Chapter 11: Awkward

Breakfast should have been awkward, it really should have been. The last time the three of these people had been in the same room, Maurice had lost his daughter, Belle had lost her freedom and the Beast had turned a very important corner by acting like a complete monster in the eyes of a small family instead of just looking like one.

"Please pass the butter."

Breakfast really should have been more awkward considering the way these facts.

"Here you are."

It wasn't.

"These scones are simply wonderful."

"Thank you, I'll be certain to relay that to our chef. He works very hard on every meal served."

Belle smiled behind her teacup as she watched her father and her Beast exchange small pleasantries over their breakfast. They remained polite to one another and she knew that they were trying because they both cared for her.

"I hope that you are feeling better," the Beast did not make eye contact with her father, but did look in his general direction. Her father was looking over the Beast's shoulder so he didn't notice. Belle hid another smile.

"I am feeling much better, thank you."

They continued on in this manner until breakfast was over and then they all retired to a sitting room near the library. Belle had wanted to go see her library, but she knew that she would be distracted by all of the beautiful books and lose track of any conversations happening in the room.

There was a long and very tense silence that followed the pleasantness of the breakfast now that they had nothing to occupy their minds with in the sitting room. She perched herself on a small settee while her father sat uncomfortably in an armchair and the Beast? He was sitting on his haunches as politely as possible in front of the small fire in the hearth. The fire itself would eventually grow into a raging inferno all while staying within the confines of the fireplace itself. It would heat the room very well and likely any of the other rooms that were around the immediate area as well. Belle wondered how it had been set up like that and if it had been the point of the design for several minutes before she realized she was trying to distract herself from the matter at hand.

She shook her head slightly and ignored the looks of confusion that said action got her from her father and her Beast.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." She smiled in apology.

Her father laughed softly, if slightly strained sounding, "That's nothing new, Belle."

She glanced over at the Beast as he didn't exactly smile with his face, just his eyes. He looked unsure of how to interact with her father now that they had already exhausted all the pleasantries over breakfast.

The Beast cleared his throat, "I would never want you to think I didn't want you here…" he began.

"Beast-"

"No, Belle, I need to say this."

Maurice was silent.

"I'm happy, more than happy, that you came back, but I don't understand." The Beast looked down at where Belle had placed her hand on his arm, "Why did you come back?"

"Beast…" Belle hesitated and glanced over at her father, who was being annoyingly silent about this whole thing. Maurice was just sitting there, staring at them with dark eyes. He's waiting for her to answer, she realizes and takes a deep breath before continuing. "I came back, because there was no other choice for me. Not really. I belong here with you." She glances up at her Beast through her lashes and smiles at the look on his face.

He looked like he's seen the sun for the first time and it's so beautiful and terrible and wonderful and everything he's ever wanted all at the same time. He also looked like he can't quite believe that this is true, but didn't want to say anything in case he woke himself up.

Belle continues to smile, but it's turned slightly sad. "I really mean it, Beast. I want to stay here, with you."

She doesn't look at her father because she doesn't need to know that he doesn't look at all surprised. He knew before she did, just like he'd known how much she'd like reading and known what she'd wanted to do for Christmas every year (sit quietly and read a book together). Just like he'd known when his beloved wife was going to die, but carried on anyway.

He'd known that she needed to move forward with her life before the Fair and had been trying to prompt her towards a decision before they'd even known that her Beast was an option.

Her Beast, however, did not know any of this and so was looking now at her father with a question on his face. "Have you nothing to say, sir?" His voice was quiet, but did not waver.

Maurice's face was not made of stone nor were his eyes hard as they watched. The look that they held was one that every father wears when they realize that they no longer need to guard over their daughters to make sure that they are cared for always. The look that they get when they've found another man who will take over that job for them and know that their daughters have chosen well.

But there was still a question in his own eyes that the Beast knew and understood even if Belle did not. She had never really had to consider this after all.

"We will need to discuss this more later, Messer. Beast," Maurice concluded, "But for the moment, I have nothing against what my daughter has said. She may stay here and live in this castle in her own rooms."

He said nothing more as his daughter, in her joy, hugged him all while beaming a smile so wide that her cheeks would likely not forgive her if she did not stop it before nightfall. The Beast did not smile, but his eyes warmed so much that it was almost like Maurice was seeing the man within instead of the animal on the outside.

"Thank you, father!"

Maurice didn't remove his eyes from the Beast's and the once-man nodded in understanding. At another time in another place, when Belle was preoccupied with something else, they would be having a discussion. It would need to be soon, but it didn't need to be right now.

XXxxXX

Lunch was a quiet affair and the afternoon was spent with Belle reuniting with her servant friends throughout the castle. She had insisted that her father accompany her so that she could introduce him to everyone. The Beast had come and gone, looking each time as if he would love nothing more than to stay within the presence of the young woman and her contagious joy, but he would end up having to excuse himself for business several times for at least an hour before returning once again as if to reassure himself that she was still there. Maurice didn't blame him; he'd found himself reacting much the same way when he'd first married his beautiful wife.

"And this is Cogsworth, Father. He's the Beast's majordomo and also the first person to mention the Castle Library to me."

Maurice chuckled, "Then he must surely be your second favorite of all your new friends!"

Belle laughed softly and shook her head, "I don't have favorites among my friends, father. You know that."

"You've never had so many friends before in one place, though."

"That is no reason to start doing something like that now, though."

Cogsworth smiled thoughtfully at the teasing between the man and his daughter. He wondered if things might have turned out differently if the master would have had such a relationship with his father. It seemed to work for Belle and Maurice, but maybe it was because they were from a different station, though. Life between the stations was a lot more different than most people were aware of, even if, in the end, they were all equals in the eyes of God. They were not equals in the eyes of the Country or the King.

"Would you be interested in seeing the library too, sir?" the enchanted clock asked politely.

Maurice shook his head while still chuckling, "Maybe tomorrow. I'd be more interested in any mechanics work in your fine castle. I'm not the same kind of reader as my daughter."

"What about books on mechanics and engineering?"

Maurice paused in their small stroll for a moment with a thoughtful look on his face. "I hadn't thought of that… Hmmm…"

"We can still look at the mechanisms of the castle after seeing the library if that would be fine."the clock assured him.

Belle laughed at the look on her father's face, "We can go to the library after viewing the mechanisms, Cogsworth. Father would likely get lost in his reading just as I do once seeing the books available. He's not used to having new reading material and that's probably the biggest reason he doesn't read as much as I do. My going to the bookshop at least once a week is just as much to see if they have any new books in the areas father is interested in as to look for new books of anything for myself."

"I don't know if I'd be able to pull myself away from either activity long enough to do both in one day." Maurice mused. "Why don't we separate for a bit, Belle, just until the evening meal." He added when she looked like she would protest. "I have had you to myself for a lot longer than these fine, erm, people have. I won't mind being left to myself for at least an hour while you finish visiting with your friends."

"Father, you don't have to-"

"Sir, we really don't-"

"That settles it then," came a deep voice from behind the trio. "I shall visit with you for that hour, if you don't mind, Maurice?" The Beast looked slightly uncomfortable about being alone with the man that he had thrown from his home after having kept him imprisoned and then stealing his daughter.

"That would be wonderful," Maurice returned, looking reassuringly at his concerned daughter, "We didn't really have a good first impression of one another in the beginning, but I've always believed that it takes more than the first dozen or so meetings to really take the measure of a man, or woman's, measure."

Belle hesitated for a moment longer before nodding and drifting away from her father and her Beast after the Beast had nodded to her that things would be fine.

It didn't occur to the young woman that she had looked for such reassurance from someone other than her father when said man was still present.

It was not unnoticed by those left behind.

XXxxXX

Monsieur Bookkeeper missed his once weekly visitor who always made the effort to visit him unless she or her father was ill. He hadn't seen her since the fall and the news from Le Fou about Maurice and his own illness were the last bit of news he'd had. Winter wasn't through with them just yet if the heaviness of the snow was any indicator.

The bell on his shop door rang.

"Monsieur? Are you available?"

He finished placing the books in his hands back on their shelves and tucking the dusting cloth away in a convenient cubby that he kept his cleaning supplies in before moving towards his guest. His hands moving towards his glasses and removing them for a quick polish on his handkerchief before replacing them on his nose.

"How may I help you?"

"Monsieur Bookkeeper," there was a pause as the shopkeeper looked up sharply and the speaker smiled, "It has been a while since we last saw one another, cousin."