Deceit: A Beauty and the Beast Novel (3 page)

Behind me, I heard a mighty crash and
another roar.

He didn’t sound like he was in the mood to
let me escape.

My slippered feet slid on the wood floor as
I changed direction to turn down the first hall I found. I kept
running and turning until I was in the library. Shoving the window
wide, I leapt out and landed on my feet, startling the nymphs who
were back at it.

“Run,” I whispered to them.

Inside, the beast roared. The male ran, but
the female hesitated.

“Go!” I urged her as I turned toward the
back of the manor. The female hooked my arm and turned me toward
the east, giving me a little shove. I ran.

The beast’s cries faded as I put distance
between us. A stitch in my side grew to a cramp when I finally
burst through the trees and fell face first into a familiar pool. I
rolled onto my back and came up sputtering in knee-deep water.

After wiping my eyes, I tried to silence the
harsh gasp of my breaths so I might listen for the beast. In the
distance, I heard him calling my name.

“Child,” a voice grated nearby.

I turned to look at the old tree, the face
already formed.

“He will learn. Do not give up. Do not
run.”

The tree untwisted, closing its mouth and
eyes just before the beast burst upon the clearing. My eyes widened
at the sight of him as he stood at the pond’s edge, breathing
harshly and fully visible on all fours. His raised hackles and
bared teeth sent a shiver of fear though me, as did the low
crackling growl emanating from him. The tree wanted me to stay. I
desperately wanted to run.

Trembling with fear and cold, I did what the
tree suggested and stood my ground.

“Will you hurt me now?” The words barely
escaped my tight throat. Yet, I knew he heard them for his growl
deepened. Despite his anger, he remained on the bank.

I gripped my heavy skirts and exhaled
slowly. Then, with my shoulders back, I bravely walked toward him.
My heart thrummed in my chest. Certainly he could hear it; I could
hear little else.

As I approached, his growl softened while
the fur on his neck continued to stand up harshly. He glared at me
as I stood before him. I cautiously reached out and smoothed his
fur down.

He didn’t move away. Instead, I felt the
flesh under my palm quiver. The beast’s gaze met mine, and I saw
the storm there. The undeniable rage was still present, but I also
saw sadness and frustration. My heart went out to the tortured
creature, and I cautiously embraced him.

When I leaned my head against his neck, all
noise stopped. Not just his growl, but the animated chirping of the
birds, the rustling of the leaves, everything.

Plum sauce matted his hair.

“The plums were too disgusting to throw at
you,” I whispered. “I should have thrown the potatoes,
instead.”

I watched his hackles slowly relax.

“Why did you not want to eat?” he finally
asked.

I snorted.

“It wasn’t the food that bothered me. It’s
the clothes. I don’t like pink, and I don’t like dresses. When you
run, they trip you; and I like to run. And I don’t like being
treated like a whore.”

His teeth ground together.

“I do not treat you like a whore.”

“How is making me wear these dresses so you
can see all my personal parts not treating me like a whore?” I
asked, keeping my head resting against his neck.

His hackles started to rise again, so I
reached up and smoothed them down. He grunted in response and
seemed to calm. I didn’t touch him more than necessary, cautious of
the sisters’ lesson.

“Come,” he said instead of answering me.
“You will catch a chill if we stay here longer.”

I moved away from him so he could lead. I
didn’t miss the long look he gave my wet, clinging dress. Biting my
tongue to keep from whispering the word whore, I patted the tree as
I passed, thankful for its advice.

* * * *

In my room, another bath waited along with a
tray of food and a note that simply said
No
plums
.

Smiling, I ate the food then peeled myself
out of the clingy, damp dress. The plum juices had stained it,
ruining the material. I felt no remorse as I dropped it to the
floor.

Chapter 2

On the fifth day, the wardrobe remained
empty. I scowled at it and whispered a single word. “Beast.” And I
meant his nature, not his name.

After the fight in the kitchen, I had
thought he’d understood and would relent. Still he had insisted on
the sheer clothes. Yesterday when I had woken, the curtains had
vanished; and I’d torn a patch from my bedding to cover myself.

Now, I tugged a whole blanket from my bed to
wrap around my shoulders before stomping to the hallway. Today was
the day I was supposed to go see my father. I’d gone to bed early,
so I could rise before first light, not wanting to waste any of the
time I could spend with my family.

In the hall, the beast waited as usual.

“Why do I have no clothes?” I asked.

“Are you visiting your father today?” he
asked much too calmly.

“Yes, I wanted to.” His calm just upset me
more.

“Then the dresses you have wouldn’t suit.
You can wear your trousers, which are in the kitchen.”

The annoyance left me. Of course I couldn’t
wear the clothes he chose to town. I had assumed he wouldn’t think
of that on his own.

“Thank you,” I said, turning to race to the
kitchen.

He snagged the blanket, stopping my
departure.

“Leave this here.”

Normally, once I found a way to cover
myself, he didn’t order it away. Surprised, I glanced back at
him.

“Now.”

I averted my gaze and let the blanket fall
to the floor. When I started to walk away from him, I wondered if
he found the view of my backside as mesmerizing as Ila’s had been
that first time I’d seen it. The thought of Ila made me smile. I
couldn’t wait to see my friends again and wondered what Father had
told them about my absence. I hurried my pace until I ran, eager to
start my journey.

In the kitchen, I closed myself in the
servant’s quarters to change. As soon as I opened the door of the
servant’s quarters, the beast gave me a warning.

“We bargained one day a week. I grant that
you may leave the gates after the sun rises and must return to them
before the sun sets. Do not be late or I will fetch your father in
recompense.”

Nodding jerkily, I left him in the kitchen
and raced toward the gate as the sky lightened. From the corner of
my eye, I spotted one of the nymphs but it solidified before I
could see which.

The gates swung open for me as the beast
called my name. I stopped just inside the iron barrier.

The beast appeared beside me, his breath as
heavy as mine.

“Will you return?” he asked gruffly.

In that question, I glimpsed his uncertainty
of me. I didn’t understand why he wanted me to stay. But, I
understood that whatever his reasons, I mattered to him; and he
worried that the fear for my father’s safety wasn’t enough to bring
me back. Feeling a small measure of pity for him, I nodded again
before walking out the gate.

Freedom flavored the air with a sweetness
that I inhaled deeply as I alternated between walking and jogging.
When I came in sight of the bridge, a crow that was roosted on one
of the bridge supports shook the spray from his feathers and took
flight, spiraling high over the Water. I didn’t stop to see if it
flew toward the estate.

With a light step, I walked through the
market district, smiling at the early merchants as I made my way
toward my father’s house. At the Sisters’ house, I caught a glimpse
of someone and paused to wave up at the windows. Then, I continued
on. When I stood before Father’s small home, I paused for a moment
and wistfully watched the smoke curling from the chimney. I had
missed them all so much.

Without knocking, I pushed the door open, a
smile on my lips. As I suspected, Bryn stood at the stove cooking
something. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Benella,” she said, clearly surprised by my
arrival. Her gaze touched my face then my clothes before clouding
with disapproval. “You look fit and well fed. I hope you’re not
expecting to eat; there’s not enough.”

Her attitude did nothing to curb my joy in
seeing her. I stepped in and closed the door behind me.

“How are you, Bryn? What happened after I
last saw you?” I really wanted to know about the possibility of her
being pregnant.

“We left the estate and walked to Konrall.
Father still hoped to sell a book. He warned us not to speak of you
or the estate.” She turned away from me and poked at the meat
sizzling in the pan. “He asked me if I would be happy in a forced
marriage with Tennen. I said I would not; and we haven’t spoken of
anything, except you, since then.”

“Me?” How could Father not ask questions of
the baby? Obviously he’d deduced that Tennen had fathered it, but
didn’t he want to know how long ago? And, there were other
questions that needed answers. How much time remained until the
baby arrived? Did Bryn have other prospects? Had she felt the babe
move yet?

“Of course, you. The beast took you. We all
worried, thinking you wouldn’t return to us. We should have known
better,” she said bitterly. Before I could respond, she continued.
“Did you bring anything back with you? Things are not much better
than they were those few days ago.”

“I’m sorry. I did not.” I hadn’t thought of
anything other than seeing them again. The next visit I would be
better prepared.

The door burst open just then, and Father
rushed in. He spun me about and caught me up in a tight hug.
Finally, the welcome I’d hoped for. I wrapped my arms around him in
return, smelling the faint tang of the sisters’ incense.

“Father,” Bryn said in surprise. “What are
you doing home?”

“Someone told me they saw Benella,” he said
as he pulled back from me. A smile lined his mouth, but his eyes
looked sadder than usual.

“But your work. Shouldn’t you—”

“My employer has a fond spot for Benella and
granted me time to spend with her this afternoon.” Father dropped
his arms from around me. “Benella, walk with me. Bryn, we will
return for lunch.” He turned and walked out the door.

When I looked at Bryn, I saw tears in her
eyes.

“It’ll be okay, Bryn. I’ll be back later and
want to hear what names you’ve picked so far for the baby.” Her
eyes widened, but then she offered me a small, sad smile.

I caught up with Father and wrapped my hand
around his arm.

“Why are you angry with Bryn?” I asked.

“Her dalliance will cost her, robbing her of
a marriage to a decent man.”

Pulling back on his arm slightly, I stopped
us in the street and turned him to look at me.

“Her dalliance will rob her of nothing
because a decent man will look at her and see her worth and welcome
the child she carries. The ones who won’t see her worth or shun her
because of the baby are not decent.”

Father shook his head, but smiled at me
indulgently.

“If only she had your sense of
responsibility,” he said.

“Father, how can you say that? Bryn has been
responsible for all of us since Mother died. She’s taken on so much
responsibility so early it’s a wonder her shoulders aren’t curved
from it. Despite that responsibility, she’s still young and prone
to a young woman’s fancy. Tennen looked at her sweetly and played
on her hopes. Don’t fault her for her naivety of a man’s
character.”

During my speech, my father’s mouth dropped
a bit. I probably sounded pompous.

“And don’t hold me in too harsh a light when
I make my own naïve mistakes.”

“Wise beyond your years,” he muttered, and
we started walking again. “So what would you have me do?”

“Can’t you see how frightened she is? She’s
probably wondering where she will be by the time the babe is born.
Reassure her that you still love her and care. Ask about baby names
or see if Blye has given her any tiny garments. I will try to find
some way to help, too, the next time I return.”

“You are not here to stay?”

I shook my head.

“He will allow me to visit you once a week.
But I must have care to return before my allotted time.”

He sighed and looked at me with concern.

“Just take care of yourself.” We neared the
Sister’s back door. “I will want details when we eat lunch
together.”

I nodded and followed him in. He frowned at
me slightly but made no comment when Ila waited with a cup of tea
for me.

Ila remained quiet until Father walked
away.

“We’ve missed you. Your father wouldn’t say
where you’d gone, even though Aryana pestered him constantly.”

She led the way to the bathing chambers
where Aryana lounged in one of the tubs.

“Benella,” she spoke in soft delight. “I’m
so happy to see you. Tell us where you’ve been.”

I smiled as she stepped from the water and
followed us to the back room. It felt like a ritual to bathe as
soon as I came to the Sisters’ house, and I wondered if this is how
the men felt when they arrived.

“Employed,” I said vaguely as Gen left the
room. “Father came here because of me, so I wanted to repay his
care of me. I’m granted one day in seven to return to visit.” I let
them undress me as I continued in a concerned whisper. “How has he
been?”

“Distracted,” Aryana answered as she set my
clothes aside. She turned back to me and tilted her head in study.
“You look like you gained some weight back.”

I felt a blush creep into my skin, and she
laughed huskily.

“Tell me about your new master,” she said.
“Does he treat you well?”

“He’s confusing,” I admitted. “And prickly.
I think he’s so used to everyone bending to his will, he doesn’t
know how to react when I start questioning him.”