A Beauty Among Beasts

by Melanie Gabrell

  He looked around one last time and saw no trace of the client. Silently, he promised his generous host that he’d find out what he needed—however strange or needy he may turn out to be. David was an honorable man who kept his promises, and, of course, was willing to put in the work to support his family, whatever that may mean.

  As he left the grounds, he noticed that the gardens were as colorful as the night before and they seemed to sparkle even more brilliantly in the sunlight. He was intrigued by an arrangement of rose bushes outside the main steps. They were taller and more abundant than any he had seen in his life. The strangest part, the roses were black as night. They looked like living shadows that blended in with the castle walls. He had never seen this before and was sure that such an exotic beauty would be perfect for Anna—who he knew would love to see the full bushes in all their glory upon their return.

  But, when David grabbed the nearest rose to the rail, darkness began to fall around him. He looked up at the sky to find that it grew dim once more and he felt a chill in his bones.

  A sound, much like thunder, cracked and David jumped, dropping the rose. He turned slowly in a defensive position and found the figure of a man behind him. He was like no man David had seen before and he gave him an uneasy feeling. The winds picked up as he stepped closer, so David could see his eerie complexion. His skin looked gray and his eyes were ringed red underneath black hair that fell dirty and unkempt. He carried a glass of red liquid in his right hand, the other tucked behind his back.

  "I offer you my home and a small fortune, yet you take what is not yours?" The man asked quietly yet threatening. "You are an ungrateful creature." His red-ringed stare was unwavering and sent chills down David's spine. He had met many men in his lifetime, but none quite like this one.

  "I—I am sorry. You must be the master of the house, yes? Though you are quite young—"

  "My father is away right now."

  "Would you like to sit and speak about our arrangement? I could tell you about some of my inventory options..." David stammered. He should have known this client was too good to be true. He didn't even show up, and his son was ... strange.

  Have I made a deal with a demon?

  Surely the man in front of him was not human. Perhaps this was worse than the idea of dealing with a Nazi Party officer. Perhaps.

  "It was already done. I know what you have, and I took what I need." The man clutched the glass tightly, squeezing until it broke, which made David jump again.

  Damn it, he thought. The man, however, was unfazed by the glass now scattered at his feet, though he did kick some away.

  David wanted more than anything to leave the castle, but the man wasn't having it just yet. He stepped forward once more, the glass crackling beneath his feet. "You knew our deal—you supply, and in return, we help your family on the way to regain the fortune you once had," he said with a wave of his hand.

  "How did you—" David began.

  "It is no matter," he said. "I know many things." The winds died down, and the man leaned against the railing—still too close for comfort.

  "I am sorry about the rose. You see, I promised my daughter. I told them that once I met with you, I would bring them gifts. Two asked for items from town—gowns, and jewels. The third, a flower. You were kind enough to include such elegant gifts in your payment, but I still must bring Anna her rose," David said sadly.

  "Bring her here," the man said quickly, and seemed to startle even himself. Upon seeing David's furrowed brows, he added, "I would like to have her work here. It is a big house with much to do, and now many books to consider. That is what we will require further, and you will continue to get these payments," he said as he shifted his stance.

  He calmly picked up the rose from the ground and slowly pulled the thorns from its stem, placing them in his pocket. He held out the rose to David. "Do we have a deal?"

  “No,” David said, his eyes flickering from the man to the shards of glass on the floor. He still wasn't sure what services he had provided to this man. He looked down at ‘the first payment’ which was now resting on the ground. They hadn't even talked about any of his books yet, but the man had already paid him more than he’d expected. Now he wanted Anna.

  What kind of mess have I gotten into?

  “Why not?”

  “I can’t let my daughter live with a stranger,” David said, standing a little bit straighter.

  “What if you bring your family by to visit the castle when she comes to stay? I will provide dinner. If you are still unsure, you can leave with her.” He paused. For David, the words erased the finality of the offer. There was a choice. If he changed his mind last minute, he could renege. “I assure you, she will be safe. Your family will be taken care of. Can you really afford to miss this opportunity? Your current funds will only last so long, and it must be hard to find new clients, no?”

  David didn’t know how to respond, as strange as this was, the man had a point. Something nagged at him inside, but the stranger held out his hand which was filled with money.

  “Take it,” he urged.

  David slowly reached out and took the money. After a moment, he spoke down to it, glancing at the man briefly as he did. "I’ll need to have a talk with your father when we return. I was going to anyway. If we go through with this part just—just be good to her. She’s about your age, maybe you could be friends…"

  The man laughed. "I did not harm you, did I? You did not even see me until now." With that he turned back, facing the double doors when he spoke again. "I expect her arrival in the next week. She will stay here at night. There are not enough hours in the day for her to go to school, come here, and return home," he said. "Farewell, for now, David Klein." With that, he left David alone on the steps under the dismal clouds.

  David was unsure about the arrangement but didn't have a chance to express otherwise. He didn’t know why he felt that way, or since when he’d became so ... so soft. He’d always felt sorrowful when thinking of Anna getting married and leaving when she was older, but this new scenario was even more nerve-wracking.

  Maybe the experience will be good for her—though I would rather be giving her away for marriage and not have her leaving to work for strangers.

  Sommer kicked and appeared eager to go at David's arrival at the stable. She seemed to sense his foreboding, giving no fight despite the extra weight David was piling on. Once settled, she took them briskly down the dirt road, through the gate, and straight through the woods towards home.

  His one night away had felt like months. And soon it will be, for Anna…

  Chapter 4

  Anna

  Effie peered through the window, her little hands gripping the sill tightly to hold herself up and allow her big blue eyes to just barely see outside. She’d been glued to the spot all morning, stuffed bear in hand, only leaving when Anna and Gwen told her it was time for food. Unfortunately, all she saw were people passing by on their Saturday morning routines, and she made sure Anna and Gwen knew.

  They had a good view of the market from where they were, so it was the perfect spot to see everything. Anna had just called her over for lunch, but Effie wouldn't budge. She was too busy jumping up and down eagerly at the sight through the window.

  She ran over to the door, mangled piece of an old stuffed animal dragging along by her side and pulled it open. Anna followed her closely, closing the door behind them and settling herself in the doorway.

  "Papa!" Effie yelled, her breath visible in the chilly winter air as she ran out to him.

  Her father dropped the suitcase in his hands and embraced Effie. Sommer nudged the girl's arm jealously, and she giggled as she pet Sommer's nose to satisfy the horse.

  Anna stared at the suitcase now laying in the dirt. It had landed with a large thud and she could see it bulging on all sides. She knew well enough that he did not leave the house with the suitcase. She was about to ask about it, when she noticed Officer Henry Tolkien as he walked over after watching t
he little reunion.

  "You better get her inside, Klein. That poor girl must be freezing!"

  Anna smiled briefly, not willing to remove her hands from the warm spot where they were, tucked beneath her arms.

  Effie stopped moving, except for her golden curls that continued to bounce. She tucked her arms in, waving shyly to the officer.

  He waved with a smile. "I've hardly seen this little one, Mr. Klein! Already hiding her from the boys with all that beauty?" he asked. He reached into his pocket and held out his hand with a piece of candy for Effie. She grabbed it greedily, unwrapped the purple piece and shoved it into her mouth so that it made her cheek puff out.

  "Eff, say danke to the officer," her father chastised.

  Effie mumbled into her father's shoulder something that could have been ‘thank you.' Luckily, Henry understood. "Your welcome, missy."

  "The officer is right though, sweetie. You need to get inside. You might catch a cold. You have no jacket," her father said and set her down. He turned back to Henry. "You caught me, Tolkien. It's hard enough having two beauties, and now a third!"

  "Anna and Gwen have grown. I remember when they were little. I hardly see Gwen … but I see Anna out going to the market," Henry said, though Anna noticed that he blushed when he said Gwen’s name, and she made a mental note. "Don't worry I keep an eye on her."

  Anna was eager to get away and get Effie inside, but it was unlikely now since she spotted Henry’s infamous partner, Walter Volk, walking over. It was times like these she disliked living so close to the heart of the town.

  Though her father was generally up for some friendly banter, Anna could tell even he was in no mood to talk with the second man. His arrogance was in his stride, written on his wrinkled face and confirmed in his eyes. Walter knew who he was, and because of that, he believed he was better than all of them. Before he even made it across the street, his ego pushed its way into their conversation.

  "Sir, please get your horse off the road." Walter Volk sounded bored, and Anna could've sworn the horse glared at him. Even animals knew.

  Anna surveyed the scene—two officers, a man, a teenager, a kid, and a horse in the middle of the street. It was kind of funny, really. The Kleins were the only family in the center of the village that still owned a horse and they had only gotten away with it because of how old the family property was. It had traveled down through the family and it just so happened the central area of town developed around it. Their property stood out with its old architecture, actual side yard space, and the small horse stable in the back that you could see from the street.

  Walter Volk eyed the little girl intently, perhaps even aggressively. As if he was looking for something. It gave Anna chills.

  "I thought I had heard rumors that your youngest had passed, no?" The officer bent over to get a closer look and Effie backed away in her father's arms. He apparently wasn't a fan of children, nor were they a fan of him. He scoffed and turned back to David.

  "Not quite, sir,” her father responded quickly and pulled Sommer off the main road toward the small stable in his yard. That was nervy, bringing that up, Anna thought.

  "I don't know who would make up such a rumor like that. Walt, who told you that?" asked Henry.

  "I've just heard it around," Walter said with a shrug.

  "But don't you see them every day? I admit I haven't seen the little one a lot, but they live right in the village—"

  "All right, boys, I am heading in. See you around!" Anna saw her chance and took it; she was happy to end that conversation and get Effie back inside.

  Her father bid them a good day and pulled Sommer to the stable. He offered Effie a carrot to feed the horse. She smiled gleefully and gave the horse her carrot, giggling as the wet tongue touched her hands. Effie wiped her hands on her father's pants and ran to the back door. "I hope you have our presents in that fancy box, Papa!" she said before disappearing with Anna right behind her.

  Anna and Gwen waited patiently at the table with lunch set up for when her father walked in. The family spent a lot of time at that kitchen table; it was the place of fun and flounder. That day, it would be flounder, Anna could feel it. Still, she smiled as he entered, dropping his things to give them hugs.

  "So, how did it go?" Gwen asked and leaned over the table to dish out their lunch.

  "I have gifts for you girls!" he said with a smile and pointed towards the suitcase. "Even more than you imagined!" He sat down at the head of the table and took a bite of his sandwich. Anna could see by how eagerly he ate that he was famished.

  Effie bounded over quickly at the mention of gifts and tried to open the suitcase, but it was too hard for her little hands. Anna smiled and walked over to help her. She opened it with a few turns of the old locks that held it together.

  Inside the suitcase was a stuffed dog for Effie, complete with matching tiaras for the two, an assortment of gowns and jewelry, as well as money and old gold. Anna moved it all aside, dishing out what went to whom. They ogled the magnificence of the items. Even in their better days, they had not seen such wealth.

  "This man must be royalty!" Gwen said pulling a dress up to herself.

  Anna finally came across her wish at the bottom. It was a beautiful black rose, darker than night. Its petals were soft to the touch, yet somehow lacked the fragility of a usual flower. Somehow, it hadn’t been crushed between everything. ”Where did you get such a flower?" she asked, twirling it in her fingers.

  "Come sit." He beckoned them all back to the kitchen table. Once they were all sitting, he told them about his travels and the beautiful castle; though, Anna noticed that with each passing minute his specificity seemed to dwindle. Regardless, the description enamored them all. Anna couldn't entirely paint the picture he described, but it sounded incredible.

  "Can we go there?" Gwen asked eagerly.

  "Well, the client actually requested the help of one of you at his home." He took a bite of his sandwich and pointed at the others to do the same. Effie was too busy with her new dog to be bothered with food, though. "What are you going to name him, Eff?" Her father changed the subject.

  "Dog!" She held him up above the table and grabbed her old bear in the other arm.

  "Dog? Not anything else?"

  "Nope! Dog and Bear." She giggled, holding up her two stuffed animals. "Can we get a real dog?"

  "Father, what's the castle thing? Can I go?" Gwen asked, redirecting the conversation as she sat on the edge of her chair.

  "Actually…. he requested that Anna come work with him. Of her own accord, of course," he said quietly, looking sideways at Anna.

  She glanced up from her plate. She hadn't been talking much, focusing on eating her food and staring at the rose she’d placed next to her at the table. "Me?" Anna asked, scratching her head. "What for?"

  He explained what happened with the rose and that the client needed services around his home.

  Gwen's face turned sour and Anna could only imagine what she was thinking—probably that it wasn't fair. She was the one who was into big castles and dresses, while Anna was into books.

  "But he promised payment for your services, and you won't see him much. You would still go to school, of course, but you would have to stay there. It’s impractical for you to come back here every night. He treated me quite well during my stay; though, it was a lonely night." He cleared his throat. "My dear, I know you enjoy the quiet … it's perfect for reading! And it is a beautiful place. I think you would like it. And, the son is about your age!" He smiled what Anna recognized as a hopeful smile.

  She smiled as well, but her mind was reeling. Why on earth would he be okay with her living with two men? She supposed if he was okay with it, there must be a good reason…

  "Father, I will do anything you ask, you know that. Besides, if it means I can help the family then I will gladly go."

  Chapter 5

  Anna

  A week after Anna’s father came home with his dismal news, it still dwelled in th
e back of her mind. She was leaving home. It wasn’t said how long she would be there, but if she was staying as a guest and packing all her things, she could only assume it would be for at least a few weeks, if not a few months. She didn’t want to go, and a part of her resented her father for agreeing to the arrangement. But who was she to say no? The client was very generous and any income he provided would help her family. It would be selfish to refuse.

  So instead, she spent the week trying to think of other options to satisfy the client. Her father had been very direct that it must be Anna and she had to stay there. It didn’t seem fair. She couldn’t understand why the arrangement was so strict. She spent hours toiling over other options, but every time she mentioned it to her father, he brushed her off immediately.

  She had thought of every other alternative, even as she sat alone in her math classroom. Her mind was reeling until suddenly it had another storm of thoughts brewing—a welcome distraction from her worries. Anna realized that she was alone in the classroom and finally had the opportunity that she had been waiting for.

  On the other side of the room was Mrs. Jager’s desk. It was a pristine dark wood, neatly stacked with papers from all her classes, a pencil holder shaped like a flower, a picture of her family, and Anna’s book sitting in the top drawer.

  She felt like a criminal. Her heart was racing. Mrs. Jager would only be gone for a few minutes. She hadn’t expected the opportunity to get it back so soon.

  All she had to do was open the top drawer and take out the book.

  She straightened her skirt and looked behind her. She heard noises coming from the hall and quickly ran to the desk, ripped open the drawer, and froze.