Read Devastation: A Beauty and the Beast Novel Online

Authors: MJ Haag

Tags: #love, #classics, #fairy tale, #beauty and the beast, #beastly tales

Devastation: A Beauty and the Beast Novel (12 page)

BOOK: Devastation: A Beauty and the Beast Novel
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I turned to Mrs. Wimbly.

“Please see the potatoes stored. Henick will
return later with the onions.”

She glanced at Alec expectantly as I moved
to walk inside.

A moment after I cleared the door, Alec
followed. He didn’t speak as we left the kitchen; but in the hall,
he caught me by the waist and pulled me into the laundry. His arm
remained fixed over my stomach, anchoring my back to his chest. He
leaned forward until his lips almost touched my ear. My pulse
leapt.

“I said he was not to touch you.” The low
words spoken so close to my ear almost made me shiver.

“No,” I said slowly. “You said he wasn’t to
kiss me anymore. And he didn’t. Now, I need to let my father know
of the deal Henick and I struck so Henick can be paid when he
returns.”

Instead of releasing me, Alec tangled his
free hand in my hair.

“I don’t want him touching you, either,” he
said. The menace in his tone had me submitting to the insistent,
steady draw on my hair. His lips found the column of my neck. A
tingle spread where his mouth touched. “From the first day you
entered my lands, you were mine. No other will have you.”

I shivered.

“Don’t continue my torture, Benella. I miss
you. I miss the way we spent our days together.”

My heart skipped a beat. The memory of his
mouth on my skin, of his hands gripping my thighs, dimmed the
memory of the baker’s touch. I missed the days we’d spent together
too.

“Marry me,” he said, surprising me.

“I cannot.”

He dropped his hands and yelled his
frustration. The sudden noise startled me. I spun to face him. His
angry gaze pierced me.

“I asked you when I had nothing to offer but
myself, and you refused me. I ask again, now offering you a title
and modest wealth. But you refuse me still. What exactly am I
missing?” He paced before me, his relentless scowl never turning
away.

“My answer remains. I do not know you.”

“How do you not know me? You know I can
barely cook an edible meal, abhor arithmetic, and irritate easily.
You know you need never fear me, that I would never harm you.” He
lifted his hand to stroke my cheek where he once had hurt me. “That
I cannot sleep unless I am beside you. That you can calm me with a
touch or a word. That I search you out just to hear you. You know
there will never be another for me. That there is only you.” He
dropped his hand. “Yet, you say you cannot...I say you stubbornly
will
not. What is left to know?”

I stepped back from him and looked about the
room.

“I gave up my freedom in exchange for my
father’s life, and the more I learned about you, the more I wanted
to stay. I saw something in you worth helping, and my heart broke
for you each time you tried to win back your freedom and
failed.

“You say you need me. I’ve always known
that. You asked what I still need to know...” I took a breath and
pressed on. “When faced with the decision of saving the people here
from re-enchantment or saving me, you choose your people. I
understand your reasons. I’m not angry. Yet, I do not believe you
can ever love me as much as I have loved you.”

Alec turned scarlet, his gaze
thunderous.

A cough echoed outside the laundry room, and
Egrit stepped in.

“Lord Ruhall, Mr. Hovtel wants to speak with
you.”

Alec didn’t glance at me as he stormed from
the room. Egrit gave me a look I couldn’t quite decipher then
left.

I quickly made my way to the ballroom where
I spent the rest of my day scrubbing the floor and avoiding Lord
Ruhall. I would speak to Father about Henick tomorrow.

* * * *

A warm hand on my abdomen woke me. My
stomach lurched sickeningly at the same time a tingle of awareness
crept through me. I took a moment to remind myself it wasn’t the
baker touching me. He was gone.

Alec held me from behind with his arm draped
over my waist. His hand didn’t move but rested possessively on my
bare skin just below my navel. He slept peacefully with me, just as
he’d said.

Yet, knowing it was Alec didn’t lift my
unease at being touched by a furless hand. Breathing slowly through
my nose, I tried to focus on a more pleasant memory than the baker.
I remembered the beast kissing his way from my breast to my stomach
and lower still. My breathing quickly grew shallow, and I warmed
considerably. Perhaps that wasn’t the best memory on which to
dwell. I struggled to push away the recollection, but the feel of
his tongue rasping between my legs lingered.

Dislodging Alec’s hand, I rolled onto my
stomach. Though I’d successfully banished my unease, it took a
while for the new sensations to fade and for sleep to find me once
more.

* * * *

The following morning, I woke before Egrit
arrived. I quickly dressed and left the room. Wary of Lord Ruhall’s
mood, I chose to clean and forgo breakfast. The ballroom and
connecting parlors were spotless, and Egrit and Mrs. Palant had
agreed to start on the main sitting room at the front of the manor.
However, the room remained empty and untouched.

Just as I was leaving, I collided with
Swiftly.

“I’m sorry, Miss Hovtel,” he said, quickly
reaching out to steady me.

“No need for apology. I’m right and well.”
My heart still hammered from the unexpected impact, though. For
half a moment, I’d thought him Alec.

“Meaning you can release her, Swiftly,” Alec
said from somewhere behind me.

Annoyance laced his words, and I recalled
his reaction when Henick had walked with me. I inwardly cringed,
and Swiftly immediately dropped his hand.

“Was there something you needed?”

Unsure to which of us he spoke, I remained
facing Swiftly. Swiftly stepped away from me and looked at a point
beyond me.

“I’ve run out of nails.”

“There’s a smith in the village, according
to Miss Hovtel. Take this and get what you need.”

A coin flipped through the air, and gold
glinted in the early morning light. Swiftly caught the coin easily.
He nodded and was about to turn away when I realized I’d be left
alone with Alec.

“I should help,” I said, moving to catch up
to Swiftly. “I’m better at wheedling a fair price.”

Alec remained quiet behind us.

It wasn’t until we were halfway to Konrall
that I realized what I’d done. I’d offered to face the people who’d
been present at my near rape. My steps slowed noticeably.

“Miss Hovtel?”

My stomach clenched, and I struggled to
breathe through it.

“Benella, you look pale. Are you feeling
faint?”

Exhaling slowly, I shook my head.

“Not in the least. Just settling a moment in
my mind.”

“I can negotiate the price of nails,” he
said softly. “You need not accompany me.”

“I swear I’m right and well. Besides, I must
visit the candle maker. We’ll need large, tall pillars for the
feast. Bigger than anything we have.”

“Then I’ll take you there. You can inquire
about candles while I speak with the smith. I’ll return for you
when my business is complete.”

I nodded, glad I didn’t have to return to
the manor just yet and equally glad I could avoid the Coalre
family.

The candle maker greeted me with a smile
when he opened the door.

“Benella, welcome. Come in, come in.” As
soon as he stepped aside, Swiftly turned away to go to the
smithy.

“It’s been too long, dear child. How are
you?”

“Well, and you?”

He snorted.

“Well? I doubt well. I heard what happened.”
He patted my hand and led me to the chair near the fire. “Sit.”

“You heard? From who?”

“Your sister. She needed candles. She’s a
mean one, that girl. Silly twit to try to put the blame on you. A
harsh tongue for one carrying another man’s babe.”

My eyes rounded, and he laughed at me as he
sat in his chair. “I’m old but my eyes and ears work well. There is
plenty of yelling coming from the bakery of late. Edmund’s a good
man. Shame he didn’t know about your sister before it was too
late.”

I had no idea what to say, so I remained
quiet for a moment.

“Did you receive your invitation to the
harvest feast?” I asked finally.

“I did. I hear we’ll have some fancy apple
pastries.”

“And cider, meat pies, and smoked fish. The
menu isn’t set yet. Like everything at the estate, it needs
work.”

“So what can I do for you?”

“I need pillars to light the ballroom once
the sun sets.”

“Do you have stands?”

“How tall would they need to be?”

“About five feet to keep the flame away from
the children. And wide to keep the flame from a lady’s hair.”

“We don’t have them yet, but we will.”

“I’m guessing you’ll need a dozen big
pillars. The fire will be lit, most likely.”

“Yes.”

He hummed to himself and looked at his
shelves.

“I can do it, but it’ll take all the wax I
have. When the night’s done, I’ll collect the remaining wicks and
wax. Since I’m taking more than half back, I’ll halve the price. A
blunt silver for each candle.”

A little over a gold for a dozen
pillars.

“The price is more than fair. Since you’ll
need to stay until the end, I’ll have a room readied for—”

He laughed.

“There is no need for that. I’ll walk home
and sleep comfortably in my own bed.”

“Then, I insist Swiftly bring you home.
You’ll have too much wax to carry safely in the dark.”

“Very well.”

Swiftly’s knock ended my visit, and before I
left, I promised to send payment the same day.

After we returned to the manor, I sent
Swiftly back with the required coin while I helped clean the front
sitting parlor. I was content to lend my assistance and avoid Alec.
I’d upset him with my rejection and with my reason for doing so. No
doubt he felt there was more to say on the topic. In my mind, there
wasn’t.

The next day, I successfully managed the
same evasion. Though he did almost catch me alone in the laundry;
however, his distinctive stride had given me enough warning to slip
out the door. I’d waited around the corner with bated breath until
he quit the room once more, cursing softly.

The nights proved more difficult as I
continued to leave the door between our rooms unlocked. I’d debated
locking them but thought it would only aggravate him further. Since
he didn’t accost me as I slept and only held me close, I continued
to allow his nightly visits.

My feelings toward Alec were confusing. With
a glance, he could change my pulse or just as likely annoy me. I
found his dedication to returning the estate to its former glory
admirable; but at the same time, I resented that he’d put it before
me. I pitied him his continued scrutiny from Rose but wanted to
shake him senseless for his close observance of me.

Rather than attempt to resolve how I felt, I
chose not to think of it at all and drifted through my days,
keeping busy with feast preparations.

Before twelve days had passed, much of the
lower floor shined from our collective efforts.

* * * *

“Two weeks before the feast,” Egrit said as
she entered my room.

I groaned and burrowed under the covers.

“Come now. You have things to do today. Lord
Ruhall needs you to go to the Water with Swiftly. The carriage is
waiting for you out front.”

I sat up in bed, pushing down the covers
with the motion.

“Why am I going to the Water?”

“He didn’t say.” Egrit moved to my wardrobe
and pulled out the dress she’d washed. She tossed it to me as I
slid from bed. “But I’m sure it has to do with the feast. Swiftly
probably knows more.”

“Instead of the carriage, see if we can take
the wagon,” I said, unabashedly stripping from my shirt in my hurry
to dress. “If we’re going to the Water, we should take the spare
milk we have.”

“A sound plan.”

“Have Swiftly meet me in the kitchen,” I
said as my head cleared the neckline of the dress. It took a moment
for me to right myself and notice that Egrit was no longer
there.

After quickly washing my face and teeth, I
left my room. The rapid click of my boot heels echoed in the hall.
It had been over a week since we’d last delivered milk. I wondered
how much milk we had in storage and hoped it would be enough to
give some to each home as we had before.

Swiftly waited in the kitchen and stood when
I entered.

“Good morning,” I said with a smile. “I
apologize for the change in plans but thought we could take the
milk as promised.”

“I’ve plans for the milk, Miss,” Mrs. Wimbly
said from her place at the butcher’s block. She was kneading dough
and didn’t look up as she spoke.

“Plans?”

“For soft cheese.”

“How much cheese do you plan to make?”

“As much as the milk in storage will give
me.” A hard note had crept into her voice.

I studied her for a moment. She always
seemed so busy with the food preparations she currently maintained.
I wondered how she would find the time to make cheese, too.

“I see. How much milk is in storage?”

“Sixteen small barrels, Miss Hovtel,” Kara
said. Mrs. Wimbly’s movements stumbled then resumed. Sixteen seemed
a bit much for our small household.

“Thank you, Kara.” I focused on Mrs. Wimbly.
“How much soft cheese do you estimate a single barrel will
provide?”

“Miss Hovtel, I have duties assigned to me
by Lord Ruhall. I can’t stand about chatting with you all day. If
you’ll excuse me...” She left the room in a huff, and I stared
after her.

Despite Mr. Crow’s admonition to treat me
with respect, she seemed to be having a hard time of it. The why
puzzled me as I’d been nothing but courteous to her.

“If you take all but three, there should be
plenty,” Kara said softly, watching the door.

BOOK: Devastation: A Beauty and the Beast Novel
11.1Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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