Beauty and the Beast: Retold Chapter Two

Author's note: I know I said in the description of the first chapter that these would be written from two perspectives, but that was a year ago and I lost motivation to do that, so...It will only be written from the main character's POV. Thanks and enjoy!

I awoke to the light of early morning hitting my eyes, blinding me awake. With a yawn, I slowly stretched and sat up, my chocolatey brown curls settling all over the place. Moving the hair from my face, I sleepily crawled out of bed, once again stretching the sleep out. It took me a moment to realize just where I was.

With a small start, I finally noticed that I wasn't in my bedroom at home, but in a completely different place entirely. A small smile graced my lips as I remembered what had happened, feeling grateful for Jarvis's kindness. It made me wonder, though, why such a sharp-looking man let this beautiful mansion go to such ruin. Sure, it was a lot to clean, but he obviously had plenty of time on his hands. I shrugged it off, though. After all, this was his home, not mine.

"All right...I should get going, then. The storm seems to have passed." I smiled some, collecting my cloak. I slipped it over my shoulders as I grabbed my basket, leaving the room.

As I walked down the hall, I checked my basket. Well, the pastries were all fine, but they were obviously cold. A sigh passed through me as I descended the stairs. How on Earth was I going to explain this to the client? No one liked cold cookies, after-

My train of thought was interrupted as I collided with someone, my body being knocked back a step. Expecting it to be Jarvis, I smiled apologetically as I looked up.

"I'm sorry, Jarvis, I'm afraid I wasn't-" I cut myself off. This wasn't Jarvis. The man before me wore a hood, his face completely covered. I could hardly even see his chin. He had backed up a couple steps, his posture extremely reserved. It was almost as if he was trying to hide while standing in front of me.

"...I'm sorry, I thought you were-"

"Who let you in here?" He cut me off, this time. I blinked in surprise.

"...Jarvis did. I'm sorry if I'm intruding. There was a snowstorm last night and he let me stay while it passed. I...I was just leaving." He lowered his head some more.

"Fine." He passed by without another word, almost as if he was trying to escape.

That was odd...

Shaking my head, I continued down the stairs, careful to be more aware of my surroundings. As I came to the bottom, Jarvis finally appeared.

"Ah, good morning, Miss! I trust you rested well?" I smiled.

"Yes, thank you so much. I'm sorry again for intruding."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Would you like some breakfast before heading out?" He bowed his head slightly, showing me quite the unneeded amount of respect.

"..Oh, ah, sure. Breakfast would be lovely." I smiled a bit wider. As the words left my mouth, my stomach quietly grumbled and I realized just how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Suddenly, however, I found myself remembering the man I ran into. "Jarvis, can I ask you a question?" I looked at him as he lead me to the dining room.

"Of course, Miss." He sat me down at an elegant table, already set with breakfast trays and plates.

"Well, I ran into someone on the stairs. A young man covered with a hood. He seemed very...reserved. Do you know who it was?" His smile dropped.

"...That was the young master of the house. He's not really the most sociable of men. Despite how rude it is, I'm afraid he won't be joining you for breakfast." He bowed his head apologetically.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I was just curious, is all." I smiled again, setting my basket beside me on the table.

"May I ask what that is, Miss?" He motioned to my basket.

"Oh, it's a delivery of mine; it's why I was out in the woods last night. Me and my father own a bakery in the village. And...you can call me Bella, you know."

"Of course, Miss Bella." I suppose that worked. "A bakery, you said? We haven't had pastries here in awhile. I feel the Young Master would love them. Would you mind if I ordered something?" He looked at me.

"Of course not! I'm afraid I don't have a list of what we sell with me, but the bakery is open just about everyday. We live in the nearby village, just a few miles down the path. The signs will show you the way, if you don't know how to get there."

"Delightful. You and your father will be hearing from us very soon. Enjoy your meal." With those words, he ducked out of the dining room, going to do whatever it was butlers did.

I suppose I wasn't very surprised to learn that such an extravagant mansion belonged to some wealthy recluse, rather than a butler-y gentleman. After all, why else would it be out in the middle of the woods, falling apart? Before I could lose myself in my musings, I picked up the fork and began eating. I was surprised by how delicious the food was! My father was an excellent cook, but even these pancakes beat his. Of course, I would never tell him that. I continued eating with a smile, filling my belly with the warm food.

--

After I had sufficiently stuffed myself full, I gathered my belongings and prepared to head out. Exiting the dining hall, I glanced around the area to see if I could find Jarvis, to say my thanks one last time. However, he was no where to be found. I shrugged it off, planning to say thank you after I grabbed my horse, then. I could only assume the stables were around the back, so I made my way outside through the large front doors and circled around the mansion. That, of course, took a good few minutes.

I eventually found the stables, and was pleasantly surprised to see the kind butler feeding my horse. With a grateful smile, I strode over.

"Thank you for feeding him," I stated, setting my basket on the saddle. He didn't even look up.

"Of course. It only makes sense that I feed both you and him." That did make sense, I suppose.

"Well, once you're done, me and my steed here will be off and out of your hair."

"So soon? Well, I suppose you do have work to do." He lightly chuckled, a grandfatherly grin plastering itself on his face. I smiled.

"Thank you for everything. I truly am grateful. In fact, you can have a discount on those pastries you buy." Winking, I giggled. Of course he would receive a discount.

"Oh, no need, Miss Bella. But thank you." He bowed his head as he stood straight, setting the bucket of feed aside. "He should be ready to go, then."

"Thank you." I bowed my head some as well, then climbed on.

As I made my way through the snow-covered grass and to the gate, I glanced around one more time. Despite the wear-and-tear, the mansion really was quite beautiful. Snow stuck attractively to the rooftops, small bunches falling here and there. Dried vines had been dyed white overnight, looking much less threatening than they had the night before. The frozen substance had created the illusion of filling in the cracks in the bricks, making the walls look much more complete. The house looked much more attractive, now. I wanted a good look so that I could tell my father everything. He would be curious about where I had stayed, after all.

I learned forward on my horse, opening the gate in front of us. As we passed through, I looked back one more time at the mansion behind me. Looking toward one of the many windows, I could have sworn I saw someone watching us leave.