Secrets of The Tea Room Ch. 17

I thanked him and Rose gave him a kiss on the cheek, 'We'll be here when you get back.'

Brad left and I asked Rose if she was hungry. 'Famished!' she replied, so I ordered up a hearty breakfast for both of us. While we were waiting Rose wanted a shower.

I turned on the water for her and retrieved a thick white terry cloth robe for her from the closet. When I returned to the bathroom I could see her form through the frosted glass. She was facing the cascade of hot water, letting it hit her in the face and rinse down her body.

I undressed and got into the shower behind her. She didn't move or acknowledge my presence, but I knew that she knew I was there. I soaped up a wash cloth and began with her neck and shoulders, more massaging than washing, down to her feet.

I turned her around to rinse off and repeated the process again starting with her neck and working down to her feet. When that was done, I tilted her head back into the spray to get it wet, then I shampooed her hair. She was perfectly still, obviously enjoying the gentle ministrations ... caring and kind, but definitely not sexual.

I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her head, then another one to dry her off. She slipped into the robe, reached up on tiptoe to kiss me, then walked back into the bedroom.

I finished my shower and likewise put on a robe just in time to hear the knock at the door. 'Room Service', the voice said. I peeked through the security window to make sure and then opened the door. The waiter wheeled in a cart, I signed the check and began to fix our two plates.

We ate in silence, Rose seemed relieved and relaxed, so I decided to let her take the lead to indicate when she wanted to start talking. When we finished she said, 'Come lay with me' as she crossed to the bed and lay on top of the covers. I laid down beside her with my arm across her waist. She turned her back to me, spooning into my body, 'Hold me with both arms ... hold me close.' And I was glad to oblige.

We laid like this for a few minutes when she started to talk, 'I never thought I would see you again.' She didn't turn to face me, so I held her and let her talk.

'I met Kellen at the Napoleon House. Everything seemed okay. We ordered then I took the heart necklace out of my purse and scooted it across the table. I told him that it was beautiful and very sweet. I told him I thought he was a wonderful man who deserved someone who would love him, but that I had fallen in love with someone else.

In an instant he was a different man. His voice fell to almost a whisper and he grabbed the hand that still held on to the jewelry box. His grasp hurt me and I tried to pull back. He growled that he had found someone who could love him ... me. I would learn to love him in time. I tried to reason with him, but he just kept getting angrier, his eyes were like ice.

He said he had done some checking and had found out that you shared my home ... he suspected it was you that I loved. I denied it, but it did no good. He leaned across the table and said, 'You are coming with me now and you will do what I say, if you don't Jackson Austin Emerly will not live to see another sun rise. I have a man watching him now. If I don't call by 4:00 this afternoon, your so-called partner will be a dead man.

From the look in his eyes I didn't doubt that what he said was true, all I could do was give a little nod. Kellen nodded to a man at another table, the man acknowledged that nod, then Kellen escorted me out to his limousine. It was a short drive to the airport. When we got there, the man in the restaurant pulled in right behind us.

Kellen told him that he had new orders. If Kellen hadn't called him by 7:00 that evening, he was to carry out his orders. There was no doubt what those orders were. Kellen's private jet was ready to take off when we got there, only minutes after we boarded we were in the air. Kellen walked toward the cockpit and talked briefly with the pilot then came back to sit with me.

Suddenly he was like a giddy little boy who had just gotten what he wanted on Christmas morning. He was beaming. He said he had another surprise for me when we landed. I didn't even know where we were going. When we landed, a car was there to meet us. The driver didn't say anything, but I soon noticed that the signs were all in Spanish and I realized we were in Mexico ... but I didn't know what part.

When we arrived at Kellen's house, we were met by servants who assured Senor Knight that everything he had ordered was ready. When we entered the door a priest awaited us.

Kellen said this was my surprise ... we were going to be married. I protested and began to cry until Kellen reminded me that it was already 6:30 and that if he didn't make a phone call by 7:00 'bad things' as he put it, would happen. So, that was that. I felt trapped and very much alone. I married him.

For the first four or five days he was very kind. I had my own room, he made no demands, and even informed me that he had ordered rose buses to be planted around the courtyard.

Then he became more and more insistent that we consummate the marriage. I refused. I refused several times, but in the end it wasn't up to me. Jackson, it was awful. I fought him. He slapped me to the floor, then he realized what he had done and knelt beside me to help me up.

He sat me on the edge of the bed and brought me a glass of wine to drink. As I sipped he apologized again and again, rubbing my hands and forearms. I realized as the heavy feeling started coming over me that he had put something in the wine.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke I was tied to the bed. I looked down at myself and realized my clothes had been changed. I was now wearing a black peignoir and Kellen was standing by the bed watching me dressed only in a silk robe.

He smiled at me while he caressed my cheek, saying he loved me and that soon I would love him, too. He took the robe off and crawled on the bed beside me. He tried to kiss me, but I turned my head. He got angry all over again and said that he wished I would cooperate, but it wasn't really necessary under the circumstances.

His eyes turned very hard as he slowly raised the hem of my gown ... he raped me. He was physical several times after that, but he did not have to tie me to the bed or assault me. I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him. If you don't want me anymore I'll understand.'

I had been quiet while she talked and she could feel the tears dropping off my cheeks on to her neck. I hugged her closer and kissed her cheeks and neck, "Not time, or space, or humanity could stop my loving you. We are together and that's all that matters."

She rolled toward me then and saw my tears. One of her delicate fingers reached up to trace its path down my face and I closed my eyes luxuriating in her touch. She kissed me ever so softly and lay her head against my chest as if to reassure herself by listening to my heart beat.

We fell to sleep like that... wrapped up in each other's arms ...

Later that morning there was a knock at the door which woke us up. I again checked through the security window and saw one of the hotel bellman standing there with several packages. I opened the door and he walked in, laying them down on the dresser, 'Compliments of Mr. Mullen. I thanked him and we opened the packages to find fresh clothes, make-up for Rose, and shaving items for me.

Rose and I spent the rest of the day lying in each other's arms and napping. We didn't speak again that day ... or ever again ... of her ordeal with Kellen.

We ordered room service again for dinner and were in the middle of our meal when the phone rang. I answered it and it was Brad. I listened to what he had to say then replied, "I understand. Well see you in the morning."

I walked back to the table and took Rose's tiny hand and encircled it with my own, "Rose, that was Brad. When he got back to Oaxaca Kellen was in a rage. Brad tried to reason with him and tried to calm him down, but Kellen just kept getting more and more agitated. He had a seizure of some sort and collapsed. Kellen died this afternoon."

I watched her face carefully, ready to provide whatever support she might need.

Rose sat still and quiet for a few minutes, then got up from the table and walked to the window, 'Poor Kellen. He hadn't been happy for many years, now he's at peace and that's probably best. God rest his soul and I'll pray he's reunited with his wife on the other side.' She stood there for another few minutes then turned to me, 'Let's go for a walk.'

I agreed and a short time later we strolled out of the hotel in to a warm, welcoming evening. We wandered through shops and squares and little cantinas. We listened to mariachi music and watched children play in the streets. We were a million miles from yesterday. It should have been cause for a celebration, I wondered why there weren't fireworks.

Brad met us the next morning and we flew back to New Orleans. Queen was at the house to meet us and she and Rose embraced as though drawing strength from each other. Queen was the first to step back and look deep into Rose's eyes, 'Rose, you've got to rest now. Rest for several days ... and no alcohol ... I'll make up a tea for you.' Then she turned to me, 'You see that she does what I say.' Queen didn't wait for an answer, she walked away from us and toward the kitchen.

I put my arm around Rose's waist and she leaned into me, 'I am awfully tired ... I don't ever remember being this tired. I think Queen's right, I'm going to plan on staying home for a few days, do you think the Tea Room can do without me for a little while longer?'

I chuckled as I led her through the parlor to her bedroom, "I don't think the earth will fall off its axis if you were to take a few days off. I'm pretty sure Queen can handle anything that comes along."

Rose undressed slowly, slipped into her favorite white cotton gown and crawled beneath the covers. I bent to kiss her forehead and was aware of her steady breathing as she fell asleep before I could get to the door.

I spoke with Brad the next day. He had arranged for Kellen's body to be shipped back to the States with a heart attack being listed as the cause of death. Surprisingly, Kellen's marriage to Rose was recognized somehow in America. Kellen had no children and Rose suddenly became the heiress to a large fortune.

She instructed her lawyers to meet with Kellen's Board of Directors and assure them of her non-intervention trusting they would continue to conduct the business as Kellen would have wanted.

Within a week she was up and about around the house, still very pale and very tired. Queen kept her supplied with revitalizing teas, but Rose wanted very little to do with food. She announced toward the end of the week that she'd be coming back to work at the Tea Room within a few days.

The next week she listlessly performed her duties at the Tea Room, welcoming guests, serving many of them personally, only to finish the day and want only to sleep.

I was becoming alarmed by lethargy, but Queen seemed to understand and did everything she could to help Rose. After about three or four days back at the Tea Room, Rose was sitting at the desk looking over an inventory when I came in. She got up to walk around the desk to me and promptly fainted.

I leapt to catch her, but she hit the floor before I could get to her. I yelled at Queen and she came bursting into the office. The minute she saw Rose she picked up the phone and called an ambulance. By the time it arrived Rose had regained consciousness, but Queen and I insisted she go to the hospital for a thorough check-up.

I rode with her the short distance to Tulane University Hospital, but the orderlies and nurses shuffled me away from her and into a waiting room that smelled of plastic, stale coffee, and disinfectant. I agonized for over an hour before the doctor approached me, 'Mr. Emerly?'

I stood, "Yes".

He motioned with his hand, 'You can see Rose now.', and he led the way to a small bed surround by one of those cotton sheet kind of curtains. I pushed it open and found Rose lying on her side crying. I was terrified and rushed to her, "What's wrong ... what did the doctor find? Are you going to be okay ... please, Rose, tell me you're going to be okay!"

I held her hand close to my heart while she tried to control her sobs. 'I'm going to be fine, Jackson, just fine. But the doctor ... the doctor ... Jackson, I'm going to have a baby.' She looked at me through the tears in her eyes. 'Jackson, I don't know if it's yours or Kellen's ... Jackson, I can't have an abortion ... what am I going to do?

I felt my face soften as I gazed into those eyes, "Rose, you're going to have a baby, and I'm going to be right beside you every minute ... at least every minute that Queen will allow. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the only man on God's green earth who could be the father. I am the father, and I hope it's a little girl who's as glorious as her mother."

I softly kissed her lips and she smiled at me, 'If it's a little girl, I'd like to name her after my mother and aunt, if it's okay with you.'

"Of course it will be ... what will be her name?"

I hope Rose didn't see me cringe when she said 'Zorah Yvonne'. I thought what a horrible moniker to hang on a tiny, unsuspecting little girl, but I figured we could call her Vonne.

We spent the next 25 years running the Tea Room and turning the Day Spa in Biloxi into a successful business. A few years ago, Rose turned over the Tea Room to Queen. She still runs it in that same little place on the fringes of the Garden District.

At about the same time, Queen's daughter, Jasmine, took control of the Day Spa and is using it very much like Rose used the Tea Room to carry on the family business."

I startled at that ... "You don't mean ..."

"Yes, my dear, the erotic instruction tradition is still being carried on. But I can't tell you about that, if you're interested, then you're going to have to get to know Queen and Jasmine to find out if they are interested in sharing their stories with you.