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“Wow, I've never seen so many books in all my life!” Belle exclaimed in rapturous wonder as she surveyed the scores of books that lay before her.
“You really like it that much?” Beast asked incredulously
“Yes!” Belle smiled excitedly, unable to contain her glee!
“Then it’s yours” , Beast delighted to see her so happy. Cogworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts cheered at seeing this beautiful moment pass between them.
Belle then eagerly set to work to survey her new collection and try to make some sense of the vast quantity. Unable to discern any rhyme or reason she started taking books off one row of shelves after the other trying to make some semblance of sense from the chaos.
“OH MY GOODNESS, YOU HAVE THIS?!” Belle asked, vibrating up and down and holding the book reverently so as not to hurt the book.
“What is it?” Beast asked, looking over the Vellum paged volume that looked to be nicely illuminated with plenty of miniatures every couple of pages.
“This looks like a first edition of Christine de Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies” Belle squealed with glee, she soon began rummaging around for more.“Surely you must have the other one?” She asked hopefully.
The beast rubbed the back of his neck bashfully unsure of what she was talking about.
“The sequel book, Treasury of the City of Ladies” she stated as though that would give him any idea what she was referring to.
Belle looked longingly at the book, “If people in the village had read this” maybe they wouldn’t think i was so strange she started to tear up thinking back to the mean words people thought she couldn’t hear whispered behind her back.
Using one gentle finger he wiped the tear from her face.
“Let’s keep looking, it must be around here somewhere” Beast said as he began to rummage through the books.
Soon by the end of the day at least the first half of the first floor the others would wait for another day. He enjoyed hearing Belle read to him before settling down.