I was watching Mr. Potts and Prince Adam playing in the great hall when Lumiere approached me again.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." He said with a little bow.
"Bonjour." I said with a smile.
Lumiere made me feel happier, as did most of the people in the castle, even Cogsworth. It was brighter in the castle, even if I was confined to it's walls. Sometimes I wondered if I would ever get to go out and see the rest of the world. But I would silence that thought by telling myself about how happy I was in the castle compared to my old life with my father. My life with my mother and father on the farm seemed like a dream to me, it felt so far away.
"What's wrong?" Lumiere asked me, noticing how I was acting spacey.
I snapped out of it, "Oh nothing!" I smiled.
He looked over at the little Prince Adam, "Mignonne, no?"
"He's very cute, yes, but…" I trailed off, trying to hold my tongue and not complain.
"But…?" Lumiere prodded from me.
"Oh I don't know, it's just… Do you think he even knows all that we do for him? All the late nights working, all the pots and pans I've spent scrubbing for hours, and all the mistreatment in our servant quarters," I said quietly, "Oh! It's selfish I know, he is a prince who deserves this castle and the responsibility that comes along with it."
"Yes, but, it's not wrong for you to feel that way."
I looked up at him.
"When I began working here, after Prince Adam was born and his parents passed away I felt terrible for him. He had faced such loss but he was too young to even remember him. He is a bit spoiled but he is also missing the most important part of any child's life, his parents. So in a way he is spoiled, having an entire castle to himself and servants to wait on his every whim." Lumiere explained.
I stared at him for a moment while I thought. I analyzed his face. He had a long skinny face with softly tanned skin. His eyes were a dark brown color and his nose was too long for his face. But I couldn't help but find him so handsome in that moment.
"Babette?" I said with some concern, trying to shake me out of my trance.
"Can I please speak my mind for a moment?" I asked.
"Of course you can."
"I can't help but find you incredibly handsome right now," I instantly regretted what I had said, people don't just blurt out how attractive they find people, it's so odd! "I mean- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
He smiled, "I'm flattered. And I must say you look absolutely exquisite this evening."
I blushed and covered my smile with my hand.
"I never got a chance to tell you how attractive you look in your maid's uniform." Lumiere told me.
"Okay, that's enough you two." Mr. Potts said, cutting into our conversation.
I was actually a bit relieved that Mr. Potts stopped him, Lumiere was making me nervous and even a bit embarrassed.
I'd like to say that I followed my word and Lumiere and I remained friends after this, but we honestly didn't. Allow me to explain.
Lumiere and I met one evening after work. To give you a time reference, it was my sixth month into my job at the castle. We met once again in the garden. I was sitting next to the fish pond when he approached me. I loved spending time in this garden, it was almost the same as actually being outside. I still missed spinning thread at my wheel, and drawing, but things were beginning to feel so much better. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of me.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle." Lumiere said, giving his normal introduction.
"Bonjour." I said with a smile.
I could feel myself slowly coming out of my shell with Lumiere and the others in the castle. I no longer clammed up whenever anyone spoke to me.
"Comment est la belle dame?" Lumiere asked.
I blushed, "I used to think I was beautiful like that."
"You are though-"
I held up my hand to stop Lumiere's protest.
"I used to be so vain," I continued, "I would ask Edmond to describe my beauty for me."
"Edmond? That was his name?" Lumiere asked.
I had forgotten that I had never actually told Lumiere Edmond's first name.
"Yes," I sighed, "I suppose I really loved him."
I wish I could tell you what Lumiere was thinking because it must have been hurtful for me to talk about Edmond when Lumiere was so clearly taken with me. I have to admit that Lumiere was growing on me though.
Lumiere took my hands in his, "Babette, you know how I feel about you. And I'm so sorry that I'm pressuring you so but I have to know if you feel the same. It is driving me mad!" Lumiere dramatically threw his head back then looked back at me with a smile.
"Honestly, I don't really know…" I trailed off as I tried to gather myself, "I know that I cannot just be friends with you, I don't feel like we can simply be friends…"
"Can you try to tell me?" He persisted.
"You… You make me feel different… Like I can open myself up and act the way I used to. And it's hard to believe that I can even do that after everything. Which is why I like you so much. You make me feel happier."
"I see…" Lumiere paused, "But you still belong to Edmond?"
"I think that's the problem. I really loved Edmond, probably more than I've ever loved anyone else. But you still make me feel happier than he ever made me feel. I think if I love you, I love you more than I've really loved anything."
He smiled, "Then you wouldn't mind if I kissed you?"
I was a bit shocked but I reached deep down inside me and summed up all of the courage I had been lacking for the past few months.
"Nuh uh," I smiled my best seductive smile, "I do the kissing."