Okay, here Is Chapter 2. Hopefully, I did not bore you off yet, but as I said, this is my first fanfic to ever be posted, and I wrote this in the 7th Grade. I'll have time to post the rest of the chapters. I am aware of my bad grammar, but I do try to make sure everything is correct. If not, Read &Review, please so I can fix em but other than that, I have gone over the chapter plenty of times with spell check and such.

"My Name is Belle"

Chapter 2

Previously from Ch 1:

"Belle finally lifted out the packaging that kept the contents inside safe. With her hand into the box, she lifted out a gold framed mirror with diamonds, and intricate rose shaped rubies encrusted on the back and handle..."

As she stared into the glossy surface in awe, the reflection staring back at her was a girl with ebony wavy hair which framed her face, and fell past her shoulders. Certainly a natural beauty, with an olive complexion, strong brow, eyes of the deepest green, flushed cheeks, rouged lips. A girl that surely wasn't her.

She thought to herself, "Why a mirror? I couldn't do much with mirrors except look at my reflection, something that she rarely did, because she surely wasn't vain like all the other girls her age were..."

Disappointed, Belle put the mirror down, looked at James and sighed.

"Oh boy, father really does want me to start acting like all those other dolled up girls around here. I mean, James, a mirror?!? You of all people know that I'd be the last person to need a mirror. What is father thinking? I'm not a vain person…."

As Belle rambled on and on about the possible reasons why her father picked out such a present as this, James smiled to himself and thought outloud, "No, you're not vain at all. I don't see any harm at you receiving this beautiful hand mirror, since it has jewels and crystals. But they aren't even as beautiful as the person staring into it…"

He was looking at her with this brooding stare, when he said that.

Confused, Belle asked, "What?" She was giving him this incredulous look as he came-to, and he just started to realize he had said his thoughts out loud.

Embarrassed once again, he turned crimson and tried apologizing, "OH! Uh, I mean, why wouldn't you want that mirror? It's beautiful! And look at it, rubies, and diamonds. That's really grand. Your father must have looked far and wide for that. You should be more grateful…"

Belle wondered over his bumbling but dismissed it and cut in, "Of course I'm grateful, but I was hoping it would be something much more interesting and what not…"

James saw the disappointment in her eyes and quickly wanted to make her happy again, so he though, "Hey, maybe that wasn't all of it. Maybe there's more in the box. Seriously, you're father should have put something else with that mirror…hmm…do you mind if I rummage?"

Belle shrugged and let him, and with a sigh replied, "Oh go ahead. There's not going to be much anyway…just fuzz and packaging…"

But as she said this, James slowly pulled out a ruby incrusted rose pendant held on a gold chain. There were two tiny rose earrings on the side, with a diamond in each of their centers.

James gawked at the necklace. It must have cost a fortune! Something he knew he could never afford for his Belle.

Belle slowly took the necklace from his fingers and stared at it. It was BEAUTIFUL! She didn't mind necklaces, and once again, there were roses. She wondered why, and slowly turned the chain to find a little slip of paper attached to it. She quickly opened it to reveal a message written in her father's handwriting and read it silently to herself:

"To My Dearest Daughter:

Belle, you are wondering over the mirror and this beautiful rose necklace. As you can see, both gifts are inlaid with roses decorated with rubies and diamonds. I know you are not one who is fond of jewelry and such, but I believe you would have wanted these for some purpose. You see, while I was on my travels, I happened to bump into a very distant aunt of yours. She was related to your mother, and wondered why I did not have you with me. I told her that you were there, in Sandrosia, and that I was looking in vain for a present to give you for your sixteenth birthday. Well, she was a bit disappointed in not being able to meet her niece, but wanted make up the loss by giving you something that once was your mother's. This hand mirror and necklace, she once used them, wore them, and now they belong to you. So, I know you will cherish these with all of your heart. Happy, happy birthday my dear Bella."

With All My Love,

Father

As she digested the information, Belle hugged her presents dearly. These once belonged to her mother! Oh, how happy she was! Never in her life had she received anything that was as beautiful and precious as these. Now that she learned they once belonged to Rosellyne Le Dubois Herrigan, these were now forever prized possessions.

Looking up at James with tears in her eyes and smiling away, she whispered, "Oh James…"

James' eyes opened wide in anticipation as he wondered, "What my Belle? That you love me…that you…actually…love…me?"

Instead she sighed and excitedly replied, "James, these once to belong to my mother Lady Roselyn! My great aunt ran into my father while he was in France, and she gave him these. Oh, it's wonderful! Uh, but I can't seem to put this on right…the clasps. Will you…?"

She was looking at him with a pleading look that he certainly could not turn down, and although disappointed, he happily obliged with an, "Oh sure, I'd be glad to help," and expressed his sincerity with one of his rare smiles. He came around the counter and took the necklace from her delicate hands. As Belle turned around, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hold her in his arms, or just kiss her.

James was standing there with both ends of the necklace in his raised hands, apparently in a daydream. He snapped back into the real world when he sensed Belle's impatience through her foot tapping and sighs. James quickly placed the necklace over her collar, bringing the clasps together, and accidentally brushed his fingers slightly the side of her smooth neck. Belle shrieked in sudden laughter due to her ticklish nature, which threw James into a nervous wreck. He hastily closed the clasp with a click, and moved back some steps so that he could calm down and get his wits back. Sigh, it was so hard to be three years older than her and not be able to have her because she didn't like him back.

Belle spun around and gave him one of her sweet, sweet smiles, and asked , "So, how do I look, James?"

As she looked up at him waiting for an answer, he had to gulp and keep down his answer of her being beautiful, and quietly replied, "Good…"

Obviously disappointed, Belle croaked, "Good? Good?!? That's it? Okay, I was hoping for something else but that's fine. Well anyway, I should get going. Angeline wanted me home before dinner and it's getting close to that time. But, oh! Thank you Mr. Bodeleur for keeping this wonderful gift for me, and also, James for not dropping this. I'll be on my way now, and see you all soon for our annual Fall Gala tonight right?"

Mr. Bodeleur smiled and answered, "Of course Belle, James will be there too, even though you know how much he hates to go to dances and such like that." Mr. Bodeleur gave her a comical scrunched face, making Belle laugh.

In turn, she gave James a wink and asked, "Hey James, why wouldn't you want to go? There are going so many beautiful young ladies just waiting for you to ask them for a dance, and I hear that Carrie McGill has a fancy to you!"

With that, Belle left the post office and briskly walked back with parcel and bicycle in tow towards her home, the Herrigan Estate.

At the Herrigan Estate...
...a mysterious stranger bursts from the trees...

Belle was pushing her bicycle up the hill on the drive towards the garage, when out of the trees, burst a rabbit and a hound chasing after it. Shocked, Belle realized in a split second that the rabbit was HER rabbit Ceres, and quickly ran over to save it. Screaming frantically help, out of the trees, a man on a horseback broke out of forest onto the green of her estate, apparently also chasing after the two animals.

Stopping his horse abruptly, he jumped off his brown mare and whistled loudly. At that moment, the dog stopped chasing Ceres, and sat right on its haunches.

Belle quickly ran over to Ceres, who at seeing it's owner, quickly hopped over onto her lap. With tears in her eyes, Belle hugged Ceres, who purred in her arms. Anger slowly crept into her face, Belle looked menacingly towards the man next to the horse.

He was scolding the dog whose name she heard was Bassett, and ordered him to stay. She was still glaring at him with vehemence as he took off his riding helmet, shook his golden head of hair, and started walking over to her. Belle quickly got up and dusted off her skirt. The man looked to be close to James's age, which was about nineteen. He smiled charmingly at her and bowed to take her hand, which she at first, hesitated to extend. He took it and gently kissed the top of it.

Belle was not easily charmed, in fact she was even more furious.

She gently asks him, "Who are you sir and why have you stumbled upon this here estate?"

The young man, puzzled, smiles charmingly at her and replies, "Well, first of all, I'd like to apologize for my rude entrance upon your home. My dog Bassett and I were hunting in the forests nearby and I guess your rabbit here, caught my dog's attention and here we are. I didn't mean to cause you any great deal of stress and I'll be leaving now. My apologies again Miss…?"

Still glaring at him, she honestly did not want to speak with the man, but gave her name to at least show him Sandrosia's customary respect to strangers.

"Herrigan. Ms. Herrigan," was all she gave him of her identity.

Sighing in annoyance, she told him, "Now, it would be best for you to leave now before my guards get here after all that screaming I did." With that she tugged back from his lingering grasp, turned swiftly around without a curtsy, and proudly walked away towards her house, not even caring that she was rude in etiquette to not ask his name or give him her full title.

The young man stood there in place for a little while after her hasty retreat from him. Perplexed yet assured that this encounter went accordingly well, he smiled thoughtfully about her and quietly put his riding cap back on, all the while surveying the area.

'Yes,' he thought. 'This is the Herrigan estate. And HE happened to stumble upon it accidentally.'

Unbeknownst to this young girl, a plan was quickly unfolding, and life before her would soon be a confusing jumble between love and turmoil.

As Belle entered the house, her maid Angeline quickly came over to her

"My dear Bella! What was all that commotion out there! You sounded like you were screaming for your dear life but then it stopped! What is with the nonsense! Did you not know Master Herrigan was napping before going to the town gala?"

Belle was now embarrassed to have woken up the household and deeply apologized, "Oh, I'm very sorry Angie, I…yes, I didn't think before being like I did. Ceres was running around and I was afraid something might get to her, I was worried…"

Tears in her eyes and full of anger at that young man trying to charm her…she thought how bizarre it was that he had not even cared about her rabbit. What was he doing in the forest anyway?

Belle explained to Angeline the whole scene at which the maid found now was not the time to scold the child. Instead she just told Belle to just go on up to her room and get ready for the evening.

It was already five in the evening and the celebration was to be in a half hour. Ah, she hated corsets, the ruffles and all the glamour. But if she had to dress up for the sake of the family name and have a great time dancing the night away, then so be it. Angeline curled Belle's silky, black tresses into wavy rivulets and applied a light tint of peach to her lips and sprayed a light perfume of vanilla to her shoulders. She quickly grabbed the dress her father brought back from England and put it on. It was a beautiful dress, olive green with creamy white borders along the bodice and waist, and it certainly went well to perfectly contrast against the gold and ruby of her necklace. It was time to go, when her father called up the stairs for her to come down to get into the carriage. They did not want to be fashionably late now...

End of Chapter 2. Next to Ch. 3

(Okay, I know Belle sorta came off as a lil ungrateful towards the end, but it's not that she is. I was trying to portray her as a little impatient when around James. He's just so clumsy and slow around her because he likes her! But yes, get ready for Sandrosia's annual Fall Gala...festivities, wine, and a two love triangles developing... Onward to Ch. 3 :)

Please Read &Review, much love!

Sincerely,
Lady V.