The sun's rays made sleep shallow and shaky, the coming morning forcing him awake. Gaston stretched and opened his eyes. Belle was already awake and leaning on her elbow, looking thoughtfully at his face. She seemed different; her gaze had become more feminine, with that tinge of softness and sadness, almost maternal tenderness.

"You look like a boy when you sleep," Belle said softly. "So pretty and funny. And your eyelashes are black and long like a girl's. My God, how did the Lord God create such perfection? No wonder you're taking advantage of it, you tomboy."

"At last you noticed my unearthly beauty," Gaston joked and, putting his arm around Belle's shoulders, kissed her on the temple. He did it cheerfully and rather chastely, but the girl trembled in his arms. "Good morning," the man added and stood up. "We must hurry. Already tonight we will see the sea.

Belle also got up and put on her dress. She put her hair in a ponytail:

"You know, I miss our home already," she said. She said the word "our" with special warmth. "I was thinking yesterday - how nice it would be to sit at home by the fireplace, cuddled up. And you don't even have to go anywhere."

"I like the fact that we're going. I don't care where. As long as it's with you. The world is so much bigger than our little town, and I never knew it."

"You know what I was thinking... Listen to me," Belle touched Gaston's hand lightly, drawing his attention, though he was already listening to her. She was worried, as if she wanted to say something important. "Let's get that other room ready as a nursery. I've already thought of what we're going to do there. We'll take away all the unnecessary things. We'll make cribs."

Maybe two to start with. I'll make pillows. I made one for my father once. It was pretty nice. I'll order a rug from that bakery down the street. We'll make it the coziest. What do you say?" the girl raised her face.

"Of course I'll make the cribs, Belle. We'll make them just the way you want them. You're the housewife of the house."

Belle smiled, encouraged by his answer:

"When are we going to get dogs?" She asked. "Why don't we have any? You wanted have them."

Gaston shrugged:

"Well, you did not want neither children nor dogs."

"I changed my mind," the girl replied. "Hunting dogs are so smart... Real friends. Let's get puppies when we get back."

"Okay. If you want to," Gaston added. "Just Belle, don't do anything I want you to do. Don't break yourself for me."

"But you're breaking yourself for me."

"I'm anotheher matter. I'm the one who needed our wedding, and I needed you."

Belle sat back in her chair and drummed her fingers on the armrest:

"I'm not breaking anything in me. I just want to have smart, fluffy puppies and a baby with blue eyes like yours."

"But before you didn't want ..."

"You're such a fool sometimes!" Belle sighed and got up to go down to the lower floor of the tavern for breakfast.

After breakfast, the newlyweds set off. The wind whistled in their ears and the sun warmed their cheeks softly. Gaston felt free and happy. Probably for the first time in a long time. He imagined Belle sewing little pillows with her delicate hands, and this picture in his imagination made him smile.

The hilly terrain began to change into a plain and now the roofs of houses, some blue strip and mountains appeared ahead. Gaston spurred his horse, and they were almost flying along the road. That blue streak turned out to be the sea.

The golden and scarlet ball of the sun hovered over the sea, painting it in unimaginable colors. The moored ships with snow-white sails rose majestically. On the wharf there was a large crowd. Gaston turned to his wife:

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Just water," she laughed. Her brown eyes were happy.

They threw off their shoes and like children began to walk along the shore, laughing when a wave washed his pants or the hem of her dress.

The orb of the sun was almost falling into the water, and Belle suddenly stopped. Gaston bumped into her from surprise, the girl turned around. She raised her thin arms and put her arms around his neck. The man leaned in and kissed her lips - soft, tender, inviting. After all, he wasn't a saintly man either.

Gaston kissed her eyelashes, her cheeks, her lips again, savored every inch of her velvet skin.

"Bonsoir!"

The young couple recoiled from each other and turned around. Standing next to them was a nice city couple, a woman and a man a little older than them.

"Excuse us!" The woman exclaimed and came closer. "We didn't mean to disturb you. You're such a charming couple! I'm Jeannette and this is my husband Paul."

"Hello," the man extended his hand in greeting. "Forgive my wife - we just came here too, to Toulon, on our honeymoon, five years ago..."

"It feels like yesterday..." Jeannette sighed.

"It's all right," Belle smiled.

"Where are you staying?" Paul asked. "Have you fed the horse after the trip?"

"Nowhere yet," Gaston answered and frowned, thinking about which way to go in these busy streets.

"If you don't mind staying where we are, it's not far," Jeannette said with a smile.

"That's a good idea!" Belle replied, and Gaston, of course, agreed. They were tired from the road and wanted to have dinner and rest.