Charles Dickens
In Victorian England, Charles Dickens was one of the biggest—if not the biggest—celebrities in the world. Most celebrities don't interact with people in a lower social class than them because they think that they are better than them; Dickens, however, ironically spent much of his time with people in lower classes, bucking the trend.
Bogle
Andrew Bogle, a former slave from Jamaica, was initially looked down upon because of his skin color and because some thought that he didn't speak English well enough to be a competent witness. However, those expectations were crushed when Bogle was revealed to be an integral witness with a solid command of the English language.
Victorian England
Victorian England was incredibly patriarchal and had a largely negative view of people of color and women. However, it was a person of color (Bogle) and a woman (Touchet) who were ironically vital parts of ensuring the fair administration of justice.
Expectations vs. Reality
Touchet was thought by many characters in the novel to be an incompetent writer with little going for her. However, readers know that, in reality, she is a talented writer with a bright future ahead of her.
The "Tichborne Trial"
The "Tichborne Trial," which captivated Victorian England and much of the world, was one of the most complicated cases in history at the time. It required an extensive amount of work and was solved against what everyone thought was possible, given the technological constraints of the era.
