Upon arriving home, Vincenti walked Belle to the door and the two said their goodbyes there. As the door closed behind her she ran up the staircase and peered out the window to watch his carriage leave. It was getting quite dark, and she lit a solitary candle on her night stand before carefully taking off her dress and hanging it up. She looked at herself in the mirror; at the glimmer around her neck. Why had he chosen her out of everyone? She prayed from the bottom of her heart that it wasn't simply out of pity. She was pretty, but there were girls far more beautiful. She was intelligent, and yet there were girls far brighter (at least she felt). She had no family; no dowry to offer. She had never met his family, although they had never particularly gotten on that subject. She gazed out the window once more, half hoping to see the carriage still there, but it wasn't. It would have been considered improper for him to have stayed. She blew the candle out and laid down upon the bed, wrapping the covers around her figure. She quickly fell asleep, engulfed within her dreams. She hadn't realized just how very tired she had become.
The light of day woke her up, and she hurried to get dressed. She still had a few chores to do before class, which started at noon. She wore a simple cream linen dress with a matching bow in her hair. She used only a bit of the makeup that she had used last night, grabbed her bag and rushed out the door. She greeted the shop keeper who smiled at her. He knew of her situation and often skipped items and said nothing, unless she caught him doing it. In which case she would scold him, say she could pay like everyone else could, even if it took the last scent of her pay for that day. Still, he had grown a fondness for her. There was something about her that made one smile and frown at the same time. After picking up eggs, bread, and a few other items, she payed the owner and walked out onto the road.
A gentleman with dark hair bumped into her, and she stumbled back. Clearly he hadn't been watching where he was going. Luckily, she didn't drop anything. He looked at her with a peculiar smile and after a few moments he apologized, and went on his way. Belle hurried along her way as well. The man didn't look strange, but that smile of his made her feel uneasy. Silently, she wished to see Vincenti again. She didn't know when he would contact her again, but he never went over a week without doing so. She returned to her house, put the goods away, and cooked one egg for breakfast. After quickly eating with a glass of water. She grabbed her small purse and headed off to class.
On the way she saw a man calling out something, a group of women crowded around him. She headed over towards him. “Did you want to sign up?” he asked looking directly at Belle. Belle shook her head. “Come on, you'd have a chance of winning. What's your name?”
“Belle Anastacia...” she replied softly.
“All right Belle, we'll see you next week!”
What exactly did I just sign up for? She thought silently. The other women appeared to be excited, but this little incident was making her late for class. She walked quickly down the roads, heading towards the building. At least, she had, a few spare minutes with her resumed pace.
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