Maurice rose bright and early the next day. He'd slept in his clothes so he'd be ready to depart as soon as humanly possible. He wanted to slip out of the house before Belle had even woken up. He hated farewells.
To his surprise and amusement, he found her standing by his faithful horse Philippe in the driveway, her right hand outstretched and in possession of a packed lunch for him. Maurice took the bundle with a grateful smile before turning his attention towards the horse.
"You're all ready to go, then," Belle said cheerfully. She was eager for Maurice to be on his way. It was a relatively long journey to the fair, and she wanted to make sure he arrived before nightfall, for his own sake as well as to ensure he didn't get any ideas about returning home prematurely.
"Goodbye, Papa. Good luck!" Belle called, and began to wave her handkerchief.
"I've not even managed to get myself on the horse, yet, Belle," was Maurice's rather aggravated reply. "Would you mind, uh, giving me a leg up?"
Maurice was a very small man, in stature rather than in temperament. His daughter had fairly towered over him since the tender age of eight or nine. It was this aspect of his physical appearance that he disliked the most, although he'd never have admitted that to anyone.
Belle laughed, a pretty, tinkling sound that hid her inner callousness well. "Oh, Papa! What are we going to do with you?" She continued to chuckle as she grabbed Maurice by the waist and plonked him inelegantly on Philippe's back. "Mind you don't get off until you reach the fair," she said with a sneer, "as I'm not sure how you'd be able to get back on!"
"I have no intention of getting off anywhere but the fair," Maurice replied moodily as he gathered Philippe's reins in his hands. Belle smirked at this statement for some reason, then raised her handkerchief again in readiness for waving it upon his departure. Maurice took this as a sign that he'd better get going.
"Goodbye, Belle," he called down to her. "And take care while I'm gone!"
Belle's handkerchief fluttered in her father's direction until he disappeared down the hill. She breathed a sigh of relief. Three Papa-less days, she thought to herself. She wouldn't waste a single moment.