Beast and Beatrice

Chapter two - Gilbert

  Gilbert looked down into the face of an angel. There was simply no other way to describe the ethereal beauty who had literally just fallen into his arms. Flaming red hair and pale, porcelain complexion. It was difficult to make out details in the darkness of the crumbling east corridor, but enchanting was the word that came to mind. Gently, he shifted her in his arms, working one hand free to stroke back the copper curls from her face.  There was definitely a clammy dampness to her skin. Even through her clothes, he could feel the intense heat emanating off her. Definitely, a raging fever. He almost cursed aloud. She would need constant nursing if she were to survive. And since he was the only one here, it would be up to him to tend to her. Whether he wished to or not. He couldn't allow another woman to die under his care. Perhaps, by saving this stranger, he might atone for his previous failure.

He slid his free arm under her knees and hoisted her up to his chest. Soft, perfectly luscious, well-rounded curves pillowed against hard muscle, making him think of other, less innocent, pursuits. Any other man might find such roundness unattractive. Some might even go so far as to snear and call her plump, but Gilbert had always preferred softly rounded, curvaceous women. And she curved in all the right places. Even if she was rather petite. Not tiny exactly, definitely small, but then, anyone standing beside him looked small.

He towered over the majority of men and dwarfed most women. Many people were leary simply because of his massive proportions. And his inability to speak in his own defense only worsened their opinions. It was just one more reason why he chose an isolated existence. Better to avoid narrow-minded society with its endless misunderstandings and conflicts. Living here in this crumbling castle gave him the peace and quiet he sought. A solitary existence but a safe retreat.

The last thing he expected was to have his solitude shattered by a frantic knock on his door. It was even more surprising to throw open the door and have a lone woman literally fall into his arms. He had watched in dismay as her wide-eyed gaze filled with terror the moment she'd glimpsed his face. Then those brilliant emerald eyes had rolled back into her head, and she fainted dead away. Not that he blamed her.

No doubt, he was a scary sight, his face unshaven, his hair and beard scruffy and unkempt. Anyone would have been frightened to meet up with such a disreputable looking fellow in the darkness. But what was a lone female doing out in the midst of dense forest, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night?

Something drastic had to have happened to drive a little bit of a thing like her away from the comfort of hearth and home. Whether the threat was real or imagined, he couldn't say. Obviously, she had been desperate indeed to beat at the door of this crumbling castle in hopes of shelter. But all this standing around, speculating on the reason, was not going to accomplish anything. If the woman was going to survive, he needed decisive action, now.

With this thought in mind, he whirled, kicking the door shut with his boot heel. The wooden panel made a satisfying thunk as he turned into the path. It was one of his first projects, that door. Little more than a gaping hole when he first arrived, he quickly set to work building and inserting that door. Even fashioning the hardware himself and he was quite happy with the way they all turned out. Not that he was any expert at blacksmithing, but he had done his best with the tools at hand. Careful not to jar the woman in his arms, he leaned down to pluck the lantern from the floor and cautiously proceeded down the winding corridor. He had yet to do more than clear a path through the rubble here in this part of the castle, so he had to step carefully. It was a long way through the majority of the old building to reach the only part he had renovated for himself.

Finally, he reached the end of the hall and pushed open the temporary door he'd rigged up there. It helped to block off drafts from the many cracks and openings in the massive crumbling castle. As he stepped through to the warmth of the kitchen, he blew out a grateful sigh. Everything here was strong and sound. The masonry was solid, the fireplace fully restored and functional. He had even managed to fabricate a few necessary pieces of furniture.