Chapter One

Ella was ecstatic. Just like other brides on their wedding days, today was the happiest day of her life. She loved Charles, and she knew that he loved her, too. She had never known such deep feelings as those she had for her soon-to-be husband. She dreamed of the life they would have together, traveling to exotic places, raising a family, growing old together. And this special day was just the beginning.

It wasn’t without its problems. When she was planning the wedding, Ella had encountered quite a few difficulties. In the 1940s South, it was difficult to find a church, much less a preacher, who would marry a white woman to a black man. After talking it over with Charles, it was decided that they would be married at the courthouse, with only a witness in attendance.

But the reception was to be a grand affair. Ella had a gorgeous wedding dress, and Charles would be in an exquisite tuxedo. Their friends and family would gather at the Silverwood Manor hotel, the most luxurious hotel for miles around. The happy couple would also be spending their honeymoon at Silverwood Manor. Ella was a little disappointed about that, but the cost of the wedding was so exorbitant that she and Charles would not have enough money to travel outside of their hometown. She was spending her entire inheritance on the wedding reception, all ten thousand dollars of it.

She was saddened momentarily as she thought of her poor, deceased parents. Wilbur and Joan had both succumbed to sickness several years prior. They had left her ten thousand dollars, but since she was a minor, she couldn’t spend the money until either she was eighteen or her guardian, her uncle Jack, approved it.

Ella met Charles when she was fifteen. Uncle Jack was strongly opposed to Ella seeing a black man, so she kept their relationship a secret, as best she could. When Ella was sixteen, and old enough to marry, Charles, who was only a year older himself, had asked Jack for permission to marry her. Jack flatly denied him and forbade him from seeing Ella again.

Over the next couple of years, Ella and Charles continued to see each other in secret. After Charles turned eighteen, Uncle Jack tried to have him arrested for statutory rape. The only thing that saved him was Ella’s doctor’s testimony that she was, in fact, still a virgin.

Even though the law cleared Charles, and he was released from jail, his troubles were far from over. Uncle Jack and a couple of his buddies saw Charles walking home from work at the mill and beat him to a bloody pulp. It was a warning to stay away from Ella. In their eyes, it wasn’t right for a white woman to be with a black man.

As her eighteenth birthday approached, Ella began planning her wedding. She felt like Uncle Jack would come around once she was old enough to legally make her own decisions.

Ella thought again of her parents. She was sad that her father would not be there to give her away, that she wouldn’t see the pride on her mother’s face. She felt sure that if her parents were still alive, they would have liked Charles. They would have treated him better than Uncle Jack did.

Ella tried to focus. She had to finish getting dressed for her big day. The giddiness returned, and Ella set about the task of putting on the wedding gown she had bought.

When she was finally ready, she drove herself to the courthouse. She had arranged to meet Charles at the office of the Justice of the Peace at exactly 2:00 pm. When she arrived, she noticed the stares of people in the corridors. She suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach and was ashamed. Who would ever dress this way for a simple courthouse wedding?

She pushed the thought from her mind and walked into the office of the Justice of the Peace. There was Charles, in his expensive, new tuxedo, looking more handsome than ever before. The butterflies disappeared, and Ella was overcome with happiness once again.

Despite the elegant attire of the couple, the ceremony was anything but elegant. The Justice of the Peace rushed through the vows and signed their marriage certificate. The whole thing was over in ten minutes.

Charles and Ella exited the office, now a legally married couple. The stares from people in the corridor of the courthouse were now incredulous. Some looked on in disgust and disdain, and everyone appeared to have an opinion. Fortunately, they all kept their opinions to themselves. There were no friends to cheer them on, no family to congratulate them. But this didn’t faze Ella. She was determined to enjoy her special day.

Charles opened the passenger side door of the car for Ella as she climbed inside. The car was hers, for Charles was much too poor to afford a car. In fact, this would be his first time driving one.

Charles started the car with no problems and jerkily drove away from the courthouse, Ella giving him directions on how to operate the vehicle. After about thirty minutes, the beautiful, stone facade of the Silverwood Manor hotel came into view. Charles steered the car through the front gates and parked in front of the grand entrance. A valet took the keys from him, while another opened the passenger side door for Ella and helped her out of the car.

Charles and Ella marveled at the grandiose building. The staff all wore red jackets with white shirts and black pants. Two doormen opened the huge front doors and held them while Charles and Ella walked through. Bellhops carried their luggage to their room. Charles walked to the front desk and checked in, where he was given a key to their room: room 317. The bellhop used the elevator and held the door for Charles and Ella, but they waved him on. They preferred to climb the grand staircase in the main lobby.

Ella marveled over the exquisite hotel, the fine furniture, the walnut banisters and plush red carpet that permeated the hotel. There were crystal chandeliers, and the grand staircase came to a landing with a large picture window overlooking the perfectly manicured rose garden outside. The staircase continued upward on each side of the landing. Ella and Charles each went in a different direction and came back together on the second floor.

As their eyes met, Charles smiled at her, and Ella once again felt the deep love she had for this man. She fell into his arms, overwhelmed with emotion, and nestled her head against his chest. She breathed in, and for the first time that day, she detected the scent of his cheap cologne. She didn’t care that it was cheap. She was thrilled to be there, in this luxurious hotel, wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.

She didn’t even notice that he looked both ways to make sure no one was watching before he kissed her. The only thing she knew was that she was in love. She was standing next to the banister overlooking the grand staircase, with the large picture window below her, wearing her extravagant wedding gown and Charles in his brand-new tuxedo, and this moment was everything she had ever dreamed it would be. When Charles finally broke the kiss, he stared deep into her eyes before he said, “We should find our room.”

Ella agreed, and the two of them walked, arm-in-arm, up another flight of stairs. Ella leaned on him as they strolled down the long hallway to room 317. Charles unlocked the door and held it open for Ella. She noticed that the bellhop had already delivered their luggage, and as she walked into the room, she realized someone else was in the room.

Uncle Jack sat on the bed, and his drinking buddies stood close by. “Hello, Ella.” Uncle Jack said. Two of his buddies grabbed Charles and dragged him out of the room, the door closing behind them. Uncle Jack asked, “Did you have a nice ceremony? Were there a lot of people there?”

“N-no.” Ella stammered. She was suddenly afraid, not just for Charles’ safety, but her own as well. She’d never been afraid of Uncle Jack before, but the look on his face, the look in his eyes, scared her. Uncle Jack pulled out his knife.

“How many people were at your big wedding, Ella?” He pointed the knife at her.

“Ju-just one.” Ella stuttered. Jack slashed the knife across her face, drawing blood.

“I hope you bought that dress, instead of renting it. I don’t think that blood’s gonna come out. Tell me, Ella, were any of his family there? I know none of your family was.”

“No.” Ella cried softly. She didn’t understand what was happening or why Uncle Jack would want to hurt her like this. Jack slashed her dress with the knife, cutting her across the chest.

“Oh no. More blood on your dress, Ella.” He slapped her, knocking her onto the bed. In a rage, he began stabbing her with the knife. She sobbed and screamed as she felt the cold steel plunge repeatedly into her belly and her chest as she tried to get away. She could only crawl a few inches before she felt cold and weak. Despite the cold, she broke out into a sweat. A metallic taste filled her mouth as she sputtered and blood sprayed over her face. She looked out the window, dying, and the last thing she saw was Uncle Jack’s drinking buddies hanging Charles by his neck from an oak tree before everything went black.