Beatrice and the Beast, page 4
‘Woah,’ he said. ‘What’s the hurry little lady? Why you in such an all fired hurry to go back when there’s some real friendly fellers here who’d be tickled to get to know a pretty little thing like you.’
‘Please sir,’ she cried. ‘You are hurting my arm and I wish to leave this area forthwith.’
‘Aw don’t be like that pretty, come and have a drink with some real friendly fellers and let us get to know you better.’
Some of the other grinning men had sidled their way and had formed a circle around them both as she struggled to break free of his strong grip on her arm. Some of them even joined in and tried to paw at her as the frightened girl began to sob and tears rolled down her cheeks. It made no difference to the drunken cowpokes. There was no compassion toward her and certainly no pity as the men became fired up with increasing excitement and pawed at any part of her anatomy, they were able to reach. The young man holding her, pulled her head back by her hair and tried to crush her lips with his. She struggled violently and continually repeated the word “no.” But each man had become aroused by the struggles of an attractive girl who was clearly, well bred. They were like a pack of baying wolves as they whooped and hollered and grabbed at her young body. A crowd had also gathered as men poured from saloons to see what was happening, but none came to her aid, until suddenly, the men surrounding her were bowled over like skittles and Frank Zelletta smashed a huge fist into the side of the head of the man gripping her arm. He staggered into another man and they both went down. But Zelletta wasn’t finished – he strode to the man he had hit who lay dazed on the ground and stamped on his shoulder smashing it. The man screamed in agony, but still Zelletta wasn’t satisfied. He brought his foot down with such force on the man’s shin, the crack was heard all around as the bone broke.
Zelletta turned to face Beatrice who stood alone on weak and shaking legs with a horrified look on her face and tears streaming down her pretty face. He went toward the girl just as her legs gave way and snaked a huge arm around her waist before lifting her into his arms and cradling her to his chest. Strangely, although she feared the man, she somehow, felt safe with him and knew she would come to no harm as long as he was there and she felt no shame as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her tear streaked face into his hard chest.
Zelletta turned to the friends of the man on the ground as some of them tended him.
‘I know who you are and I know what you done. I’m coming back this way in one hour and if I see any one of you around here or anywhere in Wichita, you gonna get what your pal got and that’s if I’m in a good mood. If I’m feeling riled, you can expect me to start killing and it won’t be pretty.’
None of them spoke or even moved as Zelletta turned still cradling the girl in his arms and strode back toward where she had come from.
FOUR
Zelletta strode easily along Main Street watched by curious bystanders, many of whom knew him or which was more likely, knew of him and the last thing anybody would have expected, was to see the huge man striding along the boardwalk carrying a young woman in his arms. Speculation about who she was, was rife amongst the watchers, each noting that clearly a woman, she looked so small and childlike as she nestled in the arms of the big man and he carried her so easily, she might have weighed little more than a blanket.
His attention never varied from the street ahead, looking neither left nor right and completely ignoring the curious stares from onlookers standing on the boardwalks.
Before reaching the corner of the street where the boarding house was situated, Beatrice spoke softly.
‘I think I feel strong enough to walk now Mister Zelletta.’
‘It ain’t far now, you might as well stay put.’
She smiled briefly and continued to enjoy the incredible secure and safe feeling he was able to instil into her, just the way her father had made her feel when she was just a small child. She moved her face from his chest and spoke.
‘I’m so thankful you happened to be close by when those men accosted me.’
‘I shouldn’t have let you get that far ahead of me, if I’d stayed close to you, it would never have happened.’
‘You were following me?’ She gasped.
‘I wouldn’t have been doin’ my job if I weren’t.’
‘Oh,’ was all she was able to reply.
…
Ella Chambers, with Jenny, was busy setting the tables for the evening meal when she heard what sounded like somebody kicking the door. The startled woman hurried to the door and swung it wide to be confronted by Frank Zelletta and she was taken aback to see he was cradling Beatrice in his arms. She was too surprised to speak for a moment as she stood facing the pair with her mouth open.
‘She’s had fright missus,’ growled Zelletta. ‘I think she needs to rest up a bit.’
‘Oh lawd, what happened?’
‘She strayed into the wrong side of town and got manhandled by some rowdies. She’s shook up but no real harm done.’
Ella regarded Zelletta’s scarred face but it was expressionless and she was unable to read anything in his demeanour. However, she could not help but notice the way the girl clung on to him like a frightened child. Indeed, she looked just like a child as she nestled in his huge arms. Whatever had happened to the girl down town, she clearly felt safe with the man she had previously, been terrified of.
‘Can you stand child?’ Asked Ella.
Beatrice sniffed and nodded her head. But she made no attempt to free herself from Zelletta’s arms. He set her down onto her feet and Ella placed an arm around the smaller girl’s waist to hold her steady.
‘I’ll take care of her Mister Zelletta.’
He nodded and without even glancing at Beatrice, turned and headed for the door. Ella took Beatrice through to the kitchen and through another door which led to a small lounge where she sat the girl on a couch before lifting her feet and laying her head onto a cushion.
‘You rest up a spell honey, while I help Jenny set the tables. Can I get you a drink?’
‘No thank you Ella,’ Beatrice whispered. ‘I’ll be alright when I have rested a while. I must apologise for all the trouble I seem to have caused since I arrived here.’
‘Oh, hush child, you ain’t brung nowhere near as much trouble as I’ve seen in the time I’ve been here. In a town like Wichita, trouble is a way of life.’
She left the girl to rest while she returned to the dining room to help Jenny.
‘Can you believe that Jen?’ She asked the younger woman. ‘You could have knocked me down with a rose petal when I saw her clinging to Frank Zelletta as though her life depended on it.’
‘She seemed so scared of him when he was here earlier,’ replied Jenny. ‘Yet just now, she seemed to be more frightened of letting him go.’
‘He said she was jostled and set upon by ruffians. I can only guess he must have come to her rescue. But she must have had a terrible fright to cling onto him the way she did.’
‘I guess so,’ said Jenny. ‘It’s happened to me before now and ain’t a very nice experience. Even I was frightened and I’m used to what goes on around here.’
‘I think that child has lived such a sheltered existence that anything like that would be enough to damage her for life. The poor kid must have been terrified. God only knows how she will cope if she decides to set out with Frank Zelletta and make the journey to Texas.’
‘I’ll lay a little wager with you Ella. I’d like to bet you anything you like, after one night out there on the prairie, she’ll be begging that man to bring her back.’
‘I wouldn’t take your bet Jen, because I’m inclined to agree with you. That girl is far too fragile to cope with what faces her out there. She ain’t got no idea what she’s letting herself in for if she decides to go, and if she does, I’m gonna worry myself silly until I hear that she’s safe. I’m gonna ask her to send a telegraph or a letter when she gets there just to put my mind at rest.
FIVE
After lying awake on the couch for a very long time unable to free her mind of everything that had happened since she arrived in Wichita, the weary girl finally lapsed into a deep sleep and it was only Ella gently rousing her from her slumber that made her aware how tired she had been.
‘Wake up sleepy head,’ said the woman softly. ‘Would you like to freshen up before dinner? The busy period is almost over and me and Sam will be eating in thirty minutes if you’re still happy to join us.’
Beatrice sat up and stretched.
‘Thank you, Ella, you have been so kind to me I could never repay you.’
‘Oh, hush child. It’s been a pleasure having you here. How are you feeling now?’
‘I’m alright now and I really must apologise for my silliness. You probably think I am such a baby for allowing what happened to upset me so much. It’s just that I’ve never encountered such behaviour before and I was terrified those men would do something abominable to me.’
‘You were right to be alarmed. Some of the men who frequent that area don’t know when they’re going too far, especially when they’ve been drinking. You wouldn’t be the first woman alone, who strayed into that area and you’re lucky I guess, you didn’t end up being dragged into an alley. It was lucky Frank Zelletta happened to be close by and was able to come to your aid.’
‘It wasn’t luck Ella. He followed me all the way down to the river.’
‘He followed you?’
‘Yes, but it wasn’t anything untoward. He followed me to keep me safe. He told me it was what he was being paid for and was even hard on himself for not being closer when those men accosted me.’
‘Well I hope that was his only motive for following you Beatrice, I truly do.’
‘I’ve heard some of the stories about him Ella and I’m sure they are true. I saw first-hand how brutal he can be by what he did to one of those men who assaulted me. But I sensed something else in his character and I’m sure he has a gentler and more compassionate side to his nature where females and the less fortunate are concerned. I have never felt as safe as I did when he carried me away from that awful place.’
‘Well I urge you to give it a lot of thought before you make up your mind to go with him.’
‘I don’t have that much time Ella. He’s going to be here at dawn and I think I have already made up my mind. Jacob trusts him and after today, so do I.’
‘Then there’s no more to be said on the matter. I’ll let you go and freshen up. We’ll be waiting in the dining room for you.’
…
They ate in relative silence. The two women lost in thought and Sam wondering what had caused such pensiveness. It wasn’t until Jenny had taken away their plates and brought coffee, that Beatrice decided they deserved to know why she was undertaking the journey to Texas.
‘You were interested in the reason for my journey from Chicago Sam.’
He felt a little embarrassed as he regarded the girl.
‘I don’t want to pry Beatrice if you prefer to keep it yourself. It ain’t really none of my business. I was just curious that’s all.’
‘No, you both deserve to know after being so kind to me. That’s if you’re still interested of course.’
‘Oh, we’re both interested,’ responded Ella. ‘If you’ve a mind to tell us.’
‘Of course, I have nothing to hide and you will probably find my story boring.’
Ella smiled and waited expectantly.
‘I told Sam about my father’s mill burning down and how he perished in the fire. My mother died soon after I was born and so I was raised by my father. I loved him dearly and I was devastated by what happened to him. He had been my rock and I was totally reliant on him, so you can imagine how difficult it became for me. I wanted to mourn my father, but at the same time, I was being pursued by his debtors. Well after selling his properties including our house in order to settle his debts, I was left destitute and it was only the kindness of my friend’s parents that kept me from absolute poverty. They allowed me to stay with them until I could get back on my feet. I hated having to rely on them and over the months, I had to resort to selling my clothes and jewellery in order to pay my way. Most of the businesses had burned down in the fire so there was no place I would have been able to get a job, even if I had the skills or capability.’
I would imagine there would be plenty of jobs cleaning up the mess, thought Ella. ‘But I guess menial work such as that, would be below her. However, she kept her thoughts to herself and simply nodded as Beatrice continued with her story.
‘I realized I wouldn’t be able to rely on the generosity of my friend and her family for long,’ she continued. ‘But despite my desperation to unburden myself from their hospitality, I was at a complete loss about what I should do. However, just by chance, my friend and I were taking tea in one of the few establishments that hadn’t been affected by the fire and overheard two other young women talking about mail order brides and how the shortage of suitable women in the west necessitated men, many of them very rich, to seek brides from the east.’
‘You must have been really desperate,’ opined Ella. ‘To consider marrying a man you have never met,’
‘It was my friend Lucy, who suggested it. I had never even considered doing such a thing. But she convinced me to at least make some enquiries and research the opportunities. We found an agency that specialised in bringing together western men and eastern women and I became interested in what Jacob had written about himself and to be perfectly honest, the lifestyle he described for me should I accept his offer was very enticing and I began corresponding with him.’
Ella squeezed Sam’s arm before interjecting.
‘I can understand your desperation and the need to find somebody to take care of you Beatrice,’ she said. ‘Call me old fashioned if you like, but I believe love should play a big part in a marriage.’
‘And I agree whole heartedly Ella,’ responded the girl. ‘But after months of corresponding with Jacob reading the many testimonials from his associates and other businessmen, I feel he is a very gentle and caring man who is very rich and generous to a fault. He even sent a tintype picture of himself and for an older man, he is quite handsome.’
Beatrice rummaged through her reticule and brought out a small tintype of a man with what appeared to be greying hair and a small moustache and beard. When Ella studied it, she was surprised to see he looked older than the forty something years she had envisaged him to be. She decided he looked nearer sixty than forty and feared for the existence the girl could expect in a few years when though still a young woman, she would have to take care of an aging and infirm old man. However, her motivation seemed to be riches and luxury, which appeared to override any shortcomings. So maybe it would be worth it in the long run. If the old man had no living relatives, all his assets would be bequeathed to Beatrice once he passed on to the afterlife. She really didn’t know what to say but knew Beatrice was waiting for her to approve of the man. She handed the photo to Sam and smiled at Beatrice before saying.
‘He has kind eyes.’
Sam registered surprise when he scrutinised the photo but did not comment as he handed it back to the girl with a smile.
Beatrice replaced it into her bag and looked imploringly at the older couple.
‘Do you think I’m making a mistake?’ she asked softly.
‘Only you can answer that, child,’ replied Ella. ‘My main concern is the journey you are about to undertake. I will have many a sleepless night worrying about you out there alone with a killer. I hope you will telegraph me or write and let me know you have arrived safely.’
‘I will Ella. I am grateful you care enough to show your concern and though I wouldn’t want to cause you any anguish, it is nice to have someone to fret over what happens to me. However, I’m sure you are worrying unnecessarily about my safety. I trust Jacob’s judgement of Mister Zelletta and after what happened today, I’m sure I couldn’t be in safer hands.’
‘Then Sam and I wish you well and hope you have an uneventful journey to Texas.’
SIX
Her room was almost, in total darkness when Beatrice was awakened by knocking on her door. Twilight seeped through the window and fought to push away the blackness of just a few minutes earlier rendering the room not quite dark enough that she was unable to make out shapes. The door opened and Ella poked her head into the room.
‘You awake Beatrice?’ She whispered. ‘Frank Zelletta is here waiting for you in the street.’
Beatrice propped herself on an elbow.
‘What time is it?’ She whispered trying to stifle a yawn.
‘Nearly five-o-clock.’
‘What!?’ Exclaimed the girl. ‘It’s the middle of the night.’
‘Not in these parts sweetie. Most folks start their day early. I gotta serve breakfast by five thirty and I’ve already been up thirty minutes.’
She came through the door holding a lamp aloft, which illuminated the whole area apart from the remotest corners before lighting another lamp that hung from a beam in the middle of the room.
Beatrice clambered from the bed and made her sleepy way to a dresser, atop which was a pitcher of water and a bowl. Then with no hint of shame, she peeled off the cotton night dress and poured water from the pitcher into the bowl. The older woman was too taken by surprise to look away and beheld the slim and petite body of the girl as she began to bathe herself all over with a cloth she had soaked in the cold water.
