Disclaimer: I do not own "Beauty and the Beast" or the characters of Belle, Maurice, Gaston. Philippe, the Bimbettes, or the Bookseller.
Chapter One
As the dawn of a new day began to break, rays of sunlight began to spill through Belle's window. It was a day that Belle had been dreading for months. She sat at her window and looked down to the street bellow. Her father Maurice was loading the last of their trunks onto a cart that was hitched to their horse Philippe. After he finished his job, he came back into the house and climbed the stairs to Belle's room. He walked over to where his daughter was sitting. "Well, that was the last of it," he told her.
"I wish you would have let me help you with them, papa," Belle said as he sat down next to her.
"Nonsense," he smiled. "I may not be as strong as I use to be, but I can still handle a few little trunks."
"I know you can, but I would have rather been out there with you than sitting in here. It's so empty and lonely."
Maurice put his arm around his daughter. "I know it is sweetheart, but this is the way it has to be. We can't stay here in the city- we can't afford to. Business has been so poor these past years. We're fortunate enough that your uncle is giving his farm in the country to us."
"But it will be so far away. It won't be home."
"Maurice smiled. "Belle, home will be where the heart is. Wherever the ones you love are is your home."
"I know, papa, but why do we have to move to the country? Nothing exciting ever happens in the country."
Maurice looked puzzled at his daughter. "How do you know that?"
"Well, in all my books, adventures and exciting things only happen in cities and in castles and on ships at sea."
Maurice chuckled. "That may be true, but in the country, I'll have I'll have more time to work on my inventions, and once I get a good one, then I can sell it and we'll have enough money to go on enough adventures for a whole lifetime."
Belle sighed. "It isn't just that. I can't help but feel that …" she stopped.
"What is it?"
Tears began to fill Belle's eyes. "I can't help but feel that we're leaving mama behind."
A tear came to Maurice's eye. It had been a hard year for the two of them since Belle's mother had passed away and he knew it had been especially rough for his beloved daughter. He hugged her gently. "Belle, I could never leave your mama behind. She will always be in our hearts, but this is something we have to do." Maurice looked into her beautiful brown eyes now filled with tears. "Oh, she would have been so proud of you."
Belle hugged her father and began to cry. "I miss her."
"I miss her too." Maurice rubbed Belle's back. "But I know Mama would have understood that it's best for us to go."
"I wish I could believe that papa."
"It's true. In the country I'll be a farmer. Now that's something I can do. Not like being a merchant. I was just no good at that, but farming I can do."
Belle looked at her father and smiled, though tears were still in her eyes. "And I'll be there to help you."
"You see? Everything will work out just fine," he assured her. Maurice looked out the window. "Well, we had better get going if we want to make it to the country before dark."
"I know, papa, but if you don't mind, I'd like to look around the house one last time."
"Of course, I'll be waiting for you outside."
After Maurice had left, Belle stood up and began walking around the house. Every room was filled with so many memories. She could not help but beginning to cry again. She did not want to leave, but she knew her father was right. They had no other choice. As she walked to the door she gave the house one last look before joining her father.
Chapter One
As the dawn of a new day began to break, rays of sunlight began to spill through Belle's window. It was a day that Belle had been dreading for months. She sat at her window and looked down to the street bellow. Her father Maurice was loading the last of their trunks onto a cart that was hitched to their horse Philippe. After he finished his job, he came back into the house and climbed the stairs to Belle's room. He walked over to where his daughter was sitting. "Well, that was the last of it," he told her.
"I wish you would have let me help you with them, papa," Belle said as he sat down next to her.
"Nonsense," he smiled. "I may not be as strong as I use to be, but I can still handle a few little trunks."
"I know you can, but I would have rather been out there with you than sitting in here. It's so empty and lonely."
Maurice put his arm around his daughter. "I know it is sweetheart, but this is the way it has to be. We can't stay here in the city- we can't afford to. Business has been so poor these past years. We're fortunate enough that your uncle is giving his farm in the country to us."
"But it will be so far away. It won't be home."
"Maurice smiled. "Belle, home will be where the heart is. Wherever the ones you love are is your home."
"I know, papa, but why do we have to move to the country? Nothing exciting ever happens in the country."
Maurice looked puzzled at his daughter. "How do you know that?"
"Well, in all my books, adventures and exciting things only happen in cities and in castles and on ships at sea."
Maurice chuckled. "That may be true, but in the country, I'll have I'll have more time to work on my inventions, and once I get a good one, then I can sell it and we'll have enough money to go on enough adventures for a whole lifetime."
Belle sighed. "It isn't just that. I can't help but feel that …" she stopped.
"What is it?"
Tears began to fill Belle's eyes. "I can't help but feel that we're leaving mama behind."
A tear came to Maurice's eye. It had been a hard year for the two of them since Belle's mother had passed away and he knew it had been especially rough for his beloved daughter. He hugged her gently. "Belle, I could never leave your mama behind. She will always be in our hearts, but this is something we have to do." Maurice looked into her beautiful brown eyes now filled with tears. "Oh, she would have been so proud of you."
Belle hugged her father and began to cry. "I miss her."
"I miss her too." Maurice rubbed Belle's back. "But I know Mama would have understood that it's best for us to go."
"I wish I could believe that papa."
"It's true. In the country I'll be a farmer. Now that's something I can do. Not like being a merchant. I was just no good at that, but farming I can do."
Belle looked at her father and smiled, though tears were still in her eyes. "And I'll be there to help you."
"You see? Everything will work out just fine," he assured her. Maurice looked out the window. "Well, we had better get going if we want to make it to the country before dark."
"I know, papa, but if you don't mind, I'd like to look around the house one last time."
"Of course, I'll be waiting for you outside."
After Maurice had left, Belle stood up and began walking around the house. Every room was filled with so many memories. She could not help but beginning to cry again. She did not want to leave, but she knew her father was right. They had no other choice. As she walked to the door she gave the house one last look before joining her father.