The Beast And His Belle

Chapter 9

The next day was the first weekend they would spend together under the same roof. Belle had laid the ground out with Jackson and was curious to see how things between them would continue. But he kept to himself the entire day and they never crossed paths. She kept looking out at the greenhouse wanting to tend to the flowers but she had since been forbidden to go in there per Jackson's orders. She found herself longing for company and an escape as she grabbed a book out of her small collection. When she stepped out of her bedroom for a cup of tea, she heard the sweet sound of the piano keys coming to life from the west wing and she knew it was Jackson playing.

The delicate notes of the keys drew her in and down the hall but she didn't dare knock on the door again. Instead, she sat outside leaning against the wall of the hallway listening to the captivating beauty of the melody as it brought out the romantic mood of her favorite classic Pride and Prejudice. It wasn't until the music stopped that she looked up from her book in a panic and quickly got up, knocking her tea over spilling it all over her book. She ran down the hall back to her room hoping he didn't notice. She looked at the soiled and soaked pages of her book and noticed a chip in the teacup. Startled with a heavy pounding on her door, Belle opened it with a clenched stomach. Jackson stood in the doorway holding something small in the palm of his hand.
"Why were you outside my door?"
"I-I wasn't," she denied but he stepped in her room and walked straight to the cup sitting on the coffee table. From his hand he matched the tiny broken piece of the teacup together and looked up at her expecting a real answer.
"I was just listening to you playing."
"Well, don't! I told you not to go down my side of the house!"
"I don't understand why you hide it? You play so beautifully, Jackson."
"Mind your own business!" he spat angrily, making his way out of her room. "Dinner is at seven!" he said before slamming her door shut. She exaggeratedly rolled her eyes although he had already left. As if she'd be joining his ass for dinner, she thought!

***

As much as she didn't want to bother sitting with him during dinner, she was too starved to wait until the late hours of the night to get up and eat the leftovers standing in the light of the fridge. However, Belle had no intention of speaking to Jackson and brought her beloved book to keep her company.
"Am I just supposed to entertain myself while your head is buried in a book?" he said annoyed from across the table.
"I suppose so," Belle said, casually not lifting her eyes from the pages of her book.
"Fine! I'm sorry I yelled." His tone of voice sounded surprisingly apologetic so she finally lifted her eyes just above the book to see some sincerity in his face.
"How did you learn to play?" she asked and he subtly huffed under his breath.
"I don't play!" he denied again causing her to roll her eyes at him before burying her head in the book again. "What are you reading anyway?" He spat.
"A book!" Belle said with a sarcastic tone, not looking up.
"I'm not stupid!" he shouted offended.
"Neither am I," calmly she replied and silence filled the room with only the subtle huffs of Jackson's frustration.
"My mother taught me how to play when I was little, ok," he solemnly admitted. "She died when I was eleven."
Belle closed her book and set it down on the table. "I'm sorry. I know how it feels to lose someone you love," she said sincerely.
"You don't know anything!" he fell angry and tense again. "I have lost more people that I loved in my life than you could possibly know!" he shouted leaning his body over the table. "At least you still have a father who loves you!"
"Have or had?" Belle did the same stern lean over her end of the table throwing her anger back at him."Because if I recall I'm not allowed to see him anymore!"
"Dinner is served" Flora entered through the kitchen swinging door with a hot tray of plated food.
"Thank you, but I've lost my appetite!" Belle grabbed her book and screeched the chair back as she stormed out of the dining room.
As she passed through the kitchen in a huff, Belle's eyes met Flora's pitiful expression.
"Give him some time, my dear. He's trying," Flora said with a warm smile but it didn't relieve Belle's frustration at Jackson's inexcusable behavior and she continued on her way to her room.