A Deceptive Beauty

~ Chapter One ~

"Sometimes I wish I could just eat everything that we make," Annabelle Harper sighed in longing. She gazed at the delicious pastries that were baking in the fire oven. She was in the only bakery shop in the village, and was now watching her work bake in the oven.

"But if you did that, you would get fat and all the little children wouldn't get their yummy bread," Margaret Harper teased her younger sister.

Annabelle stuck her tongue out at her and giggled. The eldest sister, Catherine, just smiled fondly at the other two. Catherine was sitting on a bench behind the counter while Margaret was rolling new dough. Belle sat on the wooden chair near the fire oven with her palms on her cheeks and her elbows on her knees. Margaret rolled her eyes at Belle's child-like posture.

Although both Catherine and Margaret were married, they both kept Harper as their last name. They claimed it was for family pride, but they all knew better. They were just clinging on to the hope that they would regain their lost wealth.

The Harper girls once had a beautiful, grand home, and they used to be quite wealthy. They had been living happily with each other. Then, one day, a torrential storm came and swept away their house, their wealth, and their mother. The family was devastated and they eventually moved inlands after they couldn't stand the sight of the powerful ocean that took nearly everything away from them.

It had been around a decade since the storm, but the situation hadn't changed much.

At age twenty-one, Belle had a great burden on her shoulders. Her older sisters already married into other families and were well supported - but both Belle and her father were barely supported by her sisters, since they had to take care of their own families as well. Belle now needed to take care of both her father and herself. Or find a husband wealthy enough to help them both, which trampled any thought of independence.

She had been noticing eyes glancing her way and was faced with hard decisions. Heart or mind? Would she wait to marry for love and hope that she wouldn't have to worry about her father anymore? Or would she just marry someone just for financial benefits, even if they were wretched?

No matter the choice, it wouldn't be too hard to find a suitor. Belle was the last beauty of the village who wasn't married, but she was perhaps the most loveliest. With long dark-brown curls surrounding her face, Belle's jade-green eyes stood out, along with her high cheekbones and dainty nose. She almost looked like a fairy or an angel with her ethereal beauty.

"How appropriate. Look who's coming," Catherine sang, continuing the conversation. Belle turned to look to see what she meant. She saw a small figure from the corner of her eye.

"Belle! Belle!" A small voice cried. A little girl in a muddy dress ran into the shop and jumped at Belle. After a few seconds of clinging, the little girl lifted her face off of Belle's pinafore and gave her a giant smile.

The girl, Melanie, had rosy, cherub cheeks, long golden curls, and bright blue eyes. She was only six, but she certainly knew how to convince people, like Belle, to give her treats. The strategy that worked the best was to act like a sweet, adorable angel, which Belle thought she was.

"How are you, Melanie?" Belle smiled back at her.

The children of the village absolutely loved Belle. She would always play with them when she could, nurse their wounds, and give them secret treats. They all returned her affection, but Melanie was probably her favorite. Mostly because of her cheerful, innocent attitude.

"I'm great! Do you have a treat for me?" Melanie asked, whispering into Belle's ears. Belle winked at her. Although her sisters didn't mind her giving children little treats, Belle always told the kids to keep it as their little secret.