Free Seven Kisses: A Beauty and the Beast Dark Romance by Giselle Renarde Page B

physical marks her captors had left on her body.  Look how dark that bruising was, how extensive.  She touched her leg and a bolt of pain ran through her like lightning.
    She unbuttoned her fancy cotton sleeves and rolled them up.  They wouldn’t stay rolled for long because of all the lace, but when she looked hard she realized she could see her bruising through the cotton.
    Wasn’t the first rule of medicine do no harm ?  Whoever this Mme de Villeneuve was, she was certainly no doctor. And, if she was a doctor, she should have her license revoked.
    Maybe it already had been.  Maybe that’s why Gabrielle hadn’t found Loindici Manor online.
    The monkeys knocked at the bathroom door and squealed impatiently. Gabrielle rushed to wash her hands.  No sink?  Okay.  She dipped them the small tub of water sitting on a wooden pedestal.  The mirror above it was so degraded she couldn’t see herself properly, so she gave up primping and opened the door to see what Samuel and Gerard were after.
    “What are you two so excited about?” she asked as they each raised a hand.
    She let them guide her through the dark room.  When she’d first come in, she’d been so blinded by the need to relieve herself that she hadn’t noticed the luxuriant beauty of the space. The walls were curved, making the room perfectly round. She’d never seen anything like it.
    “What is this place?” she asked, in awe.
    Now that her eyes had adjusted to the low light, she could make out the sparkle of gems and the lustre of fine fabrics.  Her heart welled as she took in the fantastic sight of gorgeous gowns hanging on racks and over furniture pieces, of shimmering necklaces strewn carelessly about.
    Samuel and Gerard screeched jubilantly as they escorted her to a round table in the middle of the room.  There were only two chairs, and she sat in one while Gerard jumped up on the other.  Plucking a note from the table, he handed it to her over heaps of pearls and gold.
    “What is it?” Her hand trembled as she took the small envelope from him.
    “Eee! Eee! Eee!” he replied, pointing as if to say, “Open it up and see!”
    Gabrielle turned the envelope over. It was sealed with red wax.  She tried not to tear it, but there was no other way. Lifting the flap, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and struggled to read Madame’s strange calligraphic writing.
    “What does this say?” she asked, not that the monkeys would be much help. Unless they could read.
    Could they read?
    Poking her hip, Samuel said, “Ooo. Eee. Eee!”  He motioned to the dress rack.
    “Am I supposed to choose one?”
    Gerard reached across the table to tap the note with his finger. “Eee! Eee! Eee!”
    Read! Read! Read!
    “I know. I’m trying. This writing is hard to understand.”  She squinted, and the scribbles began forming themselves into words.
    “Suzanne,” Gabrielle read. “Please pick out a gown to your talking… no, that’s not right… to your liking . I have or…ganza?  No, wait, organized .  I have organized a special date for you tonight.  The monkeys will help.”
    Gabrielle looked from Gerard to Samuel. “I have a date?  Who’s it with?”
    Samuel rolled his eyes.  Gerard did as well, crossing his arms to punctuate his impatience.
    “What?” she asked. “Is that a silly question?”
    The monkey butlers nodded.
    “It’s not with Mme de Villeneuve, I hope.”
    Tossing their little heads back, they laughed.
    Gabrielle’s belly flip-flopped.  “It’s with the beast, then. My date’s with the beast?”
    Samuel looked at Gerard and Gerard looked at Samuel, and then they both looked at Gabrielle and nodded.
    Her heart had one thing to say, but her mind disagreed completely. She didn’t know why, but she’d developed an odd attachment to this man… to the beast .
    And yet the last time she’d seen him, he’d shoved a needle in her neck. Not exactly a kind and caring act. But what did she expect?  After all, he’d been