"Tomorrow. We thought it best that you rest your first night and clean up from your travels. Your trunks will be delivered by then. For tonight you have each been provided a night dress. Please enjoy some tea, it's a special blend, and the biscuits are fresh from the kitchen."
She leaves as quickly as she arrives, and Helene pours tea and offers one to each girl. “How about a toast to our new lives?” she suggests. They clink their cups together and smile.
Emma, Diane, and Bronnah all sip on the hot brew and sigh. "This is unique. I think I taste cinnamon, ooh and cardamom," Bronnah observes drinking her tea. She picks up a biscuit and munches on it while walking over to a pair of French doors while the other girls explore the suite.
The doors open to a lovely garden with more gas lanterns and she's desperate to explore after being cooped up on the ship. Bronnah finishes her tea, setting the cup down on a small table, and steps over to look at a rose bush. Inhaling the strong fragrance, she's surprised when the little boy from earlier pops out from behind it.
“Oh!” Bronnah grabs her heart, “You scared me. What’s your name?” He’s staring at her and frowning behind her.
"Bad lady. You must come!" He tries to pull her with him, but Bronnah isn't budging.
“What? I'm sorry I don't understand?” she asked.
"I show you, bad lady. Kai knows things. I show you." He pulls harder, and Bronnah decides to go with him.
“Kai, stop pulling, I’ll go with you.”
Kai looks up at her and nods. "Be very quiet, bad lady," he whispers, and he guides her to the back of the hotel where the kitchen door is for the employees. Light floods into the garden and Bronnah's heart is pounding hard in her chest. Nerves flutter, and she wonders what she's doing following this strange child. They stand in the shadows behind a set of large bushes, and she can hear voices. Mrs. Killian is speaking to someone, and they are excited. Kai listens and pulls her down on the ground.
"Yes, I'm telling you these four will bring a pretty penny. I'm talking thousands. Tell Mr. Chen and his partners they will be on the next train for San Francisco. Four new brides for the red district. Just keep feeding them the tea and biscuits, and they won't know what hit them."
"Mr. Chen was not happy about the last four girls. They were not delivered on time, Rose. He's demanding that these four replace those lost, at no cost to him. The next batch will be sent to Brigham City via the new Rivers Railroad car." A Chinese woman dressed in a gorgeous green silk gown steps outside to get fresh air.
“Of course. It was a necessary loss. Their families were looking for them, thankfully the Marshall was easily paid off. Besides now that we have an overseas market the chance of loved ones looking for these girls is no longer a concern. These young women will soon be flying high from the tea to fight. I would expect him to pay more for this batch. These ladies will bring a high dollar to those paying for whores. Did you bring the tea?”
"I did. Don't give them too much. On a fresh system, it could cause seizures or death. Just enough to make them pliable." Rose nods as she takes the glass bottle with pink liquid inside. "I put two droppers for each girl, depending on size." She shows the dropper and begins to steep the next batch of tea. The woman returns to the kitchen, and Kai watches where she stashes the liquid opium. He waits for them to leave before turning back to Bronnah.
Bronnah stands up horrified. ‘She said whore' she thinks, and the world spins.
“Come!” Kai whispers and pulls at her but Bronnah jerks away.
“I can’t leave them!” They have no idea what’s in store for them!
A wave of dizziness has her clinging to the back of the building. Twice Bronnah stops to vomit. She stumbles to her knees and tries to speak, but her tongue feels swollen in her mouth.
When Bronnah makes it to the double doors, she stumbles inside and finds all three of the girls laughing. Kai hides behind the bushes outside and thinks about leaving her. These people kill without a second thought. Sitting down in the dirt he decides to wait until dark and then sneak into the kitchen to retrieve the drops.
“Bronnah!” Helene pulls her into the room and hugs her as if she’s known her all her life. Emma and Diane are finishing a second cup of tea when someone knocks on the door. “I’ll get it.”
Diane flings open the door and a second tray is brought in with fresh tea. Bronnah staggers to a chair and sits down heavily as her limbs feel like she’s moving through water. ‘Heavy, they feel so heavy,’ she thinks.
“Hello, ladies. I brought more tea.”
“I love tea!” Helene giggles and refills their cups. Mrs. Killian glanced around and smiles until her eyes find Bronnah. “Make sure you drink up,” she murmurs as she steps in front of Bronnah. Her head is too heavy to lift, and she can only stare at her.
“Bronnah, are you alright?” she asked softly and bends down to look at her. Her pupils are dilated to tiny pinpoints, but she seems aware of what is going on around her. “Not to worry, we will take good care of you.”
Helene dances and spins with Emma and Diane oblivious of the danger they are in. A tear leaks from Bronnah's green eyes and trickles down her cheek. Mrs. Killian goes to the door once more and opens it, bringing in the Asian woman from the
