Rumford Gold

@sailawaywithgold

Rumbelle 1x1

53 posts

chippedbravery:

“Well, I promise you it will be the best apple pie you’ve ever had.” Belle replied with a smile. It might not have been something that would actually happen, but till, they could both dream, right? She had often fled herself into the safety of her books, and really, this was much the same. As long as they were on this ship together, she didn’t have to think about what was ahead.

“She was wonderful.” Belle then continued. “Smart, and kind…and fierce. She was the best mother I could have asked for, and I miss her terribly.” Her father had never been the same after everything that had happened, he had struggled every day, and Belle had done her best to keep it together. Still, she had often cried herself to sleep at night, and that ache, though it had lessened over the years, was still there.

“I don’t doubt it,” he grinned, gesturing for her to continue walking with him. They would soon be at his cabin so he could put his things away. He wanted to be able to just give Belle his full attention, to make sure she got the adventure that she deserved whilst they were doing this.

He was pleased she felt she could share about her Mother and, as she commented about missing her, he reached out to gently touch her shoulder, smiling softly as he did so. “I can imagine you do, you sound to have had a lovely relationship with her.”

Realising that he probably shouldn’t touch her - he knew etiquette didn’t really call for it - he carefully drew his hand back, gesturing with it a moment. “This ah, this is me. Sorry if i’s a bit of a mess,” he spoke, though it wasn’t bad. He was sharing the room with three other people and luckily they were all quite tidy. It was only polite, and not as if any of them had much luggage they had been able to afford to bring along.

chippedbravery:

Belle had never complained about having money, it was enough to keep her comfortable and to buy her all the books she wanted, but it had never been essential to her happiness. When her father had gotten in trouble with his business, she had been worried about him, not about losing the comfortable lifestyle. And she was marrying Gaston because it would save her father’s business, not because she wanted to be someone’s little housewife. “Thank you,” She then found herself smiling as she followed him, the thought of her mother a mix of sadness and warmth and comfort.

“Oh, all sorts.” Belle then chuckled, “We had apple trees in the garden though, so she used those most frequently. I should make one for you sometime,” of course she was aware, as much as him, that they probably wouldn’t be seeing each other again once this ship docked, but it was a nice thought, anyway.

He smiled back at her, the way she looked at him making his stomach do flips. She was such a beautiful woman, it was impossible for him to be anything but smitten, wasn’t it? He couldn’t help it. A harmless little crush. Well, harmless for her. For him? A bit of a broken heart at the end of the voyage, but that wasn’t something that he could help.

Nodding as he waited for her to fall in to step with him, Robert hummed as he pictured it all. It sounded beautiful, as did the thought of Belle making him an apple pie. Not realistic, he was sure, but he could dream. “I’d really like that, Belle. Not often I get to have an apple pie.” Especially not made by a woman as fabulous as her.

“Do you mind talking about her?” he asked, not wanting to upset her by getting her to do so if she found it difficult. He was curious though, and would like to hear about her Mother even more, if she wanted to share.

chippedbravery:

Belle was fully aware that she did not belong where he was taking her, but the truth was: She didn’t feel like she belonged on the upper decks either. She did not care for all the fancy dinner parties and talks about the newest gossip. All she really cared about was her father, and having enough time on her hands to sit down with a book so she could enjoy it.

“I will do my best to fit in,” She smiled as she followed him around, feeling more and more excitement building up inside of her, her stomach doing flips. “That sounds wonderful!” She then smiled. “My mother used to…she used to bake quite a lot, she made the best pies I ever tasted.” She had even spent some nights teaching Belle how to bake when neither of them had been able to sleep.

“So anything you recommend, I’d be glad to try.”

Shaking his head at her, Robert grinned. “You fit in by not fitting in. I know that sounds like it’s contradicting itself but it’s true. All of us down here, we’re the ones that don’t fit up there. If you’re here with us, even just for a visit, you fit with us because you’re willing to come spend time where we do.” To him that was more than enough. That told him that she had a good heart, that she wasn’t looking down on him or the others on the ship.

“Really?” he asked, smiling wide. “What kind of pies did she make?” he was curious to learn more about her, about her Mother and the kind of person and influence she had been on Belle. Seeing how she smiled when she spoke of her told him that she and Belle had had quite the relationship.

chippedbravery:

“An adventure?” Belle asked, not quite able to hide her excitement. Despite knowing what would wait for her on the other side of the ocean, she had been happy about getting to go on this journey, because it would be an adventure outside of her books, one she could live herself, but then things had turned out to be differently than she had expected. Now, however, it seemed like she might be able to get her adventure after all. “I can’t wait!”

Smiling she followed him, her heart beating a little faster inside her chest as they fell in step next to each other. Something was telling her that this was going to be a day she’d remember for the rest of her life, something she’d be able to think of when the days got grey and dark.

Her excitement was contagious, leaving him grinning widely at her. This was exactly what she deserved. A life that was exciting, that was giving her the kind of joy that he could see on her face right now. He had only known her a couple of days now but he already knew that he utterly adored her. How could he not when she was such a wonderful woman?

“Now with you looking like the lady you are, we might get a few looks on our way down… but if we’re sneaky about it, we’ll get you through without questions. Then I promise you, when you’re on those lower decks with me, you’re going to have a blast.” Everyone he’d met down there was nice to him, so he fully expected them to be the same with her.

He grinned then as he paused in thought, walking with her to lead her exactly where he’d said. He wanted to put his things down which was on the way but then they’d be totally free to just have fun. “Could even grab a currant bun or biscuit down on our level. See if it can compare?” He offered, shrugging a moment. “Personally? Best currant bun I’ve had is on this ship.”

chippedbravery:

Belle knew that her father would have never asked her to give up her life and marry Gaston if she really didn’t want to, which was why she hadn’t told him the truth. In his eyes, she was at the very least a little in love with the man and that’s how it was going to stay. Her father didn’t need any more problems that he already had, and if Belle could help him out this way, then she would, no questions asked.

“You’re very kind,” Belle then replied with a smile, and for once she let herself be selfish as she enjoyed the way her heart skipped a beat. “This though,” She glanced down at the portrait of herself that he had drawn, “Is already way more than I imagined I’d get out of this voyage. Thank you,”

Shaking his head at her, Robert sighed quietly. “Just honest, Belle.” He replied softly, not for a moment wanting her to think it was anything but. Maybe this crush on her wasn’t entirely harmless because he was aching knowing that she was setting herself up for a life with a man who would never truly appreciate her. She might be comfortable, but would she be happy? He didn’t think so.

Nodding briefly, Robert gestured towards it. “I’ll draw you every day if it’ll make you smile like that. You deserve to feel like that, Belle. To-- to see yourself the way you should be seen. A beautiful, amazing woman.” A pause then and he was looking round, as if making sure they weren’t being watched, before he was pushing up from against the railings. “C’mere, I want to show you something. Trust me?” he asked, smiling wider.

chippedbravery:

“I do?” She couldn’t help but ask, looking back at him. She had read about the storybook romance in her books, of course she had, but the older she had gotten, the more disillusioned Belle had become with it. Surely, she still loved to read those stories, but the real world had taught her that this wasn’t how things usually went, and she had always put her father’s happiness over her own. He deserved to be saved, and if it took her marrying Gaston, then that was what she would do.

“Maybe I’m going to have to make due with the romance I can get until my feet touch the ground in New York.” She eventually continued with a slight smile, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “And…that will be enough to get me through,”

“Of course you do,” he replied immediately, not missing a single beat. It was safe to say he was smitten with her and the idea of her throwing her life away - that’s how he saw it - for her Father was just heartbreaking. He understood her motives, he understood her reasonings but it still wasn’t right.

His lips parted briefly and he didn’t dare ask if he could be the one to provide her with that romance. He wanted to, but he doubted she’d ever think of him in such a way. Though she wasn’t classist like Gaston was, he still wasn’t the kind of man that would ever expect to be remotely in her league.

“You deserve it all. You– you have no idea how you can make a guy feel, Belle. Gaston has no idea how lucky he is, and I hate that he’s not the kind of guy that will see that.”

chippedbravery:

“Oh no, my father would never.” Her lips curved into a soft smile as she thought of her father for a moment, kind and sweet and really too nice for this world all together. Her mother had been the one to keep him in check, but things had been difficult ever since she had died.

“He’s a sweet man, but I could not live to see him struggle,” She then explained, the smile diminishing slightly. “And…well, this seems to be the easiest way to give him the money to keep his business going. He needs it.” A pause, “I’d do anything for my father, you understand that, right?”

He nodded briefly, frowning again as she seemed to commit her future to a man that she was too good for, all for someone else. He appreciated why she was doing it, but it didn’t feel right to him that she was going to do that. Her life, her choice, but it felt like this wasn’t really her choice. More something she felt obligated to do.

“I get it... I still-- there’s gotta be another way of helping your Dad out instead of marrying that guy?” he asked, sighing briefly. “You-- you should be with a guy that worships the ground you walk on. Who thinks your jokes are funny, loves to listen to you read... who-- who can’t catch his breath back whenever he sees you, not for those first few seconds. So his stomach feels like it’s doing gymnastics, and his heart pounds. You deserve romance, Belle. You deserve it.”

chippedbravery:

Belle was so used to keeping up the facade that his question caught her off guard, but she then supposed that she had been more open with him than she had been with anyone in a long time. And maybe, just maybe, it was good to be talking to someone for once and not pretending like everything was alright. “No, please, don’t worry.” She offered him a smile before glancing out at the ocean for a moment.

“My father…well. We come from money, but my father is having trouble. Gaston is…one of his business partners, and with Gaston’s money and him in the business, and his name, my father won’t ever have to worry about being in trouble or losing his business.”

He let out a relieved breath, glad he hadn’t overstepped too much and upset her. He just couldn’t put it together though. She was the polar opposite to Gaston and whilst he had heard the saying that opposites attract, he was certain that had its limitations.

It made slightly more sense to him as she explained it, though it didn’t make him feel any better about it all. Frowning, Robert gestured towards her. “Is this something your Dad has set up? I mean, Belle... it doesn’t seem fair to me, that you have to marry a guy like that just for that. There’s got to be another way of helping?”

chippedbravery:

Belle, despite having her disagreements with her father, would do anything for him, and she knew that he felt the same way. It was the reason he had started dealing with Gaston in the first place, and for the very same reason she had eventually agreed to the proposal, because it was what would be best for her father. She tried her best not to think about how it would probably make her miserable for the rest of her life.

Shaking her head then, Belle waved her hand in the air. “It doesn’t matter, I am his fiancée and I will be his wife, so I will be making decisions, too.” Or at least that was what she kept telling herself, or had to tell herself so she wouldn’t go crazy. “And I will be helping you find your son,” She reached out to rest his hand on top of his then, “I promise.”

His breath caught when she touched his hand, his heart racing. Oh God, he was smitten with her and he knew he should not be. It was dangerous for him, but he wasn’t able to change that. He simply hd to be careful to not upset her, alienate her or do or say anything that bothered her.

That being said, he did wonder something; “Why is he your future husband? I-I-I’m sorry, that was... private, and blunt.” A pause. “It’s just-- you two... you seem really different.” Whilst he knew opposites could attract, there was a limit to that and he didn’t think she ever seemed overly happy when she spoke of Gaston.

chippedbravery:

Belle found herself smiling as he talked about his son, considering herself lucky to know about him. He sounded like a wonderful young boy, and it seemed like a tragedy that the mother had taken him away from his father. Of course Belle had no idea what had happened between them, but Robert seemed like a kind man, and it didn’t seem fair to take his son away from him.

Taking the picture and glancing down at it, Belle felt her chest filling with warmth. “He seems so wonderful,” She then smiled, turning her attention back towards him and reaching out to rest a hand on his arm briefly. “I hope you find him.” Of course she barely knew anything about the whole story, but if the boy really was in New York, then there should be something they could do, right?

“If you need any help, let me know. My…fiancé has quite the connections, I’m sure he will be able to help with the search if needed.”

He was clearly proud of his son, and as he looked at the drawing he felt both that pride and love, and a tug in the pit of his stomach that made him ache. He missed Neal so much it really did hurt, and all he wanted was to be back with his son. He would quite literally follow him to the end of the Earth, and he wouldn’t stop until they were reunited again.

“Thank you,” he smiled, his cheeks flushing red when she touched his arm. He felt his stomach flip, a sense of warmth and comfort flooding through him. “That’s ah, really kind of you.” A pause then, a brief bite of his lip and he was shrugging. “But I don’t think he’s too keen on me. Think I’m not ah, rich enough for him to want to help.”

chippedbravery:

Belle was aware that she had always been privileged, and she wasn’t surprised that her father would have done everything to keep up that lifestyle. Sometimes she wondered if he was doing it for her, and she wanted to tell him that she was going to be fine. In fact she’d be much happier having no money, but not being Gaston’s wife, but whenever she had tried talking to him about it, things had ended up going into a completely different direction.

“That’s wonderful,” She offered him a smile, nodding at his words. “Would you tell me a little bit more about your son?” She knew that it was possibly a very painful subject to talk about, and Belle wouldn’t push, but she would have loved to know more about him, since he was the reason Robert was on this voyage in the first place.

Though it hurt to think about how much he missed his son, the truth was that Robert had so much to say about him. Neal was the one thing he was most proud of in his life. His son was his entire world, and being his Papa was the best gift he’d ever had.

So he briefly bit on the inside of his bottom lip, a half and sad smile crossing his face as he allowed himself a moment of sadness at not being with him already. But he was soon smiling a little wider, nodding as he shifted his feet . “He’s called Neal. Ah, he’s 9. Handsome little man, funny too. He’s got so much energy, all the time. Guess they do at that age,” he let out a brief and breathy laugh, shrugging a shoulder in kind.

“Here, I drew picture of him...” he paused, opening up and balancing his folder on his thighs as he rifled through the papers. He’d drawn a few pictures of his son but he produced one for Belle of Neal laughing as he played. So full of light and life.

chippedbravery:

Belle couldn’t quite believe that he knew her so well already, when they had barely just met a day ago. It was those kind of things she always read about in books, but had never allowed herself to dream about, especially not since she had learned about her engagement to Gaston. He still didn’t understand why she cared about books, at least the ones who didn’t have any pictures in them, and Belle had no energy left to explain it to him over and over again,

“I’d love that,” She found herself replying with a smile, pushing all those dark thoughts aside. “Maybe you can show me a book you like to read. Books can tell you a lot about the people who read them, you know?”

That smile of hers could light up a room and it made his stomach have flips. However long he got to know her for, Robert wanted nothing more than to make her smile over and over again. She deserved it, and he just wanted to make her happy.

“Great,” he began, a little bouncy on his heels with that giddiness that he was feeling around her. “Oh wow, a book I like?” He paused then, blowing out a breath. A slight hum and he was grimacing briefly. “I was a late bloomer with books. Didn’t get taught how to read until my teens. So my books tend to be books I know my son likes me to read to him. They make me ah, feel connected to him. You know? Sharing something like that with my boy. Something I’ll get to do again one day soon, I know it.”

chippedbravery:

At the beginning of this voyage, Belle would have given anything to be left alone, or at least to not have to spend any more time than necessary with Gaston, but now that she had met him, things were changing. She wasn’t sure what being Gaston’s wife would consist of, but she assumed she had far less room to move, and so Belle wanted to enjoy the time she still had.

“Of course. I’d love more of your company,” Belle’s lips curved into a smile as she glanced over at him, feeling her cheeks flush a little. “Only if that is alright with you, of course.”

His smile was wide already, but his eyes sparkled with the nod of his head. “Of course. I-- I’d really like that, Belle. A lot.” Being around her just made him happy. This was honestly the first time since Milah had run off with his son that he’d felt that kind of joy. It didn’t diminish his pain over Neal, nor his determination to find him, but she was making him feel.

Gods, he wished things were different. That he wasn’t classes below her, that she wasn’t engaged to another man. That he could hold her hand and know, absolutely for sure, if that spark was there. The spark he really believed was.

“We could check out the library on the ship? If you haven’t already... which you probably have but I have a feeling you’d like it, if not.” He wanted to spend time with her but he also wanted to spend time doing things he knew would make her happy. She deserved that.

chippedbravery:

Belle couldn’t help but smile at his words. Gaston had never been interested in her stories, and if she was being honest, then he didn’t deserve to hear them either. He clearly didn’t value creativity, or anything other than his own reflection, but that wasn’t for her to talk about. In fact she didn’t want to talk or think about him at all.

“Well. We do have a few days left on this voyage,” She replied with a smile as they came to a stop, and Belle found herself leaning against the railing. “I’ll come up with the perfect story for you, how does that sound?”

Smiling widely, pleased that she seemed willing to spend more time with him over the coming days, Robert too came to a stop by the railing. Turning his back to it and leaning against it, looking at her all the while, the nod of his head was clearly enthusiastic. “Sounds perfect. I can’t wait.”

To get an insight in to her mind and share one of her stories? He couldn’t think of anything better. She was fascinating, intelligent and he genuinely was excited by that. “So this means you’ll be okay with my company for the next few days?”

chippedbravery:

Glancing over at him, Belle couldn’t quite help the way her smile brightened just a little. “You’d really care for a story?” She instantly wanted to scold herself, because of course he would. Not all men were disinterested in art and stories, like Gaston. He only cared if something had a worth, if he could pay for it, much like he had essentially done with her.

Pushing that thought aside, Belle found herself smiling as they walked, the stars shining above them. It was a beautiful night. “I’d love nothing more than to tell you one. It is only fair, in exchange for such a lovely picture.”

Smiling wide at her question, Robert was quick to nod. “Absolutely. I love a good story.” He had a feeling she’d be an excellent teller of them too. How could she not be? She was intelligent so he knew they’d be well thought out if nothing else. But, he just had a hunch. A good one.

A nod towards her, that smile remaining place, Robert gestured between the two of them. “I can’t think of much better to get in payment. So... whenever you’re ready, hit me with it.”

chippedbravery:

“Do you?” Belle smiled, blushing slightly at the compliment. It was strange, how Gaston and her were such different people, and how anyone could think they were a good match. Of course it was mainly for the money, she was well aware, but there were people out there who were calling them a perfect match, simply because they were both good looking. Sometimes it drove her crazy, but she tried her best not to let it show.

“Both, actually.” She then chuckled as they stepped out onto the deck. There was a faint wind blowing, but the air felt nice. “I do love reading to them, but I also enjoy making stories up, and letting them be a part of them.”

“Of course,” he smiled, finding the way she blushed to be just stunning. Gaston was a fool, he had no idea what he had in front of him with Belle and he didn’t appreciate who she was. Men like him drove him nuts and he just couldn’t understand them.

Nodding as he listened to her, Robert fell in to step beside Belle, a hand going in to his pocket, the other holding on to his folder. “So if I asked for one of those stories, would you tell me one?” he asked curiously, wanting to just know a little something more abut her, about how her mind worked.

chippedbravery:

“It really does…doesn’t it?” Belle agreed as she waited for him to follow her down the corridor. Belle was used to living in a big house, but the Titanic was an entirely different dimension, especially since Belle didn’t really care much about the wealth. It had given her a comfortable life, and she had never complained, but all the money in the world hadn’t been able to bring her mother back.

“Oh, it’s mostly that.” She chuckled, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as they made their way up towards the deck. “I have always enjoyed reading and telling stories. In fact I worked in a school for a little bit before we took this journey.” She then smiled. “I enjoyed working with children, and they enjoyed my stories,”

Walking by her side, Robert smiled at how modest she seemed to be. Most other people would be gushing by now about something they loved to do, a talent they had. Especially with her blessed background, it was likely they’d be bragging by now about something beyond his wildest dreams.

But not her.

In fact, she made him smile wider as she spoke of working with children. “Somehow I can picture that. I bet those children all felt really... comforted with you.” She had this natural aura about her, this way that told him she would be excellent with children. “Stories from a book, or stories you made up?”

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