Chapter Two
Diamond Springs Manor.
Belle's carriage drove up towards the Renaissance Style building.
After Olivia helped her dress, Norman drove her to the Weston Brothers' Manor, where she arrived 15 minutes early, as not to be tardy. The rest of the invited guests' carriages, of the most fashionable style, followed behind hers and Belle felt pride enter when Norman opened the door for her. As guests passed by, some of the ladies whom Belle knew, paused or held their hands out for their own escorts to stop, so she could step out on her own. When Norman held his hand out, he asked.
"Miss Keene? Shall I do the honors?"
Belle felt the audience outside assembling and she replied.
"Yes, Norman. You many. Thank you."
And placing her hand in his, which was gloved, Belle gracefully stepped out and when her shoe touched the gravel, she heard the usual gasps from the men and women around them. And as usual – when Norman held her hand – some of the ladies rushed forward and Belle turned as she greeted.
"Abigail and Lillian! What a pleasure!"
One of her most social friends, Abigail Macy and her sister, Lillian, dragged their male escorts over to Belle, beamed at her when Abigail smiled at Belle as she replied.
"A pleasure, Rose? No! It is a joy we are all here to attend the Weston Brothers ball! When we were told you would be here – we insisted that we buy the recent gowns for such an event! And as I can already attest -" the lady directed her hand towards Belle's gown, "you have already done so! Do you not see how beautiful you look in that? Queen of Beauty!"
Belle basked in this praise as she drew her shoulders back. Thankful Norman was her escort, she turned and waited to hear what Lillian, the younger of the two, would say next. And as usual – she always had something to say.
"I agree with Abby, Queen of Beauty. When did you purchase that gown? And that pearl necklace fits you perfectly!"
"Thank you." Belle replied but before she could say something more, sounds of footsteps heard from her right. Peering around Norman, who held himself sturdy, she wasn't surprised when the Westons' butler approached her as he asked.
"Miss Keene, I presume?"
"I am she."
"I have been requested by the two Weston Brothers that you should be escorted in first. Care to allow me?" he replied and knowing the custom – Belle turned to Norman and nodded. He knew this so he returned the gesture. After her hand was placed in the butler's palm, she held her head high before she elegantly walked forward. She loved the attention when the crowd parted and she heard Abigail and Lillian push their own escorts to follow. The doors to the manor, which to Belle, felt more like a palace were opened as two footmen reached out and opening the doors, allowed Belle and the butler to enter. When the pair entered the parlor, Belle inwardly covered her ears when the man announced.
"The Queen of Beauty!"
"And her lovely maidens behind her!" A deep masculine voice answered.
Both Belle and the butler turned and Belle met the eyes of Phillip Weston.
"I'll take her from here, Francis. Thank you. Follow along with the other foot men while I take care of the Queen of Beauty here." And when Phillip met Belle's eyes, he winked and she was charmed. After Francis clicked his heels, Belle was left with Mr. Phillip Weston. When he kept staring at her, she felt her cheeks heat when a feminine voice exclaimed.
"Mr. Weston has captured Beauty!"
Another time when her friends, Abigail, brought to light her other nickname: Beauty. But when the elbow of Phillip Weston reached out, Belle stared into the man's eyes as he whispered.
"Ah… but Beauty is another name I love! Remember, Miss Keene? We encountered each other last week and I was the one who talked to you about the ball, remember?"
"Yes, Mr. Weston. You sure did." Belle replied, taking his elbow.
When he drew himself up, she could smell the fragrance of his cologne and as the foot men began to take the cloaks, hats, and a few of the ladies garments, Belle didn't notice. She felt Mr. Weston gently guide her through the first floor. Along the way, Belle was given the chance to hear him explain what would take place during the evening.
"Miss Keene?" He began and Belle gave him her full attention.
"Yes?"
"Well…" he started and his mouth twitched a little.
But Belle was enjoying this sense of power she possessed over him. Knowing how her nickname got her suitors rooting for hand, which began in her youth, Belle waited to hear what else he had to say next. She knew he was one of the most esteemed men in town but he was also the oldest of the Weston Brothers. She also remembered he had a brother, Henry, and both invited her to attend their ball. But she waited as the two stopped in front of a doorway and this was to the side but Belle could tell that it was the dance room.
As Belle watched, Mr. Weston managed to recover himself as he continued.
"As you probably know, the ball will be beginning shortly after the musicians' have prepared their instruments. This room here," he gestured towards the room, "is the ballroom. Most of the guests' of our friends'' will begin here. I also would like to tell you, Miss Keene," it was here Phillip raised his brows and winked at her, "my brother and I have a surprise we would like to show everyone after a few hours! Will you do us the grace of having you be our guest of honor for our surprise?"
Delight entered her soul as Belle replied.
"An honored guest? Mr. Weston! Indeed I would! What should the proceedings be?"
"Why, Miss Keene, Queen of Beauty," he began as he gently raised her hand, before he started to caress it, "all you will be asked to do is sit and we will bring our surprise in!"
"Then I shall look forward to it tonight!" Belle expressed but she didn't push her palm away from Mr. Weston's caressing. Then a voice made the two jump… or at least… Phillip Weston anyway.
"Brother! Is it about time I take the hand of the Queen of Beauty now?"
It was Henry Weston.
It was here when Belle's hand was released and keeping her composure, though she felt all the eyes of the other guests on them, she greeted the second brother of the Weston family.
"Mr. Weston," she started and she dipped a curtsey.
"I wasn't aware of your presence."
"Need it be mentioned that both of the Weston Brothers' invited you, not just one?" Mr. Henry Weston's voice boomed. He was the second of the brothers but Belle knew him to be a little taller and muscular to Phillip. Henry's outburst caused their audience to pause in their conversation but Phillip Weston was clever. Moving his attention over to their audience, he called.
"Ladies and gentlemen? I wish to inform you that the musicians' are about to start their first song! Shall we all make our way in and start dancing?"
Belle was relieved when Phillip took over. When he extended his elbow again, he merely winked at her and taking this as her cue – Belle smiled before she took his elbow and he escorted the two inside the ballroom. Henry followed behind but Belle's ears didn't mute away the growl he made in his throat. The first of the dances began and Phillip was the first of the brothers to ask her to dance with him. Charmed, Belle let him guide her across the floor and the couple made quite a sight as others started to follow. As the two danced, Belle struck up conversation with him – or Mr. Weston talked most of the time – but she was excited each time he mentioned "his brother's surprise" and she would be the guest to see it.
"Whatever it is," she thought as the two glided across the floor to a gentle waltz, "it must surely be something spectacular! I can tell that Henry's barely been able to keep his eyes off of us or is it because he's disappointed he can't dance with me?"
When the first dance was finished, Belle and Phillip drew back and after bowing or curtseying to each other, the couple applauded the musicians and Belle noticed that Henry Weston needled his way through the crowd as he approached her and his brother. He was muscular but he also held countenance about him which was different from his brother. As Belle knew – Phillip was older but not as muscular as Henry. When he stood beside them, he barked at Phillip.
"May I?"
"Yes, of course you may!" Phillip answered.
"Two brothers seeming to vie for my affection," Belle thought as she watched the brothers' eyes fiercely fight each other. She wasn't unentertained when Henry nodded but he roughly made his brother move aside when he held his hands out to her as he asked.
"Miss Beauty? May I have this next dance?"
He asked this in a manner which was rough but Belle pushed this aside. She put on her usual smile as she replied.
"Yes, Mr. Weston. You may."
"I thank you kindly, Miss Beauty." The second brother chided.
Then he took her in a grasp as the musicians began their second song. It was a jig but Belle adjusted as Henry Weston, blonde haired, muscular, as well as handsome, twirled her around the room and it was all she could do but wish she was back in Phillip Weston's arms! He'd been a little gentler with her but when she heard whispers as well as the admiring eyes of her lady friends, who included Abigail and Lillian, Belle knew she deserved to be there! She managed to hear one of the other women whisper.
"Seems that the queen has captured the competition of the two brothers! One seems to want her as much as the other!"
Their fans as they waved them encouraged Belle as Henry's grip softened a little as he spoke.
"Miss Keene? I didn't mean to appear rude earlier but my surprise with my brother was all I had on my mind at the time. And when I saw you with him…" here he paused when she turned and met his eyes. Unlike his brother, Henry's eyes were a hazel, while Phillip's was a light brown. But she let him finish.
"I was… jealous."
"As every man has been," Belle thought but she kept this to herself.
Instead, she gave her usual response.
"Completely understandable. I see that you have quite a skill with this jig. Waltzing wasn't your cup of tea?"
"The usual Queen of Beauty speaks the truth." Mr. Weston replied as the jig continued on. He smiled at her and Belle returned the gesture. The couple continued to dance as the evening progressed from waltzing and the social party struck conversation. When Belle finished her "jig" with Henry Weston, she politely asked to sit out the next ones. Both brothers, who were hosting, understood when she informed them about this. And it was to her charm when both tried to bring her a chair or fought with each other for it…
"Over me, no doubt," she knew once she was seated.
Keeping her composure, Belle thanked both of them before they left her side. But not after reminding her she was to be "their honored guest" for the surprise later. And excitement entered her when Phillip winked at her when he whispered.
"And you're going to love it, Miss Beauty!"
When Henry set his hand on his brother's back, which to Belle was in a firm hold, she heard him add.
"As well as all the others."
"For sure, brother!" Phillip answered as he pushed his brother's hand away.
"For sure, indeed!"
Sometime later…
Belle was escorted to the center of the dining hall. As if pirates could wrestle with each other, along with swords and blades, knives, and even cannon balls… she felt more like she was the victim of their jealousy when both of the Weston Brothers fought to have her sit in the center of the room. The usual setting of the ball progressed in the usual way she was used to: after dancing, there was a light meal of coffee, tea, and a few fruits, but on this evening: Belle knew that most of the dinners would held at the guests' houses rather than at Diamond Springs. And if she could calculate it correctly – most of the gentlemen consumed a good portion of wine. But she'd been able to socialize with Abigail, Lillian, as well as most of all the ladies who were in attendance at the ball. But when she found herself seated, after a little elbow kicking on the brothers' part, Belle kept her feelings in when Phillip Weston managed to collect himself before he started.
"Ladies and gentlemen? I would like to thank you all for attending our ball! The outcome of all of you has pleased me and my brother finely and we are honored that the Queen of Beauty is the honored guest."
Hearing this praise, Belle heard the audience, regardless if some of them were drunk or not, she smiled when the gathered crowd applauded. The gentlemen, holding up their glasses, cried out.
"Here, here! To the Queen of Beauty!"
And the ladies, as Belle could attest, put in their voice as well.
"Belle Keene! Queen of Beauty!"
"And the most sought after lady in all of Rhode Island!" The familiar voice of Abigail added and Belle turned and smiled at her friend. The two were close in age but Rose felt more Abby was a second sister to her as well as Lillian, though Rose liked Lillian more than Abby. But she never admitted this to her as she returned her attention to Phillip Weston. Henry, she'd noticed, slipped out and the butler, Francis, was nowhere in sight. The tension of the surprise was growing on her so Belle waited in excitement as Phillip continued on.
"Enough with all your applauding! Yes, indeed! Miss Keene is the Beauty of town and because of that -" here Phillip looked at her and Belle felt her heart beat when he continued, "my brother and I told her we have a very special surprise we would like for her to see! And to all of you as well!"
Then Phillip Weston turned and snapping his fingers, he finished, as he called out.
"Henry! Bring in our surprise!"
On the second floor…
The door to the Beast's room opened. He slowly turned and stared at his capturer as his gruff voice barked.
"There you are, Beast! You're needed downstairs!"
In response, the Beast stared hard at him as he asked.
"And for what reason is there for me to be there?"
"No questions asked and you come with me!" The taller responded and within moments – the Beast was at the mercy of the man's grasp. He firmly took hold of him by his shoulders before he was roughly pulled up. Then he started to drag him away from his desk as he barked.
"Idiot! Reading when you're going to meet the Queen of Beauty herself!"
As he felt his body pulled from the safety of his chamber, the Beast's heart beat wildly. Hearing this, he asked.
"The Queen of Beauty?! Who in the world is she?!"
"Why… you'll find out when I take you to her, Beast!" His capturer replied.
By this point, the two were out of the doorway and entered the second floor. The hallway was light with candles but the guests' weren't permitted to be where the family resided. Only the servants were able to be there and the Beast knew this. As he was dragged along, he felt pressure enter into his lungs and he felt a searing pain erupt. He wasn't able to take hold of his capturer's hands when his breathing shortened and he gasped for air when the man smirked.
"Even better – the Beast's struggling to breathe!"
Then he was pulled along as the man's hold tightened around his shoulders.
When the door to the dining hall opened…
"Ladies and gentlemen – Queen of Beauty – meet out surprise!"
The gasps erupted from the audience when Henry Weston entered and in his hands: he held the figure of a hooded figure… wearing nothing but what appeared to be an old form of those Medieval cloaks which, to Belle's knowledge, were what villains' used to wear.
"Oh, my goodness! Where is my fan?" One of the ladies' of the crowd asked.
"You call this a surprise, Phillip?" One of the gentlemen answered.
"I don't call this a surprise! More like you pulled something out from the slums!"
"And do I smell that?" The same voice of the lady asked.
"Does this…whatever it is… smell like… manure?"
"Well spoken, young lady," Phillip Weston answered.
Here, he turned and approaching Belle, he asked.
"Queen of Beauty? Would you like our surprise to serve you wine?"
The figure of the hooded man, or what seemed to be one, seemed to cling to Henry Weston but Belle watched Henry stomp on his foot. This caused the man to stop but Belle couldn't quite make out his face. He was covered with the hood so she turned her attention to Phillip as she replied.
"No, Mr. Weston. Let's see what type of sport you're making of your surprise."
She smiled at him when he returned the gesture as she added.
"Plus: you did mention I was to see your surprise, remember?"
"Oh… the Queen of Beauty has spoken correctly." Phillip Weston replied.
Then turning, he used his hand, he gestured for Henry to push the man forward. It was by this point, the murmurs from the audience was increasing. Most of the ladies' were whispering about the smell from the figure… while the gentlemen were talking about what a disgrace the "surprise was." Yet as Belle waited, she watched with amusement that the figure seemed to struggle to take hold of the tray which Henry shoved against his chest. As the "surprise" brought her wine glass over, she felt as if Phillip wanted her to say something, so she turned to the form, as she asked.
"Care to speed that along? You're taking your precious time."
Then suddenly – without warning – he tripped and falling forward… the man's hood fell down and at the same time, the glass of wine leapt out and spilled all over Belle's new dress. She let out a cry when Phillip Weston shouted.
"Beast! Look at your queen in the eye! Look at her now!"
When the Beast heard this, the pain in his lungs hurt more than ever before.
When he listened, he made himself look at the woman he was commanded to take the wine to and when he what he saw made his eyes widen and for a brief moment… his pain decreased when he stared into her eyes. Words couldn't even explain what he felt when he noticed how glowing her eyes were… or how they eye-locked each other… he swallowed when he heard their laughter and he felt humiliation and the embarrassing feeling come. He felt more as if they were all throwing veggies at him when their laughs came and the familiar remarks followed.
"The Beast?! This is your surprise?!" He heard but he continued to stare into the Queen of Beauty's eyes. He struggled to rise when the crowd continued.
"Ha! The Beast! He surely is a Beast!"
"What a surprise and such fun! He's hideous!"
"Not to mention he does smell like manure!"
"Oh! Mr. Weston! Why didn't you tell us about such an enjoyment?!"
"More like it is a sport! Look at him! If you would call him a man!"
Here the Beast was on his feet. Struggling to stand, he reached out and placed his hand on the table, while at the same time… became unware that his cloak… had become loose around the throat. He'd managed to pull him gaze away from the Queen of Beauty and he felt humiliation when he heard one of the Weston Brothers' shout.
"Beast! Clear out now!"
He nodded but he didn't glance back when he turned and making his way back… ignored the laughter and mocks from the crowd when the oldest Weston Brother used his hand and shoved him forward. He nearly tripped again but he tried not to let the deformity show but it was too late.
One of the male guests' echoed how he was feeling when he shouted.
"A hunchback?! The surprise is a hunchback! And a Beast? He's hideous!"
As the Beast made his way towards the door, feeling the hurt of the remark, he heard Henry Weston hiss at him.
"Go to bed, Beast! You're no longer wanted now!"
Then as he opened the door, he was kicked in the back and he landed on the floor with a thud. He felt the pain in his back increase as he thought, remembering the Queen of Beauty.
"Of all women – I was asked to serve her wine?!"
He felt anger as well as embarrassment when a door opened and footsteps sounded on the floor. He didn't bother to struggle to rise when he was helped by a pair of hands. They were gentle and when he managed to find himself on his feet, he heard the kindly voice of Francis say.
"Master Adam? I will take you to your room now."
"Thank… you…" the Beast replied.
And reaching into his pocket… he took hold of a set of Rosary beads… as he began…
"I believe in God, the Father Thee Almighty…"
Yet as he prayed… he couldn't push away the way the Queen of Beauty looked at him…
The laughs followed "the Beast" out as he left the room.
As Belle watched, prior to the departure of "the Beast," she'd captured his eyes and when she saw what she thought was the "surprise," caused her breath to catch in her throat! He was the most handsome man she'd ever seen! When the hood fell, she'd expected to see something which implied he was ugly but when their eyes met – her breath was lost. When Henry Weston approached, he stirred her out of her thoughts when he asked.
"Well, Beauty – what did you think of our surprise?"
He asked this in such amusement, for once, Belle paused when she stared at him. Her heart was thumping and she inwardly frowned at him. It was the first time she detected something about how Henry Weston was laughing… and her suspicious of how he was acting earlier resurfaced. But she answered in a voice which didn't match the feeling of her heart.
"The surprise was quite a show, Mr. Weston."
"Pleased to hear that, Miss Beauty! I'm sure the Beast will be delighted to know he's such a disgrace to society!" Replied Henry Weston.
But then Phillip took over.
"Miss Beauty? The rest of the ball will be ending soon. Care to be the lady by my side to waltz with me a final time? Then I will hand you over to Henry here. The Beast has indeed caused our guests' to be satisfied, will you not agree?"
It was here where Henry Weston leaned forward as he whispered.
"And this time – I won't jig you. A simple, easy moving waltz will suffice. I've had my fun with the Beast tonight."
Then he turned and stepping back, gestured for his brother to take Belle to the dance room, where she wasn't able to even speak a word when Phillip Weston escorted her to the room. Yet as she danced with him – Belle couldn't help but remember how "the Beast" stared into her eyes… or the image of what she'd seen also on him – as she waltzed with Phillip… she couldn't help but feel one thing.
"This isn't right. What happened was wrong." She frowned inwardly as she and Phillip danced.
And she felt guilty when Henry asked her to dance with him after the first waltz was completed. When the ball ended and she was elegantly escorted out, Belle kept her composure high when she stepped out into the evening breeze outside of the manor. Inwardly, she would do something and she wanted to make sure no one knew what. And the following day – she would do that. Once she was seated in the carriage, she plastered on her smile to Phillip Weston before she bid him farewell. He expressed he hoped to see her at the next social gathering and she smiled when Henry elbowed him as he too followed gesture. She thanked the brothers' and commented little about "their surprise" as Norman closed the carriage door. When her drive departed from the manor, Belle glanced over her shoulder as the manor slowly vanished from sight. But on the second floor – she thought she noticed a figure – staring at her as her ride left the building.