Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, she told herself silently. And although she didn't quite manage to keep the fear out of her eyes or out of her voice, her stride didn't break and she kept herself from shrinking away from Red as well.
Beauty remembered how Eric had confirmed what Beauty suspected (in her secret heart of hearts) of Red. She hated what Eric had done to her -- and the truth was that the idea of what he'd done to her still frightened her -- but in a way, she was glad for it, too. It had given her a way to say, without filters or barriers or polite veneers, what she truly thought about Red. Red was wrong. She was dangerous. She was a lie. And although she'd delighted in a book, and that was counted in her favor, Red could not be trusted. Eric had told her that she was right about Red.
The fact that she was trusting Eric now (when the very thought of him had terrified her not too long ago) made her lips curve upward. And although it wasn't quite a smile, it came at about the same time she stopped in front of Red.
"Hello," she said. And her voice, it did quiver. But then she straightened her back and she squared her shoulders, and she managed a smile in the face of this wrongness. "I hope that you are enjoying your book."