from London. Jack had been worried about navigating the endless series of locks and canals, but Mordecai Smith – the Master of the Aurora – had assured him that it was perfectly safe. Besides, there were thousands of vessels plying their trade on the river every day. Who was going to look at a single boat? “It’s what the land ought to be everywhere,”
