10 Story of the Roses (10)

Today Bella went to work by her self to deep clean the crystal rose room. It was a hard room to do by her self and because she could not touch the roses she had to be extra careful.

Zane watched her as she carefully cleaned the precious roses of his grandmother. His grandfather had given her a dozen of these crystal each year they were married.

There were 912 of them all left to Zane when she died. He loved the story of the love between his grandmother and grandfather and wanted to repeat their story but he never found anyone till Bella and he needed to make her fall in love with him.

At lunch time he once again showed up.

They ate once more in the garden and she asked about the roses.

"My grandfather was a poor man but fell in love with my grandmother who was from a wealthy family. When he asked for her hand my great grandfather turned him away for he was convinced he only wanted their money.

My grandfather pleaded to prove himself so my grandfather said if he could make a million dollars and bring his daughter a dozen roses like no other then he could have her hand.

My grandfather with only a few dollars worked his way on oil riggs and finally after 5 years of hard work came back with over ten million and a dozen roses.

By that time my great grandfather had arranged for her to marry one of the sons from a business partner.

So he still refused to give his daughter to what he called new money.

My grandmother was heartbroken because she loved my grandfather so they ran away. After my father was born they returned because my great grandfather was sick and lost most of the family fortune. My grandfather took care of all the debt and at that time he was worth billions. Every year on their anniversary she would get a dozen crystal roses. They were married 75 years before they both passed within a few days of each other.

There is 912 roses. The extra dozen was from the first set he came back with."

Bellas listened and could feel the love that was between these two lovers. It was a wonderful story.

When he was done she noticed it was already 3 and she had to finish the room. She politely excused herself and ran back. As she cleaned she keep repeating the story in her mind.

It took her till 8 to finish because of the three hour lunch she had but the house was now deep cleaned.

She took the van back to work and road the bus home.

After a hot shower and a quick dinner she headed up to her book. Opening to the bookmark.

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Why did I refuse to marry him? I should be happier with the monster than my sisters are with their husbands; it is neither wit nor a fine person in a husband, that makes a woman happy; but virtue, sweetness of temper, and complaisance: and Beast has all these valuable qualifications. It is true, I do not feel the tenderness of affection for him, but I find I have the highest gratitude, esteem, and friendship; and I will not make him miserable; were I to be so ungrateful, I should never forgive myself."

Beauty having said this, rose, put her ring on the table, and then laid down again; scarce was she in bed before she fell asleep; and when she waked the next morning, she was overjoyed to find herself in the Beast's palace. She put on one of her richest suits to please him, and waited for evening with the utmost impatience; at last the wished-for hour came, the clock struck nine, yet no Beast appeared. Beauty then feared she had been the cause of his death; she ran crying and wringing her hands all about the palace, like one in despair; after having sought for him every where, she recollected her dream, and flew to the canal in the garden, where she dreamed she saw him. There she found poor Beast stretched out, quite senseless, and, as she imagined, dead.

She threw herself upon him without any dread, and finding his heart beat still, she fetched some water from the canal, and poured it on his head. Beast opened his eyes, and said to Beauty, "You forgot your promise, and I was so afflicted for having lost you, that I resolved to starve myself; but since I have the happiness of seeing you once more, I die satisfied."

"No, dear Beast, (said Beauty,) you must not die; live to be my husband; from this moment I give you my hand, and swear to be none but yours.

Alas! I thought I had only a friendship for you, but, the grief I now feel convinces me, that I cannot live without you."

Beauty scarcely had pronounced these words, when she saw the palace sparkle with light; and fireworks, instruments of music, every thing, seemed to give notice of some great event: but nothing could fix her attention; she turned to her dear Beast, for whom she trembled with fear; but how great was her surprise!

Beast had disappeared, and she saw, at her feet, one of the loveliest Princes that eye ever beheld, who returned her thanks for having put an end to the charm, under which he had so long resembled a Beast.

Though this Prince was worthy of all her attention, she could not forbear asking where Beast was. "You see him at your feet, (said the Prince): a wicked fairy had condemned me to remain under that shape till a beautiful virgin should consent to marry me: the fairy likewise enjoined me to conceal my understanding; there was only you in the world generous enough to be won by the goodness of my temper; and in offering you my crown, I can't discharge the obligations I have to you."

Beauty, agreeably surprised, gave the charming Prince her hand to rise; they went together into the castle, and Beauty was overjoyed to find, in the great hall, her father and his whole family, whom the beautiful lady, that appeared to her in her dream, had conveyed thither.