All my love, for the rest of time,
Your Papa
P.S. No matter what you choose to do with your life, no matter how many mistakes you make, I am and will always be proud of you.
Belle read it three more times, the tears spilling from her eyes just as the rain broke free from the clouds and began to fall from the sky.
Chapter XVI
After a long moment, Belle decided to go to the town's graveyard. It was rather small and adjacent to the church, a few miles into town. After slipping on an old rider's jacket and then tucking the note securely in the inside pocket of the jacket, she went over to where they kept the saddles hung, and after spending a moment picking out the particular one she wanted, she walked back over to Scarlet and slipped into her stable. It did not take long for Belle to get the horse ready to ride. Scarlet, obvious to the fact that she was going to get some exercise, snorted and rocked her head in both impatience and excitement.
As soon as Belle was readying herself to hop on the horse's back, Brylee walked in swiftly, her brow pushed down and her hands balled into fists. When she noticed what her older sister was planning to do, her face turned slightly red with frustration.
"Are you mad?" she exclaimed, as Belle slipped a foot in the stirrup before swinging her right leg over and doing the same with her right foot. "It's raining!"
"I did not notice," Belle told her younger sister dryly. She gently grabbed the reins and held them firmly in her hands. Her gaze turned serious as she regarded her sister. "Brylee, I have just found that Papa has passed away. I have not yet paid my respects to him. Please, sister. This is something I feel I must do. Tell everyone inside to start supper without me; I'll be along shortly."
Brylee looked up at her sister and knew it was foolish to argue with her when it was something Belle was so keen on doing. In all honesty, she should have realized sooner that Belle would pull something like this. Walking over to the lit lantern, Brylee nodded silently. She took the light into her hand and handed it to her sister, a soft look of worry crossing her features.
"It is dark out there," she explained. "It is only worse that it is raining. Please be careful, and return home soon. I do not know what I will tell them."
"You're smart Brylee," Belle replied, glancing at Brylee's wet umbrella in her hand. "I am sure you will figure out something to tell everyone." With that, the woman gently placed her heels into the horse's side, indicating that it was time to go. The horse neighed and then took off, out the doors and into the rain. With one hand on the reigns, the other clasping the lantern, the two exited the Rochester grounds and disappeared into the darkness.
Belle actually laughed for a moment as she felt the rain consume not only her, but her horse as well. She was thankful she had brought the warm coat because that was her only source of warmth. The horse's red fur was getting soaked, as was Belle's hair, attire and skin, but neither seemed to mind. It was almost cleansing, and she wished the rain had the power to absolve sin from the flesh. Onward she continued, the light from the lantern shaking, but Belle could not tell if it was because of the horse's gallops or because she was shivering.
I probably should have worn gloves, she thought, but now it was too late; they were nearly there.
---
Aaron took a seat at the very pristine dining table. Next to him, there was an empty seat, obviously reserved for his wife. At the head of the table, Horace sat, waiting patiently for everyone to join him. Opposite her husband sat Nancy, who kept glancing at the clock. The older woman looked worried, and Aaron wondered why. They had found Belle; should she not be happy? Her fingers rolled almost hypnotically on the table as every second tipped away. The pirate captain rather would have focused on this woman rather than the man sitting across from him.
Commodore Dustin Commack had not changed since that fateful day in the Caribbean Sea, a few miles from New Providence. How long ago was that day? Maybe two years ago, maybe a bit longer, but Aaron remembered it like it happened only yesterday. The man had put on a few pounds since then; he was big now, with a protruding stomach. Standing at five foot ten, Aaron still towered over him, and he hoped that his height had not given him away. However, it would appear that Commack did not recognize Aaron, or at least, not yet. With short, brown hair and gold eyes, Commack was highly sought after by women, mostly for his status as a ranking officer in the Royal Navy. And the thing that Aaron absolutely detested on the man; that smirk of his that conveyed how he deserved such a title, how he was better than everyone he had previously encountered.
It had been on a night, much like this one; stormy, windy, and downright cold. Aaron and his crew had just dispersed some of his acquired wealth to the people he found deserving in New Providence, and was heading back to Tortuga to give out the rest. That was when his ship was intercepted by Commack's ship, the Golden Belle. He had to give it to Commack, however; the commodore had sneaked up on him. A battle had broken out, taking place on both decks of the ships. Both Aaron and Commack had lost good men to the other side, and soon crimson was entwining with the rainwater and staining the decks. Aaron had been fighting a random soldier, his attention solely focused on the man in front of him, when Commack had slipped behind him and stabbed him, quite literally, in the back. Luckily, Aaron had survived because of his very skillful physician, but the scar was there, and would never go away.
It was then that Brylee walked in, closing her umbrella. Aaron looked at the young woman, silently wondering where Belle was. She took a seat next to Commack, who leaned towards her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Aaron's eyes narrowed in Brylee's direction; she did not seem to enjoy it, but then Brylee's face was usually passive, so it was hard to decipher.
"Why have we not started eating?" Commack questioned, glancing between both Master and Misses Rochester.
"We are waiting on my wife," Aaron said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice and succeeding only partially.
"Ah," Commack said, nodding in approval. "If she does not know we are waiting on her to dine, should you not go and fetch her? I say, it is quite rude to be the last one at the dining table, especially if one is a guest."
Aaron bit the inside of his bottom lip to keep from retorting something that would most probably get him thrown out of the house. Instead, he took his glass in his hand and took a rather large gulp of red wine. The smooth velvet liquid slid down his throat, warming his inside and calming him down a fraction. It would be very satisfying if he had some lit tobacco in his hand as well, but he could not be picky, at least not now.
His dark eyes glanced at the front door. Where the hell was Belle? he wondered.
---
It was a small headstone with just his name and the year he was born, as well as the year he had passed on. She slowed the horse, and slid off her before walking to a nearby tree and tying the reigns to a branch. This way, the horse would have some shelter from the rain. Belle, on the other hand, walked over to her grandfather's gravesite. She looked at it with sorrow and disappointment, before kneeling towards the headstone and tracing his engraved name with her fingers.
"I miss you," she whispered, but even she could not hear her own words due to the volume of the rain, "but I am glad you are with me for now, and forever." She paused, before saying, "I love you more than anything in this world." With that, she kissed the large 'O', his first initial of his first name, before departing and heading back to her horse. After untying the horse and mounting her, Belle quickly returned home.
A stable boy greeted her, claiming that Brylee had sent for him to take care of Scarlet while she dried off. Belle thanked the boy, who took the horse and the lantern from her and headed into the shelter of the stables. Belle turned and headed back into her house, a small smile on her face. However, when she walked in she felt her body tense so tightly that she could not move. Her eyes were fixed on the man sitting next to her sister, the man who took from her what only she could give. She hated to admit it, but she was scared of him, just as she had been
all those years ago.
He was back. Commodore Dustin Commack was right there, before her, and it did not look like he was going anywhere.
Chapter XVII
"This," Aaron said, standing up and walking over to the very drenched Belle, "is my wife. I am sure you are somewhat familiar with her; Belle Rochester…" He chuckled, shaking his head, and then glanced down. "My mistake - Belle Donald." He glanced down at his wife and squeezed her side, causing her to look up at him. He smiled down at her. "How long have we been married, dear? I keep referring to you by your birth name."
Belle relaxed at Aaron's façade he was painting, and smiled up at him sweetly. "Well, dear, we have been married for two years now, though we've known each other for five," she said. "I am beginning to fear that you may not want me as your wife since you seem unable to pair my first name with your last name."
Aaron chuckled and leaned down towards her, imitating an intimate gesture. "You know I love you more than anything in the world," he told her lowly, but enough so that people could overhear.
"Well, Miss Belle," Dustin said, his eyes following the curves of her body before meeting her eyes once again. Belle felt herself squeeze closer to Aaron, denying not even to herself at the fear she felt in his mere presence. "I have not seen you in eight years. My, you look… much older than before."
"That is what eight years does to a person," Belle muttered in a dark tone, casting her eyes away.
"Belle, dear," Nancy said, standing up. "You looked absolutely drenched. I do not know what you were doing out in the rain, and to be honest, I probably do not want to know. You need to change into something warmer lest you catch the flu!" She glanced over at her daughter, and raised her brow expectantly. "Brylee, please go aide your sister. We will start supper because it looks as though it may have already gotten cold."
"That is all right Mother," Belle said, glancing at her mother almost stoically as Brylee stood up and walked over to stand next to Belle. "I do not have much of an appetite anyways."
Aaron released his hold on the young women and the two sisters headed up the stairs. Awkward silence hung over the four remaining people. Aaron rubbed his hands together and plastered on a smile. "Well then," he said, glancing at the dining table. "Let's eat, shall we?"
---
Once Belle and Brylee were both in Belle's room, Brylee shut the door behind her. Her fingers immediately sought out the damp laces of her sister's corset. It was harder to undo because the wetness had soaked through the lace. If the positions had been switched, and it was Belle who was untying Brylee's corset, she would have no problem undoing them. Belle always had a knack for untying knots, no matter how tight they were. It was not very common when Belle had to put her talent into effect, but it was practical, and in times like this, very useful. However, Brylee was making due.
"I do not want you to marry Dustin Commack," Belle said in a whisper, even though the sisters were most certainly alone.
Brylee paused in her ministrations and a glare contorted her features, despite her understanding that Belle could not see her. "Belle, let us not start this again," she said, her voice tight. "I have seen you after ten long years and I do not wish to fight with you. Let us agree to disagree." She continued to untie the damp string as Belle tensed.
"Brylee, please," Belle said firmly, turning her head to the side so she could regard her younger sister as best as she could. "You must trust me concerning this matter."
"Trust you?" Brylee asked, just as the last ruminants of the knots had ceased. She took a couple of steps back, knowing that once Belle got her mind wrapped around something, she would forget about everything else, including to change. "Says the sister who runs away for no apparent reason save that she can? You left no note, no indication of why you made this dramatic decision, and no word of goodbye. We did not know if you were still alive, Belle! You cannot imagine what kind of pain we went through when we lost you."
"Did you ever think that maybe I ran away for a reason?" Belle demanded, holding her corset to her chest as she whirled around to face her sister.
"Whatever the reason, it was still a selfish thing for you to do," Brylee returned, heading to Belle's wardrobe and roughly examining the dresses before picking a relatively loose light blue one and tossing it to her. "Do you think I initially wanted to marry Dustin Commack? Of course not, Belle! I want to marry my own Prince Charming. But since you disappeared, breaking a very important deal between our family and his, our parents had no choice but to offer me up as second-helpings. How do you think that feels, being second-helpings to a sister's shadow I cannot live up to?"
"Then why are you doing this?" Belle asked, pushing her brows up as she slid behind a changing curtain. "You know that if you spoke seriously to Mother how you do not want to go through with the nuptials, she will not make you. She will not!"
"It is my duty!" Brylee exclaimed, stamping her foot in exasperation. "I cannot help it! Because you have turned against our family by disappearing, I now have to be nearly perfect. Father is worried I will follow in your footsteps and run away as well."
Belle suddenly popped her head around the curtain, her green eyes wide. A slow smile slid across her face and she looked at her sister with a dull, mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "That's brilliant, Bry," she whispered, and her head disappeared as she fit into her dress. When she finished, she walked out from the dressing curtain and over to her sister, turning around so that Brylee could retie her corset. "Come away with Aaron and me," she said as Brylee began to help her sister lace the corset. "Before you reject the idea, Brylee, please hear me out. You know that Papa would have wanted you to travel the world before you settled down and had a family, correct? And I have heard you do not have to get married until you turn one-and-twenty, which is not for another four months. In that time, come away with Aaron and me. If you still wish to be married, we will return you in time for your wedding."
Brylee paused, but she did not initially refuse. This made Belle very hopeful.
"Why do you not like Commodore Commack?" she asked, curious.
Belle stopped, thinking very hard before replying, "Brylee, that man is a poison that will intoxicate your body until the day you die. Maybe one day I will relay to you why I do not like him, but now is not the time. I need your trust on this issue, Brylee. Please, give me your trust."
"I do not think Mother and Father would approve of me leaving suddenly," Brylee said, still doubtful but there was a touch of interest in her voice.
"I think that if we talk to Mother, tell her how Papa would have wanted each of us to travel the world before we married," Belle said with a smile on her face. She could save her sister from that wretched man. "Tell her that we sisters desire nothing more than to catch up, and how my husband is incredibly supportive. Then she will be on our side, and if anyone can sway Father, you know it is Mother."
"That is true," Brylee agreed, with a small smile on her face. When she finished tying up Belle's corset, she led her older sister out of the room and into the wash room. "Belle, I am not so sure. I highly doubt Dustin will be happy with this impulsive arrangement." She picked up and towel and began to dry her older sister's hair.
"Brylee, you are not married to that man yet," Belle said, her voice unwavering, anger at Dustin flaring up. "This has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with you. He cannot make your decisions yet, only you can. Think about it; this may be the last grand decision you get to make without his input." She paused, enjoying the way Brylee gently rubbed her head with the towel. "So?" she asked, slightly worried Brylee might change her mind. "What say you?"
"I say…" Brylee began before letting her voice trail off. She reached around and grabbed a brush from a nearby table before she began to gently brush Belle's messy tresses. "I say that yes, I would love to go with you and your husband." She paused. "Where exactly are we going though, Belle?"
Belle laughed, genuinely happy for the first time that night, and grabbed Brylee's free hand an
d squeezing it. "That is the best part about this whole thing, Brylee," she said. "We do not know! We can go anywhere we wish!"
Chapter XVIII
Belle and Brylee both returned downstairs, and with Brylee leading, the two entered the dining room. While Brylee went around to sit next to her newly betrothed, Belle made sure to avoid any and all eye contact with the Commodore as she took her place next to Aaron. Aaron's eyes immediately peered at Belle from the corner of his dark eyes, noticing her sudden change in demeanor. She looked calm, content, and as a result, her face appeared more natural, youthful. Aaron decided that he liked it very much, but his curiosity wanted to know just what she had done, what Brylee had done, to cause Belle to visibly relax.
"You know, Mister Donald," Dustin Commack said, sitting up straighter as he leaned his arm on the back of Brylee's chair. Belle narrowed her eyes at it, wondering if the man was trying to upset her with a gesture as simple as that. "You are interestingly enough, very familiar. Have we met before?"
Belle shifted her eyes so they were now looking at Aaron's sharp profile. She didn't know how he did it, but he managed to keep his face as passive as possible, revealing absolutely nothing.
"I was thinking the same thing, in fact!" Horace exclaimed with a twinkle in his hazel eyes.
"I can assure you that we have not met," Aaron said slowly, and Belle recognized that the man was trying to control his voice as best he could to make sure he wasn't giving anything away. If he was doing that much to make sure he revealed absolutely nothing about who he really was, then Dustin Commack was more dangerous than Belle originally believed. "I am sure that if we had, I would remember you."
"That does not take away from the fact that you have a familiar face," Horace said just as the servants entered the dining room from the swinging door that connected to the kitchen with the first course of dinner on plates, ready to be served. Horace paid them no mind as he glanced over at his daughter. "I say Arabella, did you think you recognized him before you decided to marry him?"
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