Beatrice and the Beast, page 3
‘This is for you,’ he said as he offered Beatrice the envelope. ‘I figure he wants you to read the contents before he gets back. He said he’ll come and see what you have to say once you’ve read it.’
She sat down and began to open the envelope with shaking hands and a mind in turmoil.
‘Would you like us to leave you alone to read it child?’ Asked Ella kindly.
‘Oh no please don’t. I cannot face that man alone.’
‘I’m late,’ Sam interjected. ‘I would stay if I thought you were in any danger Beatrice, but I don’t believe he means you any harm.’
‘Oh, please Sam,’ she replied hurriedly. ‘Don’t let me hold you up. You’ve already done more than enough for me and I’m very grateful. Especially for the way you confronted that man on my behalf, it was very brave and gallant of you.’
Sam quickly turned away. But not quick enough to prevent Ella from noticing him blushing furiously.
‘I hope you’ll take dinner with Ella and me when I come home,’ he called over his shoulder as he exited the restaurant.
Beatrice took out the single sheet of notepaper and noted there was a letterhead with the legend;
“The Three Spread Cattlemen Association,
Webb County, South Texas.”
She recognized it because she had received letters with the same heading whilst dwelling in Chicago. Her eyes moved down to the hand writing which she also recognized. Beatrice felt she had nothing to hide from the two women who had shown her nothing but kindness since she had arrived at the boarding house, therefore, she read the letter out loud.
“Dear Beatrice, the bearer of this letter is one, Frank Zelletta. Mister Zelletta will escort you from Wichita to my ranch in Webb County Texas where we will finally meet and I will make you my bride.
On first appearances, you may feel Mister Zelletta is the wrong kind of person to accompany a fine young woman as yourself on such a journey and indeed, you may wonder why I myself have not undertaken the task. On the first count, I know of nobody in the whole western territories who is more capable of delivering you safely, than Mister Zelletta. I trust him implicitly and know he will protect you with his life if necessary. On the second count. I run a very big outfit and this is the busiest time of the year therefore it would be impossible for me to undertake a journey there and back that would take several weeks to complete, whereas Mister Zelletta is already in the area and has expressed his willingness, for a very large fee of course, to bring you safely to South Texas where you will receive the warmest of welcomes and we will have the biggest and grandest wedding this territory has ever seen.
I urge you to place your trust in Frank Zelletta and allow him to bring you safely to me and the wonderful and luxurious life that awaits you.
Yours in anticipation of our first loving experience. Jacob Zimmerman.”
…
When she had finished reading; all three women sat around the table staring at the letter for many moments. Each shocked in various ways at what they had heard. Finally, Ella broke the silence.
‘You ain’t gonna travel all that way to Texas with that man are you child? Have you any idea how long you will be alone in the wilderness with him? He will have you at his mercy and there won’t be a damned thing you can do about it should he want to take advantage of you.’
Beatrice’s mind was in turmoil. She felt totally confused by the contents of the letter. Every single one of her instincts screamed out, that Frank Zelletta was a man to be feared, a ruffian and a murderer and she would be insane to place her trust in him. Yet the man who was to become her husband, is actually urging her in this letter, to do just that.
‘I don’t know what I should do. I have no other way of getting there and very little money with which to pay my way.’
‘Tell me to mind my business if you like, but why are you travelling all that way to marry a man you’ve never met. You are just a child and if he is a successful rancher as his letter suggests, then he must be years older than you.’
‘Jacob has been very truthful with me and told me everything about himself during our correspondence over the past few months and yes, he is a lot older than me. He also comes across as a very kind and caring man who will take care of me and leave me wanting for nothing.’
‘How old is he?’ pressed Ella. ‘And how old are you? Why you’re just a slip of a girl and can’t be much more than sixteen or seventeen.’
‘I’m nineteen,’ Said Beatrice perhaps a little more sharply than she had intended. ‘I have already promised to marry Jacob and he in turn will take care of me and allow me to subsist in the manner to which I was used to before I fell on hard times.’
Ella looked at the girl with more than a little sadness clouding her kindly eyes.
‘Well it ain’t really any business of mine honey. I just feel concerned for your safety and wonder what kind of life you can expect with a man who is probably, old enough to be your Pa.’
‘I’m sorry if I was a little sharp with you Missus Chambers,’ Beatrice responded. ‘I really didn’t mean to be. You are very kind and I thank you for your concern. But I’m sure there is absolutely no need for it. Jacob clearly trusts Mister Zelletta and I trust Jacob to do what is best for me.’
‘Well as I say, it’s no business of mine,’ replied Ella. ‘But I’m pretty sure I’m gonna have sleepless nights knowing you’re out there with a known killer and a man who people around here look upon as the devil.’
‘I ain’t no devil Missus,’ came a deep voice from the doorway. ‘’I’m just a man trying to make a living the only way I know how.’
All three yelped in various tones of voice startled from the suddenness of the man’s deep tones which broke into the reverie of each woman. Shocked into a wary silence, they could only stare through frightened eyes at the huge figure that completely blocked the doorway. He crossed the room in three steps which brought him to the table around which they sat and stood towering over them.
Beatrice turned her eyes upward and though he wore his black Stetson pulled down low over his eyes, he was unable to hide the angry red scar that ran down his face from his right eye to the left side of his chin and she noticed, it cut into the side of his top lip, causing an unsightly split which had healed to leave his lip, slightly twisted. Inwardly, she was disturbed by his disfigurement, but she refused to allow him to see her antipathy toward him.
‘Your husband invited me to speak to Miss Mellowday in here rather than have a discussion outside in the street,’ he continued.
Ella turned her concerned gaze toward the girl.
‘Will you be alright honey, if we leave you alone?’
Her words finally broke through Beatrice’s fascination and she turned to Ella.
‘Oh yes Missus Chambers, I’m positive Mister Zelletta, despite his reputation, would not harm a woman.’
Zelletta grunted in annoyance.
‘As it happens, I wouldn’t harm anybody who didn’t plan to harm me first.’
Beatrice felt herself colour up.
‘Oh,’ she gasped. ‘I didn’t mean…I mean I wasn’t trying to malign your good name Mister Zelletta.’
‘Forget it. It aint no bother to me. Did you read the letter?’
‘Yes.’
Ella and Jenny got to their feet.
‘We’ll leave you to discuss your plans privately Beatrice,’ said Ella kindly. ‘We won’t be far away should you need us.’
She looked pointedly at Zelletta when she spoke the last, but she might well have not even been there for all the notice he took. However, once the two women had gone back to the kitchen, he queried Beatrice further.
‘Well?’
‘Well what?’
‘Are you ready to go? I wanna get a few miles under my belt before sundown.’
She stared at him horrified.
‘You want me to decide right here and now and then leave with you without assessing if you are trustworthy?’
‘As I see it lady, you ain’t got much choice. Either you go with me or stay here. Zimmerman told me you ain’t got no money so if you stay, you’ll find yourself alone and broke. You’re gonna need money to survive and the only work around here for a gal with no skills is whoring. I figure you don’t wanna do that, but if you think that would be a better option than going with me, go ahead.’
She was taken aback by his bluntness and felt perturbed that someone would even suggest she might consider becoming a soiled dove. She would rather die than sell her body to dirty, filthy minded men who were willing to pay women for their services.
‘Even if I decide to leave with you,’ she said carefully. ‘I cannot go now. I need time to gather my thoughts and after the long journey here, I am desperate to get some rest.’
‘Goddammit,’ he muttered.
‘Excuse me?’ she cried. ‘That isn’t appropriate language to use around a gentlewoman.’
He regarded her with something akin to amusement.
‘You’ll hear a lot worse language than that before you get to Laredo.’
She remained silent while he pondered what she had said.
‘Alright,’ he said finally. ‘I’ll be here at sunup, be ready to leave then.’
‘I haven’t yet decided I am willing to accompany you. I would rather you gave me more time to consider you as a suitable guide.’
He turned and walked to the door. As he was exiting, he called over his shoulder.
‘Sunup. Don’t make me wait.’
She sat in stunned silence as he closed the door behind him unsure of what had just happened. She had thought she would be negotiating the rules of his employment as her guide and dictating his behaviour toward her during the journey. Instead, he had given her an ultimatum; go or stay and apparently, it was none negotiable, which left her between the devil and the deep blue sea. If she stayed, she would soon be without money and might end up begging on the street like the Indians she had seen outside the store. Or worse, she might become so desperate, she would have no option than to prostitute herself or starve. On the other hand, what could she expect if she accompanied a man she had only just met? A man she knew very little about except he was hideously scarred and a known murderer who harboured nothing but beastly and brutal intentions toward his fellow man. She had no knowledge of the geography of the country and would be alone and entirely reliant on him once they set out into the countryside. When they were alone and away from townships, there would be nothing to stop him from taking her anywhere he wanted and molesting or killing her, or both.
Ella re-entered the dining room and approached the table.
‘If you’re ready honey, I’ll show you to your room.’
Beatrice followed the woman in silence, to the second storey of the building and was shown into a neat, but sparsely furnished room. However, the wood framed bed looked comfortable and the mattress had been covered by fresh cotton sheets topped with thick blankets. The pillowcases too, were made from fresh cotton and the bed looked very inviting leaving Beatrice with a longing to climb beneath the sheets and hide her dilemma in the mists of sleep.
‘I have a bathroom if you would like me to heat some water for you Beatrice,’
Suddenly, the object of the girl’s desire changed from a wonderful rest on a comfortable looking bed to an even more wonderful soak in a hot bath.
‘Oh, that would be positively divine Missus Chambers, I’ve been able to do little more than have a body wash since I left Chicago three days ago. A soak in a hot bath will work wonders and soak away the fatigue that I’m feeling at this moment.’
‘Then I’ll heat the water for you, it should be ready in half an hour or so and please call me Ella, no need to be so formal here. I’ll let you know when your bath is ready if you want to rest up a spell.’
‘Thank you, Ella, that’s very kind of you.’
Once the older woman had left, Beatrice collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes. But if she expected sleep to come, she was to be disappointed. Her head was too full with the events of the day for her to fully relax and foremost in her mind was the man who had become such an enigma in her thoughts. He frightened and intrigued her in equal measures and all her instincts told her to stay well clear of him. To say he was a dangerous man, would be an understatement. She recognized there was a good chance her wellbeing and probably her life, would be in great danger if she went with him into the wilderness. Yet her options were limited to just two. She either stayed here in Wichita at the mercy of poverty and eventual desperation and heaven knows what means of survival she may have to resort to. Or depart on a journey across a wild and partially, untamed land she knew nothing about and in the company of an almost complete stranger who killed for a living and at whose mercy she would be. However, Jacob had vouched for the man and even asserted that he trusted him implicitly to bring her safely, to his ranch. After lengthy correspondence with him, she felt sure she could trust Jacob to do the right thing as far as her safety was concerned, therefore, if she wished to carry on enjoying the kind of life, she had become used to, her only course of action would be to make the journey and place her safety in the hands of Mister Zelletta.
Her mind relaxed a little and before long, she had fallen asleep, soon to be awakened by Ella Chambers entering the room after knocking on the door.
‘I have your bath ready Beatrice.’
The girl gazed at the older woman through sleepy eyes and soon became fully aware.
‘Oh, thank you Ella. I’ll just find some clean underwear.’
‘It’s the door facing the top of the stairs, there’s soap and towels in there as well. Dinner is from six thirty to eight-o-clock. Me and Sam will be eating together at seven thirty if you’d like to join us.’
Sam had already extended the same invitation and Beatrice enjoyed talking to the older couple and felt comfortable in their company and as she would feel less conspicuous dining with them, she was delighted to accept.
‘I’d like that very much Ella, thank you.’
After soaking in a bath that wasn’t overly hot and cooled fairly quickly, Beatrice finally felt the weariness and aching leave her tired muscles and bones, so that when she dressed in clean underwear and donned the only other dress, she owned besides the one she had travelled in, she felt much better and feeling adventurous, decided to explore the town.
Ella cautioned her to keep mainly to the business district on her walk and try to avoid the saloons and rowdier parts of town.
‘Most western men will show respect to respectable women,’ she had said. ‘Especially in the towns where they can be judged by other men. But there’s always an element, especially the younger and drunker ones, who might think they can get away with accosting or molesting a woman alone. But please don’t be put off taking a walk honey. Generally speaking you will be perfectly safe during the day. I’m just trying to be sure you take care and heed any warning signs.’
‘I’ll be careful Ella.’
THREE
There was a store opposite the boarding house and that was the first place Beatrice visited. She hoped she would be able to find the personal requirements she would shortly need and desperately hoped she would be able to speak with a woman about purchasing them.
As she was about to enter the store, a man dressed like the many drovers she had seen earlier came out and tipped his hat politely before negotiating the three steps down to the street. She entered the establishment and waited just inside the door for her eyes to become accustomed to the gloom. Then took in the many tubs and barrels placed haphazardly around the floor containing everything from apples, flour and sugar to pick axe handles. Hanging from the beams were hams, rabbits, and fowl as well as various tools and other implements. She looked across at the counter and spied the storekeeper who as she might have expected, was a man. He stood in front of a large case which contained various firearms and knives. Atop the counter were jars containing candy sticks, coffee, and rice amongst other things. On a long table at one side of the counter, lay bolts of cloth in various colours and sitting on a chair beside it was a middle-aged woman sewing what looked like the beginnings of a dress.
‘Can I be of service ma’am,’ asked the storekeeper, a balding, skinny man in his fifties.
‘Would it be alright if I purchase my requirements from the lady?’ Asked Beatrice nervously.
The storekeeper regarded her for a moment, then realisation hit him.
‘Oh yes of course,’ he stammered. ‘I’ve got things to do in the back room.’
He exited through a door that led to the back, leaving Beatrice to approach the woman with her request. The woman made a small package of Beatrice’s purchases by parcelling them up in paper and tying it with string. Then upon discovering that the young woman was staying at the boarding house opposite, promised to deliver it into Ella’s hands while Beatrice continued with her exploration of the town.
She left the store and made her way down the steps to the street before proceeding toward the main town. When she reached Main Street, she turned left instead of heading back the way she had walked from the railhead with Sam Chambers. She wasn’t sure whether or not she was in a bad part of town or not, for nobody had told her exactly where the bad part of town was. However, apart from a couple of apparently, quieter saloons, the area seemed to be mainly business orientated and she noticed at least one brick-built bank, a saddlery, a blacksmith’s, two stores, two cafés, three hotels, a dressmaker’s shop and a livery.
On the whole, most of the men she passed, although having the look of ruffians with most of them carrying weapons of one kind or another, were respectful of her and tipped their hats politely. It was only as she approached the river that the sounds of exuberance and high spirits floated across the water. She approached the river with a little more caution as the shouting and laughter increased in sound and she realised that clearly, the rowdier side of the town was on the other side of the river. Now that she knew where the boundary between the respectable and the unruly elements of the town lay, she felt a little more confident that she’d be able to approach the edge of the river in safety. However, she soon recognized her mistake when she spied three saloons in close proximity to each other which were amongst the final few buildings before the river. Two were timber built and both situated on one side of the street. Opposite them and on the same side of the street that Beatrice walked, was the other which was little more than a large tent with a timber frontage. Outside stood several men laughing and swearing and jostling each other drunkenly. She stopped abruptly just a few yards away and began to turn away with the intention of retracing her steps. Too late, they had spotted her and one of them, a young man not much older than herself, quickly strode to her side and gripped her forearm.
