Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast by Laurel Cain Haws

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Authors: Laurel Cain Haws
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gated entry where Mouse had installed his express chute to his chamber, which as you know, is below all of the rest of our sleeping chambers. She thought the lion’s-head lever was to open
    the gate, but when she pulled it, she dropped through the tunnel floor right onto Mouse’s bed. That was how she first met Mouse and Jamie. Remember, we had imposed the month of silence as punishment for Mouse, because we couldn’t get him to understand that simply because the world above has more than one of something, it can’t be taken to use down here?”
    Father grimaced, “I do remember. We were all heartbroken to do that, you most of all, but that was far better than what Mouse would have suffered had he been caught in that warehouse where he tripped the alarm.” Vincent went on with the story. “You are right. Anyway, when we were trapped in the cave-in with limited oxygen, Jamie had taken it upon herself to break the silence and went to find Mouse to help get us out. When Catherine dropped through the ceiling onto Mouse’s bed, and then demanded that they take her to me, the two of them brought her to the collapsed cave. That was the first time we received help from Elliott Burch. He didn’t know who it was that Catherine was so desperate to help, but he accepted her insistence that she couldn’t tell him, and he didn’t put a price tag on the aid he gave her. Catherine gave Elliott Mouse’s list, and he gave her the drill bits and explosives that Mouse needed to rescue us.”
    Father spoke up at that point. “Speaking of Elliott Burch, Peter contacted me, and told me that Elliott Burch left Little Jacob a five-million-dollar insurance policy. Did Elliott say anything to you about that?”
    Vincent settled back into his chair, and shook his head as the memory came back. “I had completely forgotten about that conversation! I stayed with Elliott until he died, after Gabriel blew up the Compass Rose with the two of us on it. I managed to pull Elliott out of the water and up onto the bank, and as he was dying, he told me about that policy. He said that he had originally set it up with his father as the beneficiary, but when his father was killed, he changed the beneficiary to Catherine. After she was killed, and I told him about her child, he changed it again for the baby. I was so badly injured myself, I guess it just left my mind. Money is so unimportant to us down here. Elliott really redeemed himself in the end.”
    Father added, “Well, Peter is Catherine’s executor of her will, and between that five-million-dollar policy, and the over-eleven-million-dollar estate she left us, no one down here or our Helpers above will ever have to do without anything ever again!”
    Vincent stared at him. “I knew Catherine’s family was wealthy, but I had no idea Catherine’s estate was worth that much! She certainly didn’t live like it was.”
    Father relayed what Peter had said, “Judging by the state of her financial affairs, it was obvious that wasn’t important to her anymore. Peter had his own financial advisor clean up her portfolio, so it is now producing healthy returns again.”
    Vincent smiled sadly, “Catherine always wanted to do
    more for us, and I always told her that giving of herself was more than enough. I guess she found a way to be sure we would always be well cared for.” Vincent stood up. “I had better let you get to bed now. Good night, Father.”
    “Good night, Vincent.” Vincent leaned over and gave Father a kiss, picked up the marriage certificate, and left for his own chamber.
    When Vincent arrived in his chamber, Brooke was still happily rocking Little Jacob, who was now fed and content. “Thank you, Brooke. He looks completely spoiled!”
    Brooke knew he was teasing, but she just had to scold him, “Vincent, you know that you can’t spoil a baby with too much love!”
    Vincent chuckled, “I’m relieved to hear it! Let me take him now, and you go on to bed.” She got up, and he

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