"Could I be dreaming this? This couldn't be real, was a ridiculously beautiful woman just in my library in nothing but my shirt of all things, with her arms around me?" Rumple could still feel the silk against his fingers thinking about what had transpired between them when he heard her light tap at the doors of the main hall.
"Are you in here?" Belle said as she entered. "I'm afraid my dress might still be alittle wet." Belle ran her hands over her dress, "It's almost dry, do you think it will alright?"
"I think everything will be fine as long as you don't wear any of my shirts to town" he teased,"We will cause quite enough of a stir as it is." Belle felt like her cheeks must be glowing at his quip, she couldn't look him in the eye as he grinned at her. She tried to stear the conversation in a slightly different direction. "What do you mean by quite a stir?"
"Well dearie let's just say that I don't usually go waltzing around the town shopping, it might be a small shock to some people so be warned. Belle felt fear in her stomach, if he drew attention then likely so would she. " Wait, something is missing." "What" Belle questioned and suddenly a pair of slippers appeared on her feet, "can't have you shoeless in the village now can we." Belle admired the simple yet adaquate attire.
"Ready?" Belle nodded her head at him and in an instant they were standing on the dirt road just outside the village. It was an average sized place with several small shops all lined up like a row of crooked teeth, each one showing off alittle of thier wares through windows. Belle was glad for the arm Rumple offered her as they tried to go unnoticed down the street. They were both secretly relieved that they didn't cause the episode they might have. Belle leaned into the man beside her as a woman called in some small children who had been moments before in the couple's path playing. the woman glared at the pair walking past her door before she shut it.
Belle looked at Rumplestiltskin puzzled. "I, uh might have had alittle run in with her husband a long time ago." He tried to explain the old woman's actions.
"What happened to him?" Rumple nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, "not really sure, no one ever found him again." Belle looked back at the womans door then back at him, "Never?"
"fraid not dearie."
"Well well, here we are" Rumple guided Belle through the door of the shop, causing a small bell to ring out as the door opened. Old books lined every shelf, Belle noticed the place smelled like pages, books lined modest shelves in rows, she liked it. The shop keeper popped out from a curtain in the back room to smile broadly at the pretty woman standing at his counter, but his smile waned when he locked eyes with the sorcerer. Belle smiled at the old man and asked if he might happen to have any romantic novels by chance. At a loss of words the store keeper pointed to the shelf along the far wall. Belle thanked him and started searching the books for some that would spark her interest. The man's eyes followed her for a brief moment before Rumple steped in the middle to block the other man's view. The poor man gulped loudly as the sorcerer's eyes narrowed at him. The store keeper was almost paralized with fear As Rumplestiltskin layed a few golden cords on the counter.
"We want the whole wall" he said. "Yes my lord" The owner replied. Hell, it was enough to buy every book in there he thought as he accepted the payment. Rumple walked up behind Belle who had her hands on the one she wanted. "I like this one" She said as she held up the book for his inspection. "Dearie, they are all yours."
"What ever do you mean?" A shocked Belle exclained, turning to face him. Rumple gestured to the whole wall, "We will be taking them all." Belle's head shot over to the old man who smiled and nodded at her. Belle bit her bottom lip as she took it all in, "I don't know what to say except, thank you."
"Well, you can say you'll accompany me over to the dress makers, let's see if we can have you fitted for a few things, another dress for sure, I'm thinking blue, to match those eyes." Belle felt warm all over from his apprasel of her features. She accepted his hand as they headed for the exit. The shop keeper's eyes followed them out till Rumple's eyes captured his,"I'll be back momentarily and I want these wrapped and ready to go" the old man just nodded his head, clutching his golden payment.
The dress maker looked alittle less than pleased to see the sorcerer return and this time with a beautiful girl in tow, but when he slapped more gold on the counter issuing orders to have the woman fitted for dresses and under things and well, everything, the old woman had eyes full of the gold she would soon accuire. "Isnt your husband a cobbler, we need shoes for all of these." The woman could only nod.
The women gathered around Belle holding out her arms and holding measuring tools up, sizing every bit of her. "I thought this was only a dress?" Belle looked taken back some what.
"Nonsence, we can't have you roaming the castle in nothing but my night shirts, can we?" Belle turned crimson as the women fitting her grew very quiet, the young helper snickered.
"How long will this take, I mean to have all of this made and delivered to my estate?"
"A few days my lord" The woman answered, the shoes might take a few more, I'm not sure, this is a rather large order."
"Well, see that it is done." He turned to Belle, "I'll return in a few minutes, you'll be fine here." Belle nodded her head as she continued to hold still, letting the women measure her.
Rumplestiltskin walked the short path back to the book seller to make sure his package was ready to go. With a wave of his hand all the packages that the store keeper had readyed were instantly transported to the new library. On the way back to fetch Belle, Rum walked passed a small announcement pinned outside a shop. At first he walked passed it, paying it no mind but at once he stopped and turned back, did he see the name Gaston on it? Where had he heard that name? He racked his brain, it sounded so familar. He read the ad. this one was a missing person, a noble born woman belonging to this Gaston person, a cold hard feeling started to grow in the pit of Rumple's stomach when he read the name of the missing person, he knew the exact moment that the man's name had passed by his ears. His face grew dark as he ripped down the parchment from the wall, crumpling it up as he stomped back to the dress shop.
Belle was having a rather good time as the women were showing her fabric of every color. She had picked a few blue hues at the request of the man responsible for all of this. Belle inspected the cotton fabric for all the under clothes that went with the dresses, finally, she thought, she felt alittle naked with nothing on under her dress at the castle. She had taken to wearing Rumple's sleeping pants, pulling them up so that they didn't show out from under her dress, but now she wouldn't have too, well, she might still wear them to bed.
The door opened alittle too hard which made all the women jump at the sound. "How are we doing ladies" Rumple said, his voice sounding alittle to winsome. Belle smiled at him as she got up and walked over, holding out a robin's egg blue fabric for his inspection. "what do you think?" she said smiling, but the smile dropped from her face as she took in his dark expression. "what is it?" she said, his eyes were very dark and he looked angry.
"I think it's time we returned to the castle, BELLE." her eyes widened in horror. "Don't you?"
Belle's breath caught in her throat as she nodded her head. She felt as if she had the wind knocked out of her. The store owner and her assistant grew very quiet, sencing the man's sudden anger and hoping he wasn't about to turn it loose on them. "Have these things delivered to my estate promptly" he said and without another word he took Belle by the arm as she shrank back in fear and they vanished.