Chapter 9:
There was a flutter of activity going on in the workroom, employees carrying up various crates and boxes, with Jefferson overseeing the progress before turning to Gold.
"All right, this is a sample from everything I've ordered. Let me know what you think of it."
"I will," Gold replied, instructing one of the employees to place one of the crates on the workbench and opening it.
"I'm going down to meet with the supplier, I'll find out how you like delivery later," Jefferson replied before grinning to Belle. "Have fun and don't be afraid to tell him if he's being an overly critical ass!"
Rolling his eyes, Gold watched him leave and turned to Belle. She was wearing a lovely, plum colored dress that brought out the of the color of her eyes with a pair of closed heels in the exact same color. How many pair of shoes did the woman even have?
Ever since the marzipan incident that had happened a week ago, he'd attempted to keep his distance from her. After all, he could not allow himself to get tangled up in the ridiculous fantasy that she would ever see him as anything else than her mentor.
She was here to learn how to become a chocolatier and with the right guidance she had everything it took to become a very proficient one. She was a joy to teach, more so than he had ever anticipated.
And teaching her everything he knew should would have to be enough for him.
"So, what's inside the boxes?" She was looking around her excitedly, her eyes beaming. She was so full of life, so full of energy and somehow it was highly contagious.
"I believe you might like this," he replied, trying and failing to keep his expression blank. "Jefferson is in the process of purchasing a large order of various fruits. These are the samples that were send in this morning. Care to try them out?"
"Yes!" Her enthusiastic cry was expected, but it still warmed him.
"It's been a long time since I've tasted real fruit," she told him. "Avonlea doesn't import fruit anymore. Not the real fruit at least. There's preserved fruit in cans at best…"
"…which isn't really fruit at all," he finished for her, his nose shriveling in disgust. Belle didn't mention Avonlea a lot, but when she did it always made his heart constrict for her sake.
He hadn't been to the city since the industrial transformation, had never felt an inkling to visit a place that had become so sterile, so completely focussed on production and industry alone.
Now that he had gotten to know Belle better, he realized even more fully what an awful place Avonlea had become in the last two decades. She had flourished here and the change in her, even in the two short months she'd been here was unbelievable.
Her skin glowed and there was a color in her cheeks. Her hair, that had been dull and dry upon arrival was now lush and shining and she'd taken to wearing it down more and more often.
And as distracting at it was, he couldn't begrudge her this little indulging.
The morning walks she loved so much, her insatiable thirst for simple things like rain and sunshine and fresh air were both charming and heartbreakingly sad.
Well, at least he could introduce her to fruit again, so that was worth something.
He opened the first crate and pulled out a simple apple. Already Belle's eyes were wide and he shook his head. How could anyone live without the taste of real food?
"These are grown in the west of Spain," he told her. "Warm temperatures and lots of sunlight make very sweet-tasting, juicy apples."
Grabbing a small knife he cut out two pieces and handed her one of them. "Tell me what you think?"
Pearly white teeth snapped the piece of apple in two and Belle chewed slowly, before beaming with approval.
"It tastes delicious," she said, once she'd swallowed the bite. "I've never tasted an apple like this…"
He'd found the apple to be of satisfying quality as well, but her response made him smile.
"I think your palate has improved since you've been here," he answered. "But yes, they are good. Ready to try the pears?"
The pears were soft and so ripe that juice spilled out of it the moment he cut them. When she tasted them, Belle closed her eyes in pure delight. As he watched her face intently for her response, Gold became aware that he was almost fixedly staring at her mouth and he shook his head lightly in an attempt to gain some control.
After the pears came the grapes and the raspberries and by then Belle's face was flushed and Gold was entranced by her responses. It was like she was discovering an entire new world, his world, filled with tastes and scents. And after being deprived of it for almost twenty years, she was now almost feverish with the discovery.
At some point he gave up trying to focus his attention to the fruit he was supposed to be testing. All he cared about was showing her how wonderful food could be, how fulfilling experiencing its taste and texture could be.
He couldn't hold back his laughter though as she tasted oranges for the first time, the tart taste momentarily making her face shrivel up.
"It combines wonderfully with chocolate," he told her. "Both flavors compliment each other very well."
Turning towards the kettle, he poured some dark chocolate in a cup and offered her a second slice of orange. "Just dip it in and try again," he coaxed.
"It's lovely…" she sighed after a careful tasting. "I'd never guess, but it really works together."
He nodded wordlessly, unable to make his voice work. A smidgen of chocolate was smeared just at the corner of her mouth and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to reach out and wipe it off.
Or to lean in and lick it away, taste his chocolate on her skin, taste the fruit she'd sampled in her mouth, taste her… breathe her in…
The tip of her tongue, pink and quick darted out and took care of the smudge herself and whatever breath there was left in his lungs left in a whoosh.
Turning towards the last crate, in a desperate attempt to get something of a grip on himself he tore it open with more force than strictly necessary.
"What are those?" She hopped closer, her voice filled with curiosity as she peered into the crate, leaning her hand on his shoulder as she went.
"Peaches…" He managed to get the word out without faltering, but quickly realized that was about all he was capable off.
Next to him Belle brightened with happiness, squeezing his shoulder for good measure.
"Seriously? I never had them…"
Why the fates had bestowed an innocent siren on him and left it to him to introduce her to the delights of the world, so that she could torment him with her responses to it he'd never understand.
Because the sight of Belle French all but devouring a slice of peach was nothing but sheer, utter torment.
She closed her eyes and moaned, actually moaned quietly as the fruit washed over her tongue and the sound of it immediately caused all of his blood to relocate southwards.
How had this woman ever survived in a world without taste and scent? It was no wonder she was all but starved for the experience of tasting the fruit and he felt immensely gratified that he was the one to offer her the possibility.
Unbidden an image came to his mind. How she would taste, how she would smell, sprawled across his bed, her body warm and sated from love-making. How this breathtaking sensual woman would respond to him worshipping her with his hands and mouth.
"This is amazing…" her voice was soft and she tucked a curl behind her ear, suddenly looking self-conscious. "There is so much I don't know yet."
He willed himself to keep in control, to master his voice when he responded to her. "There is time for that and everything else, dearie…"
Two months had passed already and there were only four months left. He fought down the panic this though evoked.
There was still time enough.
On a bright, sunny afternoon, Belle leaped at the opportunity to take another ramble through the forest. The memory of her disconcerting encounter with the blind woman a week prior was still fresh in her mind and she decided to explore an entire new side of the forest, so there was less chances of meeting her again.
By daylight, the woods were friendly and inviting and she enjoyed her stroll and the feel of sunlight on her face, she smell of the pine trees and the occasional sight of a perennial tree, it's leaves showing colors of vibrant red, yellow and orange. Breathing in the fresh air, she tried to focus on absorbing the nature and not let her mind wander to more depressing thoughts.
Her apprenticeship with Mr. Gold was infinitely more gratifying than she had ever expected it to be. There was so much to learn, so much to discover about the business of chocolate making and she yearned to learn it all.
Mr. Gold was on her mind more than she dared to admit. Her mentor was enigmatic and often unpredictable, but as she got to know him better, he became less of a riddle to her and more and more a complicated, but very interesting puzzle.
He held himself aloof from everybody. Even to some extend from Dove and Hatter. His employees feared his demands, his high standards and his ruthless temper if anyone deliberately caused problems.
He was a master with words, quick with a quip that never failed to unsettle his companion and in a way he was exactly like everyone had warned her he would be. A difficult man, hard to get to know.
Hard, but not impossible and Belle liked to watch him and figure him out. He was incredible passionate about his craft and his talent was mesmerizing. And the way most of his actions and decisions were guided by his exceptional sense of small and taste intrigued her. She'd never met anyone who was so intuitive, who operated so instinctual.
The memory of the way he'd inhaled the scent of her hair, because later on she'd realized that was what he'd been doing, still send a shiver down her spine. Because in a way she'd known it had been the first time he'd really seen her.
He was intriguing and she needed to keep her wits with her not to get completely taken with him.
A little more than three months of her apprenticeship remained and she was already dreading the thought of having to return to Avonlea. Hamelin was a revelation to her and she didn't know how she was going to adjust back to living in a place that was so bleak and suffocating.
The sound of snapping twinges pulled her out of her pessimistic thoughts and to her surprise she saw Mr. Gold appearing from and intercepting path. For a second he looked as startled as she felt and than he gave her a polite nod.
"Good afternoon, Miss French."
The black leather coat he wore contrasted wonderfully with the silver that streaked his hair and brushed his collar and Belle could feel her heart skip a beat, dismissing the sensation immediately.
She hadn't expected to see him here, that was all.
"Hello Mr. Gold," she chirped, cursing herself when she noticed her voice sounded a bit higher and more breathless than usual.
What on earth was wrong with her?
"Once again out and about to explore the woods, I see?" he asked, his accent washing over her and his eyes teasing.
Oh goodness, he was in one of those moods.
"Of course I am," she replied cheerfully. "I'll never pass up an opportunity. Are you taking a walk as well?"
She'd never pegged him down for a walker, mostly because she assumed his bad leg would take all the pleasure out of such an exercise.
He looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then nodded, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I am. I thought a walk would clear my head."
She smiled at that. "It has been incredibly busy. Is it always like that around this time of year?"
He fell into step next to her and they continued on the path she'd been walking. "Always," he affirmed. "Chocolate is a very powerful confection and especially in demand during the holiday season."
"It can cure ailments, lift the spirit, induce passion…" Belle murmured, repeating the words he'd spoken to her weeks ago.
"You remember well, Miss French," his voice was soft like velvet and here in the middle of the forest it felt like they were the only two people in the world. "But as I recall, when I first told you that, you looked like you didn't believe me."
Belle laughed softly. "Oh, I believed you. I wanted to at least… but I didn't think then that a simple taste could induce so much…"
"And now?" He prompted, his gaze fixed on her.
Looking into his eyes was dangerous, their dark brown more compelling than watching chocolate swirl in the grinder and he held her gaze until she blinked and ducked down, her head swimming.
"Now I do."
The continued to walk in compatible silence for a while until another turn in the path revealed the sad sight of a half burned cottage, a few feet away from the road.
Belle stopped, her eyes gazing over the ruin. Most of its roof was gone and the walls of the first floor were badly blackened. The ground floor was more or less intact, but it was painfully obvious that the cottage had been abandoned for many years. The glass was gone from the windows, as was the door. Weeds and ivy grew inside and mould had almost eaten away the wooden window sills. It was a heartbreaking, desolate sight and completely misplaced in the tranquil serenity that was Salem's Woods.
Next to her, Gold had come to an abrupt halt and when she looked up at him, she noticed to her dismay that his face had gone deathly pale and that he was clutching his cane tightly.
"What happened there?" she asked quietly.
Gold swallowed harshly before speaking, his voice heavy and oddly hoarse. "A fire happened, many years ago. It's been like this ever since."
Abruptly he turned around and stalked away and despite his limb, Belle had to jog to keep up with him as he rounded into another path.
"Nobody tried to take it down?" she asked, her mind reeling with a hundred more questions.
"No!" he snapped, his voice tight and cutting and to her shock it sounded far harsher than it ever had before. She recoiled, her insides freezing at the rebuke, wondering what had gone wrong.
He stopped in the middle of the road and heaved a deep sigh, his eyes endlessly tired and dejected.
"My apologies, Miss French," he started. "That was uncalled for. I…"
He heaved a shaking hand through his hair and that more than anything told her how distressed he was. "You must forgive me, I haven't been to that place for many years… I even forgot the path leads there…"
"It's all right," she answered soothingly, her heart softening immediately at his apology. Reaching out she covered the hand holding the handle of his cane with her own and gave a soft squeeze. "I'm sorry if it brought back bad memories. Would you like to go back to the house?"
He took another deep breath to steady himself and nodded. "Yes, I think that might be best… although…"
He lifted his eyes to hers and a small smile started at the corner of his lips.
"I wouldn't dare to cut your walk short, Miss French. Come with me, there's something I like to show you."
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