Beatrice and the Beast, page 21
‘Oh, Grace there must be something better than that for you to do.’
‘I don’t know nothing else and if I ain’t gonna go hungry, I’m gonna have to do what I can.’
Beatrice determined she would do whatever she could to help Grace turn away from life as a prostitute, but short of taking her along with her to Jacob’s ranch, she didn’t know what possible help she could be. It was inconceivable that she could turn up at his ranch accompanied by an unruly child such as Grace and expect a man she barely knew, to help her. Jacob would be under no obligation to take her in and might even shun Beatrice herself for having the audacity to ask him.
After Beatrice and Grace returned to the camp, Charlie and Zelletta made their way to the creek to wash up and attend to personal matters while the girls prepared coffee and kept the fire going. The men had decided to wait for Rappo to return with whatever he managed to kill, before preparing a meal.
When the two men returned after around twenty minutes, there was still no sign of the Indian, but they weren’t alarmed; sometimes game was scarce and sometimes plentiful. They figured, on this occasion, he was finding it more difficult than usual, to locate and kill something suitable to supplement their meal. Even when they heard the sound of a rifle being fired in the distance there was no apprehension on the part of Zelletta and Charlie, they figured Rappo had finally, come across an animal of some kind and shot it. However, an hour later, the Indian still hadn’t returned and Zelletta began to voice his concern.
‘Something’s wrong,’ he said. ‘That gunshot came from less than half a mile away. He would have been here long before now if it was him who fired it.’
‘We’d better go and take a look then,’ responded Charlie. ‘But Rappo ain’t one who’s likely to walk into trouble. He can smell trouble coming a mile away.’
‘Yeah, I know. But something’s happened to him. I can feel it. But only one of us better go. If there’s any kind of danger out there, one of us should be here to protect these gals.’
‘I’ll go look for him,’ Charlie responded. ‘I think both the gals will feel safer with you to protect ‘em than me.’
Zelletta looked askance at Charlie’s reasoning, but decided it probably made sense. Beatrice was his responsibility and Grace seemed to have adopted him since the incident at the river.
‘Okay Charlie but be careful.’
‘You know me son. I ain’t made it to sixty-two by being reckless.’
‘Yeah, I know Charlie. But all the same, be careful.’
Charlie was already saddling up when he answered.
‘I will Frank and you take care of them little gals.’
He mounted his bay and set out in the direction of the gunshot to look for Rappo.
Beatrice stared at his departing back after he rode away. Then turned her attention to the big man.
‘Do you really think something has happened to Rappo Mister Zelletta?’
He stood watching Charlie riding away and felt very uneasy. If there were outlaws out there or worse, Indians; then Charlie could be in worse trouble than Rappo was.
‘It ain’t looking good,’ he replied. ‘You keep that Winchester handy missy and damn well use it if you have to.’
She could tell by the sound of his voice, he was anxious and though her certainty she could never shoot a man, never waned, she acknowledged his instruction with a nod before hurrying away to retrieve the rifle from where her saddle lay on the ground. When she returned, she noted that he was checking the loads in his own rifle with a worried looking Grace watching him intently. So, not wanting to appear naïve, she followed his lead and checked that her Winchester was fully loaded and ready despite her doubts about using it in anger.
‘We might as well get some grub on the go,’ said Zelletta. ‘Charlie and Rappo are gonna be hungry when they get back.’
Beatrice noted his apparent optimism and prayed in her mind, the two men would return unharmed. But she had already picked up on Zelletta’s earlier apprehensiveness which also instilled in her a sense of foreboding.
TWENTY-SIX
Zelletta eyed Grace.
‘Do you know how to cook kid?’ He asked.
‘I know how to fry an egg.’
‘That’s good enough. We ain’t got no eggs but we got bacon and beans. Toss a passel of ‘em into a skillet and fry ‘em up good.’
The girl pulled a face but set out to do what her new hero told her.
‘Perhaps I should get water from the creek,’ suggested Beatrice. ‘I think the men will also, be ready for coffee when they get back.’
‘No,’ snapped Zelletta a little sharper than he’d planned. ‘I want you both close by where I can see you. You can use water from the canteens.’
Beatrice was startled by his sudden retort and visibly cowered in shock.
‘Sorry I yelled,’ he mumbled. ‘I just don’t want you moving out of my sight until Charlie and Rappo get back.’
Despite his ire, she felt thrilled that he was so intent on keeping her safe, even though Grace had now become allied with her under his protective umbrella.
‘Alright,’ she said in a small voice. ‘I’ll use water from the canteens.’
‘Keep that Winchester close at hand,’ he said in a more reasonable manner. ‘Make sure you can grab and use it as fast as all hell get out.’
She smiled at his choice of words but kept the rifle close while she boiled water for coffee and Grace began to prepare a meal of bacon and beans.
The two girls ate ravenously while Zelletta nervously, patrolled the area with his rifle in hand and his pistol ready to draw should he need it. His nervousness was more about the wellbeing of Charlie and Rappo than any worry he had about being attacked. He had confidence in his own ability to repel any attack from a few outlaws or Indians, unless there was a whole army of them.
Beatrice hadn’t realised how hungry she was until she began to eat and clearly, Grace felt the same. She watched Zelletta for a while as he kept a sharp-eyed vigil, before voicing her concerns.
‘Mister Zelletta,’ she ventured. ‘Shouldn’t you eat to keep your strength up?’
‘I’ll eat when Charlie gets back with Rappo.’
‘I could keep watch while you eat.’
He gave her a searching look before apparently coming to a conclusion.
‘Okay,’ he answered. ‘It might do you some good to take a spell at keeping watch. Lever a shell into that rifle and keep your finger close to the trigger and for christ’s sake use it if anybody approaches who seems even slightly, threatening.’
His willingness to allow her to keep watch took her by surprise. She hadn’t really expected him to comply and so, stared open mouthed while he instructed her on her duties. When he had finished speaking, she simply stared up at him from where she sat unable at first, to take in, that he would be willing to place their lives in her hands.
‘Come on then,’ he snapped. ‘You can’t scout the area sitting there. It’ll be dark soon so you’re gonna have to be extra watchful.’
All her confidence left her when she finally, picked up her rifle and stood up to face him.
Zelletta had little doubt he would be able to detect any sign of danger while he ate his food. But he figured it would do no harm to have the girl patrolling the perimeter of the camp and staying alert, if only to give her a taste of how it felt to face imminent danger. Having the responsibility of keeping her companions safe would be an invaluable experience for her and stand her in good stead for the rest of the journey.
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘The most likely danger will come from that direction.’
He pointed in the general direction from where the sound of the gunshot came.
‘When Charlie returns, he’ll holler that he’s coming in so you’ll know it’s him. If anybody approaches without yelling out who they are, shoot ‘em.’
‘I can’t do that,’ she cried. ‘They might be friendly.’
‘Believe me lady, if anybody gonna sneak up on us without yelling out who they are, they ain’t gonna be friendly and if you don’t shoot first, you’ll likely, never get another chance and don’t think ‘cos you’re a good lookin’ woman, they gonna go easy on you. You’ll be just as daid as if you were a man.’
If he’s contriving some kind of strategy to fill me with confidence, she thought. He isn’t really going the right way about it.
What he said terrified her and filled her with self-doubt that she would be capable of protecting them from a potential enemy.
What should I do?’ She asked nervously. ‘Should I just stand here and watch?’
‘No. Move around but keep watching in that general direction. If you’re moving around, you won’t be such an easy target for anybody sneaking up on you.’
Oh wonderful. Being a less easy target makes me feel much better. I think it would far preferable if I wasn’t a target at all.
She kept her thoughts to herself and began to move around the fringe of the camp. Zelletta watched with a certain amount of amusement as she stalked around half bent forward with the rifle to her shoulder and her resolute gaze never wavering as she concentrated on the darkness that was closing around them.
With Grace watching him, Zelletta ate his food while Beatrice wondered around like a hunter stalking his prey. Her eyes never wandered from their perspective as she tried to penetrate the growing darkness whilst expecting to see the flash of a gun at any time. She felt sure that on occasions, she could detect movement out there and it took all her will power not to scream in terror as her mind began to play tricks with her vision.
Zelletta didn’t really expect Beatrice would have to face any danger. He would never knowingly place her in jeopardy. Her safety was of paramount importance to him and he trusted his own instincts to warn of any impending trouble. He simply allowed her to stand guard so she could get a feeling for the importance of always being vigilant and alert to any kind of risk. Therefore, what happened next, took him completely by surprise and startled him into spilling some of his hot coffee into his lap.
Having finished his food, he was looking forward to washing it down with hot coffee and was on the verge of taking a sip from the mug, when a piercing scream came from Beatrice’s position and a shot rang out, then another scream accompanied by another shot. It was enough to shock him into spilling coffee before leaping to his feet and hurrying to her side just in time to see her lever the rifle and get off another shot while letting out another piercing scream. He snatched the rifle from her grasp before she could fire it again and grasped her upper arm with his big hand.
‘What the hell you doing?’ He seethed.
She was trembling violently as she looked up into his face in the gloom of dusk.
‘I heard something,’ she whispered. ‘There’s something out there, I’m certain.’
He stared out to where she had indicated with her eyes. There were bushes and the odd small tree scattered around, which, in the fading light, were nothing more than dark shapes.
‘Are you sure it wasn’t a bush moving in the wind?’
‘You don’t believe me Mister Zelletta.’
‘I didn’t say that. I’m trying to be sure your ears weren’t playing tricks on you. It can happen when you stare at something for too long.’
‘You said exactly that before and it’s just another way of saying, you don’t believe me.’
He looked down into her face and frowned.
‘I’ll go take a look just like I did when you thought you saw somebody staring at you before.’
She glared at him and her anger had the effect of making her forget her fear.
‘It just so happens,’ she hissed. ‘It was Mister Rappo who was staring at me down by that creek. He told me so himself. He didn’t know at the time it was you and Charlie who were with me.’
Zelletta grunted but failed to apologise for doubting her. Instead he instructed her to stay with Grace who was standing a few feet away silently watching, while he investigated her claim.
A few minutes later, he was back and Beatrice became alarmed when she saw he had a face like thunder.
‘What did you find Mister Zelletta?’ She asked fearing he had found a body.
‘A horse,’ he replied. ‘You shot Rappo’s damned hoss.’
She stared at him open mouthed for a few moments before finally speaking.
‘Are you sure?’ She gasped in disbelief.
‘Am I…?’ He began angrily. ‘Am I sure it’s a goddamned hoss or am I sure it’s Rappo’s goddamned hoss?’
‘Please calm down Mister Zelletta. You are very irate and that won’t help matters in the slightest.’
‘I ain’t nowhere near as irate as Rappo will be when he sees you killed his damned hoss.’
‘I didn’t know it was his damned hoss…horse. I thought someone was creeping up on us. I wouldn’t have fired the rifle if I had known it was a horse.’
‘You should have made sure before you started shooting wildly like a crazy woman.’
‘I was fearful it was an enemy. You are the one who told me to shoot if anyone tried to attack us.’
‘The goddamned hoss wasn’t attacking us. It ain’t likely he could even hold a gun let alone fire one.’
‘You are very irate Mister Zelletta and you are upsetting me. I’m already feeling very emotional about shooting the hoss…horse, without you adding to my misery.’
Unable to hold her emotions in any longer, she began to cry which only served to cause great discomfort to Zelletta. However, his anger subsided and he spoke as softly as his gruff voice would allow.
‘Now don’t start blubbering Miss Mellowday. I was really angry with myself, not you and you’re right in a way. I did tell you to shoot at anything that didn’t holler out that they were friendly. I guess you could include a horse in that at a push.’
He suddenly draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She came willingly and sobbed against his broad chest.
‘I thought we were in danger Mister Zelletta and it was simply fear that caused me to shoot. I’m mortified that I have killed the horse and the memory will live with me forever.’
He grunted non-committedly but despite his ire and anxiousness over what had happened to Rappo and possibly Charlie, he couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. This pretty and petite woman was an enigma who turned all his emotions into a bunch of tangles and played hell with his mind. The sensations he felt by the closeness of her small form eclipsed any other pleasure he had ever experienced and he wondered if this was what true love felt like. If it was, it was something he never wanted to end but he knew it would. She was far too fine a lady for someone like him and once he’d delivered her safely to Jacob Zimmerman, she would forget all about him and he would never see her again. That thought re-ignited his anger and he was unable to prevent himself from having a final dig.
‘It’s beyond me how a hoss would be able to holler that it was friendly though if I’m honest.’
She pushed herself away and glowered angrily.
‘I already told you, I didn’t know it was a horse. You are being very unreasonable Mister Zelletta.’
He softened a little.
‘I guess so. But I would have known the difference between a hoss and a man. Just saying that’s all.’
She squealed in exasperation and stormed off to the fire where Grace had already returned.
‘You are incorrigible Mister Zelletta,’ she cried. ‘And I don’t wish to discuss the matter any further with a man who will not admit he may be wrong.’
His disappointment knew no bounds and he berated himself inwardly for the damned bad-tempered fool he was. Why the hell couldn’t he keep his damned fool thoughts to himself? Now, he felt, she truly hated him and there would be no way back. He already knew she could never love a man like him, but the thought of her hating him, cut him deep.
Further to his chagrin, was his anxiousness about Rappo and Charlie and he debated on whether or not to go out and search for them. But deep down, he knew he would never leave the girls alone no matter what. His first duty above all else was to protect Beatrice and he intended to do just that.
He stood alone on the periphery of the camp site undecided about staying where he was or going to the fire and apologising to the young woman who had felt so aggrieved by his angry outburst. Saying sorry might ease the pain and she may even forgive his stupidity. But he had ruined any hopes he may have harboured, that she would ever look upon him as anything more than a guide who was being paid handsomely to deliver her safely to her betrothed.
To try and ease the feelings of deprivation, he tried questioning himself on why he should even care what she thought about him. After all, once he delivered her safely into the hands of Zimmerman, it would no longer matter. He would ride away leaving her to her life of luxury and privilege, never to see or hear from her again.
But he did care and try as he may, he was unable to deny she had gotten under his skin and once they parted, he felt his heart would break. Furthermore, he knew without a shadow of a doubt, he would never forget her.
He was suddenly aroused from his reverie by a shout and he quickly, recognized Charlie’s voice.
‘Hello the camp,’ he called. ‘We’re coming in.’
‘Come on in Charlie,’ the big man replied.
Soon Charlie appeared leading his horse with Rappo sitting astride him but slumped in the saddle. When they stopped, Zelletta looked questioningly at Charlie before reaching up to help the Indian dismount from the bay. Then between them they half carried Rappo to where the girls had quickly risen to their feet with anxious looks on their faces at the sight the stricken Indian.
They sat the badly injured man with his back to a tree and Charlie began to examine him while Zelletta lit a kerosene lamp and held it aloft Rappo was clearly in great pain, it showed on his blood-soaked face when Charlie, as gently as he could, began to remove the Indian’s shirt. However, despite the pain, he trusted his friend to do the best that he could and tried not to cry out as Charlie finally, managed to remove the garment.
