When Belle eventually got back to the castle, after bidding goodbye to Tiana and Meg, she was surprised not to find Prince Adam waiting for her in the hallway or the lounge, as he usually was, waiting to give her some other task to add to her usual daily list. She didn’t mind this job, after all, it gave her a bed and food. Since her Papa had died, the cottage they had been renting had been recalled. Thankfully she had just started this job before she could be made homeless. Plus, being PA to a prince had its other perks too; she could attend social gatherings, even if her best dresses did look a little shabby next to all the other gowns.
Puzzled by his absence, Belle called out “I’m back! Prince Adam!”
She didn’t expect him to reply but to her surprise his voice drifted down to her. “I’m in the library!”
Belle frowned. Of all the rooms in the castle, she’d never seen him in the library before. Bewildered, she hurried upstairs. Adam was sitting with his back to her, sorting through a pile of papers. He glanced over his shoulder as she approached. “Hey,” he said, casually.
“What’s this?” asked Belle. “Do want help organising these?”
“No, it’s fine. I was trying to find some information on the De Lioncourts.”
Belle was even more surprised. She had asked him the previous evening if he knew anything about that family, and he had simply responded that whilst he had heard that name before, he couldn’t think where and was sorry that he couldn’t be of more help.
He had changed, she reflected. At first, he had been somewhat bossy and temperamental, and she in turn had been stubborn and fiery. But now, slowly, they seemed to have reached something perhaps on the verge of friendship. Peering over his shoulder, she saw that he was sifting through what looked to be ancient documents. One was dated 1700. “They go as far back as that?” she asked, simply to make conversation.
“Mm,” Adam replied, and then, after running his eyes down the page, he looked up at her. “Sorry, your friend...”
“Tiana,” Belle said.
“What did Tiana say this man was called?”
“Lestat.”
Adam held up the piece of parchment he was holding. Looking at it, Belle saw that it was a family tree. “This is the only name Lestat I can find here.”
Belle took it from him and glanced at the name at the bottom of the De Lioncourt bloodline. “Lestat De Lioncourt; November 7th, 1760 til-” Belle broke off. Beside the dash that indicated how long the man was supposed to have lived there was no death date, but a question mark, which looked to have been added in by someone else, not the person who had drawn up the family tree. She looked up at Adam. “How did you get hold of these?”
He shrugged. “A lot of things like this wind up here; they get auctioned off by families through history. My father was a big collector of things like this.”
“This can’t be the same Lestat,” Belle said. “It’s impossible for anyone to live this long.”
“Maybe he did have descendants and they’ve not been recorded,” Adam said, wisely. “One of them could be called Lestat; first names often get passed on from father to son in families like that, used time and time again.”
Belle nodded. “Yes, you’re right. That’s why princes and kings would always be Henry 2nd or Richard 3rd or whatever to stop people from getting confused.”
“I can keep looking if you’re worried there might be something bad,” Adam volunteered.
“Oh no, you don’t have to,” Belle began, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. “I mean...” She took a deep breath. “Thank you, but I don’t really know if he’s a bad guy. Tiana said he’s nice.”
“Well, it would make me feel better,” Adam said.
“Why?” Belle grinned, teasingly. “Don’t tell me you’ve been admiring Tiana from afar now and you want to do this for her.”
“Not her,” Adam said, steadily.
Belle looked up. His blue eyes were fixed on her hazel ones. She felt her heart beating about ten times faster in her chest. Only now did she realise just how much she liked him. Slowly, Adam leaned forwards and kissed her. His kiss was gentle and guarded, like he was afraid she’d reject him. Feeling more confident, Belle kissed him back and then Adam slid his arms around her.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do that?” he whispered, breaking the kiss.
Belle blinked at him. “I-I never realised you liked me that much. I mean, I’m just your PA.”
Adam smiled. “You’re also the most wonderful, intelligent, feisty and beautiful girl I’ve ever met, Belle. And, much as I never ever thought I was capable of it, I think I’m falling for you.”
Belle, unable to believe what she was hearing, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “But I’m working class,” she stammered, “and you’re a prince.”
“Does that matter?” Adam asked.
Belle looked into his eyes and smiled. “No. Not in the slightest.”
Searching through the De Lioncourt family documents could wait.
Meanwhile, after saying goodbye to Meg, Tiana made her way into town. She needed a new summer coat and there were a few books she wanted to buy, mainly on cooking. “Belle would be proud,” she teased herself.
The bookstore had all kinds of books on cookery and recipes from all different countries. Here was one on Chinese food and there was one on Spanish omelettes and one on French cooking...French cooking? Tiana picked it up. “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louise Bertholle. Hm.” Lestat said he was from France, originally. Maybe, she thought, just maybe she ought to try her hand at French cooking, for his delight. He could come around one evening and she would cook...what did that say? Beef bourginoin? Stuffed lobster? Aspic? Uch! Tiana closed the book and shook her head. The French ate some funny things! Still, maybe she ought to give it a go. After all, if she wanted to be a chef someday, she had to learn to experiment a little.
She did buy it in the end, and, after stopping off for a late lunch at the nearby cafe’, she went in search of her summer coat. By the time she was done and heading home with her purchases, it was beginning to get dark.
“Well, hello there,” purred a smooth voice.
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up. That voice...it sounded slightly like Lestat’s, but it wasn’t. She turned to see a suave man with pale skin and short dark hair standing behind her, hands in pockets. He was wearing a suit of exotic material.
“Hi,” she replied, and then turned to leave again. The next thing she knew the man was somehow right in front of her, but she hadn’t seen nor heard him move. She stopped dead in her tracks. “How did..?”
The man smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Marius de Romanus.”
“I’m...”
“Tiana, I know.” His smile never faltered. “I’m a friend of your new friend Lestat.”
“Oh,” Tiana stammered. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr De Romanus.”
“Please, it’s Marius,” he replied, waving away her comment.
“Well, Marius, can I help you with something, only I really need to get back home...”
“I won’t keep you,” replied Marius. “I just wanted to meet you in person. Lestat’s told me so much about you.”
“Really?” Tiana blushed. “He’s never mentioned you.”
“Well, that’s to be expected,” Marius replied, stepping closer to her. He took a deep breath, almost as if he were inhaling her scent. “You’re very attractive, you know. It’s always the pretty ones he goes for.”
He was making her feel uneasy and Tiana quickly brushed past him. “It was lovely to meet you and I hope we meet again, but right now I really have to go.”
“You should be careful!” Marius called after her. “He’s not all he seems to be!”
Tiana stopped. “What do you mean?”
She turned around but he had gone. Simply vanished into thin air, it seemed.
Now thoroughly spooked, Tiana bolted in the direction of her street and she didn’t stop running until she was safely within the confines of her own home.
Puzzled by his absence, Belle called out “I’m back! Prince Adam!”
She didn’t expect him to reply but to her surprise his voice drifted down to her. “I’m in the library!”
Belle frowned. Of all the rooms in the castle, she’d never seen him in the library before. Bewildered, she hurried upstairs. Adam was sitting with his back to her, sorting through a pile of papers. He glanced over his shoulder as she approached. “Hey,” he said, casually.
“What’s this?” asked Belle. “Do want help organising these?”
“No, it’s fine. I was trying to find some information on the De Lioncourts.”
Belle was even more surprised. She had asked him the previous evening if he knew anything about that family, and he had simply responded that whilst he had heard that name before, he couldn’t think where and was sorry that he couldn’t be of more help.
He had changed, she reflected. At first, he had been somewhat bossy and temperamental, and she in turn had been stubborn and fiery. But now, slowly, they seemed to have reached something perhaps on the verge of friendship. Peering over his shoulder, she saw that he was sifting through what looked to be ancient documents. One was dated 1700. “They go as far back as that?” she asked, simply to make conversation.
“Mm,” Adam replied, and then, after running his eyes down the page, he looked up at her. “Sorry, your friend...”
“Tiana,” Belle said.
“What did Tiana say this man was called?”
“Lestat.”
Adam held up the piece of parchment he was holding. Looking at it, Belle saw that it was a family tree. “This is the only name Lestat I can find here.”
Belle took it from him and glanced at the name at the bottom of the De Lioncourt bloodline. “Lestat De Lioncourt; November 7th, 1760 til-” Belle broke off. Beside the dash that indicated how long the man was supposed to have lived there was no death date, but a question mark, which looked to have been added in by someone else, not the person who had drawn up the family tree. She looked up at Adam. “How did you get hold of these?”
He shrugged. “A lot of things like this wind up here; they get auctioned off by families through history. My father was a big collector of things like this.”
“This can’t be the same Lestat,” Belle said. “It’s impossible for anyone to live this long.”
“Maybe he did have descendants and they’ve not been recorded,” Adam said, wisely. “One of them could be called Lestat; first names often get passed on from father to son in families like that, used time and time again.”
Belle nodded. “Yes, you’re right. That’s why princes and kings would always be Henry 2nd or Richard 3rd or whatever to stop people from getting confused.”
“I can keep looking if you’re worried there might be something bad,” Adam volunteered.
“Oh no, you don’t have to,” Belle began, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. “I mean...” She took a deep breath. “Thank you, but I don’t really know if he’s a bad guy. Tiana said he’s nice.”
“Well, it would make me feel better,” Adam said.
“Why?” Belle grinned, teasingly. “Don’t tell me you’ve been admiring Tiana from afar now and you want to do this for her.”
“Not her,” Adam said, steadily.
Belle looked up. His blue eyes were fixed on her hazel ones. She felt her heart beating about ten times faster in her chest. Only now did she realise just how much she liked him. Slowly, Adam leaned forwards and kissed her. His kiss was gentle and guarded, like he was afraid she’d reject him. Feeling more confident, Belle kissed him back and then Adam slid his arms around her.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do that?” he whispered, breaking the kiss.
Belle blinked at him. “I-I never realised you liked me that much. I mean, I’m just your PA.”
Adam smiled. “You’re also the most wonderful, intelligent, feisty and beautiful girl I’ve ever met, Belle. And, much as I never ever thought I was capable of it, I think I’m falling for you.”
Belle, unable to believe what she was hearing, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “But I’m working class,” she stammered, “and you’re a prince.”
“Does that matter?” Adam asked.
Belle looked into his eyes and smiled. “No. Not in the slightest.”
Searching through the De Lioncourt family documents could wait.
Meanwhile, after saying goodbye to Meg, Tiana made her way into town. She needed a new summer coat and there were a few books she wanted to buy, mainly on cooking. “Belle would be proud,” she teased herself.
The bookstore had all kinds of books on cookery and recipes from all different countries. Here was one on Chinese food and there was one on Spanish omelettes and one on French cooking...French cooking? Tiana picked it up. “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Louise Bertholle. Hm.” Lestat said he was from France, originally. Maybe, she thought, just maybe she ought to try her hand at French cooking, for his delight. He could come around one evening and she would cook...what did that say? Beef bourginoin? Stuffed lobster? Aspic? Uch! Tiana closed the book and shook her head. The French ate some funny things! Still, maybe she ought to give it a go. After all, if she wanted to be a chef someday, she had to learn to experiment a little.
She did buy it in the end, and, after stopping off for a late lunch at the nearby cafe’, she went in search of her summer coat. By the time she was done and heading home with her purchases, it was beginning to get dark.
“Well, hello there,” purred a smooth voice.
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up. That voice...it sounded slightly like Lestat’s, but it wasn’t. She turned to see a suave man with pale skin and short dark hair standing behind her, hands in pockets. He was wearing a suit of exotic material.
“Hi,” she replied, and then turned to leave again. The next thing she knew the man was somehow right in front of her, but she hadn’t seen nor heard him move. She stopped dead in her tracks. “How did..?”
The man smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself. The name is Marius de Romanus.”
“I’m...”
“Tiana, I know.” His smile never faltered. “I’m a friend of your new friend Lestat.”
“Oh,” Tiana stammered. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr De Romanus.”
“Please, it’s Marius,” he replied, waving away her comment.
“Well, Marius, can I help you with something, only I really need to get back home...”
“I won’t keep you,” replied Marius. “I just wanted to meet you in person. Lestat’s told me so much about you.”
“Really?” Tiana blushed. “He’s never mentioned you.”
“Well, that’s to be expected,” Marius replied, stepping closer to her. He took a deep breath, almost as if he were inhaling her scent. “You’re very attractive, you know. It’s always the pretty ones he goes for.”
He was making her feel uneasy and Tiana quickly brushed past him. “It was lovely to meet you and I hope we meet again, but right now I really have to go.”
“You should be careful!” Marius called after her. “He’s not all he seems to be!”
Tiana stopped. “What do you mean?”
She turned around but he had gone. Simply vanished into thin air, it seemed.
Now thoroughly spooked, Tiana bolted in the direction of her street and she didn’t stop running until she was safely within the confines of her own home.