Cloaks and Roses: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Searching

Three Months Later

***

Isabelle

***

Isabelle woke to a knock at her door. She yawned and sat up, grabbing a robe from the chair at her desk, and opened the door.

Jacques stood, a wrapped present in his hands, a wide grin on his face. A servant stood behind him, a tray of food and a rose in her hands.

Isabelle beckoned them in, forcing a smile on her face. 

"Happy  birthday!" Jacques exclaimed.

"You shouldn't have," Isabelle admonished.

"But I wanted to."

She smiled, a genuine smile this time, and sat at her desk. Jacques hopped onto her tall bed and the servant set the tray down and left with a 'happy birthday' in her direction.

Isabelle unwrapped the box, putting the ribbon on Jacques's head, and picked up the beautiful rose brooch. Her mouth dropped open.

"Oh..."

"It's real gold," he explained. "Painted to look more real."

Isabelle held it gingerly. "Oh, Jacques, it's perfect. Thank you."

He smiled. "I'm just happy to see you smiling for once."

Her smile dimmed, not even the beautiful brooch enough to keep her happy.

"I'm sorry I've been so down. It's just..."

"I understand," he said sadly. He patted her shoulder in a brotherly manner. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Louis Chaput is a fool."

She hung her head. "No."

"He is!" he insisted. "Anyone who could possibly let you go is a fool."

She patted his hand. "Thank you, Jacques. And thank you for my brooch. I love it."

"I just wish you could be happy on your birthday."

"I am happy," she lied.

He shook his head. "You won't fool me with that. But thank you for trying."

He left her alone to her thoughts. They went to Louis; they always did.

***

Louis

***

Louis woke Gabrielle up on March eleventh, trying not to think of the fact that it was Isabelle's birthday. Or that he hadn't seen her since December eleventh, exactly three months ago. 

Gabrielle joined him for breakfast. It was quiet until she broke the silence.

"I miss Belle," she said sadly.

Louis nearly dropped his fork. "I didn't know you were close to Isabelle," he finally replied.

"She let me sleep with her when I was scared or sad," she told him. "And she was really fun."

Louis felt a pang in his chest. 

"I miss her too," he murmured.

Gabrielle looked up at him, her eyes sad. "Then why don't you find her?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't speak. He'd found her, hadn't he? So why couldn't he find Isabelle?

He dropped his fork and hopped up from his seat, kissing Gabrielle on the head as he ran to his office- he'd moved out of the study, unable to go in the room.

He sat at his desk and started writing.

***

Isabelle

***

March slowly turned into April, and Jacques found a little cottage for Isabelle. He helped her move in and promised he would be back soon to check on her. He was only minutes away.

She lit a fire in the stone fireplace and made her bed. She swept the floor and set out her meager possessions. When she finished, dusk had come. She made food for herself and sat at the table, looking out the window.

She wasn't sad today- just lonely. Very, very lonely.

***

Louis

***

Louis told Gabrielle good-bye and began his week-long journey to his first lead on Isabelle. 

It was getting warm, finally, and he was sweating under his cloak. He wished he could take it off, but he knew better.

A little voice in the back of his mind told him that Isabelle hadn't flinched or pulled away at his scars- but he shut it out. She hadn't pulled back, but she hadn't seen them.

So he kept the cloak and rode on.

~~~~~~~~

Louis reached the countryside and slowed his horse to a trot, looking for the little farmhouse he suspected she could live in. 

He spotted it, tucked away behind a huge oak tree and a few pine trees. He tied the horse to a pine and walked up the lane to the door. He knocked, his heart pounding in anticipation.

A blonde girl, the same height as Isabelle but not as slender and with brown eyes opened it, and he knew his investigator had been wrong.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid I'm at the wrong residence. Pardon me."

She smiled. "Okay, then. Have a nice day."

And so he returned home, a whole week wasted.

He wouldn't give up, though- he would find her.