The Barefoot Barmaid (Belles & Bullets Book 1) Read online

  THE BAREFOOT BARMAID

  Caylen McQueen

  ©Copyright 2017 Caylen McQueen

  1

  “Raine!” Kitt's eyes were wide as she stormed into the kitchen where her stepmother, in a sagging blouse, was shamelessly sucking on sticky sweets. A copious amount of cleavage surged from the top of Raine's shirt, and when she licked the chocolate from her fingers, her lips made an unnecessarily loud smacking noise. “Raine, have you seen my slippers?”

  “Thank goodness you don't call me Mama anymore, girl.” Raine ran a finger under her eye, presumably to smooth a tiny wrinkle. “I'm only ten years older than you, you know. When you used to call me Mama, it was awkward.” The age gap was more like fifteen years, but Raine had a tendency to round down.

  “I haven't called you that in ages,” Kitt pointed out. “And I don't think I'd call you that again. Ever.” Her nose wrinkled as she repeated, “Have you seen my slippers?” Kitt checked herself in the looking glass as she waited for her stepmother's reply—which was delayed by more sweets stuffed into the woman's flabby cheeks. She readjusted her gray newsboy cap, loosened the collar of her tie, and tugged on her shirt ever-so-slightly. For a barmaid, she thought she looked rather posh.

  When she finished chewing, Raine kicked up her feet on the table, as if flaunting the fact that she was wearing her stepdaughter's missing footwear. “They're right here on my own two feet. As you can see.”

  “Well, I need them!” When Kitt tried to grab Raine's foot, her stepmother tucked her feet under the table, out of view. “I have to be at work in less than ten minutes!”

  “That's too bad for you, dear. These are mine now. I've commandeered them.”

  “That's not funny.”

  “I'm not trying to be funny, Kitty!” Raine threw back her head and laughed, as loudly and snidely as possible. “I'm quite serious. I needed some shoes, so I took yours.”

  “Well, can I have them back?”

  “Can you have them back?” Raine leaned forward, resting her elbows against the table as she lit a long cigar. Her tight black ringlets, recently freed from their curlers, bounced as she shook her head. “Aren't you listening? I took them. They're mine. Mine. Don't be so selfish.”

  “Selfish?” Kitt shrieked. “How am I being selfish? They're my slippers!” And they weren't even fancy. They were simple and gray, with a tiny hole over the little toe.

  “And since we're discussing the topic of your selfishness, you've been avoiding a particular issue.” Raine took a drag from her cigar before jabbing it in Kitt's direction. “You're nearly twenty, girl. You should think about getting married soon. Or do you intend to be a burden on your poor, dear papa for the rest of your life?”

  “Ha!” At first, the only answer Kitt could manage was shocked laughter. After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she replied, “Of course I don't want to burden my father! But couldn't you also say I'm only twenty, so there's no need to rush?”

  “I wasn't much older than you when I married your father, you know.” Raine dragged a hand through her curl-covered head. She looked exhausted, as if she couldn't believe the nerve of the girl. “By the time you are five and twenty, your options will be fewer... and as more time passes, fewer and fewer still. No man wants a wife who's approaching thirty when he could have a young lady of eighteen. It's something to consider.” She tapped her cigar against an old copper ash tray as she spoke. “Listen to me. Five years will pass very quickly, and suddenly you'll be a less than desirable option.”

  “W-well...” Kitt hesitated. She was almost afraid to broach the topic. “What if I have no desire to marry? Ever.”

  “And there it is!” Raine suddenly clapped her hands together. “There's that selfishness I spoke of! I swear, girl, it's as if you have no consideration for anyone but yourself!”

  “You are the one who stole my shoes!”

  “Get out of my sight.” Raine tried to wave her stepdaughter away with a flick of her hand. “I don't care to see your face right now... not when my head is throbbing like it is!”

  “Hangover again?” As she asked the question, Kitt could practically feel the smug smile spreading across her face. It was hard to have pity for a woman who treated her so reprehensibly. “Well, I guess I'll go to work barefoot then.”

  “Ah, now there's an idea! And it's the first good idea you've had all day.” Raine heckled Kitt as she left the house. “Perhaps it will teach you some damned humility!”

  Barefoot and fuming, Kitt slammed the door behind her. As she strolled the dirty streets of Lundun, she swore she could feel the filth seeping into her skin with every step she took. The smog in the sky from all the steam engines was bad enough; now the bottoms of her feet were turning black. Tears glowed in Kitt's eyes as she approached the softly-burning street lamp where she was supposed to meet Tobias. He was already waiting for her, which was no surprise. No matter how punctual she tried to be, Tobias was always the one waiting for her.

  “There you are!” exclaimed Tobias, as if he had been standing there for ages. When his gaze dropped from her eyes to her feet, Kitt suppressed a groan. “Wait... where are your slippers?”

  “Stolen.” When she heard the sharp warning whistle from a nearby steam train, she grabbed Tobias' arm and pulled him in the direction of the station. The whistle was to let them know there was little time to board. Maybe she was later than she realized? “They were stolen by my stepmother, no less.”

  “Why?” Tobias' brow furrowed as he sprinted to keep up with her. For someone rather short, his friend could move quickly. “No offense, but your slippers were hardly... quality.”

  “Every time someone starts a sentence with no offense, how do they always end up saying something offensive?” Kitt simultaneously rolled her eyes and sighed.

  “But I didn't mean anything by it, Kitt! I sw-swear I didn't! It's not like either of us has got fancy things!” As if to prove his point, Tobias tugged on his tattered red necktie, from which there dangled a tarnished silver pocket watch. “So why did your stepmum steal your shoes?”

  “I don't know. Why does Raine do anything she does? Probably to make my life miserable.” As they climbed aboard the train, she caught two people glancing dubiously in the direction of her feet. “Now she thinks I should get married soon.”

  “R-r-r-really?” His stammer was intensified by shock. When Tobias sat across from her on the train, his face was flushed. He hoped he wouldn't regret what he was going to say next. “Well... you could always marry m-m-me.”

  “Oh, Tobias!” Kitt dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. “You're my best friend! Don't be ridiculous! Wouldn't it be too odd for us to marry? Besides, I'm sure my stepmother plans to marry me off to some rich old man... or... as rich as you can get when you're basically living in the slums.” Kitt flexed her dirty toes, which helped to remind her of her dire situation. Her family really was the poorest of the poor. “At least, I hope he'll be rich. I need to get out of this squalor.”

  “Well, if you ever change your m-m-mind, you know I'm always here for you.” Tobias didn't dare to confess he was actually hoping to be her husband one day, not when she was so firmly against the idea.

  Kitt studied Tobias's face across the table. She could think of worse fates than being married to her best friend. He was cute, at least, even if he was a bit younger than her—by a little over a year. His curly blonde mane was fluffy and wild, and a bit longer than her pixie cut. His face was still very boyish, and consumed by countless freckles. Kitt thought he looked too young and cherubic to be anyone's husband, let alone hers.

  “Y-you marry me,” Tobias continued. “A
nd we can work at Lucky's forever.”

  “Yeah. That sounds like the happily ever after of my dreams!” Kitt briefly picked up a newspaper, ignoring the headline in large, bold letters: NOTORIOUS SKY PIRATE EMPLOYED BY ROYAL FAMILY. She leafed through the pages and, finding nothing to catch her interest, she quickly tossed it aside. “I wish you wouldn't even make jokes like that.”

  “But it's not really a joke.” Tobias's shoulders popped into a shrug as he spoke. “Right now, I can't see myself anywhere but Lucky's... not because I love it, but because I don't have a lot of other options.”

  “But there's got to be something better than this life...” Kitt responded quietly, peering through the smudged window as the steam train howled to life. “There's got to be.”

  2

  “What the bloody hell is this?” Lucky's eyes were almost feral when he pointed at Kitt's bare feet. “Where's your shoes, girl?”

  “I... lost them.”

  “Who the bloody hell loses their shoes?” Lucky took a drag from his cigarette and unkindly blew a billow of smoke in Kitt's direction.

  “They were... stolen.” Kitt winced as she said it. Explaining how and why they were stolen would be more embarrassing than showing up at her workplace with bare feet.

  “Stolen?” He flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it. “Who the bloody hell goes around stealin' shoes?”

  “It was my--”

  “I don't bloody care, actually,” Lucky interrupted her. “Just go inside and get to work. If it can be avoided, try not to show your dirty, stinkin' toes to my customers. I can't have them thinking my workers is so poor they can't even buy shoes for themselves!”

  “Sorry...” Kitt softly murmured as she brushed past Lucky and entered the pub. Her boss was well over six feet tall, had a remarkably unfriendly face, and his forearms were thicker than most thighs. As intimidating as he was, she preferred not to talk to him too long, especially when he was railing at her. When she joined Tobias behind the bar, Kitt's head had sunken shamefully between her shoulders.

  “You look s-s-sad,” Tobias observed. “Was Lucky giving you hell?”

  “He definitely wasn't happy with me.” As she stood behind the counter, Kitt's eyes scanned the dark room, briefly absorbing the sea of customers' faces. Even though it was barely noon, some of the men were already loud, raucous, and most likely in their cups. Kitt could tell it was going to be a long, busy, miserable day. She watched Tobias polish mugs for a moment before she finally sighed and said, “Well, I guess I should get to work.”

  “That couple over there hasn't been served yet.” Tobias nodded in the direction of an older lady wearing a red feather boa and plumed turban. The woman was sitting on the lap of a much younger man, whose fake smile was obvious, even from the other side of the room. He apparently wasn't enjoying the company of his older, gaudier mistress. “Go take their order, and I'll make the drinks today.” Tobias rolled up his sleeves in preparation.

  “Alright.” Kitt sighed audibly as she resigned herself to work. She approached the strange couple and asked, with feigned politeness, “What can I get you today?”

  “Mmm.” The older woman playfully rubbed her nose against her lover's. “What'll you have, Snugglebums?”

  “I, uh...” The younger man's already-ruddy face turned an even brighter shade of crimson, from his chin to his ears to his scalp. Kitt assumed he was embarrassed by the public usage of his ridiculous nickname. “I'll have, a, uh... scotch.”

  “Bo-ring!” the woman shrilled as she planted a red lipstick kiss on her lover's left cheek. To Kitt, she said, “I'll have a Highland Fling.”

  It took Kitt a moment to realize she was talking about a drink. “I... oh! Alright. I'll be back with your drinks as soon as I can.”

  As Kitt made her way back to Tobias, one of the louder patrons slapped her rear end. Such inappropriate behavior from drunken men was hardly uncommon, so she bit her tongue and kept walking.

  “Oy!” The man who slapped her called to her. He was roughly forty, and looked as if he hadn't washed his face in ages. “Come 'ere a minute, love. I've got sumfin to ask you.” Against her better judgment, Kitt turned to face the man. As much as she would have liked to walk away, she knew it was rude to ignore a customer, and she didn't want to tempt any more of Lucky's ire. When Kitt was facing him, the lewd man grinned. He had such a gap between his front teeth, Kitt wondered if he was missing a tooth. “My name's Grim.”

  “Alright.” Kitt tried to sound as calm as possible. “Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Grim?”

  “Mr. Grim? Didja hear that, boys?” Grim turned to his two cronies, and the three of them roared with laughter. “Lil' girlie here is addressing me like I was a gentleman! That's real right and proper, that is!”

  “If there isn't anything you want, I should really get back to work.”

  When she started to walk away, Grim reached out to capture her arm. “Oh, there's sumfin I want, all right.” As he pulled her toward him, his gap-toothed grin returned. “How's about a kiss for old Grim, eh?”

  “Sorry... that's not going to happen.” Kitt would have liked to plow her elbow into his chest, or perhaps knock out another of his teeth, but she had to remind herself that he was a customer, and she needed her job.

  “Aw. Come on, luv. Give us a kiss.” Grim pointed at his grime-covered cheek. The many steam engines installed throughout Lundun hadn't done his filthy face any favors. “Just kiss me right 'ere. Or on me bum. I ain't picky.

  “Leave her alone,” a sharp male voice chimed in. When Kitt turned her attention to the speaker, her eyes narrowed curiously. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with olive skin, and messy brown hair half-hidden under a dusty black top hat. He wore black trousers and a gray trench coat, which was so ratty, it had several patches sewn onto it. It looked like a homeless man's coat. He hadn't bothered to wear a shirt, and though his trench coat was closed, a portion of his muscular chest was on display. His shrewd, dark eyes were staring straight ahead, as if he couldn't be bothered to glance in their direction.

  “Oi?” Grim cocked his head as he observed the speaker. “Who are you to tell me what to do, son?”

  “I could be your worst nightmare. So if you were smart, you'd leave the girl alone.” The man in the patchwork coat lifted his cigarette to his mouth and narrowed his eyes, never once glancing in Grim's direction.

  Grim must have felt at least somewhat threatened, because he released Kitt's arm immediately. As she headed back to the bar, Kitt flashed a slight smile in the direction of her hero, but he was looking down at his cigarette, paying no attention to her. Grim and the stranger exchanged no more words, they simply got back to their drinks and their own business. Kitt breathed a sigh, relieved that an incident was avoided.

  “Were those guys harassing you?” Tobias asked when she returned.

  “Kind of. It's not a big deal.” It wasn't a lie. While working at Lucky's, she had certainly lived through worse. Nevertheless, the tiny hairs on her nape still prickled when she replayed the dialogue in her head. As she started pouring customers' drinks, she asked, “Hey... do you know that man over there? He looks so familiar to me.” The next time she glanced in the direction of her rescuer, he was suddenly studying her with great interest. She quickly looked away, blushing furiously.

  “Who...?” When Tobias followed her gaze to the gentleman in question, his jaw dropped. “Wait, you mean you don't know who that is? He's kind of notorious.”

  “Well... I mean... he looks familiar, but I--”

  “That's Francis Doon. His face has been plastered on wanted posters for as long as I can remember!”

  As soon as Kitt heard the name, something clicked in her head. “You mean, that's Francis Doon the Sky Pirate? Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. That's him. D-d-definitely.”

  “Well, should we call somebody? Should we try to get in contact with the authorities? They'd probably like to know there's a wanted criminal here.” Kitt felt
a bit guilty as she considered turning in the man who rescued her, but she assumed there was a reward for his capture—a reward that she desperately needed.

  “You really don't pay attention to the news, do you?” Tobias rolled his eyes as he handed her an empty glass. “He's working for the royal family now! If we interfered with whatever he's doing, we would be the ones in trouble.”

  “So they've got pirates working for them?” Kitt's brow furrowed as she continued making drinks. “Isn't that somewhat... unusual?”

  “Not really. The royal family's been using privateers for ages... but they usually don't hire someone with a reputation as b-b-black as his.”

  Kitt wished she had paid more attention to the wanted posters, because she was suddenly curious. “What has he done?”

  “They say he slaughtered a whole village once. He burned entire families in their homes. He flays his enemies alive, and when he's done with them, he sticks their heads on pikes and displays them as a warning.”

  “That's... horrid.” A monstrous man was in the same room as her, breathing the same air as her. The thought made her sick to her stomach “Has he killed children?”

  “I'm pretty sure he has.” Tobias and Kitt quietly studied the man in question. At that moment, one of the bustier barmaids, Veronika, was flagrantly flirting with him. She was leaning forward, dangling her overflowing bosom in his face. Oddly enough, the pirate couldn't have looked less interested. And when Veronika tried to touch his hair, Doon immediately dodged her hand. “That's w-w-why it's so controversial. No one wants to believe the king and queen would work with a man like that.”

  “Your stammer's improved,” Kitt suddenly pointed out.

  “H-h-has it? My m-mum said the s-same thing.” He stuttered through his entire response, as if trying to prove her wrong.

  “A sky pirate...” Kitt whispered the words. “You know, it's always been a dream of mine to ride on an airship.”