Read Online Beauty and the Beast (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenni James
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name, but where she lived as well. He’d bet his right foot on it!
The only thing to do now was wait and watch. With a smirk and a raise of his eyebrow, Lord Bellemount slipped to another part of the castle altogether—a long secret passage—and exited outside, through an opening of the garden statue. It was the perfect spot to watch all the comings and goings of the palace without being spotted, which was exactly what he needed to do. One way or another he would find out who this girl was and then she would be dead.
Frederick smiled. The poor prince would be in such an anguished state of losing his only love. Once she died, he would have nothing left within him to run the country and so would naturally abdicate to me.
He hunkered down and prepared himself for a long wait. This was most definitely going to be worth it.
CHAPTER TEN
CECELIA MARCHED DOWN TO the brook as soon as she had a free moment to herself. Her mother would hardly let the matter of the “supposed engagement” go long enough to leave her alone for a time.
She was going to skin that wolf alive!
Clutching the yellow rose, she veered down the path at record speeds. How dare he mention anything of their private conversations with anyone? And how dare he have the presumption to play matchmaker—or more like pity-maker—without her approval first. Of all the ridiculous harebrained schemes to come up with, sending the great Prince Alexander to rescue her had to be at the top of the idiocy chain!
And now look at the mess she was in.
The moronic prince refused to even refute one felicitous exclamation of joy in their honor! He sat with complete composure and a smile on his face, as if he were not fully aware of what was happening all around them. As if he did not for one moment realize the immense scandal and horrendousness that was about to unfold.
Once her mother had fallen, the serenity of the moment was completely gone. Gardeners, maids, footmen, stable boys, even the cook and Sanford came to see what the fuss was about. It took several people, including the prince, to remove her distraught mother to the chaise lounge in the blue parlor and revive her. But once she was fully herself again, Cecelia only wished her right back to oblivion. No sooner had she awoken did she begin to exclaim over the engagement once more. Except for this time it was in front of several onlookers!
And the inane prince should have his brains examined for the nonchalant way he sat there and grinned making a fool of Cecelia’s protests. Every time she would explain they were not engaged and her mother had misinterpreted, the buffoon would hold her hand and look deeply into her eyes, causing all the women in the room to swoon in giddiness.
Good great heavens!
She should strangle them both.
Cecelia placed the rose high upon the stone, guaranteeing it would not be missed. There was much she wanted to say to the beast and was grateful she had a few hours to put her thoughts together. As quickly as she’d come to the little stream, she made her way back. She did not have the luxury of blissful contemplation. Her mother would never allow her away from the house that long. The only way she’d be able to spend any time at the brook today would be later that night with the beast.
She’d never wished for anything more.
By the time Cecelia had managed to make her way down to the stream later that evening, it was well past ten o’clock and Alexander had been there over an hour. He hadn’t been sure what to do for her, and had spent a good deal of time sorting through the things in his possession to come up with something that might ease her anger a bit. He’d settled upon a heart-shaped locket, which was held together by a rose that doubled as a lock. There was a trick to the catch and one would not know the heart even opened, if they didn’t identify the secret.
Inside he had written on a small scroll of paper, with fine penmanship, a portion of the very poem he’d
The only thing to do now was wait and watch. With a smirk and a raise of his eyebrow, Lord Bellemount slipped to another part of the castle altogether—a long secret passage—and exited outside, through an opening of the garden statue. It was the perfect spot to watch all the comings and goings of the palace without being spotted, which was exactly what he needed to do. One way or another he would find out who this girl was and then she would be dead.
Frederick smiled. The poor prince would be in such an anguished state of losing his only love. Once she died, he would have nothing left within him to run the country and so would naturally abdicate to me.
He hunkered down and prepared himself for a long wait. This was most definitely going to be worth it.
CHAPTER TEN
CECELIA MARCHED DOWN TO the brook as soon as she had a free moment to herself. Her mother would hardly let the matter of the “supposed engagement” go long enough to leave her alone for a time.
She was going to skin that wolf alive!
Clutching the yellow rose, she veered down the path at record speeds. How dare he mention anything of their private conversations with anyone? And how dare he have the presumption to play matchmaker—or more like pity-maker—without her approval first. Of all the ridiculous harebrained schemes to come up with, sending the great Prince Alexander to rescue her had to be at the top of the idiocy chain!
And now look at the mess she was in.
The moronic prince refused to even refute one felicitous exclamation of joy in their honor! He sat with complete composure and a smile on his face, as if he were not fully aware of what was happening all around them. As if he did not for one moment realize the immense scandal and horrendousness that was about to unfold.
Once her mother had fallen, the serenity of the moment was completely gone. Gardeners, maids, footmen, stable boys, even the cook and Sanford came to see what the fuss was about. It took several people, including the prince, to remove her distraught mother to the chaise lounge in the blue parlor and revive her. But once she was fully herself again, Cecelia only wished her right back to oblivion. No sooner had she awoken did she begin to exclaim over the engagement once more. Except for this time it was in front of several onlookers!
And the inane prince should have his brains examined for the nonchalant way he sat there and grinned making a fool of Cecelia’s protests. Every time she would explain they were not engaged and her mother had misinterpreted, the buffoon would hold her hand and look deeply into her eyes, causing all the women in the room to swoon in giddiness.
Good great heavens!
She should strangle them both.
Cecelia placed the rose high upon the stone, guaranteeing it would not be missed. There was much she wanted to say to the beast and was grateful she had a few hours to put her thoughts together. As quickly as she’d come to the little stream, she made her way back. She did not have the luxury of blissful contemplation. Her mother would never allow her away from the house that long. The only way she’d be able to spend any time at the brook today would be later that night with the beast.
She’d never wished for anything more.
By the time Cecelia had managed to make her way down to the stream later that evening, it was well past ten o’clock and Alexander had been there over an hour. He hadn’t been sure what to do for her, and had spent a good deal of time sorting through the things in his possession to come up with something that might ease her anger a bit. He’d settled upon a heart-shaped locket, which was held together by a rose that doubled as a lock. There was a trick to the catch and one would not know the heart even opened, if they didn’t identify the secret.
Inside he had written on a small scroll of paper, with fine penmanship, a portion of the very poem he’d
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