A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for all the reads and lovely reviews! I kind of want to focus on ONE fic at a time and I am smack dab in the middle of this one AND my RenBelle fic (On Mountaintops in Russia) So if one of them slows down with updates I am really sorry. Ill keep you posted, thanks for your patience. Enjoy! Feel free to review!
Chapter 6:
Two days passed and Plunkett stood in the foyer of his house pacing back and forth, looking at his pocket watch over and over before snapping it shut. He should go. Wait, maybe not. But Belle would be waiting. This is madness. He could do this. No he couldn't. He had been pacing for most of the last 48 hours and Macleane had thought he had gone well and truly insane.
Within the hour he was supposed to meet Belle. If he left now he had plenty of time to make it to her house. So why didn't he go? Because this whole situation was crazy. He shouldn't be allowed to speak to Belle and there she was begging for his attentions and wanting him to teach her to use a weapon. Crazy, it was definitely crazy.
Walking out of the house and throwing the saddle on his mare, his stomach was full of nerves. Macleane was still asleep, and by the time he woke, Plunkett planned on being long gone on his way to the French Manor. If his partner knew of Belle, well, there would be no end to it.
With his stomach in knots over the events to come, he galloped across the glen, his mind racing as quickly as the scenery. This was it. His mind was made up. He was going to see her and there was no going back.
As he came over the hill, the sun slipped above the horizon and painted the trees with touches of gold in the early morning light. The chilly breeze whipped around his face as he slowed the mare down to a trot and approached the back of the manor. Coming to a complete stop by the rose trellis, he looked up to the second story window. It was open, but how was he supposed to get her attention? He dared not yell for her for what if someone was still in the house. After a moment's pause he stood up in the stirrups, trying to get closer to the window; he gave a two toned whistle, low then higher pitched, drawing it out as much as possible.
For a full minute there was nothing, and then Belle came to the window and leaned out, a dazzling smile on her face. Plunkett felt himself smile in return, he just couldn't help it.
She raised an eyebrow and gave him a stern look. "Did you just whistle at me sir?
"No M'lady. Never." He smiled and shook his head, looking as innocent as possible.
Belle rolled her eyes and left the window. She returned with a small rucksack and draped it across her chest before swinging her leg out the window and descending the trellis slowly. Plunkett averted his eyes until she hopped down and planted herself firmly in front of him.
Grabbing her hand, he gently kissed the back of it and smiled. "Good morning M'lady."
She frowned and shook her head in response. "What did I tell you?" She leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, saying softly, "Call me Belle."
Plunkett stared at her wide eyed as she leaned back. There was a faint blush on her cheeks, whether from her actions or from the brisk morning air he didn't know, her eyes were as blue as ever and her curls where braided back with a bow at the end that matched her green dress perfectly. He coughed and swallowed hard enough that he was certain that she heard it. "A-alright M'-…Belle." He paused and gestured to the horse. "You ready?"
Belle smirked, but otherwise paid no attention to his state of nervousness. She nodded and waited patiently as he climbed into the saddle and reached down to pull her up like the night before. Her arms went around his waist instinctively as he spurred the horse forward.
"Where are we going?" she asked next to his ear, holding tighter as the breeze blew around them.
"Somewhere where you don't run the risk of shooting someone." Plunkett chuckled even as she jabbed him lightly in the ribs and laughed softly herself. The sun had just risen and everything had that new morning glow to it. Belle inhaled deeply and smiled, adjusting her arms around Plunkett as she took in the scenery. He felt her move and tightened his grip on the reigns, his mind racing at having her so close.
He cleared his throat as he turned the horse up another path and said, "So why does a Lady need to know how to use a pistol?"
She thought about it for a moment then answered honestly. "I don't need to know I guess. But…" she paused. "But I want to. Isn't that enough?"
Smiling gently, he nodded and patted her hand on his stomach. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn anything in life M'lady. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
They rode over the glen and slowed to a trot as they came into a wide open meadow. The grass was tall around the edges and the tops blew in the morning air like waves in the ocean. A lone tree stood tall and proud in the center of it all, with thick roots perfect for sitting on and enough leaves for adequate shade. Plunkett stopped the horse and slid out of the saddle, reaching up and taking Belle by the waist, he lowered her to the ground gently. He then reached up and unhooked a saddle bag, hoisting it over his shoulder and walking to the tree.
Belle walked around the horse and plucked some grass from the ground, offering it to the animal with a flat hand. She smiled gently as the mare nibbled it off of her palm with hungry lips. Plunkett looked over at her as he heard a small giggle escape her lips, he smiled and shook his head, turning his attention back to the bag he said, "You know I've never seen her act like that. Normally she's a right foul wench."
"Now now, no need for name calling. Right girl?" she smiled as she fluffed the horse's mane and cooed over the beast. "What is her name Will?"
Plunkett pulled out a few pieces of parchment and a hammer and placed a nail between his lips as he lined the makeshift target up on the tree. "Her what?" he mumbled past the nail.
"Her name." Belle lifted her skits gently as she hopped over a small puddle and walked to Plunkett. "Surely she has one."
Plunkett shook his head as he finished nailing the target and turned to her. "Doesn't have one. She answers to certain whistles and tongue clicks, I never thought a name was needed." He bent down and pulled out his pistol from the pocket on the side of the bag. "Now, you want to learn right? You can use mine-…"
Her eyes lit up in excitement as she cut him off and dug through her bag, pulling out Macleane's pistol and holding it up proudly. "No need! I brought my own!"
Plunkett ducked and shoved her hand down, making her point the gun at the ground. "Careful! Where the bloody hell did you get that thing?"
"Your partner. He dropped it the night the two of you held up my father's carriage." She blushed as she admitted to the stealing of Macleane's pistol.
"And you kept it?" Plunkett smirked and raised an eyebrow. She was intelligent, a beauty and a thief. Plunkett was slowly losing his grip on his heart as he discovered more and more of her secrets. Belle nodded and looked at her feet before back up to him, not saying another word, fearing at any moment he would decide he had made a mistake by offering to teach her and make them return to her home. He did nothing of the sort and instead smiled again and went back to the bag. He picked up his own pistol and put it in his holster, he nodded for her to follow him and walked about 25 feet from the tree.
Holding up Macleane's gun he began to explain how the mechanisms worked. He addressed the major parts of the weapon and she nodded, her eyes full of wonder as she soaked up his every word like a sponge. This was what she wanted; she wanted to learn how to do this, just like a real adventurer. He handed the gun back to her and she took it gently in her hands.
"Hold it like I showed you." He said as she faced the tree. She extended her arm, holding the pistol in her right hand. "Good. Now cock it."
Belle was shaking. This was it. She reached up with her thumb and pulled back the hammer on the top with two small clicks. "N-now squeeze the trigger right?" she asked softly.
Plunkett nodded. "Right. Take your time. I want you to hit that ink dot in the middle of the tree."
Belle only took a moment's pause, squeezed one eye shut tightly and fired. The gun kicked back in her hand and it pointed up, she took a step back with the force of the shot and missed the tree completely. The echo bounced around the glen as a group of crows flew out of the trees at the edge of the woods with angry caws. Her eyes were wide, pupils small and he could literally see her heart fluttering beneath her breast. From the look on her face and the rigidness now in her body, Plunkett could see that it had frightened her. This had been a mistake; Belle was a lady and this was not the kind of activity he should be showing her. He put a hand on her arm gently and put his other hand over hers on the gun, making her point it at the ground.
"Belle. Enough. Look, you don't have to; it's not for everyone-…"
Belle shook her head furiously. "No. No, I want to do this. I want to learn." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes regaining her composure before opening them and looking back up into his face. The silence fell between them as their surroundings settled back down once the sound of the shot had dissipated. "Please, let me try again." This was her chance at something new and exciting and she wasn't going to let her fear get in the way of her seizing it.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, he couldn't deny her this. Nodding gently he took his place back at her side while reloading the gun and handing it back to her. He looked back to the tree and let Belle regain her stance. She repeated the process all over and fired, once, twice, three times, all of the bullets missing the target or just barely catching the edge. Her form was much steadier this time around but it did not yield the results she was after. She growled in frustration and Plunkett had to bite his lip to keep from smiling at how adorable he thought the sound was. It was probably not in his best interest to chuckle at her frustrations when she held a loaded gun.
Plunkett reached over and took the gun from her, reloading it and then handing it back. He had an idea but it was bold and his heart hammered in his throat as he even thought about it. But he asked anyway, "May I?" He gestured to her. She nodded gently, not sure what he was talking about but saw the soft lines in his face and knew whatever he proposed would be in her best interests.
He let her keep the gun and he stood behind her. 'Keep your nerve Plunkett.' He thought to himself as he took a deep breath and put his hands on her waist firmly.
"Raise the gun like before." With his words Belle obeyed. She smiled, feeling his hands on her waist but didn't say anything. He leaned closer. Pressing the front of his body against the back of hers and leaned his face by her ear. With her hair in its braid, her neck was bare to him and he could whisper in her ear so as not to disturb her concentration.
"Place your finger on the trigger. But this time, take a deep breath. Slowly." He whispered as the meadow around them seemed to go still. "In through your nose, out through your mouth." Even the grass seemed to stop rustling as Belle did as he asked. Her chest rising, before falling slowly.
Plunkett squeezed her waist ever so gently as his palms began to sweat. He had never been this close to her before and as he breathed deeply with her, he noted how wonderfully she smelled. Of clean air and fine satin. Of roses and the sun. It was truly intoxicating.
"Take all the time you need." His mouth hovered closer to her earlobe. Belle focused on the target as the rest of the world slipped away. She breathed again as he instructed and closed one eye.
Squeezing her hips playfully as he saw the skin around her eye crinkle he said in a deep whisper, "Both eyes open dearie. Both…eyes…open."
Belle reopened her eye, and squeezed the trigger. The shot echoed through the meadow and whizzed through the air before hitting the middle of the target, spot on, splintering a bit of wood from the bark of the tree. Her eyes widened as she saw what she had done. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she turned to Plunkett in a mixture of pure joy, excitement and sheer pride.
"I did it! I really did it! Did you see…" she paused as she saw the look on his face. He looked at her in awe without holding back this time. In awe of everything she was. In that moment, gun in hand, she had never looked more beautiful and he wasn't about to miss a minute of it for the sake of honor. No gentleman ever stared at a proper lady so openly but then again Plunkett was no gentleman.
Belle dropped the gun to the grass with a thud and put her hand on his chest gently. He looked down at her hand against the coarse cloth of his vest and then back at her. Placing his hand over hers, he closed the gap between them and lowered his head, kissing her gently on the lips. Belle closed her eyes, having anticipated it and used her free hand to cup his face, her fingers barely touching his hair line at the nape of his neck. He pulled back quickly, leaving her eyes heavy as she blinked slowly. Her hand was still in his hair as he shook his head, stammering, "I saw. I saw. T-that was a hell of a shot. We should keep practicing."
She nodded, "You're right. W-we should practice more." She leaned back in before he could protest, sliding her arms around his neck and tilting her head, claiming his lips as her own.
He moved his hands to her hips, gently gripping the linen and making a soft noise that was very unlike him. He pulled back before the kiss could grow and shook his head again, his heart pounding in his chest, "I-I meant shooting. We should keep practicing your shoot-…"
"I know what you meant." She said like she didn't care in the least about her marksmanship and pulled him back down to her. He stopped arguing. Stopped fighting her and closed his eyes, taking over the kiss she kept him in place with her fingers in his hair. Regardless of if her fingers were there or not, this time Plunkett wasn't going anywhere. He tilted his head to the other side and placed a firm hand at the small of her back, bringing her flush against his chest. It wasn't enough. Timidly, not wanting to offend her, he ran his tongue along her bottom lip with the lightest of touches. As he waited for her to either comply or shove him away, his heart hammered in his throat and he wasn't sure fainting at this point was out of the question.
Belle felt it and shuddered, she tightened her hold on his hair and gave into the proposal his lips made. Parting her mouth ever so slightly, she thought she had forgotten how to breathe as Plunkett ran his tongue over the roof of her mouth and she issued a small noise that was not ladylike in the least. Pushing away her fear at her inexperience, she let him take over; allowing him to cup her face and move her to the angle he wanted, every moment sending shivers down her spine.
He reluctantly pulled back for air and looked at her but not before stealing a few more chaste brushes of his lips against her. For a few minutes, they said nothing. They didn't move. And as the morning birds chirped in the nearby trees, Belle wondered if they ever would.
She finally whispered, still only a few inches from his face, "H-how long have you wanted to do that?"
Plunkett thought about it and decided that his own heart deserved honesty as much as she did. He said quietly back, "Ever since you punched Macleane."
She smiled at the statement and let out a soft laugh. Macleane must have been his fellow highwayman and if that had been the moment that had sparked his desire of her, well, then he had been waiting an awful long time for this indeed. She was thankful he didn't apologize for what just happened, thankful that he didn't try to play the gentleman or follow the rules often customary of showing affection. There was nothing to be sorry for, she didn't want to take it back and in fact she was itching to kiss him again.
Turning to the tree and admiring the hole in the center of the parchment, she spoke without looking at him, "You are a wonderful teacher William." She touched the hole with a brush of her fingers, her soul swelling with pride at the realization that she had accomplished something of note.
His footsteps were quiet on the grass as he came up behind her and almost timidly put his hands back on her waist. Leaning down, he smelled along the exposed skin of where her shoulder met her neck. As her scent raised the hairs on the back of his neck, he felt no shame as he pressed a slow kiss against that beautifully light skin.
"There are many things I could teach you…Belle." His voice rumbled deeply as he slid his arms around the front of her.
Belle closed her eyes at the sound of her own name, wanting to commit this moment to memory. She believed he was telling the truth, there was a whole world she had yet to see, yet to experience and she knew somehow William would show it to her. All she had to do was let him. But could she? Was she ready to throw away her inhibitions and take this leap of faith with someone like Plunkett? She slowly moved out of his embrace as not to give him the impression that she didn't enjoy his touch and removed the target from the tree.
"May I keep this?" she said.
He let her go gently and placed his hands in his pockets and nodded, not saying anything. Had he pushed her? Gone too far? He would have given anything to know what she was thinking at that moment but he wasn't sure how to ask. He watched as she folded the piece of parchment and put it in her bodice. She walked over to him and put her hands on his upper arms and smiled excitedly.
"Can we go again? And this time, teach me how to load it too."
Plunkett looked to the sky and chuckled, his hands still in his pockets as he nodded again. He had offered to show her many things and this was as good a place as any to start on that offer.