Beatrice and the Beast, page 27
He noticed as Beatrice easily, mounted her horse, she had changed out of the Indian dress into her riding clothes but had elected to keep the braids in her long, thick hair and fleetingly, a pang of disappointment hit him. The first time he’d seen her wearing that deerskin dress, she’d taken his breath away and he knew instantly, he would never, as long as he lived, see a more beautiful sight. Except, with the exception of seeing her riding the Indian pony across the prairie stretched out along the horse’s neck and riding with her shapely legs in full view, like a free spirit without a care in the world. Despite his anger, his admiration of her skills knew no bounds and he realised she was clearly, no ordinary woman. Her obvious skills with a rifle and now horsemanship as well as incredible hearing and eyesight, made her outstanding and he wondered what other capabilities she would surprise him with before they came to the end of their journey.
Zelletta had promised Rappo he would return this way once he’d completed the task of delivering the woman to Zimmerman’s ranch. Then they would go together to confront Mooney about the money he’d swindled the Indian out of and make sure he paid the price for his crime.
…
Zelletta deliberately pushed them hard, reasoning that they needed to make up time for the many delays they’d suffered. But in truth he resented the way Beatrice had humiliated him and thought if he pushed her to her limits of endurance, he might gain some kind of satisfaction from her discomfort.
After more than five hours of hard going across much hilly and rocky terrain, Charlie began questioning him about the time spent travelling without a break, for even he was beginning to feel the strain of such an arduous journey. Truth beknown, so was Zelletta but he wanted Beatrice to beg him to let her rest for a while before he called a halt.
He constantly glanced her way and each time he did, felt a huge pang of guilt at his treatment of the young woman, as well as enormous compassion for her plight. She looked a wretched sight as she slumped in the saddle with her chin resting on her chest. Occasionally, she lifted her head to ensure she was keeping up and on one of those occasions, he caught her eye and saw the pain there and the distress written across her face. He also saw the set of her mouth and the determination to keep going and match his endurance and in that moment, his admiration and respect for her grew ten-fold. There was also something else, but he refused to recognize it as love.
He reined his horse alongside hers.
‘Are you okay?’ He asked gruffly. ‘Do you want to rest a spell?’
She turned her drawn and pain etched face toward him and peered through dull, tired eyes and his tough heart almost broke. Especially when she refused to give an inch and remained as resolute as ever.
‘Do you?’ She asked hoarsely.
‘I can keep going, but you look all done in. Just say the word and we’ll rest up a spell.’
‘Far be it from me to delay you when you clearly want to get to our destination as quickly as possible and get me off your hands.’
Goddamn it, he thought. Why the hell don’t she just swallow her pride and rest up? It’s killing me seeing her this way.
The problem was, his stubbornness matched hers. So, despite the ache in his heart and the compassion he felt for her plight, he simply refused to give any ground.
‘Damn right lady,’ he growled. ‘The sooner I get rid of you the better; so, we’ll keep going ‘til sundown if necessary.’
Her heart sank but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her humbled.
‘Suits me,’ she said.
Thirty minutes later, she was struggling to stay on her horse and on more than one occasion, almost slipped sideways from the saddle. Charlie was dozing as he brought up the rear, so did not notice her plight. However, Zelletta did and he found himself unable to bear, any longer, the heart-rending sight of the courageous and resolute young woman as she fought valiantly, to match his endeavour.
He reined in his animal causing Beatrice’s horse, who’s rider was too weak to control, to stop behind him whilst Charlie’s mount did the same waking the old man from his slumber.
Zelletta, quickly dismounted and hurried to the woman’s side just in time to catch her as she slipped from the saddle. He hoisted her easily and cradled her in his powerful arms while the exhausted girl rested her face against his chest with her eyes tightly closed. He carried her as gently as he could, to the shade of a gnarled oak tree and stood with her nestled in his arms, feeling an overwhelming reluctance to let her go.
‘Charlie,’ he yelled at the older man who was just in the process of dismounting. ‘Bring a blanket; bring two blankets.’
Charlie removed his and Zelletta’s bedrolls from behind their saddles and hurried to where his friend stood nursing Beatrice in his arms.
‘Spread one out in the shade Charlie and use the other as a pillow for her head.’
Once Charlie had done as instructed, Zelletta carefully, knelt beside the spread-out blanket and gently as he knew how, lay her down with the folded blanket under her head. For a big man with a reputation for extreme violence, he was incredibly tender as he set her down and slowly removed his arms from beneath her small form. Her eyes remained closed, so he was unsure if she was actually sleeping or too exhausted to open them.
‘I’m a goddamned fool Charlie,’ he said without taking his eyes off her.
‘I’ve known that for years,’ replied his friend dryly.
Zelletta ignored Charlie’s poor attempt at humour.
‘What the hell was I thinking pushing her like that? My god Charlie, look at her and tell me how a woman so small and delicate, managed to keep going for so long?’
‘She’s tougher than you give her credit for Frank. She’s proved that time after time. Even I was coming to the end of my limits and I don’t believe even you could have gone much farther without resting up a spell.’
‘My god Charlie, when I first met her, I didn’t think she’d last more than two days out here and I expected her to be begging me to take her back. She sure as hell proved me wrong and I’ve gotta say, she deserves all the praise anybody could give her.’ He paused a moment. ‘Even if she is a pain in the ass sometimes.’
She stirred and moaned a little and both men gazed down at the petite form of the young woman with concern etched on their faces.
‘Do you think she needs a drink of water?’ Asked Charlie.
‘Maybe so Charlie. But we’ll let her sleep if that’s what she’s doing. I figure she needs plenty of rest.’
‘How long we gonna stay here? It’s still early and we’re only around three hours away from the Washita.’
‘As long as it takes Charlie. I ain’t gonna push that little gal any more until she’s recovered.’
‘You could always carry her. That way we could make progress and she’d be able to sleep. Or at least rest up a spell.’
‘Well you and me both need to rest up. So, we’ll give her an hour and if she’s still exhausted, I’ll carry her. We should still make the Washita before sundown.’
‘Sounds good to me Frank. I’ll take myself a short nap after I’ve watered the hosses and had a drink myself.’
After nearly an hour, Frank roused Beatrice and offered her a drink from her canteen. She slowly and painfully sat up and allowed him to hold the canteen to her lips allowing her to take a few small sips.
‘Are you able to travel?’ he asked. He meant the words to sound kindly but they sounded as gruff as ever. She turned her eyes his way and stared for a moment until the realisation of what he’d said hit her.
‘Don’t worry about me,’ she said painfully. ‘I’m ready if you are.’
He smiled inwardly and if it was possible, his respect for her grew even higher.
‘If you’re sure. We have around another three hours riding before we make camp for the night.’
She climbed shakily to her feet and stood swaying for a few moments while she prepared to walk to her horse which Charlie was in the process of saddling. She took one faltering step and her legs gave way. Zelletta was there in an instant, catching the young woman before she fell and lifting her high in his strong arms to cradle her against his chest. Her voice was muffled as she spoke with her lips pressed against his shirt.
‘I’m sorry. Just give me a few minutes to compose myself and I will be fit to travel.’
He turned to Charlie.
‘Take her for a bit Charlie while I mount up, then hand her up to me.’
Charlie easily held Beatrice while Zelletta mounted his horse, then took her from his friend when he lifted her aloft. She neither had the will, nor the inclination to resist and contentedly allowed the big man to sit her sideways across his thighs while she enfolded her arms around his neck and rested her face against his broad chest.
Charlie, who began to gather the blankets, smiled with satisfaction seeing the two of them so close. He’d never, as long as he could remember, known Zelletta to be so taken with a woman, even though he knew his friend would deny having any feelings for her.
After a couple of miles, the terrain began to flatten out and soon they were riding across miles of prairie, which Zelletta was thankful for simply because it would make the journey easier and less jarring for Beatrice. Furthermore, because it was easier for the horses, they were able to make better progress reducing the time it would take to arrive at their destination.
After two and a half hours, they arrived on the banks of the Washita River.
THIRTY-TW0
They ate well that evening and slept even better which left Beatrice feeling much improved after the previous day’s arduous journey. So, soon after sunup they were crossing the river and heading for Texas once again.
After the regrets he’d experienced by pushing Beatrice so hard, Zelletta determined he would, from then on, go easier on her and after a couple of hours, called a halt so she could rest a while.
They settled down in the shade of a cottonwood to drink from their canteens and chew on strips of jerky. Beatrice turned her gaze to Zelletta and spoke softly.
‘It is unnecessary to do this you know. I’m capable of enduring another hour or so.’
‘Maybe so,’ he replied. ‘But me and Charlie need to rest up a spell.’
Charlie grinned and she recognized Zelletta was trying to spare her the humility of requesting some respite from their enduring journey and for that small gesture alone, she felt a something that was much more than gratitude, but she refused to analyse her feelings, deciding it would be pointless to think about any affinity she may feel toward the man, when they would never see each other again once he delivered her to Jacob’s ranch.
They made three more stops, one of them totally unnecessary in Beatrice’s opinion. But she did appreciate Zelletta’s uncharacteristic concern for her wellbeing and made sure she acted suitably tired and ready for the break each time they stopped.
Because they hadn’t come across any water by the time sundown arrived, they made dry camp that evening. However, they found enough kindling to enable them to build a small fire and cook a hot meal as well as boil water for coffee.
Beatrice dutifully, helped with tending the horses and building a fire the way Zelletta had taught her. However, when it came to cooking a meal, it was left to Charlie. She freely admitted she’d never cooked a meal of any description in her entire life.
After supper, Zelletta announced he would go and see if he could shoot something before darkness fell, so they would have fresh meat for the next time they camped.
After he’d left the camp Charlie chuckled merrily, prompting Beatrice to regard him quizzically.
‘What’s funny Charlie?’
He grinned broadly before answering.
‘He is. I can read him like a damned book. Not that I can read books. It takes me ten minutes to read a wanted notice.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘He ain’t gone hunting because we need meat, though if he does shoot something, I’m not saying it won’t be welcome. He’s gone because it’s killing him being so close to you and not being able to do a damned thing about it.’
‘You’re talking in riddles Charlie.’
‘You must have realised the man’s crazy about you and it’s blowing his stupid mind.’
Beatrice almost laughed at the ludicrous suggestion.
‘I’m sorry Charlie but that is an absurd statement. In case you hadn’t noticed, he despises me and cannot wait to be rid of me and to be perfectly truthful, the feeling is mutual. When this is all over and I am safely ensconced in Jacob’s ranch, I will be deliriously happy if I never set eyes on Mister Zelletta ever again.
‘Keep telling yourself that missy and eventually you might get to believe it yourself. But you’re shooting way wide of the target if you really believe Frank has no feelings for you. Of-course he can’t wait to get you off his hands. He thinks if he don’t see you, the pain will go away. The poor guy couldn’t be more wrong, believe me I’ve been there.’
Because of her discomfort over the subject of Zelletta’s supposed love for her, she snatched at the chance to divert Charlie from his interest in any feelings Frank Zelletta may or may not have for her.
‘Are you telling me you were once in love Charlie?’
‘I sure was ma’am, still am truth be known.’
‘Oh? Where is she now?’
‘She died in childbirth twenty-eight years ago, a year after we got married.’
‘Oh Charlie,’ she gasped. ‘I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry if my question brought back painful memories.’
‘You didn’t ma’am. She is with me all the time and remembering her ain’t painful at all. I’ll always remember the way we were until the day I die. The memories make me happy, not sad.’
‘What about the baby?’
‘He’s a Colonel in the Army stationed at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. His wife Sarah and my two grandchildren are based there with him. I was there a couple of months ago. First time I seen ‘em in a couple of years. James is a fine upstanding man and Sarah and the two girls make me real proud to have such a beautiful family.
‘Oh Charlie,’ she enthused. ‘I’m so pleased for you.’
‘Thanks Beatrice and congratulations for successfully steering me off the subject of Frank Zelletta and what you mean to each other.’
She scowled.
‘Mister Zelletta and I have no feelings whatsoever for each other Charlie. The sooner you realise that, the better it will be for everyone.’
He raised his arms and held his hands up palms outwards in a sign of surrender.
‘Alright ma’am. I won’t mention it again if it riles you so much. Far be it from me to make you feel uncomfortable about you and Frank.’
‘I’m not uncomfortable about it. I simply do not want to discuss the matter any further.’
A knowing grin creased his weather-beaten face.
‘I understand Beatrice. We’ll say no more about it.’
She experienced a distinct feeling he was laughing inwardly as though he knew more about her feelings than she did and she grew quite angry. However, she was unable to define if her anger was directed at Charlie for his dogged pursuance of the subject, or at herself for allowing him to place a glimmer of doubt in her mind regarding her true feelings for the big man.
After her denial, they sat in silence for many minutes. But she was unable to erase from her thoughts what had passed between them. Also, something she put down to her natural feminine curiosity, but was in actual fact a very strong interest, was a question that had nagged at her ever since she’d first met the big man and despite asking Charlie to drop the subject, she was unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
‘Why doesn’t Mister Zelletta ever remove his hat?’
Charlie chuckled and she began to wish she’d never asked the question. It was as though he could read everything she was thinking. However, it was only a temporally regret and her interest quickly heightened as he began to answer her.
He keeps his hat on out of respect for you. He wouldn’t normally refuse to remove it. Usually, he don’t give a damn what folks think of him or how he looks.’
She looked at him quizzically.
‘What is he hiding and why hide whatever it is from me?’
‘If I were to guess ma’am, I’d say he’s concerned about your opinion of him.’
‘I’m sure, whatever he is hiding will not affect my opinion one way or another. Are you willing to inform me about what it is he is so anxious to conceal?’
He sucked on his teeth for a moment while he pondered on betraying an unnecessary trust and revealing what he considered to be an unimportant secret.
‘If you’re willing to listen,’ he said ponderously. ‘I’ll tell you the story of how I first met Frank and how come he got them scars on his face and what he’s hiding.’
Willing? She thought. ‘If only he knew, not only am I willing, I’m increasingly eager to hear about Mister Zelletta’s past.
‘Yes of course,’ she replied casually. ‘It will help to pass some time I suppose.’
He frowned.
‘You don’t seem to be all that interested and Frank would skin me alive if he knew, so maybe it would be better if we forget it.’
‘No!’
She yelled the word and instantly regretted her anxious outburst.
‘I really am interested Charlie,’ She said a little more casually. ‘I would love to hear about how you came to meet Mister Zelletta.’
He pursed his lips while he studied her resolute face for a few moments.
‘The man you know,’ he began. ‘Is a different Frank Zelletta to how he was when he was a boy. When he was growing up, he was a big gentle and easy-going boy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. His ma and pa and older sister were just the same. Anybody who met them couldn’t fail to be impressed by their friendliness. Anybody who visited their place were always made welcome and treated with nothing but generosity and kindness. That’s why what happened to them was unthinkable and beyond belief that somebody could treat such good folks so badly.’
