Beatrice and the Beast, page 39
‘You have two choices. Either you stay here with me, or I have my men strip you naked and take you into the wilderness where they will leave you to fend for yourself and I can’t promise they will leave you unblemished, or alive. Do you get my drift?’
She couldn’t stop whimpering as she stared at him, her eyes filled with tears and terror and nodded her head.
‘Good,’ he growled. ‘Now get the hell out of my sight, I’m bored with you and your damned whining.’
He gave her a shove and she staggered to the door before fumbling with trembling hands at the doorknob, until finally, she managed to open the door and flee to her room.
…
Once she was safely in her room, Beatrice threw herself face down onto the bed and sobbed violently for a long time and when her sobbing, finally subsided, she eventually, fell into a fitful sleep.
She was awakened by someone gently squeezing her shoulder. She moaned a little as she felt pain on her cheekbone and turned her head to look up at Rosa’s sad smile. The older woman immediately saw the bruise on the girl’s cheek and the small trickle of blood that had congealed at the corner of her mouth as well as her red rimmed and half-closed eyes from the tears.
‘What did you do to make him do this?’ Asked Rosa softly.
‘I told him I couldn’t marry him,’ replied the younger woman as the tears threatened to flow once more. ‘He threatened to have me killed if I refused to marry him. Do you think he means it Rosa?’
There was genuine concern and fear in Rosa’s eyes when she answered.
‘Jacob never makes threats he doesn’t mean. That is why he’s the biggest rancher in these parts. All his enemies and competition, have died or gone missing in mysterious circumstances.’
‘Oh Rosa,’ what will I do? How can I get out of the mess I have made for myself?’
‘You have only one choice and that is to marry him. It won’t be so bad once you have learned to obey his orders and bide by his rules.’
‘I can’t marry him. There is only one man I would marry and I’ll never see him again.’
Beatrice began to cry again.
‘Hush child. You have no other option. Haven’t you heard a single word I’ve said. You either marry him or risk dying. He will have no qualms about giving you to his gunmen and you have already seen what kind of men they are.’
‘He seemed so kind and considerate in his letters. I can’t believe how easily he fooled me into believing in him.’
‘Your biggest problem is your honesty Beatrice. What I am going to tell you now must be kept to yourself and never shared with anybody.’
‘Who would I share it with? You are my only friend here. I sincerely hope you are my friend Rosa.’
‘When Jacob first told me about you, I felt threatened. I thought he’d sent for you to replace me. Even when he told me the true reason, he wanted you here, I still felt insecure and expected you to be a swanky highbrow who would look down on me and try to persuade Jacob to fire me. But I see now, you are little more than a scared child all alone and looking for somebody who will take care of you and treat you with kindness. You have realised, too late, Jacob is not that somebody and now you are trapped. Yes, I am your friend and I will do all I can to help you survive your stay here. But you will have a very hard time of it unless you accept there is no escape and learn to adapt to his rules.’
‘I will never be able to do that Rosa. I would rather die than suffer any more degradation at his hands.’
‘All you have to do is obey his commands and he will give you more freedom and even reward you.’
‘Reward me?’
‘Yes, he is a very generous man and he will reward you with gifts whenever you do something to please him.’
‘How can I do anything to please such an odious man who I hate so much?’
‘You’re a woman the same as me and just like me, you must use cunning to get your way. Now I will tell you my secret.
It has taken many years to gain his trust, but I know he is only using me and one day will get rid of me. So, for the past few years, I have been preparing for that day.
Once a month I go to town to buy things that only a woman knows about. Things like materials for curtains and dresses. Carpets, cushions and the like. He always gives one of his more trusted men the job of driving me there in a wagon, but he trusts me to pay for the items with cash he gives me and it is always more than is needed.
I have a friend who can make anything from curtains to dresses and we have an arrangement where she gives me a bill of sale for more than the articles cost. Then she saves the extra money for me for when I am ready to leave Jacob.’
‘You are robbing Jacob?’
‘I am taking what he owes me. I have worked for him for years for no pay, so I feel I’m entitled to take a little, each visit, for myself and my future.’
‘I’m not judging you Rosa. But what if he finds out about it?’
‘If he finds out, I will be finished. He will likely have me killed. Or if he is merciful, I will be badly beaten and ruined for life.’
‘Surely he would show some compassion for everything you have done for him over the years. He must have feelings for you, maybe even love.’
‘He loves nobody but himself, that is why I must get away soon, before he tosses me aside.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘I have another friend in Laredo, a male friend who wants me to go away with him.’
‘Do you love him?’
‘He is a very kind and gentle man and I am fond of him. He will be good for me, but I don’t love him the way I love Jacob.’
‘I’m sure you will be happier with a kind man than somebody who is cruel and controlling the way Jacob is. I don’t understand why you love him so much.’
‘Maybe it is because of his dominant nature that I love him. I am drawn to powerful, dominant men. I cannot help it. But I know my days are numbered here and that is why I must make plans for my future.’
‘What will I do? You have become my friend and the only friend I have here. If you leave, I will be unable to survive his cruelty alone.’
‘That is why you must use cunning. Obey all his demands and rules and eventually, you will gain his trust. It will take months or even years to get him to trust you completely. But he will, and then you can begin to make plans of your own and one day, you will have the means to go your own way.’
Beatrice wasn’t filled with as much confidence, but she held her peace in the realisation, what happened to her wasn’t Rosa’s problem and she didn’t want to make it any harder for her to leave.
‘I hope you’ll have a long and happy life with your gentleman friend Rosa. Although I haven’t known you long, I am honoured that you told me your secret and I’m proud to have you as a friend.’
Rosa embraced the younger woman and told her to get some rest while she went to see if she could procure some food for her.
Later she came back with a couple of cookies and an apple which were gratefully received by Beatrice whose only meal that day, had been a piece of jerky she had eaten on the way here because no restaurants had been open at that early hour.
‘Dinner will be at eight,’ announced Rosa. ‘Jacob wants you to be outside the dining room at seven forty-five. Someone will be here at seven-fifteen to help you dress and get ready, and because he is entertaining a special guest, you are required to wear the satin dress you tried on earlier.’
‘I feel as though I don’t have a mind of my own. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? All my decisions being made for me? Being told when I am allowed to eat and what I am allowed to wear?’
‘Most of the time, yes. But once you gain his trust, things will become easier and you will have more freedom.’
‘It’s easier for you Rosa, you love him. But I totally despise him and I don’t think I’ll be able to convince him otherwise. It will be written all over my face and in my eyes when I am with him, so, I can’t see how I can possibly disguise my contempt for him?’
‘You must try, otherwise your life here will be worse than hell. There are a few hours before dinner, so if you like, you are free to roam the house and grounds and familiarise yourself with the ranch.’
‘Will you come with me?’
‘I have to go to town with Jess Doonen, the ranch foreman and unfortunately, we won’t be back until tomorrow.’
‘Oh no,’ responded Beatrice. ‘Why now?’
‘One of the hands discovered a fence had been broken in several places and they urgently need new fence posts and wire. Jacob wants me to go along with Jess so I can take the chance to purchase some household items. We have to take advantage when a chance comes along. It may be weeks before anybody needs to go to town again.’
Beatrice was crestfallen, but tried to remain positive.
‘I hope you have a nice visit with your friend, Rosa.’
‘Thank you, I will. I’ll be staying with her tonight and hopefully James will stop by.’
‘Is James your beau?’
Rosa smiled.
‘If you mean my lover, yes he is.’
‘What about the foreman?’
‘He will spend most of the night in a saloon and by the time he comes out, he’ll be too drunk to notice anything. Then he will sleep it off in the livery with the horses.’
Beatrice fell silent and Rosa noticed how downcast the younger woman looked.
‘Don’t worry Chiquita, nothing bad will happen to you while I’m away, just as long as you remain obedient. Do nothing to antagonise him and you will be fine. There is something else in your favour this evening.’
Beatrice felt a little hope infiltrate the hopelessness in her mind.
‘Something in my favour?’
‘Yes, there will be a special guest for dinner, somebody Jacob needs to impress. So, it is unlikely he will reveal himself to be a cruel and uncaring man before such an important person.’
Beatrice’s natural curiosity got the better of her.
‘Who is he?’
‘I don’t know exactly, but I heard he is a very influential government official and as Jacob has designs on working toward being the governor of Texas, he will want to make a good impression on his guest.’
Rosa’s revelation was enough to ease Beatrice’s fears and she began to feel a little more positive about attending dinner with Jacob and whoever else would be there.
‘Thank you, Rosa. I don’t feel so bad about having to face Jacob again now.’
‘Because I won’t be here, I have arranged for one of the cleaners, Maria, to come in my place at seven fifteen, to help you dress and do your hair. She doesn’t speak good English, but you will like her, she is around your age and very friendly. She has been instructed on what to do, so you won’t have to try and communicate with her.
FORTY-FOUR
Later that evening, Beatrice waited by the entrance to the dining room she had been there since seven-forty-five and Jacob was already, five minutes late. She wore new leather shoes under her dress and they were very tight, so the longer she stood, the more painful her feet were becoming and she wished she still had the wonderfully, comfortable moccasins Elina had given her. There were chairs positioned at various places around the hallway, but she avoided sitting, for fear of antagonising Jacob again.
Earlier a pretty young Mexican girl had come to her room to help her dress and Beatrice immediately, developed an affinity with her. The girl chatted in Mexican and broken English as she worked on Beatrice’s hair and she had brought some kind of powder with her, which she used to cover the bruise on Beatrice’s cheek. When she was ready, Maria gasped in awe and stood back to admire the beautiful young woman.
‘Eres absolutamente hermosa,’ she cried.
Though Beatrice didn’t understand the words, she recognized the enthusiasm and also, delight on Maria’s face. But felt a little sadness that the man for whom she really wanted to look beautiful, would never see her looking that way.
Jacob had kept her waiting for nearly thirty minutes before he finally arrived. He was accompanied by three other men, two of them dressed similar to him in smart town attire. The other man was clearly, a gunman and still wore a gun low down on his thigh. He was dressed all in black apart from a white shirt which he wore under a black vest and which was tucked into black pants, which were in turn, tucked into black, leather boots. He was much younger than his three companions who were all close to sixty, whereas he was around twenty-two or three. He was quite handsome and clearly, knew it. For when he saw Beatrice a broad smile brightened his face and he winked surreptitiously. Beatrice took an instant dislike to him and quickly, turned her eyes down and then up to Jacob when he spoke.
‘Here is my most beautiful bride to be. Gentleman, meet Miss Beatrice Mellowday. I’m sure you will agree, she is the prettiest young lady in the whole of Texas. But then, I am obviously biased.’
‘Not at all Jacob,’ responded one of the elderly men. ‘She is a delightfully stunning beauty who does justice to your good taste.’
Beatrice felt acute embarrassment at their assessment of her and the way they spoke as though she was something that had been acquired as a collector’s item.
She smiled shyly as the man who had spoken took her hand in his and bent at the waist to kiss the back of it.
‘I am Mervin Trainor My dear,’ he said. ‘I am here to use my considerable experience and influence in advancing your future husband’s political career. One day, you will possibly be the wife of the governor of Texas, a wonderful position for one so young.’
He held on to her hand with a firm grip that she was unable to break and he spoke with a very condescending and oily voice as she got the feeling, he was undressing her with his eyes. She forced a smile and gave Jacob a pleading look, but he simply grinned as Trainor continued to hold her hand and scrutinise her with his lust filled eyes.
After a very uncomfortable silence, the man finally, released her hand and Jacob introduced her to the other two men.
‘Beatrice,’ he said. ‘This is my ranch manager, Ty Brennan.’
He indicated the other elderly man who smiled politely and bent at the waist in a quick bow.
‘Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Mellowday, I have heard much about you and I have to say, even the glowing reports on your beauty, do not do you justice.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ she replied softly.
‘And this young man,’ announced Zimmerman. ‘Is my head of security, Billy Hunter.’
The grinning young man touched the side of his forehead with his finger in a casual salute.
‘How do ma’am,’ he said. ‘I agree with what ole Ty here just said. You sure are a good-looking gal. I don’t believe I seen the like in all my life.’
Beatrice looked down and murmured her thanks while Jacob grinned happily as though he thought their remarks were something, she should be happy about and were a direct result of his own acquisition of her.
‘Shall we go in? He said. ‘Beatrice, would you accompany our guest of honour?’
She felt dismay as Trainor suddenly gripped her upper arm and guided her through the door Jacob had opened for them. His grip was so tight it hurt and she felt sure he was scared she would flee if he didn’t hold her back.
The table had been laid out for five diners and Jacob immediately took his place at the head, leaving Trainor free to pull out her chair for her to sit and settle himself down beside her. Brennan and Hunter sat opposite with the younger man directly facing her.
Although she was hungry, Beatrice only picked at her food, painfully aware of the man sitting close beside her and the eyes of the others watching her intently as they gobbled their own food.
Little was said during the meal which did nothing to ease her discomfort and the whole three courses, though probably taking less than forty-five minutes to get through, seemed to her, to last a lifetime. However, things became worse during coffee and Beatrice found herself being humiliated with no help forthcoming from Jacob.
She was thankful for coffee with milk and sugar because she hadn’t been able to enjoy her food at all. She hoped the coffee would at least, distract her from the leering Billy Hunter and the lecherous Mervin Trainor who’s roaming hand touched her thigh every couple of minutes. But worse was to come when he spoke.
‘I hear you come from Chicago my dear,’ he said in his oily, condescending voice. ‘It is so sad about the great fire. I understand your own father perished in the blaze.’
Being reminded about her father’s death was the last thing she wanted at that particular moment and she was unable to answer for fear she would begin to cry. Therefore, she remained silent and stared at her coffee cup.
‘I’m sorry dear,’ said Trainor. ‘I hope I haven’t upset you.’
As he spoke, he placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed it. She looked up and caught Jacobs eye with a look of horror on her face. But all he did, was shake his head slowly and mouth the words, ‘It’s alright.’
She didn’t think it was alright and angrily, slapped away the man’s hand. Trainor looked furious and voiced his displeasure to Zimmerman.
‘It seems your lady isn’t very amenable to a little friendly contact Jacob.’
Zimmerman glared at Beatrice, then stood.
‘Excuse us gentlemen,’ he growled. ‘Beatrice come with me.’
He strode to the door and held it open while she slowly stood and made her way to where he waited impatiently. Once in the hall, he turned on her angrily.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing? How dare you be so petulant with a man who is simply showing a bit of friendly interest in you?’
She stared at him unable to believe he wasn’t ready to defend her honour.
‘He was being over friendly,’ she said. ‘In fact, he was being very intimate toward me. I think he is a vile reprobate and it is very immoral what he is making me endure.’
‘Oh, you’ve suddenly developed morals. They seem to have gone missing when you were being poked by that ugly bastard, Zelletta.’
