Le Cirque de la Béte

Chapter 1

Arabella felt appalled by the woman before her. Her sister stood before the mirror in a brand new fur coat and a designer hat.Jolie had always been very posh, but this was ridiculous.

"Isn't it lovely?" She said wrapping the coat tightly around her body.

"How did you afford it?" Calla asked shocked by stunning coat.

"Anthony got it in Paris, on one of his business trips." Rosalind, the oldest of the four, stood to get a better look at the garment. There was silence as she examined the stitching, and ran her fingers through the fur.

"I wish I could have made a coat so beautiful." It was no secret that Rosalind longed to design clothes in Paris. Like the rest of them, she'd never made it out of Manchester. Arabella couldn't stand it any longer.

"Don't you think it's a bit extravagant?" There was a new silence in the air. Rosalind had left a silence of awe and inspiring. Arabella left one of annoyance. "Wouldn't it have been better to bring back some bread, or wine from Paris? More practical, if you know what I mean?"

In that moment Jolie was quick to stash the coat in her closet. "Arabella, maybe you should go check on papa. Make sure he hasn't drunk himself to death."

"Jolie, I only meant-"

"No! I know you think you're better because you live this life of modesty and celibacy-"

"Jolie!" Calla cut her off, not wanting her to say something she might come to regret.

"What? It's not like she doesn't constantly shame us for giving up on the drunk." Angrily she turned to her youngest sister."I'm allowed to have nice things Arabella. I'm allowed to be spoiled by my husband, something you would understand if you had one." The room had become tense beyond explanation.

"Rosalind, please," Arabella turned to the eldest sister with a pleading look. "Explain to Jolie that I was merely trying to caution her on her frivolous spending."Oldest, but the quietest by far Rosalind begged Arabella to leave it alone with only her eyes. Eventually she gave up, siding with her baby sister.

"Jolie, you know she's right. It's fine if you keep the jacket, but things are tight right now. And being of your-"

"Of my what? My color?" Rosalind's eyes shot down to the floor.Ashamed for having brought the girls heritage into this. They wore their dark skin with pride, but that didn't make their discrimination any easier. "We don't have to be limited by our race anymore. Look at Hattie McDaniel and Jane Bolin."

"Yeah, in America-"

"Then why not here? Why not in England?"It was no use. Jolie was convinced that she was untouchable. That the troubles of their people were behind them. She thought because she was three years older that she knew more than Arabella. She was a dreamer, and optimist, everything Arabella wished she could be.

"I should go." Taking her worn and tattered coat Arabella made her way to the door. No one said anything as she left

...

Maybe the coat would be useful. This was what Arabella thought as she made her way through the biting cold of the Manchester winter. She wanted to be wrong about her sister's spending, but despite being the youngest Arabella had always been the most practical. Calla and Jolie called her pessimistic, a dark cloud. Maybe they were right.

Soon enough Arabella realized that, by habit, she wasn't headed home. No she was headed for the pub. Her father's nightly stomping grounds. By nightly she meant anytime after 1700 hours. She didn't stop herself. She felt the need for a glass of their cheapest whiskey.

Taking a seat at the bar she raised a hand to the bar tender, Nathan. He came to her aid immediately recognizing the daughter of Edward Deering. The pub's most frequent customer.

"Your father's not here yet Bella." He tried to comfort her with the fact that he wouldn't come so early in the day.

"I'm not here for him. I need a glass of whiskey. The cheap stuff." He grabbed her just that, and slid the glass in front of her.

"I hope you won't make a habit of this. Drinking at this hour I mean." She turned to the clock.

"It's nearly 1700." Nathan gave a look of concern to the young woman."Don't worry, I'm not becoming my father. At least not yet." She paused to take a drink, then quickly gaged at the taste of the burning liquor. "That's horrid."

"Well you asked for the cheap stuff." He let out a chuckle. "Would you like a glass of water with that?"

"Yes please." He poured her a glass of water and took the glass of whiskey.

"You know Arabella. I don't think you could become like your father if you tried." Now it was her turn to laugh. "I mean it, I've never met anyone with such an utter distaste for liquor, or wine, or beer for that matter."

"Perhaps for the better. Alcohol is terrible for you after all."

"That's a lie that the government tells you, so you won't learn the truth. Wine is life saving I tell you. Enough whiskey and you feel no pain, and beer is the drink of celebration, of no troubles." To that he raised a pint of beer and downed half of the drink like it was nothing.

"Perhaps, but you've seen what it does to my father. Once he gets a couple of drinks down he thinks he's invincible. He'd gamble his own life if he could." In that moment, as if on cue, the door swung open to reveal Edward Deering, who did not hesitate to shout his order from across the pub.

"A round of gin Nathan old boy!"Arabella turned around on her stool to see her father, stumbling his way to the bar, already intoxicated. She quickly stood up to meet him.

"I'm sorry Nathan, but I'm afraid I'll have to steal your best costumer tonight." She looked her father in the eye and told him, "Let's go."