Kelly ran out the front door through which I spied Papa.
Leaving the others for a moment, I stepped outside with my father.
“Look,” Papa said, motioning in front of him.
We watched as the metal retreated from the castle, the flowers and bushes returning to green once more. The metal faded as it reached the wall, and once more, the garden was alive. A silvery blue butterfly flew by, landing on a red rose.
I looked up at the sky which was clear and bright. Pink, orange, and yellow hues lit up the skyline. I watched as the Deirdre rose up into the clouds and disappeared.
Barking happily, Kelly raced around the garden chasing every smell and sound.
I felt someone approach from behind and turned to find Rhys there. He took my hand in his and stared down at me, gently stroking my cheek once more.
“Master Hawking, I must beg your forgiveness for my rudeness,” Rhys said, never taking his eyes from me.
Papa coughed. Twice. “You are quite forgiven, Lord Llewellyn.”
“And I must ask your forgiveness a second time.”
“For what?”
“For taking your daughter from you,” he said then knelt before me. “Isabelle Hawking, be my wife,” he said, pressing something into my hand.
I looked down to see it was the windup key.
“Only you have the key to my heart,” Rhys added.
Papa chuckled good-naturedly and set his hand on Rhys’s shoulder.
“Isabelle, you didn’t answer,” Papa said.
I laughed out loud. “Yes. Of course. With all my heart. Yes.”
The wind blew softly once more, and from the depths of the forest, I heard a voice on the breeze: Isabelle, welcome home.
Epilogue
“What do you think?” Rhys asked.
I lowered the book I was reading and looked up at the canvas sitting on the easel. I smiled.
“You’ve captured her perfectly,” I said. Rhys had been painting a picture of Kelly who’d been playing in the brook near the hermitage all morning. The portrait depicted Kelly standing knee-deep in the pool amongst the lily pads. On a branch loaded with pink dogwood blossoms hanging just above the pool of water was Matilda. A glimmering beam of sunlight illuminated the sweet songbird’s yellow feathers.
He set his paintbrush in a jar then came and looked over my shoulder. “And you, my love, what have you discovered?”
My journal lay open on my lap. It had taken a few weeks, but I was finally done. I tapped my pen on my pad. “I think I have it,” I said, pointing to the line of Ogham and its translation in the notebook. With the booklet on Ogham Papa had brought me from the Hungerford Market, and a lot of study, I had successfully translated the line of Ogham writing that had been engraved on Rhys’s key.
“And what did the key to my heart say?” Rhys asked.
I gazed up at him. “Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.”
I smiled. “It was Shakespeare who was quoting.”
Rhys smiled then stroked a stray hair away from my face. “My beauty,” he whispered.
“My beastly,” I replied, pinching his cheek, making him chuckle.
Leaning in, he set the softest of kisses on my lips.
And it was everything I ever dreamed of.
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed this steampunk twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. I had a ton of fun reading the many different versions of the classic fairy tale in preparation for writing my own Beauty and the Beast book. Of course, I think we all know the Disney classic which I played on just a bit here. The original tale has a lot of similarities to Cinderella and offered a wide range of Beauties, Beasts, and a cast of evil sisters and loathsome brothers for Beauty. I loved the idea that Beauty’s father was a merchant, and refashioning him as a tinker was a delight. But one thing I have always hated about Beauty and the Beast is the Stockholm Syndrome element. Beast’s behavior is often abusive or borderline abusive. No one needs to encourage women to fall in love with their abusers. I hoped to cast that dynamic in a new light here. What I most enjoyed about writing this retelling was placing Isabelle and her father in a steampunk environment. I think the pair fits nicely in my steampunk universe. Belle is my favorite Disney princess because she is the intellectual. I wanted to keep that quality but mold it. I hope you enjoyed my twist on her character.
If you have read Ice and Embers: Steampunk Snow Queen, you already got a look at Isabelle and her papa through the eyes of Elyse McKenna (Murray). I enjoyed rewriting the scene at the dock from Isabelle’s perspective. We leave Ice and Embers feeling happy for Elyse and Kai and their HEA. But what about Isabelle? How did she feel about losing a potential beau? It was fun to consider. If you’d like a closer look at Elyse and Doctor Kai Murray, please check out Ice and Embers: Steampunk Snow Queen.
I hope my fans of the Airship Racing Chronicles series enjoyed the cameo of a young Lily and Angus. I LOVED writing the scene on the Deirdre. It was like spending time with old friends. The Airship Racing Chronicles is my first steampunk series. It is definitely an adult series (sex, drugs, and airships), but if you’re interested in reading Lily and Angus’s story, check out Chasing the Star Garden.
As for the other fun pieces in the book, fans of Lost might have noticed a few iconic lines from that series floating around this book. As a Lostie, I’ve always wanted to write a “lost island” book. I gave it a shot. Hey, it’s a leap of faith, right?
I also really had fun writing Kelly who is named and modeled after a dog I had as a child.
There are a few more Easter Eggs in here that will make sense as you read the entire Steampunk Fairy Tales series and The Airship Racing Chronicles. Both series are set in the same steampunk universe.
Thank you for taking the time to read Beauty and Beastly. I hope you enjoyed the novel.
If you have a moment, would you mind leaving a review? Reviews really help bring visibility to a book, and other readers love to know what you think. Thank you!
Find out more here: http://www.melaniekarsak.com/
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Becky Stephens for pulling my ass out of the fire...again. I couldn’t do it without you!
Carrie Wells, thank you for all you do!
A special thanks to all my Steampunk Fairy Tales ARC readers!
Thank you to Karri Klawiter for designing such a beautiful cover.
As always, thank you to the BIC group, Erin Hayes, Margo Bond Collins, and my beloved family for all of your support.
About the Author
Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Burnt Earth Series, The Celtic Blood Series, and the Steampunk Fairy Tales Series. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Keep in touch with Melanie online.
Blog
Facebook
Pinterest
Join my Newsletter and get TWO FREE BOOKS!
Table of Contents
Beauty and Beastly
Novel Description
Dedication
Chapter 1: Bonjour
Chapter 2: LeBoeuf
Chapter 3: Love’s Bloom
Chapter 4: The Prospero
Chapter 5: The Mirror
Chapter 6: The Tempest
Chapter 7: Shipwrecked
Chapter 8: The Island
Chapter 9: Arrested Perfection
Chapter 10: Bittersweet Reunions
Chapter 11: The Lord and the Airship
Chapter 12: Farewell
Chapter 13: The Great Escape
Chapter 14: Into the Green
Chapter 15: Surely, He Has a Screw Loose
Cha
pter 16: Be Our Guest
Chapter 17: Almost Kind
Chapter 18: Tempting Morgan le Fay
Chapter 19: Windup
Chapter 20: The Library
Chapter 21: Mirror, Mirror
Chapter 22: Matilda
Chapter 23: Clandestine Affairs
Chapter 24: Reunions
Chapter 25: A Tale as Old As Time
Chapter 26: Tylwyth Teg
Chapter 27: Say Something
Chapter 28: Into the Clouds
Chapter 29: Really, Gerard?
Chapter 30: 156
Chapter 31: We Have to Go Back
Chapter 32: The Deirdre
Chapter 33: The Key to My Heart
Chapter 34: Happily Ever After, Of Course
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Table of Contents