Katherine Sutton has always been s a small town girl with big city dreams; too big, it seemed, for the place that she was born in. Brighton, although charming and quaint, could not possibly offer anything remotely close to what the young girl wanted out of life. Throughout her adolescent years, Katherine would spend her days biding her time in the same boring old places, surrounded by familiar faces, and no matter if she was in school or at home, she would daydream about leading a life that was far different to the one she was currently living. Born to a single mother, the Sutton household was a relatively happy one; and while they were not wealthy by any means, her mother ensured that her only daughter lived a good life. As a child, Katherine had fallen in love with ballet, much to her mother’s overbearing influence, and when she was merely four years old, she had already been signed up for professional lessons. Little did her mother know, or even expect, Katherine was the greatest talent her small town had ever seen — but there were few opportunities for her to actually develop her talent. Soft-spoken, with a flair of innocence, Katherine had high hopes that one day she would be a star; that she would be able to escape her hometown and dance for The Royal Ballet. However, making her dreams a reality was far more difficult than simply putting pen to paper. By the time she was fifteen years old, Katherine had found a ballet instructor who saw the potential in her that she had known existed all along. She spent hours upon hours in the ballet studio, refusing to turn off the melodious chorus of her favorite song until her feet bled and tears streamed down her face.
While Katherine was continuously making progress in the studio, she had barely scratched the surface of what she hoped to achieve. The more she remained focused on her passion, the less time she spent with her family and her friends, and after some time, she barely had any social life at all. Ballet meant more to her than any romantic relationship or superficial friendship she may have; it was her greatest love, and she certainly made many sacrifices for it. She hardly minded, as dedicating time to her art fulfilled her in ways that many things could not — she took pity on those who did not love anything as much as she did. The world that Katherine had immersed herself in was cutthroat and competitive, and no one wanted to make friends, let alone support fellow dancers. This encouraged the young woman to build a thick skin, one that could not be penetrated by petty words or actions of those who viewed her as inferior. Holding a smile for hours on end as she trained was painful, keeping a pointe even when she could no longer feel her feet was painful, every muscle after running for fifteen miles was painful but being hurt by people’s actions never caused her any discomfort. That was at the very bottom on the list of things that had any effect on Katherine. She had a goal; a perfectly planned agenda that prevented her from sparing a second thought to anyone else around her. In the end, it was not a person that made her confident in her abilities or who made her believe in her goals; it was dancing in itself. Her undeniable talent was her ticket to the big leagues, and she had no doubt that soon she would be able to leave the town that had never been home in the first place.
At eighteen, Katherine received a full scholarship to the prestigious Royal Ballet School, and to this day it remains her greatest accomplishment in life. She was hardly surprised by the news; she completely believed in her own talent — it seemed to be the only thing she believed in lately. With barely enough money to survive living on her own, Katherine moved to London and never looked back; leaving her mother alone in their family home, and vowing only to return if she failed to make it on stage. She moved into a small apartment with three other girls, all of whom attended the Royal Ballet School as well, but neither of them had any intention of maintaining a friendship. If anything, Katherine viewed the women as competition, as she did most things. As someone with such strict plans for her future, it was no wonder that Katherine had become so distant and unattached to those around her. It was not that she only cared about herself; it was simply how she was programmed to behave. She very much resembled ballet itself in that way: elegant at first sight, but terribly cruel and demanding once you began to pick the elements apart. Only three months at the illustrious school, however, Katherine suffered a very serious injury to her left knee. Everyone in the room heard the awful sound she made as she crashed to the floor, clutching her knee in pure agony and crying out in pain at the incident. But the torn ligament in her knee did not hurt nearly as much as the realization that her dream of dancing across the stage at the Royal Opera House had become completely unattainable now.
For six months, Katherine was bedridden as she attempted to rehabilitate her knee, while also processing the fact that she would never be able to dance again. Katherine quickly made her mother aware that she was not going back home, she could not bear to go back with her tail between her legs, admitting defeat. Katherine was not going to give up so easily. She stayed in London, and as soon as she could walk again, she started working two jobs. During the day, she worked as a nanny for a wealthy couple in central London and at night, she waited tables at a restaurant. For four years, Katherine survived on her own, and every single day she wondered what her life would have been like if she had never suffered that fateful injury. One day, she recognized a familiar face seated at one of the tables — it was that of her estranged cousin, Lucas Carlisle, who she had not seen since she was a young girl due to a falling out their mothers had had decades earlier. Her cousin represented the second chance she had been waiting for, as he had just inherited his father’s nightclub and was looking for women to fill a few needed positions. What Lucas offered her, however, was certainly not anything Katherine had expected. Becoming an escort at his popular gentleman’s club was completely beneath her, and yet the money it paid made her easily change her mind. Katherine surprised even herself when she realized that she was somewhat fond of her new profession and her clients were gentleman who tipped rather well; but she was more fond of the wealth and opportunity she began to accumulate, with high society life suddenly within her grasp.
LUCAS & ELEANOR CARLISLE: Cousins. The Sutton sisters had not spoken since they were young adults, and that was how they liked to keep it. While Katherine’s mother regretted the fact that her daughter would now grow up without a bond shared with her cousins, she was far too upset at her older sister to make amends. Although Katherine had only reunited with her cousins after two decades of having never seen them, she feels a sort of closeness that she has never experienced in the past. While most would certainly find it awkward to work as an escort for their cousin’s business, Katherine has gotten past that and knows the difference between her professional and personal relationship with Lucas. As for Eleanor, Katherine had genuinely wanted to get to know her cousin and she found that they related rather well to each other. While she was undoubtedly fond of the older girl, Katherine realized that her closeness with the younger Carlisle twin certainly came with different benefits than her job did. Being a lady-in-waiting for Princess Sophia, Eleanor gave her cousin a glimpse into the luxurious lives of the royals. Katherine does not hate her mother at all for keeping her and her cousins apart, but she does wish that she had gotten the opportunity to know them sooner and feels indebted to Lucas for giving her a ticket to the life that she had only dreamed of at one point.
ROSALINE WALTERS: Colleague. Katherine had not sought Rosaline out, preferring to keep her professional life separate from that of her personal life, but she is thankful that some minor small talk allowed the two to become more acquainted with each other. They were employed by the same establishment, but that was where their similarities ended — they had very different goals and interests, but Katherine admires the young woman for the strength she exudes. Roz was far more than just a pretty face, but a calculated businesswoman as well and Katherine found that adapting to her new way of life was far easier with someone as experienced as Roz guiding her in the right direction. While she does not know too much about Roz or the life she has led, she does know that it has certainly not been easy and has fostered a kinship of sorts with the younger woman; bonding over the obstacles they each had to overcome in order to get where they are today. Never one for friends, let alone close girl friends, Roz is perhaps the only person Katherine feels comfortable talking to, even if their conversations tend to be light and superficial. She trusts Roz, which is more than she can say for most people, and she has become an understanding and supportive structure in her life. Roz may not always be present to tend to her every need, but she has always made Katherine’s happiness her top priority.
NICHOLAS HENSTRIDGE: Client. The Prince of York was rather talked about among London’s elite, and Katherine was no stranger to the rumors that circulated about him. He was painted as a heartless womanizer who had so much potential, but had settled for being a carbon copy of his cousin William, who did nothing but get high and sleep around. When Nicholas solicited Katherine’s services through Platinum Lace Bar, she could not refuse a client no matter how many unsavory things she had heard. She had made the right choice, for she formed somewhat of a connection with Nicholas — not a romantic one, but one of mutual respect and understanding. While she finds William to be unpleasant company, she in no way sees Nicholas as just like him. He has become one of Katherine’s best clients, and not just because he tips generously and elevates her social status by allowing her to be in his presence; but because she feels as though he values her as more than simply a pretty girl that he pays to go out with and to have sex with. While that is indeed in her job description and she does not necessarily have a problem being treated as such, it certainly is refreshing to have a conversation with a client that is not trivial small talk. Many might assume that Katherine has feelings for her royal client, but that could not be further from the truth and she has come to rather enjoy their platonic bond.
KATHERINE SUTTON is portrayed by ALEXANDRA PARK and she is UNAVAILABLE.
