That night, with the house silent once more, Leah prepared to head out into the city.

She had eaten supper, dismissed Emma for the night, and stayed in her room with the door partially open so she could hear the servants moving around. Everything had to be planned perfectly, with no chance of mistakes, meaning she couldn't get caught. Her father had yet to return home, and Leah decided she had at least another hour or so until her window of opportunity dissipated.

Leah changed in silence, pulling off her dress and replacing it with a pair of trousers, a shirt, and a flat cap, which she tucked her hair into. The clothes had been stolen from Eric, her father's servant, and were a little too big, but they disguised her. She tucked the hammer into her waistband, pulling the belt tight to ensure it wasn't going to slip down her leg.

The darkness seeped into the room. Leah smiled, glad that the dark clouds had lingered long enough to cover the moon that usually created light across the darkened streets. She preferred to strike when the moon hid behind the clouds. There would be more places to hide, and fewer chances to be seen.

With a deep breath, knowing what she was about to step outside and do, Leah checked everything was in its place. Once certain that her identity had been hidden under the clothes and the cap, she snuck from her room.

She paused on the landing, glancing towards her mother's door and letting out a small sigh of relief that the door was shut. Slowly and silently, she crept along the hallway and down the stairs. After years of moving around the house, trying not to disturb her mother, Leah had learnt the art of walking without a sound.

It had come in handy these past few months.

Once clear of the stairs, Leah glanced around to make sure the servants were all in the kitchen before she slipped from the front door, closing it tightly behind her. She let out a sigh of relief before continuing on her way. Lah knew the streets of London like the back of her hand. She could move through them without having to check the signs and knew which alleyways led where.

Leah was invisible to all who looked her way. Not even the officers could see her standing in the darkness, moving through the shadows as though she were swimming in a lake. Her footsteps were silent on the stone flooring, her ears alert and listening to the sounds of the city. She could hear the officers approaching, some of them whistling to themselves. She heard noises from the local public houses and the drunks stumbling up the streets on their way home.

"Come on, men, on your way," one of the officers said, shooing some drunk men up the road.

"Come an' 'ave a drink wit' us! Ligh'en up a little!"

"Move it!"

She watched from the shadows as the officer escorted the men up the road and away from the public house. Leah darted out from the shadows and into the nearest alleyway, glancing around to make sure no one saw her. The few lamps around were glowing, but even they struggled to penetrate the darkness that encased them. Still, she had to be wary of the existing light spots.

Leah checked her old watch, which had once belonged to her father. Her time was running out. Mr Manston would be leaving the factory in around ten minutes to hail a carriage to take him home. She had to move quickly and wait for the right opportunity.

The closer she got to the factory, the more nervous she felt. This was her own father, the man who had raised her. He was the one who took her out for cream buns when her mother was unwell, and who would wear far more confectioner's sugar on his clothing than she did. She had looked up to him and defended him against people who thought he was like every other factory owner.

It turned out he had been.

She shook any guilt and any hesitation from her body. This was what needed to be done, regardless of who she would be doing it against. From that first night, Leah had made a promise that every bad factory owner would be removed from the streets. She needed to teach them all a lesson, and show the city that human beings deserve to be treated well, even if that meant hurting her father too.

He had chosen this path. He knew what the consequences were, but did it anyway. This could have all been avoided, but it wasn't, and so Leah had a job to complete.

She moved into an alleyway closest to the factory where she had full sight of the wrought-iron gates and her father's eventual arrival. Her heart thumped against her chest and she had to wipe her hands across her trousers to remove the sweat that had built up on her palms. Despite the countless jobs she had succeeded in, it was this one she feared the most.

The bell rang.

Leah held her breath.

The slow parade of tired men and women emerged from the factory, shuffling along the ground with their eyes downcast. They dragged their feet, recoiled against the cold air, and looked dead on their feet as they shuffled out of the gates and down the streets.

She reached into her waistband and pulled out the hammer, flexing her fingers against the wood of the handle as she waited with bated breath. The silence deafened her; the darkness suffocated her.

She waited.

Mr Manston emerged from the factory whistling to himself, a tune that he had whistled to Leah when she was growing up. She felt her resolve fade and her determination dissipated.

"No," she said to herself. "I need to do this."

Her father stepped away from the gates, still whistling. When his back was turned, Leah jumped out of the shadows and moved across the uneven ground towards him, hammer still clutched in her hand. She took a deep breath and tried to ignore his whistling and the happy memories that came with it.

Leah lifted the hammer above her head.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

He didn't hear her over his whistling.

She started to swing the hammer down, looking away, so she didn't see the moment the metal end came down on his head.

Before it made contact, someone snatched the hammer from her hand, yanking her body sideways. Leah let out a yell, startling her father and causing him to turn around. He looked her dead in the eye, horror etched onto his face at the sight of his own daughter dressed like a boy and wielding a hammer above his head.

"Gotcha!" a voice said behind her.

They grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. Leah expected it to be an officer, but it wasn't.

She stared into the shocked and confused eyes of Ezra Wentworth.

~~~

First Published - February 16th, 2023