AN: There really is no excuse for how long this took me. Sorry! One the other hand, who's seen the new Beauty and the Beast movie?
Chapter 4: One Day
"Quick! Get that window latched! I'll get the one over here." Ella followed Belle's instructions and ran to the windows. She pushed against the rain and wind to get them closed. The storm was raging outside and had blown several of the windows open.
"Wow what a storm!" Ella commented as she peered outside. Suddenly, a thought came to her and she turned to Belle with wide eyes. "You don't think they are out in this weather, do you?"
Belle knew Ella was concerned about their fathers and quickly shook her head. "I wouldn't think so. Surely they would have found someplace to wait out the storm. This isn't their first time making these trips."
Ella nodded and glanced at the window once more before taking a seat by the fireplace. She and Belle were in the middle of a game of chess and Belle was winning. She studied the board closely, pondering her next move when her stepmother swept into the room. The mistress of the house raised her eyebrows at the sight of her stepdaughter and the neighbor girl in the sitting room. She seemed surprised, as if she forgot her stepdaughter still lived here, which could very well be the case.
Despite Belle's assurances, things had not gotten better with time. The Lady Rodmilla and her daughters were cold to Ella, bordering on rude. Of course the the refined lady was too civilized to be outright rude, but Ella was very aware her presence was unwanted. She spent much of her time in her room, in the gardens, or at Belle's house. When it became especially unbearable, she would visit the willow where her mother was buried. It was as if Ella truly didn't live in the house any longer. At least, until her father returned. Everyone was much more friendly in Henry's presence.
"Oh, what are you two doing in here?" Lady Rodmilla asked with a tight smile.
Ella politely explained how Belle didn't want to be in her house alone during the storm. "She came over here for the night. We were just playing a game of…"
"Yes, well," her stepmother interrupted, clearly uninterested in their games. "I am about to start Anastasia's and Drizella's lessons in here. We would not want to disturb you. Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own room?" From the tone of voice Belle could tell that it was not so much a suggestion as a command. She frowned but helped Ella gather up the chess pieces. Without a word, Ella gave a gracious smile to her stepmother and the two left the room.
"You really should say something Ella. You do not deserve to be treated like this." Belle was angry at her friend's situation. It was not fair to so kind and sweet of a girl to be treated poorly in her own home.
Ella gave her a patient smile and continued down the hallway to her room, head held high. "Do not worry about them Belle. They aren't the nicest of people, but as long as my father is happy, so am I. At the end of the day, I don't need their approval or affection. Between you and father, I have everything I truly need."
Belle smiled at her friend, once again admiring her inner strength. Ella was very temperate and never lashed out in anger. Many people, her stepmother included, took this to mean that Ella was weak or easy to manipulate. Belle knew differently. Ella was more kind and courageous than anyone Belle knew. That is why she could take anything they threw at her. Ella was determined to be content in her life, despite others who tried to bring her down.
"Would you like to start a new game?" Ella asked as they entered her bedroom.
"No, not really" Belle replied in a bored tone.
"Well, what would you like to do?"
Belle sighed and dramatically threw herself on the bed. "Something new. Something exciting. Something different!"
Ella sat next to her friend and giggled at her antics. She knew Belle's adventurous spirit and her longing for new places. There was so much of the world out there and they both had never been farther than the village. Yet, like Ella, Belle felt compelled to stay home for their father's sake. Belle didn't want to leave her father alone. Unfortunately for Belle, her longing for adventure seemed to be especially strong recently. Ella laid next to her friend and stroked her hair. "One day, we will travel to so many places that we will forget the names of them all. We will do new things and meet interesting people. Life will be completely different."
Belle lifted her head from where her face was buried in the quilt. "Promise?" she asked, smirking at Ella's attempt to cheer her up. Ella nodded and the two girls went back to thinking of things to do to amuse themselves for the remainder of the day.
The next morning the sky was clear but the air was still damp from the rain. Nevertheless, the two girls were eager to get out of the house. They had not been to the village all week and Belle was hoping the bookshop had gotten something new. They might even run into their fathers, who were expected any day now. As the girls were putting on their old boots preparing to walk through the muddy roads, Lady Rodmilla entered the room. Ella was surprised she was up so early since she usually slept quite late in the day.
"Honestly, what are you two doing up so early? It's barely past dawn."
"We are walking to the village, so we need to have an early start," Belle explained.
Lady Rodmilla sighed. "I don't know why you girls insist on walking all the way there. It is so far. Why wouldn't you take a coach? Both of your fathers work hard to give you fine things and you both insist on living like paupers."
Her glance at their old boots and plain clothes implied she was talking about more than the walking. Compared to the extravagant dresses of Lady Rodmilla and her daughters, the two girls' clothing was quite plain. Even now, Lady Rodmilla wore a royal blue dressing gown with flowers embroidered down the sides and trimmed with lace. They wore their hair simply, usually in braids or with a ribbon, while other ladies had complicated up-dos, hats, and curls. It was a source of criticism toward Ella by her stepfamily.
"The walk is great exercise and we enjoy the fresh air," Belle replied trying to hurry up and get away from the obviously critical woman.
"It really is not as long if you cut through the fields instead of taking the roads," Ella added.
Lady Rodmilla pursed her lips and exited the room, shouting her demands for breakfast to the cook. Belle and Ella slipped out the door and started their trek across the fields to town. Ella picked a few flowers along the way and Belle amused herself by identifying the plants by their scientific names. Maurice had brought her a few botany books back from a trip not long ago. Ella weaved the flowers into an intricate crown and placed them on Belle's head. They looked at clouds and pointed out shapes they saw in them. Overall, they enjoyed these walks together.
By late morning, they were at the village. Both a little hungry from their trip, and from skipping breakfast at Ella's house in order to avoid the stepmother, Belle went to the bakery to get some pastries while Ella checked on an order for dresses her stepmother had made last week. The dresses were not finished yet and Ella dreaded reporting this to her stepmother, who would be livid.
Just as Belle received the pastries from the baker, a rather unwelcome presence made an appearance. Gaston and Lefous had caught sight of Belle and rushed over to see her. Gaston was convinced that Belle was the only suitable girl in town to marry since she was the prettiest. Of course Ella was pretty as well, but Gaston was friends with Belle's brother and knew her father well. He was convinced Maurice would encourage the match. Now, if only Belle would get her nose out of those books and pay more attention to him.
"Hello lovely Belle," Gaston said in his most charming voice. He stood up tall and leaned casually against the door of the bakery, giving her a look that he knew had a strong effect on the village girls.
"Hello Gaston, Lefous," she greeted politely. She tried to walk past but Gaston moved slightly to block her path.
"It's very nice to see you again Belle. In fact, I was just telling Lefous the other day that I needed to come out to visit you," Gaston said as Lefous nodded in agreement. "I feel like it would be nice to get to know each other better."
"Oh, that's very kind of you Gaston," Belle replied, once again trying and failing to walk past.
"Perhaps, over time, we will get to know each other very, very well," Gaston smirked as he grabbed Belle's free hand. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"
"Well…" Bell was momentarily at a loss for words. She gently turned to extricate her hand from his grasp. "I'm meeting Ella over at the bookshop."
Gaston frowned and shook his head. "Oh Belle, you and your books. Reading is all well and good, but it can distract you from more important things."
"Such as?" Belle asked with eyebrows raised.
"Well, look at your sisters. Both of them were attending parties at your age. They were out finding husbands and starting homes of their own. You will never meet anyone if your reading all the time. You stay so…" Gaston trailed off at the end, obviously trying to think of a word, "… apart from other people."
"Isolated?" Belled suggested.
"Yes, that's the word. Isolated. Why don't you accompany me to Thomas' dinner party this week, as my date?" Once again he tried to grab her hand but Belle quickly sidestepped and began to back away from him toward the town center.
"I'm flattered Gaston, but I don't think I'm the type for you," Belle sighed, trying to sound apologetic.
"Oh come on now Belle…" Gaston said in a lower voice. He was clearly unhappy with her reluctance and he began to advance towards her with more purpose.
"Belle! There you are. I'm starving." Belle was extremely relieved to hear Ella's voice as her friend came up beside her and wrapped her arm around Belle's.
"Here you go Ella," Belle replied cheerily, handing Ella her breakfast. "Nice talking to you Gaston, but we really should go." Both girls turned and walked quickly away.
"Thank you!" Belle whispered to her friend.
"Of course," Ella waved off her friend's thanks as she bit into her pastry. "I would've been over sooner but I did not see you until the dressmaker pointed you out."
"I have no idea what's gotten into him today," Belle sighed as she began eating as well.
"I do. Madame Letrois said he's been talking in the tavern how you are 'wife' material and how he will have you in love with him by months' end."
"Me! His wife. Madame Gaston, can't you just see it?" Belle's sarcastic voice sent both girls into giggles. The idea of Belle and Gaston together was comical. They were so different! "There has to be something more for me than Gaston and parties and this village."
"There is. We will get there. One day," Ella assured her friend, like always.
Belle repeated her friend's promise. "One day."
Just then they arrived at the bookstore. Ella began browsing through the collection. Although she enjoyed reading, she did not read as voraciously as Belle so there were still many books available that she had not read yet. Belle had read everything and was scanning the shelves for something else.
"Good morning!" Belle called out to the bookkeeper. "Have you gotten anything new?"
"No, not yet," the bookkeeper replied, smiling at her. She was his best customer. "If you don't mind waiting for a bit, I believe a few will be delivered soon. I expect your fathers brought some new books back from their latest trip. I just have to wait for the merchandise to be delivered."
Ella's head snapped up and she looked at the bookkeeper in surprise. "Our fathers' merchandise? Is it here?"
"Why yes, I believe James is supervising the unloading of the last of the cargo right now."
Belle and Ella looked at each other and smiled. They were back! Throwing a quick thank you over their shoulders, both girls raced out of the store. They eventually found James but could not see either Henry or Maurice.
"Hello James," Ella greeted their fathers' second-in-command. "Welcome back."
James tipped his head toward the two girls. "Miss Ella, Miss Belle, good to see you both again. As lovely as ever."
Both girls smiled at James who was a dear friend of theirs after years of working with their fathers. He and his wife Marie lived the next town over so they no longer saw him as often.
"Did you just get back?" Belle inquired. "Where is Papa?"
"We got in yesterday. Henry and Maurice left for home yesterday right after we got in. They wanted to get back to you both as soon as possible."
"You mean they were out in the storm!?" Ella cried out.
"I tried to talk them out of it," James said, shaking his head. Then his brow furrowed in confusion. "Didn't they get back?"
"No," Ella answered quietly. "At least, Father was not there this morning when we left."
Both girls looked so distressed that James decided the rest of his business could wait for a while. "Come now girls. We just unloaded the last of the merchandise so the coach is free. Let's get you both home. I'm sure they just waited out the storm and got in sometime today. There's no need to worry."
Maurice woke up in the most comfortable bed he had ever laid in. He looked over and wasn't surprised to see his breakfast already laid out on the table. After finding the house last night, he quickly understood that was the way things worked here. Well, it wasn't so much of a house as he had expected. It was more of a castle in the middle of the wood. Like all the people of Aminelle, he had heard stories of the mysterious dwellings and creatures of the woods. Still, it was strange to think there was a castle here. Who could have built a castle except for royalty? And the royal family of Aminelle lived in their own palace on the other side of the village.
That wasn't where the strangeness ended though. Although there had been lights on, there was not a single person to be found. He had walked in the unlocked front door to find food laid out on a small table next to a fire. He called out to see whose home he had entered, but no one answered. Eventually Maurice had sat down to the wonderfully prepared meal. A door had opened, seemingly on its, revealing the bedroom in which Maurice had slept. His horse had been fed in the stable and his clothes were now dry by the fire. Maurice wasn't sure who had done it all, but suspected the house was enchanted. Everywhere he looked odd things were happening. A teapot on the table was suddenly gone. A candelabra in the sitting room was suddenly in the bedroom. He chalked it up to the magic of the wood. Whatever it was, he was grateful for it. He knew he could have died in that forest before finding his way out.
After dressing and eating breakfast, Maurice retrieved his horse and prepared to continue on. He hoped he would be able to find his way home now that the storm had cleared. He knew they must be worried about him. As he trotted out with Phillipe toward the front gate, something caught his eye. He couldn't believe his luck! There, perfectly blooming despite the weather, were rose bushes. Just like his little Belle wanted. Maurice figured if anyone did live in the castle, they wouldn't miss just one rose. He hopped down from Phillipe and carefully examined the bushes, looking for the biggest, most beautiful rose.
As he plucked the flower from the bush, he quickly realized his mistake. Behind him he heard a sound that sent shivers down his spine and made his legs lock in fear. It was a sound that, no doubt, had fueled the legends of the vicious monsters in the woods. It was the roar of a beast.