Set around late 1800s or early 1900s. Main character is a nurse in a big city (London?). She has an uneducated assistant who has escaped an orphanage or workhouse. Spoilers.

[Barbara]

Nurse makes plans to have assistant live with her and an unwanted baby but assistant dies at the end of the of the book.

[Kris]

Barbara, what's the genre (which we need to add to the topic header) - e.g., adult historical fiction, literary fiction, mystery, etc.?

Around what year did you read this book?

[JoLynn]

Possibly one of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight mystery series, or something by Anne Perry.