“What happened to you?”
The girl sniffled. “My ma informed me that she has accepted an offer. I’ve been sold, by my own mother, as a mail-order bride. I’m leaving for Nevada tomorrow.”
“What?” Gianna sat up in shock, her own problems forgotten for the moment. “That’s horrible!”
“That’s not even the worst part,” Feng Ling’s voice trembled as she fought back tears. She met Gianna’s gaze with shaky determination. “I like women, Gianna. You know what that means? I don’t like men; I like women.”
Gianna nodded, confirming what she had already suspected. She had noticed her friend’s eyes lingering on her curves all too often.
“I can’t imagine being married to a man, having to satisfy him. I can’t imagine having to spend the rest of my life living a lie.”
“Ling, that’s terrible,” Gianna’s heart went out to her friend. Feng Ling shook her head and laughed.
“Well, go on and read your letter. I’d like a moment in silence, to process the evil turn that my life has taken.”
“Of course,” Gianna murmured, lowering her eyes as she tried to give her friend the privacy that she needed to cry.
Opening the letter, there was nothing that Gianna could do to prepare herself for the third and worst shock of the day. Her muffled cry of distress caught her friend’s attention.
“What is it? What does it say?”
“My Papà, he’s dreadfully ill. He needs treatment immediately but my mother says he lost their savings to gambling. She’s asking me for a loan.”
“Well, how did your job go? You should have received a nice sum of money when they confirmed your employment.”
“That’s the thing. There is no job. The agency cheated me and countless others of our money.”
“No!” Feng Ling’s eyes widened.
“She says that they’ll have to take a loan from Antonio Martello if I can’t help them with the money.”
“That evil millionaire scum you told me about?”
“Yes! He’ll drain them dry, Ling. Oh, this is dreadful. I need to try and raise the money for them somehow.”
Feng Ling’s eyes narrowed. “Gianna,” she said slowly. “I think I might have a solution, but I’m not sure that you’re going to like it.”
“What is it?” Gianna eagerly turned towards her friend’s uncertain face.
“I received a significant portion of the settlement sum that the man paid my mother. It should be more than what you need to help your parents. I’ll give it to you, if you take my place as his bride.”
Gianna’s eyes widened in shock. “You want me to … to take on your identity?”
“Yes. It’s not that bad, Gianna. It’s different for me, but I know how much of a romantic you are. Many women find romance in the West. Maybe it’s time for you to stop fending for yourself. He is a rich and successful man. Older, but well respected in his community. He will take good care of you.”
“Yes, but I think you’re missing one important thing, Ling,” Gianna’s voice grew shrill. “I’m Italian. You’re Chinese! How am I going to pretend to be you?”
“So you’ll make up a lie. Tell him you have mixed heritage, I don’t know! He doesn’t know what I look like anyway. The important thing is, you’ll be able to help your parents, and you’ll be saving me.”
Gianna looked down at her letter and back at her friend’s pleading eyes. “This is madness,” she muttered.
“It’s the best chance for both of us. Look, I’ll pass you the check now. If you cash it and wire it over to her by evening, she’ll have the money in no time.”
Sighing, Gianna closed her eyes and pictured her mother’s worried face.
“Alright. Alright, I’ll do it. But I’m going to need your clothes.”
++++++++
Anthony rubbed down his chestnut horse and popped it a lump of sugar before leaving the stables. Locking the door to the paddock, he slowly walked up the moonlit path.
A possibility. That was the way Ethan had put it. Well, that could either work out fine or it could turn around and bite him in the nuts.
“If all else fails, I can just send her back,” he reassured himself as he neared the hotel that was his home. The light-encrusted signboard shone merrily in the darkness, illuminating the large oriental lanterns that stood on either side. A decade ago, he had redecorated the hotel’s facade as a project to distract him from the pain of losing his wife. It turned out that incorporating the Chinese art pieces and statues he had collected over the years into the décor was a good idea, since its uniqueness turned his hotel into a landmark. Tourists starting piling in to get a glimpse of the oriental hotel that was so exotic in the dusty West. The pair of stone lions that guarded the hotel’s entrance was a particular oddity that his guests seemed to enjoy.
Walking up the stairs to the penthouse which he had claimed as his personal residence, he caught sight of his head housekeeper, who was preparing to leave for the evening.
“Mrs. Beauchamp, if I could have a word.”
“Be right with ya, Mister Davis,” she called out as she walked towards him. Plump and matronly, she was dressed in the hotel’s uniform that he had the tailor fashion out of silk brocade fabric that Ethan helped him import from Peking.
“Mrs. Beauchamp, I have … news. I have acquired a mail-order bride. She will be arriving tomorrow at noon. I have some things to attend to, and I would be most obliged if you could pick her up at the station for me. I’ll tell Jack to ready the wagon for you.”
The older lady clasped her hands in joy. “Oh, a wife! What a wonderful thing. I’d be happy to pick up the poppet for you. I’ll also tell the maids to report to you so you can prepare for her arrival.”
As she hopped down the stairs in a merry jaunt, she called up to him, “Things are going to be so different around here!”
Anthony gave a half-hearted smirk before going into his bedroom and slamming the door shut.
Chapter 2
“Cazzo!”
Gianna cursed, as she tried in vain to find a comfortable position. Her squirming earned her a glare from the stuffy gentleman sitting across from her and she stuck her tongue out in retaliation. Such unladylike behavior was uncommon for her, but Gianna was long beyond any form of social etiquette.
“Cosa vuoi ora?” She snapped when it seemed apparent that he was not planning to take his beady eyes off her anytime soon. Clucking his tongue, the man shook his head before turning back to his newspaper.
Gianna knew deep inside that she could barely blame him or any of the other passengers for staring. She looked like an oddity. The Italian girl dressed in traditional Chinese garb. From the moment she pulled on the qipao that Feng Ling had passed to her, she knew that she was in for a hell of a time. Being considerably more voluptuous than her petite Asian friend, the silk fabric was stretched to its limit over her curves. That, coupled with the garish design of golden dragons and engine-red firebirds, made her feel like a circus sideshow.
“I look ridiculous, Ling!” She had protested as her friend struggled to keep a straight face.
“Oh, come now. You don’t look too bad. Besides, it was your idea to keep the act as authentic as possible.”
“I’m having serious doubts about my sense of judgment,” Gianna muttered as she checked out her reflection. “Dio! My behind looks huge!”
“Really?” Feng Ling perked up as she scooted over for a better look. “I think you look really hot.”
“Thanks,” Gianna snorted.
“No, take it from me. I ought to know.” Ling laughed.
“Yes, you would, wouldn’t you?” she sighed. Slouching her shoulders, she turned to her friend. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Are you serious? This is probably the best idea you’ve ever had. I mean, come on!” Gianna yelped in protest as her friend smacked her teasingly on her bottom. “One look at you and he won’t give a damn about your race.”
“Such vulgarity
from the shy little Chinese sparrow,” Gianna quipped, which earned her a punch on the arm. “Ouch!”
“Laugh all you want,” Ling scoffed. “But I’m a New Yorker, born and raised. Having said that, you’d definitely play the part a lot better than I would. Soft voice, little nods. That’s practically just being yourself.”
“Oh ha, ha,” Gianna rolled her eyes. “I’m going to miss you, you know,” she said, drawing her friend into a sudden embrace.
“Yeah, it’s just starting to sink in for me too,” Ling sniffled as she returned the hug. “Take care of yourself, right? You know I’m forever in your debt.”
“As am I.” Gianna’s voice broke. “That money means the world to my parents. Thanks for wiring the cash for me.”
“Thanks for marrying the Western for me.” They broke apart, giggling at the absurdity of the situation.
Gianna shook her head as she watched the scenery flash before her. As the unfamiliar terrain of the Western frontier appeared, a giant wave of homesickness washed over her. Her move to America had been terrifying, but at least she had known exactly what she was going to do. Pretending to be someone she was not and marrying someone she didn’t know: that was something else altogether.
Tugging at the high collar of her qipao, Gianna tried to banish all images of a noose from her imagination. Instead, she focused on the last words her friend had said to her, just before she had boarded the train.
“Be careful, Gianna,” Ling whispered into her ear as they hugged goodbye. “You mustn’t let him know that you’re lying. He’ll send you back and you’ll have the entire settlement sum on your shoulders as debt. I’m leaving for Wyoming tomorrow, so I won’t be around to clean up your mess anymore.”
Threats of an impending debt that she would never be able to repay! That was the perfect pick-me-up. Gianna rolled her eyes at herself.
“Next stop, Wadsworth, Nevada!” the train conductor called out as he passed her.
Gianna stuffed her belongings into her purse and paused as her fingers brushed against her grandmother’s necklace. Rubbing the cameo for luck, she whispered a silent prayer as the train platform emerged in the distance.
“Well, this is it,” she told herself.
As the train slowed to a stop, Gianna gathered her suitcase and smoothed out her dress. As she descended from the train with a couple of other passengers, she scanned the train platform. I wonder who he is, she thought.
“Miss Ling?” Gianna jumped as she felt a tiny, tentative tap land on her shoulder. “Yes, yes,” she answered hastily. “I’m Miss … Miss Ling.”
Turning around, she saw a kind-faced elderly lady in a blue dress. Her silvery curls were neatly tucked beneath a white bonnet. Gianna guessed that the lady was about a decade younger than her own grandmother.
“Oh!” Gianna’s heart sank as she saw the uncertainty cross the lady’s face. “My, my, you’re quite … different from what I expected,” the older lady said hesitantly. “You are Miss Feng Ling? The young lady that Mister Davies is expecting?”
“Yes Madam, I am Feng Ling,” Gianna resisted the urge to drop a curtsy, opting instead for a low bow.
“And you are … Chinese, I believe?” A frown settled upon the lady’s face, terrifying Gianna. Were things going to go wrong even before she left the train station? She hastened to reply.
“My father is Chinese, Ma’am, and my mother was from Italy,” she whispered, lowering her eyes to the ground. She could feel her lips quivering as she uttered the lie.
Moments passed in unbearable silence before a merry chuckle made her look up in surprise. The lady’s eyes were twinkling again and she warmed to her right away.
“Well now, dearie, come along. My name is Matilda Beauchamp, and it’s very nice to meet you. I’ll just get Jackie to pick up your things and we’ll be on our way. Jack!” Mrs. Beauchamp beckoned to a young boy of approximately fourteen who had been staring unabashedly at her since she descended from the train. Gianna blushed a little.
“Right, right away, Miss,” he stammered. “Are there bags on the train then?”
“Oh no, no,” Gianna lifted her suitcase. “This is all I have.”
“I’ll take that for you, Miss,” the boy shyly received her proffered bag and hurried off. Mrs. Beauchamp chuckled.
“You’ll excuse Jackie there. It’s not often that he interacts with such a pretty young lady like yourself.”
“Are you … are you both related to Mr. Davies?” Gianna inquired, thinking that she wouldn’t mind if these two lovely people were part of her future family. Mrs. Beauchamp laughed heartily.
“Good heavens, no! I’m his housekeeper and Jack is his stable boy. Mister Davies would have come himself today, but he had something to attend to. The life of a hotel owner is oft’ a busy, busy one! He’s a good man, Missy, and I’m sure you’ll find him very charming. A fine gentleman he is. Do you know he used to be sheriff of our town?”
Gianna smiled as she walked alongside, her eager eyes taking in the unfamiliar sights. There was the faint outline of mountains in the distance, surrounded by large expanses of green lands. So far, everything was going beautifully. As the whistling of steam engines grew fainter behind them, a beautiful horse-drawn wagon came into view. But it wasn’t the large mahogany stagecoach which captured her attention.
“Horses!” she exclaimed, and clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized that she had interrupted Mrs. Beaucamp in midsentence. Thankfully, the woman chuckled good-naturedly.
“Are you an animal lover, poppet?”
“Oh yes,” Gianna stared longingly at the two beautiful horses. One was a chestnut mare with a lush brown mane, a long swishy tail and the softest chocolate eyes. The other was a unique specimen. Its shiny coat was ebony and had large patches of white so that it resembled a cow. She had never seen anything like it.
“That’s our piebald, Jenny,” Jack offered shyly. Without realizing it, Gianna had wandered right before the horse. “She’s beautiful,” she said in wonder, laughing as the horse whinnied softly as though thanking her for the praise.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to see one up close before,” she mused. She held up a tentative hand to the horse, which sniffed it with interest.
“Oh yes, I don’t expect that you city girls would have the chances to interact with God’s animals. How wonderful that you get along with animals! Mister Davies runs a stable of fine horses on his land. How lovely that you’ll both have that in common!”
Gianna smiled at the old lady fondly. It was obvious that she loved her employer and for the first time, Gianna allowed herself to hope for the best. Getting a hand from Jack, she mounted the wagon and settled herself on its seat.
“Well, off to home now!” chirped Mrs. Beauchamp as Jack clicked smartly at the horses and they moved off in an enthusiastic canter.
“The Chinese Lantern Hotel is right off the edge of town,” Mrs. Beauchamp offered, seemingly eager to acquaint Gianna with her future home. “Mister Davies owns a large plot of land, just over twelve grand acres, I’d reckon.”
“The Chinese Lantern Hotel?” Gianna wondered.
“Aye, poppet. I guess that’s a strange name for a hotel in these parts, but Mister Davies is a man of innovation, as they call him. He redecorated the building with Asian antiquities and now we’ve got visitors coming from miles around.”
Turning suddenly to Gianna with sparkling eyes, she quipped, “I guess you’ll feel right at home! It’ll be nice to have someone who can tell me more about those art pieces and decorations.”
Gianna stared in horror. She had assumed that there would be questions about her fake heritage but this was a brand new nightmare altogether.
“I must say, your outfit is exquisite!” Mrs. Beauchamp tittered on, blissfully unaware of Gianna’s plight. “Those are some pretty birds. What are they?”
Trying desperately to remember what Ling had called them, Gianna did her best to keep her voice calm. “Oh, they are urm, peacock
s.”
“Peacocks?” Mrs. Beauchamp wrinkled her nose.
“Fire peacocks,” Gianna added hastily. Flapping her hands like wings, she blathered on. “They’re mythical birds that breathe fire and … fly fast.”
“How exquisite,” Mrs. Beauchamp said, her eyes wide. “My, such a rich heritage.”
Gianna smiled weakly and offered a silent apology to the Chinese for the unintended butchering of their heritage.
“I ask because Mister Davies imported some lovely silk fabric for our new uniforms. They have the exact same birds on them and there I was all a-fluster. I didn’t want to ask him for fear of sounding silly, but at least now I have something to tell the townsfolk when they ask – oh, dearie, are you alright?”
The horrible notion of a triumphant Mrs. Beauchamp telling the whole town about her made-up fire peacocks had sent Gianna into a coughing fit.
“My, my, it must be the change in climate,” the kind old lady clucked, patting Gianna comfortingly on her back. “A nice cup of tea is just what you need. And just in time: look, we’re here!”
++++++++
Anthony puffed at his pipe as he paced restlessly through the lobby. He kept his eyes on the path that led up to the hotel as he absentmindedly toyed with a loose thread from his vest.
They should have been here by now.
Mayhap the girl had changed her mind. Anthony felt a flush of relief as he considered that possibility although it was tinged with a touch of disappointment. Despite his misgivings, some part of him had taken the initiative to prepare for living with a woman. He had the maids put fresh sheets over the bed and had installed a new wardrobe and a large bathtub in the corner of the room. As an afterthought, he had placed sprigs of fragrant sweet-pea blossoms, which he had gathered on his way back from the stables, around the room.
Ah well. Anthony snuffed out his pipe. Perhaps it was for the best. All that worrying had chipped away at the emotional wall he had so carefully built. Finally noticing the fray in the fabric his meddling fingers had created, he made an irritated noise.
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