The Rat-Catcher's Daughter by K.J. Charles

She was smart and saucy and near enough to everything she’d always wanted to be. Big brown eyes, long dark lashes, a nice smile, not that she felt like smiling now. She wasn’t a classical beauty, perhaps, but she looked well enough. She tucked her shortish black hair under the long black wig, and contemplated Miss Christiana in the mirror. Painted and powdered-it was always a nuisance finding the right colours for her tawny skin when most powders were chalk-white-lined her eyes with kohl, stepped into a shimmering green satin gown and matching emerald pumps with a darling heel, made by a cobbler who specialised in women’s shoes for larger feet. So she might as well look her best while she could, and it would be something to do while she waited. She was looking at serious damage, because Kammy liked to be sure other people saw the examples he made. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go, or anyone who’d hide her. She’d have tried it anyway, but she was in a dressing room of the Britannia, a cramped Hoxton music hall, and there wasn’t a window. Kammy was coming for a personal chat to express his disappointment, and any attempt to nack off would just get her an advance beating, an hors d’oeuvre before the main course. Even more than that, she would have liked to run, but one of Kammy’s men was leaning on the outside of the door.

She was going to get her head kicked in whatever clothes she wore, because Kammy Grizzard intended to make an example of her, and Kammy’s examples were notorious. The question thrummed urgently in her head, but it was merely a distraction, because nothing she did would matter now. If she was painted and clad as herself, would the men coming for her be a little more restrained with their blows? Might they leave her face alone? Or would they be all the crueller for it?

This story takes place two years before the events of Any Old Diamonds.Ĭontent warning: the story opens with a scene of misgendering/transphobia and threat of violence Chapter OneĬhristiana looked in the mirror, and wondered if getting dressed up would make the forthcoming beating better or worse. With huge thanks to Helen Kord, May Peterson, and Lady Tiferet.

The Rat-Catcher's Daughter by K.J. Charles