Beauty and the Beast [A modern day tale]

After lunch the three ladys left.

Bella had not said a word she just watched everything.

"I'm sorry Bella, I did not want to get you in the middle of that. My father was suppose to make my mother leave us alone for a month." Zane said.

Still Bella said nothing and he started to get worried.

"Bella, I had a deal with my dad, If I could get you to love me back he would call off the wedding if not I would marry Heather." He had told her the truth.

Bella still did not say anything. "Please believe me I never want to hurt you and use you but this time I could not let you go." Zane was getting desperate.

"Say something anything." He begged.

She said nothing but got up. He was thinking she was upset and was leaving the room when she crawled up into his arms and kissed his cheek.

He smiled. Then wrapped his arms around her. She groaned in pain and he let up little. She snuggled close and picked up her book.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ OH, IF I COULD BUT SHIVER! cont:

As soon as the boy reached the belfry, and turned himself round to seize the rope, he saw upon the stairs, near the sounding-hole, a white figure.

"Who's there?" he called out; but the figure gave no answer, and neither stirred nor spoke.

"Answer," said the boy, "or make haste off; you have no business here to-night." But the sexton did not stir, so that the boy might think it was a ghost.

The boy called out a second time, "What are you doing here? Speak, if you are an honest fellow, or else I will throw you downstairs."

The sexton said to himself, "That is not a bad thought"; but he remained quiet as if he were a stone.

Then the boy called out for the third time, but it produced no effect; so, making a spring, he threw the ghost down the stairs, so that it rolled ten steps, and then lay motionless in a corner.

Thereupon he rang the bell, and then going home, he went to bed without saying a word, and fell fast asleep.

The sexton's wife waited some time for her husband, but he did not come; so at last she became anxious, woke the boy, and asked him if he knew where her husband was, who had gone before him to the belfry.

"No," answered the boy; "but there was someone standing on the steps who would not give any answer, nor go away, so I took him for a thief and threw him downstairs. Go now and see where he is; perhaps it may be he, but I should be sorry for it."

The wife ran off and found her husband lying in a corner, groaning, with one of his ribs broken. She took him up and ran with loud outcries to the boy's father, and said to him, "Your son has brought a great misfortune on us; he has thrown my husband down and broken his bones. Take the good-for-nothing fellow from our house."

The terrified father came in haste and scolded the boy. "What do these wicked tricks mean? They will only bring misfortune upon you."

"Father," answered the lad, "hear me! I am quite innocent. He stood there at midnight like one who had done some evil; I did not know who it was, and cried three times, 'Speak, or be off!'"

"Ah!" said the father, "everything goes badly with you. Get out of my sight; I do not wish to see you again!"

"Yes, father, willingly; wait but one day, then I will go out and learn what shivering means, that I may at least understand one business which will support me."

"Yes, father, as you wish; but if you desire nothing else, I shall esteem that very lightly."

As soon as day broke the youth put his fifty dollars into a knapsack and went out upon the high road, saying continually, "Oh, if I could but shiver!"

Presently a man came up, who heard the boy talking to himself; and, as they we're just passing the place where the gallows stood, the man said, "Do you see? There is the tree where seven fellows have married the hempen maid, and now swing to and fro. Sit yourself down there and wait till midnight, and then you will know what it is to shiver!"

"Oh, if that be all," answered the boy, "I can very easily do that! But if I learn so speedily what shivering is, then you shall have my fifty dollars if you come again in the morning."

Then the boy went to the gallows, sat down, and waited for evening, and as he felt cold he made a fire.

◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇

Bella put down her book and help make dinner. At the table that night Zane asked, "Bella why do you read classic children tales."

"They were not written for children." She said.

He laughed "They may not be written for children back then but are considered children story's now."

"Then call me childish for I love reading them." She said, " Have you wondered why I have not spoken to you today till now?"

"I did but as I said I will be patient and wait for you to love me." Zane frowned.

"Silly man, I was not talking to you because through out the day I was waiting for you to say something. Never mind."

Zane thought about the day and wondered what it was she wanted to hear but could not think straight.

"Bella I'm not good at this. You are the first and only girl I have tried to get. Please help me understand what it is I need to do."

"You introduce me as your girlfriend and you say things like getting me to love you and how much you care but you have never said that ...."

"I love you Bella, my beautiful Bella. You are the only woman I will ever love." Zane dropped down and placed his head in her lap.

Tears ran down her face. She could feel the love and now she could hear it in his voice.