Slamming her bedroom door shut, Belle let out an almighty cry of frustration and grabbed a cushion from the nearest small sofa, and threw the defenceless cushion across the room. She braced her hands on the back of the small sofa, her chest heaved from the exertion of running up to the house from the gardens. Bending her head forward, squeezing her eyes shut, clenching her fingers into the fabric of the sofa, Belle felt like she was about to explode with anger. 'Frivolous thoughts!', she fumed, kicking the sofa. She had thought he was different. That he would see, she wasn't like other ladies and knew her own mind. Yet, Lord Gold had said her thoughts were frivolous! A sentiment Gaston would likely share with the Earl.
"Men!" Belle exclaimed, slamming her hand on the back of the sofa, and stormed around it to drop un-ceremonially into it, blowing out a hard breath as the skirts of her dress puffed out.
Belle sat with her hands laid limp at her sides, slouched into the back of the sofa, her energy zapped from her. Whatever she had been expecting, it hadn't included Lord Gold marching off into the depths of the gardens, getting lost in the shrubbery and trees. It was acceptable for him to become confused, reluctant, argumentative… But downright rude?
Closing her eyes, she tried not to think about how intoxicatingly good he smelt, the strong buzz that had exploded through her body when he grabbed her, the maddening urge to kiss him. With a forceful shake of her head, Belle dispelled all of these thoughts, sending them to linger in the peripheral shadows of her mind. The man didn't deserve to be at the forefront of her thoughts. Whatever qualities she had seen in him were façade, he projected. Her imagery Lord Gold, his chocolate brown eyes, smile to die for, had all influenced her judgement of him. Lord Gold had shown her his true self – a pompous, shit-sack.
Frustrated, Belle smacked the seat of the sofa, resonating a loud thud through the seat beneath her, while she grumbled under her breath. It was the first time, she had truly been mad with anyone. Normally, she could quite easily excuse someone's behaviour and see past their negative qualities, seeing the good in them. This was why, Belle was adamant, she didn't want to marry Gaston, because he didn't have any good qualities. But when she looked at Lord Gold… He was the perfect picture of a man. Courteous, pleasant, a conversationalist, strong, handsome. Things a lady would want in her husband. Then opened his mouth and ruined it!
She launched herself up from the sofa and stomped across her room to the windows, looking out onto gardens at the rear of the property. Gazing out a window, taking calming breaths, Belle propped her hands on her hips. Why he'd gotten her so mad, daunted her. Losing her temper was not something she did often. Ruby was more likely to lose her temper at a drop of a hat, not Belle.
Her gaze travelled the boundary line of the gardens, combing the corner Lord Gold had been heading, when he had stalked away from her. Belle had been tempted to follow him. Have it out with him and call him out on the way he had spoken to her, secretly hoping he'd grab her again, pull her into his arms, giving her another opportunity to get close to him. Except as she had watched him go, feet itching to go after him, she had held herself back, struck by something she had seen in his eyes – fear.
What could the Earl of the Frontlands possibly fear? Her? It hadn't made any sense and it still didn't make any sense as she searched the gardens for him. Realistically, it was Belle, who should've had fear in her eyes. Scared, Lord Gold would tell her father about her plot to thwart Gaston's marriage proposal. Afraid, he would laugh in her face at such an absurd scheme. Petrified, he would rebuke her advance, sending her away with her tail between her legs. Yet, it had been him. A man with a title, with stature, with wealth, with power, whose eyes had dilated with panic, when she had insisted he was her choice. Her proposal couldn't be that terrifying, could it?
Belle's shoulders slumped as she threw her gaze up at the ceiling, forcing her hands off her hips, contemplating how frightening a proposal of marrying her would be. There was no swaying Gaston from proposing, so the prospect of marrying her couldn't be that bad. Although, it was Gaston.
The doorknob rattled and creaked, and then the door squeaked as it was slowly opened. Composing herself, Belle turned to face her visitor and wasn't surprised to find Ruby peering round the edge of the door, offering the warmth of her friendly smile. She waved for her friend to enter and turned back to the windows, peering through them, a slither of hope she would see him wandering the gardens. Behind her, the door creaked closed again and she heard Ruby's footsteps approach her until her friend was stood beside her.
"I take it, from the all grumbling and slamming of doors I heard, it didn't go too well?" Ruby asked, a hesitant edge to her voice.
Belle couldn't bring herself to look at Ruby. "No."
"What are you going do?" Her friend asked.
"Marry Gaston, I guess." She said, accepting her fate.
Shifting more into Belle's view, Ruby prodded for more answers. "So… What happened? Did he just flat out refuse you?"
"He couldn't possibly enter into such an arrangement with me." She mimicked Lord Gold's earlier statement, then snapped her gaze to Ruby, demanding an answer. "What's wrong with me? Why wouldn't he want to marry me? Do I only attract the crazy Lord's, who relentlessly bored everyone with tales of pig-headiness? Can I not be with a normal gentleman, one who will show respect to others, kindness when it's called for and devoted to those he considers family?" She took a breath. "Why?
Ruby stared at her, eyes wide. "Those are very good questions." She paused to think, pursing her lips together. "Ones, I wish I had the answers."
Blowing out a shattered breath, Belle said. "I've just got to accept it, Ruby, I'm going to be Lady Saffroy until my dying breath."
"What exactly did Lord Gold say?" Ruby asked as she put a comforting hand on Belle's upper arm, squeezing it affectionately.
"He told me, he was too old for me." She began to list of his reasons. "That people would gossip about us. Then he insinuated my father put me up to it and that I was after his 'very large' estate."
Covering her mouth, Ruby snickered in the back of her hand, casting her gaze elsewhere. Her cheeks grew a healthy pink colour from her laughing. Not sure what was so funny, Belle watched her friend, snort and chuckle. Daring a peep at Belle, Ruby quickly looked away, giggling some more before she regained her composure.
"I'm sorry." Ruby didn't sound very sorry. "It's just when you said, 'very large' estate, my mind went elsewhere."
Throwing her hands up into the air, Belle became very animated, very quickly. "My life as I know it, is about to come to an end. I'm going to be shackled to a man I detest. And you're here!" She indicated Ruby with a fling of her hand. "Finding he has a 'very large' estate funny!"
Failing to control herself, Ruby let out a short chuckle. "I really am sorry, but I can't help it."
"I'll try to remember that, when I'm walking down the aisle and when my father presents me to Gaston on our wedding day!" She exclaimed before swishing away and went to take a step, but was halted by Ruby grabbing her arm and whirling her back round to face Ruby.
"Stop, it'll be alright. Calm down." Her friend pleaded, grasping both of Belle's arms.
"I don't see how it can be alright. He was my only hope, Ruby, and he was the only one, I could see myself with… Until he opened his stupid mouth." She grumbled the last bit with her early anger simmering under the surface.
Ruby's eyebrows pushed slightly together, forming a line between her two brows. "Maybe, you surprised him and he needs some time to think about it."
Rolling her eyes, Belle tore herself out of Ruby's grip, saying, "He was very adamant.", and ambled over to her bed, and dropped heavily onto the edge of it.
"Well, what do you want to do? Pack a bag and run away?" Ruby suggested, waving her arm at the dressing room door.
"I don't know what I'm going to do." She said, playing with the side of her thumbnail, digging her other thumbnail into the crevice.
"This isn't like you." Ruby dashed across the room to her, landing heavily onto the bed beside her, knocking her shoulder into Belle's. "Don't be disheartened. You'll think of something." She said as she grabbed a hold of Belle's hands, stopping her hands, giving her hands a comforting squeeze.
Belle moved one of her hands to laid on top of Ruby's hand and tightly held her friend's hand, telling her. "I overheard father and Gaston earlier. He's agreed to force me to marry Gaston, once Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer have left."
"Oh, frigging hell!" Ruby cursed.
Staring at the floor, she had nothing else to say. What else was she supposed to do? Course, she could go and ask Mr Mandermer, who was a fine fellow, but… He wasn't Lord Gold. He didn't excite her with a look, a smile, a whiff of his smell. They could be really good companions for one another, however, companionship can lead to friendship, which could lead to emotional attachment and an emotional attachment inevitably could grow into love and so much more. If Belle was going to have that with anyone, she wanted it to be with Lord Gold. He was first man, who had turned her head and made her heart flutter just by thinking about him, and now, he was the only person who had provoked her to lose her temper.
"Gaston's going to want a quick wedding." Ruby stated.
"With all the trimmings." Belle added.
Taking in a loud breath, Ruby speculated. "He'll want all the kingdom there."
"Oh, Lord…" Pressing her hand to mouth, muffling her voice, Belle said. "Those poor people! They'll be regale to death with his hunting stories."
Ruby laughed. "Least then, you wouldn't have to contend with him on your wedding night. He'd be arrested for mass murder."
A small smirk graced Belle's lips. "Guess that's one way to get out of it."
"Sadly, I think most people he'll invite, will have already heard his stories or will be so swoon by his good looks, they won't be listening to his stories." Ruby burst the bubble of their little fantasy, gently clenching at Belle's hand.
There was really no way out of it - Belle was going to have to marry Gaston. The realism of the situation caused tears to well in her eyes, blurring her vision as she stared meekly at the wooden floor, willing it to open up a portal to another world. A world where didn't have to marry Gaston. Somewhere, she could be herself and not worry, if people thought she was strange, because she spent all day reading books. Where she could fall in love with any man of her choosing. A man, who would care for her, share her love of books and knowledge, compliment her, and love her no matter her status. Poor, rich, ugly, beautiful – These were things they wouldn't care about in this ideal world. A world where age wasn't problem, where insecurities didn't matter, people weren't forced to marry those they didn't wish to marry, and Belle would understand why Lord Gold was so against marrying her.
Blinking her eyes, the tears spilled down her cheeks, trailing a hot wet path down her face. She swiped at the mindless tears, removing all trace of it from her cheek, but then another tear fell, closely following the same path as its predecessor. Hastily, Belle wiped away the tears again and stood up, surprising Ruby, and spun round to face her.
"There's no point, sitting here crying." She gestured to the door. "I might as well go and get it over with, and accept his proposal." Belle breathed in, inflating her chest, and took a brave step towards the door, then another, and another, until she was at the door of her bedroom.
Standing in front of her bedroom door, with her foreseeable future on the other side of the door, Belle's confidence wobbled. Her hand visibly shook as she reached for the doorknob. With every fibre of her being, Belle did not want to step through that door and face her father and Gaston. She wanted to fling open her door, race down the stairs and into the stables, grab Philippe and ride as far as he could go, and then walk until her feet were bleeding and she had to stop due to exhaustion. That was a 'frivolous' fantasy. Something a girl would think about. A lady knows her duty and hers was to marry Gaston, so with a deep breath, Belle snatched open the door, ready to face her future.
The swishing of her dress was a needed distraction as she walked along the hallway, leading to the grand staircase, like she had done a thousand times before. This time though, she was walking willingly to the gallows and everything looked foreign to her. The pictures she had grown up with on the walls, were loud and vibrant, catching her eye as she past them. The dark blue runner carpet stood out from the rest of the décor, highlighting her intended path. Bolstering herself, Belle refused to allow her childish thoughts cloud her judgement, fighting the urge to rip the paintings down from their mounts, smashing them into the carpet, ruining both of them in the fit of rage. 'Ladies do not behave in such a manner.', Belle heard the voice of her old governess in her ear. Clenching her hands into fists at her sides, Belle raised her chin, walking in a dignified manner to the hangman's noose.
Belle halted at the top of the stairs, bleakly staring down at the numerous steps in front of her. They appeared to stretch, becoming endless before her. Becoming unsteady, she reached for the banister, stumbling a step when she missed it. Giles, the footman, turned his gaze up to her. Embarrassed that she had drawn his attention, Belle pushed herself to descend the stairs, continually telling herself, 'Do the brave thing and bravery will follow'.
"Is my father back, Giles?" She questioned the footman, when she was a few steps from the bottom.
"Yes, m' Lady." He bowed his head to her and held his arm out, pointing towards the hallway to her father's study. "He's in his study, but he…"
Belle held her hand up to him, telling him. "Thank you, Giles."
Dropping his arm to his side, Giles had a look of confusion on his face, standing helpless at his post, observing her take the hallway he had indicated. Belle ignored him and lifted her skirts, increasing her pace, desperate to get this over and done with. The short hallway became the longest walk of her life. Her stomach churned. Her knees felt weak. She wanted to run, but held firm, swallowing the bile taste in her mouth.
As Belle grabbed the doorknob, snapped it open with a single turn, and shoved open the door in one movement. It was as the door was opening, she registered the stern voices coming from inside her father's study. Moving into the room, following the motion of the door, she found Gaston looking smug, stood to one side, her father gobsmacked, stood behind his desk staring at Lord Gold on the other side of his desk, with Mr Mandermer sheepishly behind him. Belle froze, shocked at finding them.
"My Lord, I'm finding this very hard to believe." Her father rapidly blinked his eyes, scratching the back of his head.
Lord Gold clasped his hands behind his back as he said. "You're not the only one, Lord French, but I can't deny the way I feel about her and I'd like your blessing, so I can make her an offer of marriage."
Belle's mouth dropped open, whilst Gaston rolled his eyes, waving a dismissive hand. "She's been promised to me."
"As far as I am aware, you've yet to make your offer to her." Lord Gold unclasped his hands, shifting his stance to face Gaston. "A sportsman, such as yourself, you wouldn't say no to a little bit of competition?"
Half turning his head, Gaston regarded Lord Gold, a look of uncertainty crossed his face. He was always so confident. It amazed Belle that such a comment would unsettle him. Though no time, Gaston had his usual smug look back on his face, chest thrusted out, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I've got no problem with that. Though, I doubt you'll be any competition. I'm confident, my Lady Belle will pick me over you. We've been courting now for several months. The obvious next step would be for us to be married." Gaston said, proudly.
Mr Mandermer wrapped his left arm around his chest and propped his right elbow into his left hand, covering his face with his right hand, murmuring to himself. "Oh, Lord…"
Her father shared his gaze between Gaston and Lord Gold. "Gaston, are you serious? You want me to give him my blessing?"
"He's right." Lord Gold waved his hand at Gaston. "I don't stand a chance, so there's no harm in giving me your blessing."
Gaston chuckled. "Go on, French. It could be quite entertaining, then after Belle has rejected his offer, she'll accept mine and we can get on with organising the bans."
Twisting to look through the doorway behind her, Ruby was standing behind Belle, her eyebrows were twisted and pushed up her forehead, drawing deep lines of confusion across her brow. This had not been what Belle had been expecting and from the look on Ruby's face, neither had she. Belle turned back to the room, speechless.
What had changed his mind? Why was he doing this? He had been resistant in the gardens, flat out refusing to listen to reason and was adamant he didn't want a wife. Looking at the back of his head, Belle couldn't comprehend what had changed after he had marched off deeper into the gardens. Did he hit his head on something? Why the change of heart? He didn't appear injured. Unless it was actually Belle, who was injured. Maybe, this was all a dream, an hallucination from bumping her head… on some invisible object. Did she fall down the stairs? Or she fell asleep on the sofa?
What was happening!
"If Gaston isn't apposed, then because of your stature, I am in no position to refuse you, my Lord." Her father took a breath before saying. "I give you my blessing, Lord Gold."
"Thank you, Lord French. If you'll excuse me, I have some business with your daughter to take care of." He bowed to her father and swivelled on his feet to face the door, but visible jumped when he saw she was standing just inside the doorway, he bowed his head in greetings. "Lady French."
"My Lord." She curtseyed him, blindly following his lead.
"Ah, my Lady Belle!" Gaston chuckled. "You won't believe this, but Lord Gold has asked for your father's blessing."
"Has he now?" Belle met Lord Gold's gaze.
Hugging himself, Mr Mandermer mumbled. "Absolute madness."
Lord Gold ignored Mr Mandermer and closed the gap between them, and offered his arm to her as he said. "Would you mind, if we talked in private, my Lady?"
Flicking her gaze to her father, to Gaston, to Mr Mandermer, who avoided her gaze, and then back to Lord Gold, Belle took a second to gather herself and played the part he had presented to her. "I'd very much like that, my Lord."
She slipped her arm around his, holding his gaze, searching for answers in the deep depths of his brown eyes. Whatever answers and secrets they held, were shrouded in darkness. Extending her search to the rest of his face, looking for a weak spot in his mask, he distracted her when his other hand laid on top of hers, gently clasping her hand in his soft, but rough hand. He took a tentative step and waited for her to join him, by taking a step of her own, and when she did, he took another with her, falling into step with each other. Ruby moved out of the way of the doorway, standing to one side, staring openly at the two of them as they left the study and travelled down the hallway together, and ducked into the library, closing the door behind them.
Waltzing further into the library, Belle left him to close the door and spun round ready to face him, when he joined her near the armchairs in front of the fireplace. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?" He questioned her question, crooking an eyebrow at her.
"You said, you didn't want a wife." She threw her hand at him.
Smoothing his hands down his front, his hands found the hem of his waistcoat and tugged on it, as he said. "I had a chance to consider your ploy."
"So, you stomped off and had an epiphany?" She inquired, shoving her hands onto his hips.
His brow crinkled for a split second as he dismissed her observation. "I didn't stomp."
"What would you call it? Running off like a little child?" Belle pushed him with her questions, wildly waving her hand in a random direction, her temper from earlier threatening to boil over again.
"May I remind you, my Lady," Lord Gold stepped closer to her, forcing her skirts to mould around his legs. "I'm the one doing you a favour. Insulting me, will only sway me into changing my mind again." His tone was low, daring her to do it.
Lifting her chin, she asked. "And what exactly changed your mind?"
He eyed her with his face remaining unreadable, his thoughts and feelings hidden behind some kind of mask. Peering through narrow eyes at him, Belle wasn't naïve, she clearly remembered what he had been like in the gardens. He had been unguarded and his eyes had shown the fear. This time, he was controlling his feelings, his pupils remained tight little pinpoints.
"You were right." He said, breaking the silence. "Mrs Potts could do with some help with the children and I could use another associate, who I can trust, when I have to go to functions and parties."
"An associate?" She questioned, raising her brow at him.
"As you said, legally you'd be my wife, but I wouldn't expect you to uphold any of the responsibilities of a wife. The only things I do expect, is your undivided loyalty and your secrecy of our arrangement." Lord Gold told her, thrusting back his shoulders, clasping his hands behind his back, projecting an image of strength.
Belle opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, closing her mouth again. 'Wouldn't expect you to uphold any of the responsibilities of a wife? Did he find me that unattractive? Was that why he had refused in the gardens?'. Questions after questions invaded her head, pushing out half conceived questions. The fear she had seen in his eyes earlier, was that born from the thought of laying with her? Belle had accepted, a long time ago, she would be expected to have sex with her husband, whether she found him attractive or not. Finding a man, she had actually found attractive, laying with him would've been the easiest part of their arrangement, except Lord Gold was outwardly drawing a line through the subject. Her hands fell from her hips, sorrowful that she'd never get to lose her virtue to him.
"Is this not agreeable to you?" He asked, slanting his head to the side.
Fixing her gaze on him, Belle answered him. "Yes, sorry."
The left side of his lips curled into smile, inadvertently it made her thighs squeeze together. "Then I guess we're betrothed."
Belle nervously bit her lip, feeling the heavy weight of this decision land squarely on her shoulders. Once they left the safety of the library, it would be official and there wasn't any going back. Her life was going to be forever changed, but at least, she'd had some say in it and wouldn't be forced to a life sentence spent with Gaston. She just hoped, she could live with whatever it was she harboured for Lord Gold without it affecting their relationship.
"Shall we, dearie?" He stepped back, holding his elbow out to her.
Taking hold of his arm, Belle started towards the door with him falling easily into step with her, their gait effortlessly matched. She really thought, when she became engaged, she would feel differently. But she didn't feel any differently than when she entered the library with him. People talked about it being such a big ordeal and it was, it was life changing for her. Yet, she couldn't help, feeling cheated. Possibly because their engagement was phony and Lord Gold's proposal had been non-existent, it had ruined the moment for her. Then again, with her option being Gaston proposing and being betrothed to him, Belle would rather have this outcome.
At least, she liked Lord Gold.
They left the library together, greeted by everyone, who had been in the study, and a few of the servants, spying around the corner in the hallway. Belle gulped, when her gaze met with her father's. Lines she had never seen before were etched across his forehead and drawn out from the corners of his eyes. He looked tired and old, like he had dramatically aged in the time they had spent in the library.
"I hope there's no ill feelings, Gold." Gaston asserted, smiling broadly at him.
Lord Gold smiled. "None at all."
Gesturing for her to come to him, Gaston said. "Come on, Lady Belle. Let's go and plan our wedding."
"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to do that, my Lord. Lord Gold and I are engaged." Belle told him, allowing a little smugness into her voice.
"Excuse me?" Gaston's eyes bulged out of his head, his back straightened and his hands clenched into his fists. "Engaged? As in betrothed?"
"Belle?" Her father couldn't say anything else, but her name.
Mr Mandermer raised his hand to cover his face, and his smirk. "Oh, Lord…"
"She has accepted my proposal." Lord Gold stated matter-of-factly for them.
"Belle, you hardly know him!" Her father loudly declared, scaring the servants out of the hallway.
Belle raised a quizzical eyebrow at her father. "You hardly knew mother, when the two of you were married."
"Whatever worries you may have, my Lord, I promise you that I only have the best intentions when it comes to my Lady." Lord Gold sounded sincere as he spoke to her father.
"You have to refuse this betrothal, French!" Gaston bellowed, shoving her father's shoulder.
Her father barked at Gaston. "How can I refuse him! He has better prospects than you!"
"You cannot be serious!" Gaston exploded, forcefully grabbing her father by the lapels of his jacket, yanking him forwards into Gaston's chest, shouting into her father's face. "I've been coming here for the last six months, courting your daughter, with the intention on marrying her! Damn his prospects! He's old and past his prime! Think of the beautiful grandchildren I could've given you!"
"Get your hands off me!" Her father fought off Gaston's hands.
In a flurry, Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer rushed Gaston, helping her father. Freed from Gaston's grip, her father quickly dashed away, seeking cover behind Lord Gold, as they shoved Gaston further down the hallway. Belle reached for her father, pulling him closer. Gaston fought back, refusing to go easily, but he didn't seem to be a match for Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer, who escorted him around the corner in the hallway. Belle let out a breath, she didn't know she had been holding, whilst listening to Gaston argue with Lord Gold as they took him away.
Her father stole her attention, touching her arm. "Are you sure about this, Belle?"
Titling her head up, Belle smiled at him. "Yes, father."