"Yes," Belle said, more confidently this time. While so much of Beast's motivations and feelings remained hidden from her perception, she'd have had to been blind not to hear the sadness in his voice. Shame at her immediate reaction lurked at the back of her head but she ignored it for now, focusing on the situation at hand.

"Why don't we all go into the library?" she asked, glancing at Ian for his approval before turning back to Beast, smiling a small, cautious smile.