The Woobiness is strong with Ralph in this one. If you don't want to give him a hug by the end of it, I didn't do this properly ;)
There are also some BATB Easter Eggs in here as well.
I do not own Once Upon a Time
Chapter 6 Sleigh Bells
As much as Ralph wanted to soak in the next two months, they were a flurry of activity on the French claim. Walls came up and eventually, instead of the roof only slanting one way, it now looked like a proper pointed roof. Belle frantically sewed a cover for a new straw mattress, and used the older material to begin the makings for a partition to separate the living quarters. She dipped candles and plastered tar paper along the new and old walls to help seal them for the cold months ahead. Ralph insisted Belle take the partitioned area for privacy, and no one disagreed.
It hadn't been a week since they finished and winter blew in with gusto. Suddenly the brown fields of prairie became a white blanket that never seemed to end. The little stove piped heat into the shanty, but the cold became bone chilling. Belle was a constant worrier over Ralph's leg and on more than one occasion she had heated water for his leg to soak. As much as he wanted to kiss her for her kindness, he hated folding his pants leg up to reveal the mangled mess his leg had become. He hadn't seen himself in a mirror in a while, but he was more than aware of his skinny frame, he could almost cut himself touching his nose, and he could see very well the ugly scar on his leg. Before one man could come and call on Miss French, he had frequent reminders as to his own defects and how little he deserved the beautiful smiles or looks of genuine concern Belle bestowed on him.
But call on Miss French the men of the surrounding area did eventually do. It began on a Sunday afternoon and bells rang out on the clear prairie. Ralph had been reading out of the Book of John. Though religious, the French family weren't sticklers for Sabbath rules, and Miss Belle had the pattern she had cut out, laid out on the blue and white gingham, pinning it and making ready to cut out the pattern. Mr. French stopped puffing on his pipe, and Ralph paused from his reading to look up at the noise.
'Sleigh bells Issy Girl. I'm guessing we are about to be visited by every young person in a fifty mile radius. Get your coat Issy, Ralphy and I will have to keep each other company for a little while.'
A knock was heard at the door and Ralph limped to answer while Belle obediently pulled on her coat and winter gear. The person at the door was someone he hadn't met yet. The man was tall, muscular, and well, did he mention tall? The man towered over Ralph and looked down at him with his small brown eyes, snorting at the limping man. Recollecting himself, he straightened to his full height, put on a smile and turned towards Mr. French.
'I have come to see if Miss Isabelle would like to join my friends and I on a sleigh outing?'
'I'm sure she would, my boy. Gary Gaston, isn't it? I think I remember seeing you in town?'
'Yes sir, that's me, and my friend over there is Kieth Nott-We also convinced David Noland and his girl Mary Margret to join us so as to make things proper. '
Mr. French nodded and motioned for Belle to hurry.
'Go along with you Issy and enjoy yourself.'
Ralph could have sworn that Belle's smile didn't reach her eyes, and she looked back at the cabin almost longingly. She shook herself off and managed a good natured smile. The second she smiled at the tall man apparently named Gary, Ralph became agitated. He knew this day was coming, but it didn't make things any easier. If the daily reminder of Ralph's defects were on full display when they were alone, but they were glaringly obvious now beside the three handsome men. He watched Belle's tiny figure join the massive young man on one of the three sleighs and listened until the bells were drowned by the silent prairie.
…
Belle hated to leave Ralph and Papa alone by the fire, but she was equally a little excited to feel some semblance of freedom as the cold winter wind hit her face. She also loved the melodic notes of the bells echoing out to the far reaches of the prairie. While they were riding, they kept their scarves firmly over their noses and mouths to keep out the icy winds, but once they reached the icy pond on the outskirts of the French claim, they slowed and enjoyed the snowy loveliness in front of them. This allowed for chatter among the young people.
'I'm Mary Margret, and you're Isabelle, right?'
Belle nodded in agreement. 'You can call me Belle.' She said quietly, not wanting to be overheard by the men. David was sweet, but for some reason, Keith and Gary made her skin crawl. Keith had made a couple of comments at Ralph's expense and Gary laughed at the joke.
'Do you live nearby?' Belle queried Mary Margret.
'My father and stepmother own a farm a mile and a half south of your claim, but I'll be moving to town this week. They opened a school last fall but Ashly became in the family way' Mary Margret voice was low and her eyebrows knit in the scandal. 'And had to quit. I'll be replacing her. I'll stay until the end of spring. David and I will be getting married in the summer.'
'Oh how grand!' Belle smiled in earnest and looked over at David. Congratulations to you both. I hope you'll be very happy.'
David beamed, Keith and Gary snickered to each other.
'This marriage business is rather a good scheme, don't you think?' Gary attempted to sound intelligent. Something he had attempted to do a few times, but had very little success. 'Wouldn't mind putting my mind to the scheme myself.'
And Belle couldn't miss the meaning as he looked at Belle with serious intent. Her shock must be plainly written on her face, when he chuckled at her looks. They had only met that day and yet the man was making assumptions to their future. What an oaf! They had only been out an hour or so, but Belle was ready to be back in the safety of her shanty, no matter how she enjoyed riding in general.
'I'm getting rather cold. Do you think we can make our way back?'
'What a tiny little thing you are, Isabelle.' Gary chuckled and the five of them started the trek back to the shanty.
'I'm half sorry to have to bring you back to the boredom of your old man and that beggar of a cripple. Must feel suffocating for such a lady as yourself.'
'Papa and Ralph can be surprisingly good company.' She said, trying not to let her agitation be heard in the reply.
'Ralph? Is that the cripple's name? Such a scrawny, ugly thing. Can't imagine how he could be of much use to you and your father.'
'Ralph has been a great help to us.' Belle insisted, wrinkling her nose in disgust at Gary's hurtful words. If she hadn't already formed a poor opinion of the handsome man beside her, then his words would have convinced her. Over the past several months, Ralph had become a friend to her. True he was small, and his looks weren't conventionally handsome, but it was him. She quite liked that he didn't tower beside her. He didn't speak much, but when he did it was with intelligence and respect. The more she knew of Ralph, the more she liked him as a person, and the more handsome he became. She wished the world could see Ralph the way she saw him.
The shanty finally came into view, and she allowed Gary to help her down. His hands stayed a moment too long, and she jerked herself out of the hold. Belle always tried to be polite and smiling to others, but this man was beginning to be insufferable.
'Next week then?' The question wasn't really a question. It was saturated with self confidence in her assumed answer.
'No thank you. I do thank you for the pleasant ride today, though. Thank you for thinking of me.'
At first she wondered if Gary had even heard her, then his face screwed in disbelief.
'What?' He breathed. Belle pretended not to hear.
'Thank you again!' She shouted to the icy wind and she shivered before she opened the door to the shanty.
…
Ralph couldn't pay attention to anything. He had known this would happen. He had known and yet it still caused him to sweat, and have a desire to start throwing things. Mr. French was there, and he wouldn't disturb Belle's tidy home for all the rage built up in his soul. The thought of Belle with someone else, imagining her courting and perhaps eventually marrying someone else made him force himself from acting a fool.
He sat, staring and controlling his emotions for an entire afternoon, before the door opened and let a warm burst of sunshine in the form of Miss Belle French into the shanty. Her nose was red with cold, her eyes were bright with the outdoor excursion, but there was something not quite right. Her lips were pinched and they were frowning? He had seen her looks of happiness, exhaustion, concentration, even sadness when she was thinking of the mother she lost, but this was different. Internally slapping himself, he jumped up from his chair and pulled it closer to the stove and motioned her to sit once she had shed her winter things.
'You must be cold.' He attempted a bit lamely. He wished she would smile again. If that big, tall, handsome man had done anything to upset her, well, he didn't know what he would do-but he knew what he wanted to do to him.
'Thank you, Ralph.' She leaned towards the stove.
'How did it go, my girl?'
'It was fine, Papa. I really like Mary Margret. It was nice to talk to another woman.' Her face softened, and it gave Ralph some relief.
'And Gary? There's a handsome fellow. He has quite a farm established already, with more livestock than you can shake a stick at. I imagine he asked you for next week?'
'He did' Her voice was quiet and solemn.
'Good. Very good.'
Belle looked over at her father and looked as if she were trying to breathe calmly.
'He asked me, but I told him I didn't plan to go with him.'
Ralph couldn't help it. His eyes bugged out in shock and almost happiness. He couldn't be too happy, because Belle didn't look happy at all.
'Are you daft girl? What would possess you to reject a man like that? Need I remind you that I am not exactly young and you have no family to rely on should something happen to me?'
'I know, Papa, and I…'
His hand went up to interrupt her, but he offered no reply. She braved another comment.
'Surely Gary isn't the only single man in the area, and I am only 18, why should I go after the first person that pursues me?'
Ralph wouldn't have dared put his own opinion in the mix. He already felt like he was encroaching on a private moment, though he wished he could somehow come to Belle's aid in all this. However, he loved the fire in Belle's eyes as she spoke. She wasn't smiling yet, but this was almost as enchanting.
'And anyway…who would care for you here, huh?' She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. 'I didn't like Gary' And for some reason her eyes darted to Ralph's in an almost concerned expression that he didn't understand. She turned back to her father. 'Papa, please don't make me court him?'
Ralph's heart clenched. He loved her, really really loved her. Somehow she had seen past a man's handsome exterior and that gave him something akin to hope. Then again, if someone as handsome as Gary had no hope to win her, then what hope did he have? None. He had none, and the sooner he understood that the better. For who could ever love a crippled fool.
Author's Note: I have no idea if anyone enjoys this story or not (comments appreciated, lol), but let's just say, my brain has been swimming with random 1880s farming facts. My poor husband had to hear me give a 30 minute tirade of the many loopholes of the homesteaders act and the impact it made on the future of the States. Exciting stuff! haha
I am enjoying writing this story, regardless, and I appreciate those who are reading it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!