Daniel Beauxhomme

### Allies

Ti Moune, Asaka, Agwe, Erzulie, Papa Ge, Mama Euralie, Tonton Julian, Andrea Deveraux

## Physical description

### Weight

Slender

**Daniel Beauxhomme** is Ti Moune's love interest and the male protagonist in *Once on This Island*.

Daniel Beauxhomme is a grand homme, son of Armand whose car crashes during a storm (that Agwe caused) so that Ti Moune, who had already seen him from afar and was smitten, could meet him. Ti Moune takes him back and helps him recover and falls in love with him. Papa Ge comes to take him away but Ti Moune offers her life instead. Ti Moune is tearfully separated from Daniel and tells her parents that she will go after Daniel to marry him, and though they are reluctant to let her go, they eventually give her their blessing.

Ti Moune travels across the island through the hotel gates and finds Daniel's room. Daniel, still ill and unable to walk, does not remember her but believes her after she describes the scar on his chest. As they stay together, Erzulie gives them the gift of love. Daniel ignores the townspeople's gossiping over the unlikely relationship between a rich Beauxhomme and a poor peasant. Daniel delights in Ti Moune's differences from the rich girls in his life, noting that "some girls you marry, some you love."

At a ball held at the hotel, Andrea Devereaux, a daughter of Daniel's family friends, cajoles Ti Moune to dance for them (her ulterior motive being to make her look bad in front of the grande hommes). Ti Moune starts to dance and gains the admiration of the rich society members, inspiring both the peasant servants and the grande homme guests to join her. Afterwards, Ti Moune learns that Daniel is already engaged to be married to Andrea. Daniel, reminded of his responsibilities, must go through with the arranged marriage, although he insists they can be lovers forever, leaving Ti Moune crushed. Papa Ge reappears and reminds Ti Moune of her promise to exchange her life for Daniel's – but says she can revoke the bargain if she kills Daniel. Ti Moune enters Daniel's room with a knife, but she finds that she still loves him too much to kill him, proving love is stronger than death. However, Daniel finds Ti Moune with the knife. Appalled at the attempted murder, the Beauxhommes throw her out of the hotel grounds.

Barred from the hotel, Ti Moune waits for two weeks to try and meet Daniel at the gate. As Daniel and Andrea are married, they follow an old tradition of throwing coins to the peasants outside the hotel gates. Ti Moune calls to Daniel who gently places a silver coin in Ti Moune's hand, kisses her cheek, and leaves. The storytellers tell of how the gods were moved to tears by Ti Moune's selflessness and love, and chose to bestow a final kindness on her; Erzulie took her by the hand and led her to the ocean, where Agwé allowed her to drown peacefully. Papa Ge received her gently and brought her back to shore where Asaka transformed her into a tree.

The tree becomes a celebration of life and love that cracks open the gates of the hotel, allowing those of all social statuses to become one, including a peasant girl and a young grande homme, Daniel's son, as they play in her branches.