Outside of the window, Belle watched as the countryside rolled by, green and yellow fields bled into one another as the carriage lurched from side to side, jostling the occupants, from time to time, when there was a dip in the road. They had set off at first light. Her father had fallen back to sleep not long after they had left, lulled to sleep with the rock of the carriage. Ruby had lasted a bit longer. The excitement of going somewhere new had kept her awake. Whereas Belle didn't know how she felt. Excited? Nervous? Apprehensive? She couldn't decipher her emotions with the swarm of butterflies trapped inside of her stomach, making her feel bloated. Trying to pacify them with a hand lingering on her stomach, the closer they got to his estate, the stronger the urge became to expel them.
Since Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer had left, she had thought life would have returned to normal – mornings spent pottering around her mother's garden, lazy afternoons in the library, entertaining her father on the piano or reading to him in the evenings. Except, it hadn't. Belle had been plagued with thoughts of him, wondering what he was doing, if he'd changed his mind, what was life going to be like with him, had she done the right thing.
Resting her head against the frame of the window, Belle hoped their reunion wouldn't be as awkward as their goodbye had been. She had found it difficult to speak to him since they had announced their engagement to everyone. Knowing Lord Gold didn't want her more than just an 'honorary wife' had stung. Sitting quietly, Belle had mourned the dreams she'd had. The foolish thoughts she'd concocted, running away with her prince to live happily ever after, hurt so much she couldn't converse with him, even for polite conversation over dinner. His gaze had tried to connect with hers at dinner as Mr Mandermer had shared the tale of the children putting on a play for them. It had sounded picturesque and she had wished her mind hadn't instantly pictured the scene – the three children playing out their scene, the household sat watching with her beside Lord Gold, her hand clasped lightly in his as his thumb stroked across the back of her hand. It had been torturous. Pushing her food around the plate, taking small bites, Belle had wanted the world to open up underneath her and swallow her whole, ending her misery and a future of unrequited love.
Thankfully, after breakfast the next morning, Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer had gone to town on business and to collect their carriage from the blacksmith. Hiding in her sanctuary, Belle had been sitting on the windowsill seat in the library, on the upper floor, looking out the window at the green fields surrounding the house. The glass had been cool with her forehead resting against it. Closing her eyes, Belle had wanted her mother. Had needed someone to wrap their arms around her, cradle her like a child, telling her everything would be alright. That she had made the right decision.
The life she would've had with Gaston, would've been brutal, killing her soul and mind before her body would have given out. Treating her as nothing more than an object. On the other hand, Gaston would've regarded her as a woman, something to covet and claim possessively, taking her virtue whether it was given or not. He would've expected children, handsome like him – bred from good stock – he had joked. At least with that fate, Belle had been fully aware of what was expected of her.
Even if she'd have to vacate her mind to survive.
However, with Lord Gold, she had no clue what he foresaw as her role. An associate – What the hell did that mean? What did her role entail? Another associate...I can trust, when I have to go to functions and parties. Did he have enemies? Was he one of these gentlemen that traded in secrets? Would she be expected to spy for him? There was no end to the questions and conclusions her mind jumped to, the further she went down the rabbit hole. Yet, Belle had one question lingering in the back of the mind, which she doubted would ever be answered. Was she really that repulsive, that he didn't want her unless she served a purpose? Life with Gaston didn't sound so repulsive, when she knew he wanted her, even if she was sport to him. At least he had desired her, whereas Lord Gold couldn't care less about her. Belle wasn't sure, which was the lesser of two evils.
The latch for the door had clicked and Belle had turned her gaze to it, smiling softly when she had found Ruby's head protruding from the edge of the door. Returning Belle's smile, she had entered the room, leaving the door open behind her, and came to stand beside Belle, placing a reassuring hand on her Lady's shoulder.
"Don't dwell on it." Ruby had squeezed at Belle's shoulder. "At least, he behaves like a gentleman. Unlike Gaston."
Belle had casted her gaze back out of the window, unable to face Ruby as she candidly said. "That's the problem though, he'll be a gentleman."
The hand on her shoulder had slid across the tops of her shoulder and had clasped the crook of her neck, angling her into Ruby, as her friend had stated, resting her cheek on top of Belle's head. "You like him a lot."
"The thought of Gaston ever touching me had made me sick, but the thought of Lord Gold never wanting to touch me… It hadn't occurred to me that a man might not want me." She had confessed, folding her arms in front of her, needing the embrace of her mother.
"Sadly, your class marries more for titles, wealth and continuing the family line. Unless you're lucky and fall in love with the right person." Ruby had lifted her head and had smoothed down the hair she had disturbed, provoking a memory of Belle's mother. "He's got an heir. It's not like he needs any more children."
"I supposed." She had muttered, hating the truth.
Ruby's hand had fallen a short distance from the top of her head to Belle's shoulder as she had leaned over her, straining to put herself in her view. "Why not come clean to him? Tell him how you feel?"
Dropping her head back against the wooden surround of the window, Belle had met Ruby's gaze. "Seeing how he reacted to the proposal of marrying me, I fear he would've thrown himself off the cliff."
"Maybe…" Ruby had leant back, standing to her full height with only her hand lingering on Belle's shoulder, and had shrugged her shoulders, saying. "Guess you'll never know."
The unyielding fact of never knowing was hard to swallow. Moping in the library hadn't helped her like it usually did. Submerging herself into an adventure hadn't let her escape. There was no avoiding the truth. Whatever misconceptions she'd had of Lord Gold, they would marry and she would save her father from being ruined and blacklisted in the eyes of society. This was her purpose in life. To marry a nobleman, furthering hers and her family's prospects. Yet… It didn't give her any solace for what could've been, what she had hoped her future would be. Her glumness had been a heavy necklace around her neck, weighing her down, the burden remorseless. The weight had made her drag her feet, when Belle had gone down to see them off, forcing herself to be a good hostess.
Their servant, Rogers, had given her a generous bow, when she had come out of the front door. Lord Gold and Mr Mandermer had been whispering to one another, with an unexpected decisive elbow nudged into Mr Mandermer's side. Waiting respectfully for them to finish their conversation, Belle had run her eye over the carriage. It was bigger than her father's carriage. The intricate designs on the outer panels were etched with gold, a complete contrast to the black vanished. Inside the seats were a luscious mustard colour. The fabric looked silky and smooth, and incredibly soft. Taking a step closer to it, peering in through the open door, Belle had smelt the distinct scent of him in the carriage. It drew her closer, luring her inside as she leaned her upper body through the doorway, closing her eyes to savour the smell.
"You're welcome to come with us, if you want." Mr Mandermer had suddenly appeared at her side, inviting her to go along with them, startling her into falling forward into the carriage.
Thankfully, he had caught her elbow, saving her from bumping her knees into the step, and had helped her to right herself as she had told him. "No, no." She had waved off his invitation. "I'm not packed and I've got to pick my dress for the ball."
"Gold and black." He had stated bluntly.
"Gold and black?" Belle had questioned, crooking an eyebrow at him.
The left side of his lips had curved into a knowing smile. "He always wears gold and black to formal occasions."
"I'm not sure if I've got anything that would coordinate with that." She had admitted to him.
His smile had softened. "Send me your dress measurements with a special courier, I'll have a dress made for you."
"It's five days away. It wouldn't be ready in time." She had contended.
"Trust me." He had winked at her. "It'll be ready in time."
"What will be?" Lord Gold had asked, half interested while he read the pages in his hand.
Mr Mandermer had smiled at her as though they shared a secret. "Nothing to concern yourself with. I'll take care of it."
"Good." He had muttered, while snatching the top sheet out of his hand with his left, holding it out of the view of the sheet underneath. "Seems there's a lot of things I need to address, when we get home." Unexpectedly, he had gathered the papers together, swiftly folding them, and had stuffed them into the inside pocket of his overcoat, his attention on Mr Mandermer. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes." Mr Mandermer had said, curtly nodding his head at Lord Gold.
"Let's go then." Lord Gold had declared and had turned to her, giving her the sliest of smiles, her knees had felt weak underneath her. "Lady French, thank you for your hospitality."
"You're very welcome, my Lord." She had retorted politely with a slight gracious bow of her head.
Lord Gold had motioned to her father, standing proudly near the front door of the house, watching them with a scrutinising eye, as he had said. "Your father's going to make the arrangements for the bans, for next week. We'll follow you back after the ball, then travel back together. So, you might as well use the next couple of days to organise what you'd like to bring with you."
Belle had been overcome with the thought of leaving her childhood home, but had managed to reign in her emotions. "Thank you, my Lord. I will make a start on it as soon as you leave."
He had moved a step closer to her, his knees had pushed up against the skirts of her dress, causing her heart to skip a beat. "I want you to feel at home when you come to live with us, so bring as much as you like."
The kindness Belle had seen in his eyes, had compelled her to hate him. Being kind was a cruel joke and one she would have to live with, for the rest of her life with him. Living with the notable smell of him. Tolerating the smile that curled her toes, sped up her heart and weakened her knees. Ignoring how her body naturally inclined towards him, her hands itched to touch him, the overpowering urge to bite her lower lip when their eyes met. Belle had detested, even then, she was drawn to him, craved to feel his touch and capture his lips with hers. The thoughts and feelings he had stirred in her drove her crazy, and it felt like she was going to explode, if she didn't get it off her chest. Screaming the truth at the top of her lungs.
"Okay." Her voice had become nothing more than a whisper, unable to trust herself.
His eyes had squinted at her for a second, studying her face. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, my Lord." Belle had said to him, not wanting to rock the proverbial boat.
"Having second thoughts?" He had inquired, inclining himself closer to her, crowding her in the smell of him.
With a definite shake of her head, she had told him. "No, not at all."
"Okay… Good." Lord Gold had looked unconvinced for a moment, then he had given her a knee knocking smile.
Wearily Belle had breathed out, struggling with the dizziness of her emotions doing a one-eighty. She had really wanted to hate him and the way he made her feel, but being confronted with his smile had melted that disposition. No matter how much she had wanted to find him repulsive, Belle had been blown away by his handsome smile. Biting her lip, her fingers had tingled with the temptation to touch him, trace the fine line of his lips with the tips of her fingers, like she had wanted to do since she met him.
"Anyway, I'll wait with baited breath until Saturday." He had said, while capturing her hand from her side and raising it to the source of her distraction, and had paused to add. "My Lady." And had pressed a firm kiss to her knuckles, his eyes focused on her.
Belle sighed heavily at the memory, wishing she could be unfazed as he was in her presence. Though, that was probably due to the fact he didn't find her attractive. She was just another associate to him. Someone to do his bidding. A glorified servant. Pressing her lips together into a thin drawn out line, Belle knew she only had herself to blame, for putting herself in this situation. But that didn't mean she had to like it.
Inside the carriage, it became incredibly dark as the road they were travelling entered a dense forest. Peering out the window, Belle could hardly see past the first layer of trees, bordering on the grass verge of the road. She casted her gaze up to the canopy above, nearly mistaking the twinkles of sunlight through the shade as stars. Apart from the sound of the carriage, the forest was quiet. Not an eerily quiet, but a calm peaceful tranquillity that seemed otherworldly. She smiled, enjoying the peace.
Not before long, the carriage emerged on the other side, flooding the cab with sunlight. Squinting her gaze, it took a couple of seconds for her eyes to adjust to the brightness, but even when they did, she blinked her eyes a few more times, astonished at the lavish manor house in the distance, encompassed by a blanket of vibrant green. A long driveway was etched into the landscape, as though God had drawn a straight line from the gatehouse in front of the property, stretching quite a distance until it emerged out of another gatehouse, with a greyish looking stonewall bordering the immediate estate. The scene was striking. Belle couldn't take her eyes off it as they drove past it, wondering if it was a neighbouring estate to Lord Gold's. That train of thought was decisively wiped out, when the carriage slowed to take the turning onto the long driveway, to the manor house in the distance.
Stunned, alarmed and a million other things, Belle repeatedly shoved at Ruby's shoulder, while vainly trying to stick her head out of her window. "Ruby!"
"Hmm…" Ruby murmured in her sleep, hunched into the corner of the seat.
Belle chanced a look at Ruby, noticing she had woken her father as well, and jostled Ruby much harder, bumping her head into the wall of the carriage. "RUBY!"
"What…?" She weakly threw her arm to fend off Belle's attempt to wake her up.
"You need to look out your window! I think we're here!" Belle exclaimed, shifting to Ruby's side of the carriage, shunting a sleepy Ruby.
"About time." Ruby muttered as she un-crumpled herself, from the corner of the carriage, and put her head out of the window, remarking instantly on what she saw. "Oh, damn! That is rather large!"
"Ruby!" Her father admonished Ruby's swearing.
Guiltily, Ruby skulked back into the cab. "Sorry, my Lord."
His gaze moved from Ruby to her. "Did you not look your new fiancé up in the Peerage?"
"No…" Belle said hesitantly, feeling the wave of stupidity lap over her.
"Earl Rumford Gold, born seventeen-eighty-one, he's the ninth Earl of his bloodline and is fifty-second to the throne." Her father stated, brushing some lint off his pant leg, as though he was telling her nothing of importance. "His estate is nearly two thousand acres, which he has doubled since inheriting the title from his father, and he's awfully rich."
"Definitely has a very – large – estate." Ruby whispered to Belle, feigning that she was straightening Belle's skirts so she could lean closer.
Pining her with a pointed look, Belle was very aware of what she was referring to as her father said. "I wrote to your uncle at court and he couldn't have been more thrilled with your association with the Earl. Seems Lord Gold has a substantial standing in court as the personal counsel to the King."
"I didn't know that." Belle confessed, dazed with the new information.
"How could you, child, when you hardly know him." Her father commented, giving her a strange look as though it was obvious.
Crinkling her brow, she felt stupid under his gaze and shied away into the corner of the carriage, diverting her eyes to the perfectly trimmed grass flanking the driveway. Her father had made it clear he did not approve of their matching. 'He won't appreciate you like Gaston would've.', he had told her as their carriage had swung round to start on their journey home. Belle had known he wouldn't object to Lord Gold's stature, but she hadn't considered how miffed he was going to be at losing Gaston. She hadn't considered how close her father had gotten to him during their so-called period of courting. With that in mind now, it was plainly clear to see why her father hadn't listened to her objections to the match and had encouraged Gaston, while he had fobbed her off with it being her duty and there were no other interested suitors.
A darkness descended in the cab of the carriage as they passed through the first gatehouse. Tilting her head to look at the approaching manor as the darkness receded, Belle hated her father's disapproval, but her future happiness, whatever it was going to be now, was more important than pleasing him. And so what if Lord Gold and she didn't know each other very well, wasn't that the norm for their class? Marrying for wealth, stature and bloodlines? His reasoning and double standards infuriated her.
The next gatehouse was wider than the last and the gloominess lasted longer than the first gatehouse, giving Belle and Ruby enough time to share a look before angling their heads through the windows to see them emerge on the other side, the very large Manor House looming over them. The drive looped back on itself in front of the manor. Following it round to the right, Belle lost sight of it for a few seconds before being confronted with the decorative frontage of the building. There were so many windows - big ones and little ones - she'd never seen so many windows before. The sunlight gleamed on each individual windowpane, making them sparkle like diamonds. The roof was besieged with chimneys and spires, a mirror image split by the centre clock tower, towering high above the rest of the spires. Even in the distance it looked magnificent, yet as they grew closer, Belle was still awestruck with it but had a knot form in her gut, feeling very much out of her depth.
The carriage eased to a halt with a chorus of chuffs from the horses. The cab rocked with their driver hopping down from his seat, letting out a short 'oof' from landing the heavy fall. Jenkins, their driver, appeared with a smile at the window of the cab door before he opened it for them. Her father offered her a hand, helping her to stand, while Ruby pulled and lifted her skirts for her, aiding her as Belle stood up after taking her father's hand and then took the one Jenkins was offering.
Stepping out, Belle paused on the step as she swept her gaze across the front of the manor, in complete awe of the architecture. The ground floor was like any other manor she had been to, but the upper floor windows were big and wide, and even on this angle were glistening in the sunlight. Either side of the front door were two circular towers, stretching up high into the sky. Above the front door, another semi looking circular tower spouted, but didn't finish into a spire like the other two towers. Belle could just see a hint of the spire on top of the tall clock tower.
"M' Lady." Jenkins verbally poked her into moving.
She dropped her gaze to him, showing him a quick smile, before tightly clutching his hand as she stepped off the carriage step. Lifting her skirts, Belle moved aside allowing her father to exit the carriage, while she continued her surveying of the front of the house.
"Impressive." Was all her father said after exiting the carriage.
There was a creak as one of the front doors opened, drawing Belle's attention, watching Mr Mandermer emerge from the house with two children and a woman following him outside. When their gazes met, he smiled warmly at her, making her feel immediately welcome.
"Lady French." Mr Mandermer bowed to her, with the children beside him bowing and curtsying in time with him.
The woman, who had come out with them, lingered back on the steps, curtsying and bowing her head at the same time as Mr Mandermer and the children. While Mr Mandermer acknowledge her father and shared pleasantries with him, Belle studied the children beside him. The girl stood close to Mr Mandermer's leg, brushing her shoulder against him as she shifted awkwardly on her feet. She presumed it was Mr Mandermer's daughter, Grace. There was probably a time, when Belle had been much the same as Grace, clinging to her father's side, idolising him and wanting to be included. She couldn't clearly remember these moments with her father, but she could with her mother.
The flick of familiar brown eyes broke her reminiscing. Slightly taller than Grace, proudly stood a young man with his hands clutched behind his back. His hair was darker than his father's, almost black, but he definitely had his father's soulful eyes. Again, his brown eyes flicked from her father and Mr Mandermer to scrutinise her.
"I offer apologies on behalf of Lord Gold. He'll be with us soon, he's out on the northern boundary with his Land Steward." Mr Mandermer explained, motioning aimlessly with his arm.
"Ah, and who are these little ones?" Her father asked, smiling sweetly at the children.
Putting a hand on Grace's shoulder, Mr Mandermer smiled as he introduced his daughter. "This is Grace, she's my daughter, and this is Lord Gold's son, Neal."
"A pleasure." Her father bowed his head to both children.
"Dinner is normally served about seven. Presumably you're both famished from your long journey, I know I was, so Mrs Potts has arranged for tea to be served in the sunning room. Once, of course, after you've settled into your rooms and changed, if that's what you wish." Mr Mandermer informed them, his right hand resting on his daughter's shoulder as he spoke.
A soft smile drew up the corners of her lips. A small gesture of affection, but it had been clear, when Mr Mandermer had spoken of his daughter he held her in high regard. Dotting on his daughter. It was rare for a man, not alone a gentleman, to show such affection openly. Her own father would've never stood in front of guests with his hand idly resting on her shoulder. It would've been her mother, who would've shared such a gesture with her. For a briefest moment, Belle was jealous of young Grace, wishing her own father had been more open with his affections for her.
"I'd much rather stretch my legs, but what would you like to do, Belle?" Her father passed the decision onto her.
Looking from the children to him, Belle said. "I'd like to change out my travelling clothes."
"I can take Lady French to her room, if you'd care to show Lord French to the sunning room. Maybe give him a short tour to stretch his legs." Mrs Potts suggested from the front step.
"Course." Mr Mandermer offered a welcoming smile and gestured to the house, saying to her father. "If you'd follow me, my Lord."
While they sauntered into the colossal manor, Belle's feet trailed after them as her eyes once again roamed over the front of the building. The gargoyles hanging off the corners of the roof, scowled down at her. Gulping, she tore her gaze down from them, refusing to let them intimidate her, and fixed her attention on the front doors, where everyone was filing into the house. Mrs Potts waited for her, then followed her inside, nodding for the young man hidden behind the door to close it. Pausing to give him a kind smile, Belle continued through the small stone entryway with Mrs Potts clicking close behind her.
The foyer was twice the size of theirs. Belle marvelled at the beautiful flowers sat in a decorative vase on a long table, positioned against the right wood panelled wall as they entered. Opposite was a tall stand with walking sticks, ranging from simple wooden ones to elaborate canes with gold handles. Walking through into the main hall, her eyes widened at the size of the room, the wall of portraits, the fireplace that clearly five men could easily stand inside of, the grand staircase wrapping round to the floor above. There was so much to take in, she was overwhelmed, frozen in the doorway. She didn't know where to look – the intricate craved spindles of the stairs, the realistic eagle sat on the end newel, the lifelike lions guarding the fireplace. There was so much, she hadn't even considered the paintings and all of their gazes staring at her.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mrs Potts asked from beside her.
Belle glanced to her. "It's exquisite."
Turning her head towards Belle, she said. "The house has been in the Gold family for over eight generations. King Louie gifted the land to Lord Gold's, great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather and the family had this house built at the centre of the eight hundred acres."
"Wow…" She uttered on a breath.
Mrs Potts strolled further into the main hall, pointing to the large portrait above the vast fireplace. "Lord Charles Gold, the eight Earl of the Frontlands, and his wife, Lady Josephine Gold, with, of course, a young Lord Rumford Gold."
Venturing further into the room, her head titled back to take in the indicated painting, Belle's attention bounced between each face, staying a little longer on the youngest of the faces. He must have been about ten in the painting. His hair was a dusty blonde colour. Stood beside his mother, he was tucked in close to her as though her arm was wrapped around him and his father's hand was resting on his shoulder. Belle was taken back to outside, to the open expression of care Mr Mandermer had for his daughter. Hit with a wave of jealousy and guilt, she missed her mother more than ever.
"There was various other paintings of the Earl and his wife, and various other family members, as we ascend the stairs." Mrs Potts continued her little impromptu tour as she urged Belle to follow her up the stairs with a wave of her hand.
"Looks to be a very extensive family." Belle remarked, placing her foot onto the first step of the stairs.
Mrs Potts paused a couple of steps ahead, glancing round at the paintings. "It was once, but… illness and such killed off the other remaining bloodlines. Lord Gold and Neal are the only Golds left of their lineage."
Lifting her skirts higher, Belle matched Mrs Potts pace as they climbed the stairs, saying to her. "That's quite sad that the family's nearly died out."
Mrs Potts glimpsed sideways at Belle. "It's a symptom of time, my Lady. Nothing lasts forever."
Belle gave her a hard look, struck with the truth of Mrs Potts words. They climbed the next set of the stairs in silence. The landing above the main hall encircled it and branched off in four different directions. Pausing, Belle waited for Mrs Potts to get ahead of her, taking the first corridor on the left. As she neared the corridor Mrs Potts had taken, Belle regarded the three alcoves of the three towers she had seen outside, looking out of the large windows onto the oval loop of the driveway and the long stretching road leading down to the second gatehouse. She was breathless at the awe-inspiring view.
"Lady French." Mrs Potts called softly.
"Sorry," Belle jumped into action, hurrying the short distance down the corridor to catch up with Mrs Potts. "The view caught my eye."
Mrs Potts said as they fell into step together. "It's quite alright, my Lady. There's several views from the house that make even me stop for a moment."
"Have you worked for the Earl for long?" She questioned as her eye was caught once again by the view outside of the window as they passed by.
"I've lived here my whole life." Mrs Potts shared. "My mother was Lady Josephine's hand maiden and my father was the butler."
"Oh," Belle straightened her back, looking wide eye at Mrs Potts. "So you've known the Earl since you were children."
Slightly nodding her head, Mrs Potts said. "I have."
"You must have found it strange, when he became your employer. I know, myself and my hand maiden, Miss Lucas, found it strange at first." Belle disclosed as they followed the turn in the corridor with a quick glimpse back at the long corridor they had walked.
Shaking her head, Mrs Potts replied with. "Not really. He doesn't tend to lord over the staff too much. Sometimes it's easy to forget he is the Earl with some of the things he gets up to."
Belle pushed her brows together, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Not to speak out of turn," Mrs Potts herded Belle towards an upcoming door, holding out an arm to guide her. "But knowing him, instead of inspecting the repairs to the northern boundary, he's getting involved with them."
Thinking of Lord Gold doing manual labour, brought forward the image of him shirtless in his room, when she had accidentally walked in on him. Her mind ran away from the image, imagining a light sheen of sweat covering his body. Biting her lower lip, Belle could feel a warmth pooling between her thighs as she pictured herself touching his body, trailing a path down the centre of his chest, collecting the moisture on her fingertip. It was irritating to think of him in such a manner as he had made it clear, he wasn't interested in being physical with her. Except Belle couldn't help herself, like last night, the night before that and every night since she had met him.
"Lord Gold thought it best to put you in the rooms, you'll be inhabiting." Mrs Potts told her as she pushed down the door handle and opened the door, and motioned for Belle to precede her into the room.
She headed into the room, taking in the different pieces of furniture. The walls were painted a dark blue, yet the room didn't feel dark, even in the evening sunlight coming in through the large windows. The drapes were another shade of blue, almost royal, and looked heavy and expensive, with gold tassels holding back the curtains. Everything, like much of the house had been, was large and most of the furniture was etched with elaborate patterns. Her gaze slowly worked around to the four posted bed, the bedding looked expensive and comfy. It called to her, daring her to jump on top of the covers, smothering her face into the soft fluffy pillows.
"Through this door," Mrs Potts wandered further into the room, heading to the door on Belle's left. "Is your sitting room."
"A separate sitting room?" Belle questioned.
Continuing, ignoring Belle's question, Mrs Potts waved her hand to the door near the four post bed. "That door leads to your dressing room and there's also a small bathing room on the other side of that with a privy."
"A privy? I have a bathing room and a privy?" She repeated in disbelief.
Her father had discussed having something similar fitted into their house, but the money needed outweighed their need for such a room to be fitted. And that had only been a room to bathe, not including a privy. A privy was a luxury she had read about and heard about at balls, when someone boasted about their wealth.
"It's a little daunting at first, but you'll soon get used to it." Mrs Potts commented as she came back to the door. "Rupert should be up soon with your luggage and your hand maiden. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ring the bell." She gestured to the piece of cloth draped down the wall beside the door. "I've got some things to attend to, my Lady, so I'll leave you to get settled in."
"Thank you, Mrs Potts." Belle responded automatically, still feeling stunned at having her own bathing room and privy.
Mrs Potts gave the room a once over before she left, giving Belle a warm smile, and closed the door behind her with a firm click. Looking round again, she was totally flummoxed by the rooms he had given her. Venturing to the closest window, she peeked outside and edged closer seeing a small garden outside of her window. It reminded her of home and she was struck with a thought, had he chosen this room because it was similar to her room at home. She shook her head, a little more forcefully than needed, quickly discarding the thought. Considering his kind, thoughtful acts as signs of something more was dangerous. If she was going to live with him, without letting her feelings get the better of her, she couldn't reflect on him as anything more than friend. Otherwise, it was going to kill her.
(If you're interested, the manor I was picturing for Rumford's estate is Harlaxton Manor. ( .uk/))
(A privy is what a toilet was called in Regency time. It was rare for households to have toilets and bathrooms. Only the wealthy had such things. (If anyone knows anything more, please let me know, I find it absolutely interesting.))