Belle felt as though a metric tonne of dirt and grime was in her eyes. She blinked and looked out her window. Raining, again! After living in London for so long she really wasn't surprised. 

'I wonder if Papa is up yet,' she thought to herself amid a hill of pillows. She got momentarily distracted listening to the sound of the rain when her stomach pulled her from her thoughts with an angry growl. 'Right then!' She grinned, 'breakfast!'

Groaning, she pushed herself out from her pale blue covers, stretching up above her head. She walked over to her antique french wardrobe and selected a rather plain brown dress from within its depths, pulling her hair into a chignon to finish the look. Finally she made her way down the stairs.

In the kitchen below, her father rested at the table reading a paper. "Good morning Belle," he greeted.

"Morning Papa!" she chirped, setting up the coffee machine." Its raining, are you still going out hunting?"

"A little rain never hurt anyone." he responded gruffly.

"Yes Papa, but the roads are dangerous out in the country!" argued Belle, tentatively handing him his coffee.

"I'll be fine Belle, you just have supper ready when we get back." Her father replied dismissively. 

"We?" She queried, her eyes getting wider.

"Yes, Devin is going with me." he said, daring her with his eyes to argue.

"But Papa he is such a.."

"He is the man you will marry Belle!" Papa exploded! "I couldn't ask for a better son in law!"

"Papa, its my life!" Belle protested. 

"And I'm your father! What I say goes!" he screamed, as he threw his coffee cup at the ground.

Belle looked at the shattered coffee cup on the ground with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Belle, I'm so sorry!" Papa said, finally coming to himself."You know why you have to marry him right?"

"Why Papa?" Belle whispered brokenly. 

"Belle... the shop it's... not doing well. Devin says after you marry him he will help out with the shop..."

"I've never known Devin to help with anything." Belle scoffed. 

"No Belle, I mean financially." Papa sighed "Belle, we're broke."

"Oh Papa!" Belle said, stepping over the broken cup and hugging her father."Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

"Sweetheart, I didn't want you to worry," Papa pulled away from Belle, looking her in the eyes and said, "Belle you remind me so much of your mother. She could always see the good in people. I hope you inherited that trait. I love you Belle. It's just that this is the only way to save the shop your mother loved so dearly." At that moment a loud knocking came from the door.

"Papa there has to be another way..." She locked eyes with him pleadingly.

"Come in Devin," Papa said, ripping his eyes away from Belle.

"Papa..."

"Hello Belle!" Devin smirked, staring blatantly at her.

"Uh, Hi." Belle replied with an awkward wave.

"Are you ready to skin a deer?!"

Belle blanched at the thought.

"I'm just kidding, no wife of mine would have to do that... alone." he grinned at her knowingly.

Papa shuffled to grab his hunting gear.

Devin looped his fingers around his belt buckle.

"Yup! There is a deer out there with your name on it!" Devin said with a wink.

Belle laughed awkwardly, fidgeting with the belt on her dress. Papa cleared his throat.

"Well we should go." Papa said, finally putting Belle out of her misery.

"Bye Papa!" Belle said, giving Papa a hug. "Uh Bye Devin." she said extending her hand. Devin captured her hand in his but instead of the expected handshake, he brought her hand up to his lips and proceeded to kiss it, much to Belle's utter horror.

 Papa grimaced. She ripped her hand from Devin's rather abruptly, pasting on a fake smile and proceeded to shepherd them out the door, wasting no time locking it. "Ugh! I wonder if I could exfoliate a layer or two of skin off my hand," she wondered out loud.