Author's Note: Hello lovely readers! It's certainly been a while since the last chapter, but here's the next one for you! Thank you to all who've continued to support this work, it's very much appreciated. As always, thank you for the reviews, follows, and favourites.
Enjoy!
Kent
August 1916
Since the arrival of that horrid telegram two weeks before, Belle hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. By some miracle, she managed to stay away at her desk during the day at the office – though she more often than not elected to use her lunch break for a nap – but by the time she made the trek on her bicycle all the way to the big house, her eyelids became heavier and heavier.
"Belle… are you alright?"
Belle blinked and took in her surroundings. If it was possible, she might have dozed off while standing upright. She was in the library, a room filled with so many memories, holding a stack of letters and telegrams she was supposed to deliver to the convalescing soldiers. When she had been assigned the task, she immediately checked all of the addresses, just in case Cogsworth had missed a telegram from the War Office concerning Adam. But all of the envelopes were addressed to the officers.
"I'm… I'm fine, Mrs. Potts," Belle replied, clearing her throat.
The housekeeper gave her a wary look. "I know you're worried about Mr. Adam, we all are, I can assure you." She paused, contemplating her words. "But I'm sure he's fine."
"It's been two weeks, Mrs. Potts," Belle said, a lump forming in her throat. She could feel hot tears forming again in her eyes. "Two. How does the War Office not know anything? How do they not know where he is?" She tried to keep her voice down. Some of the officers were starting to stare.
Mrs. Potts sighed. "You're so tired…"
"I haven't been able to sleep," she confessed. "Images of Adam… they keep me up all night."
"Why don't you hand out those letters, and we can have a bed made up for you in the servants' quarters. You can rest here for the night. Plumette can bring you up some soup, that should do you good."
Belle smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Potts. That means a lot."
"Yes, we also want you to be in ship-shape for the concert tomorrow."
Belle let out a small, empty laugh. "Yes, of course."
Truthfully, Belle had almost completely forgotten about the concert they were putting on for the soldiers. Plumette had worn her down enough until she agreed to sing, but it wasn't just her. Chappeau, who was convalescing at the house, was to play his violin. Lumiere and Plumette were supposedly singing a duet, and she'd heard a rumour of a colonel with a skillful juggling act.
Plumette insisted that the concert would help her get her mind off things, but it had done quite the opposite.
When she was done delivering the correspondence to the soldiers, Mrs. Potts led her to an unused servant's room, where a bowl of hot soup was waiting for her.
Perhaps it was because she was in familiar surroundings, the house in which she had spent two years of her life, but that night Belle slept more soundly that she had since the telegram had arrived.
Just before the staff was due in the dining hall for lunch the next day, Plumette managed to find her husband shut up in one of the closets, polishing what seemed like an endless array of silverware.
"What in heaven's name are you doing that for, love?" Plumette asked, lingering at the entrance of the closet. "I could have sworn I saw you polishing those yesterday."
"You know how Cogsworth likes it," Lumiere said in a dull tone, not even looking up from his hands. "'Even during a war, Theron must remain the bastion of tradition – that's how we stick it to the Germans… or something like that."
Plumette frowned. She knew her husband hadn't exactly been in high spirits for the past few months, but this seemed more serious than that. Over the past several days, Lumiere was seemingly becoming more distant, not just to her, but to their daughter as well. Plumette had to practically beg him to practice for the concert they were holding for the soldiers that evening. More than anything, she just wanted to see him smile, to dance with him.
Plumette walked over to her husband and planted a kiss on his cheek. The prickle of hairs just starting to grow back in on his face caught on her lips, making her giggle. Footsteps passed by the door, and her head bolted up. But it was only a maid who paid them no attention. Perhaps she should've closed the door. She knew how Cogsworth hated public displays of affection among the staff.
Lumiere didn't say anything in response to her kiss, making her smile drop. "Lunch is almost ready, love," Plumette said, placing her hands comfortingly on his shoulders. "Come and join us in the dining hall. Mrs. Oliver's made barley soup with the leftover beef from yesterday. You know how hard it is to get beef with all the rations."
When Lumiere still didn't stir, Plumette decided to pry. "What's wrong, love? I hate to see you so down."
He put the silverware and cloth down on the table, but still didn't look up at her. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "I think you know."
Plumette breathed in sharply. "The war…" she trailed off, not wanting to entertain the thought.
"I just feel so useless. Sitting here polishing the silver doesn't help the war effort, no matter what Cogsworth may try to convince us."
"But you're helping the soldiers here, helping them get on with their lives," she reasoned, hoping to sooth him.
"It just makes it worse, being around the soldiers who've sacrificed so much for this country, who've made a difference, while I stay in the comfort of this house." He sighed deeply, the type of sigh Plumette had only heard a few times, when he was disappointed. The better part of it being the days so long ago when His Lordship and Mr. Adam were always in and out of the house, during their frequent shouting matches they could hear even down in the servants' hall. That sigh somehow became the worst part of Lumiere's mood, it reminded her too much of when there was so much unhappiness in the house.
"I know you desperately want to join up, love," Plumette said, her voice soft, "but I'm just so worried. You've seen just as well as I how much fighting can change your life – those poor men with their faces half-burned from explosions. Those without legs or arms, and that's if you survive. I don't know what I'd do if… I just need you're here, not just for me but for Eleanor as well. She needs her father."
Anxiously, Plumette waited for her husband to respond. She waited and waited. It seemed as if lunch had come and gone by the time Lumiere answered.
"I completely understand your worries, love, and I worry about that too. You don't think I'm not terrified about even the slightest prospect of not seeing you or Eleanor again? Of course I am… but I want to be worthy of your love, and I don't feel worthy while I sit here polishing the silverware."
Plumette kissed him again, trying to be reassuring. "Of course, you are worthy. You are worthy a thousand times over."
"I want to be worthy to myself. I want to fight not only for this country, but for you and our girl as well." He put his hand over hers on his shoulder, rubbing it comfortingly. "I should have joined up from the very beginning, like Percy did –"
"And now he and Mr. Adam are missing somewhere in France!"
Lumiere sighed again, seeming to understand her point. But he shook his head. "Sooner or later I'll need to join up, and I want to do it with your blessing, knowing you support me. I can't put off the War Office forever, they're likely to imprison me for treason," he said with a small laugh.
Despite herself, Plumette laughed as well. It was true he'd been able to get out service the past two years because of the family, but ultimately, he was right. She didn't want this to be a reason for her husband to resent her. That would be too much for her to bear. Plumette moved to kneel beside his chair, clutching his hands.
"I love you, Lumiere, and I can't let this be a point of contention between us. If you want to join up, you have my blessing."
Lumiere let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you," he breathed as he kissed her hands.
"All I ask is that you wait until the War Office finds out what happened to Mr. Adam and Percy. One mystery is plenty enough for me."
He smiled. "Well, I've already waited this long, so I think I can bear waiting a little longer."
Perhaps it was the crowd of soldiers in the library that evening making Belle nervous and jittery, or the fact that the War Office still hadn't a clue regarding the whereabouts of Adam and Percy.
Plumette and Lumiere were performing their duet – him on the piano and her with her beautiful voice, and it only made Belle wish she had Adam standing beside her. She wished he was holding her arm lovingly and squeezing her hand for comfort. She wished he was here to clap for the performances, to see Chappeau play his violin, to see Plumette and Lumiere, and their little girl who in the arms of Mrs. Potts. But more than anything, she wished she knew where he was, and what had happened to him.
As Plumette and Lumiere's song was coming to a close, Belle swallowed hard. It would be her turn next, and she was afraid that as soon as she started singing, her dinner would come back up all over the library's lovely carpet.
The sound of clapping brought her back to reality, and Belle swallowed her fear once more. Lumiere stayed at the piano to accompany her, and as Plumette passed her along the isle they had set up, she whispered, "you'll be amazing."
Belle gave her friend a reassured smile. When she got to the front of the room and stared into the small crowd of soldiers and staff, she tried to image Adam there at the back, in between Cogsworth and Chappeau. He was all dressed up in his soldier's uniform, handsome as ever. She cleared her throat, not wanting to distract herself any further, and looked over at Lumiere to give him a small nod to start playing.
Immediately, the sound of the piano filled the room. Despite herself, she still imagined Adam at the back of the room, giving her an encouraging nod.
She blinked, and he was gone. Lumiere played the first few bars of the song again, and she realized she had forgotten her cue.
"Sometimes when I feel bad
And things look blue
I wish a pal I had, say one like you
Someone within my heart to build a throne
Someone who'd never part, to call my own"
Belle blinked away tears, thinking of Adam. Where was he? Did he know she was thinking of him? Was he thinking of her?
"If you were the only girl in the world
And I were the only boy"
By then she became more comfortable in the room, Plumette smiling brightly, and even Mrs. Oliver gave her a wistful look.
There were shadows at the entrance of the library, catching her eye. Suddenly two figures walked in, one shorter than the other, both dressed in uniform with their hats under their arms. Belle blinked once, twice.
Was this real?
Was this a dream?
Was she still imaging?
She could hardly believe it, because Adam was standing at the back of the room, giving her a warm smile. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest.
When Belle stopped singing, the crowded turned to see what she was gazing at, and the staff let out a cry of shock. She was suddenly relieved that the others could see him as well, that it wasn't just her imagination playing a cruel joke on her eyes. She leaned on the piano for support, her legs feeling as though they were about to give out from under her. "Thank God," she breathed.
"Mr. Adam!" Plumette cried, seeming to wipe away tears. "Percy! You're alright!"
"And thank heavens for that!" Cogsworth exclaimed, shaking Adam's hand and then Percy's.
"We were so worried for you both," Mrs. Potts explained. "The War Office said you'd gone missing in France."
"They had no idea where you were," Chappeau finished.
"There is so much to explain," Adam said, and then looked back up at Belle. "But don't stop the performance on my account." He then started to walk up the isle towards her.
"I would say such wonderful things to you
There would be such wonderful things to do"
Adam sang the next few lines of the song and Belle wondered why she had never heard him sing before – for it would be a pity to deprive any household of that sound. Wiping away a few tears, Belle joined him.
"If you were the only girl in the world
And I were the only boy"
A roar of applause filled the library, and before she could stop herself, Belle threw her arms around Adam and kissed him on the cheek. Perhaps Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth would be shocked at such a display, but Belle didn't care. Her Adam was back at Theron, back in her arms, and no one else mattered.
After the performances had concluded and the soldiers had filed out of the library, the staff, Adam, and Belle remained. Cogsworth had already poured Adam a glass of brandy, and Percy was allowed one as well, just this once.
"The truth is," Adam explained in between sips of brandy, "that somehow we got lost and then we were trapped behind some Germans for three days, and when we got out of that, we stumbled into a field dressing station where we were immediately admitted. But we weren't in any danger, so they didn't inform our unit. That's why the War Office didn't know anything."
"Oh, how awful," one of the maids gasped.
"Well, it's good to have to back at home, sir," Cogsworth said.
Adam smiled warmly. "I hope you all weren't too worried."
Belle resisted the urge to let out a tearful laugh.
"Well, you know us," Mrs. Potts said. "We like to be sure of our heroes at the front."
"It feels good to have a proper drink, that's for sure," Adam laughed.
"And a proper bed," Percy added.
"How long will you be staying, sir?" Plumette asked, and Belle was glad she did. She didn't want to ask in front of everyone.
"The War Office has allowed us a week and a half leave, then it's back off to France," Adam replied.
A week and a half. It was an eternity, and yet not nearly enough time. Adam gazed at her, giving her a disparaging look. He knew it wasn't enough time, either.
Later that evening, Adam found Belle preparing to leave the house. He approached her in the front foyer, where the lights were dimmed and the hall was illuminated by the light of the moon.
"Belle, I need a moment alone with you," he said, guiding her to an alcove that separated the main foyer from the library's entrance. Before he could say anything else, her lips were already on his, her hands on his shoulders, drinking each other in.
"You don't know how much I missed you," Belle breathed in between kisses. "I was so worried… I thought…"
Adam pulled away, caressing her cheek. He still couldn't believe how much he missed her. How long had it been since his last leave? He couldn't remember, but it felt as if he hadn't seen her since the start of the war.
"There's no need to worry anymore," Adam whispered.
"I wish you didn't have to go back, I wish you could stay for a little bit longer," Belle replied, gripping his hands like she would never let go.
"And I want nothing more than to stay at the house, but I'm afraid I must go back, as much as it pains me. A court martial wouldn't do anyone any good here." He let out a laugh, and he admired the way the ends of Belle's lips pulled upwards into a small smile. "But in the meantime, I shall endeavor to make the most of my time here."
"Save your evenings for me," Belle smiled mischievously. "I want to see as much of you as I can before you leave again."
A heavy silence filled the hall. Unspoken words floated in the air between them: this could be the last time they see each other. Adam shook his head. He couldn't allow himself to think like that, not when Belle was standing right in front of him, not when they had a few precious moments together before returning to reality.
"You know I thought of you every day," Adam smiled down at his feet, chuckling a little. "Hiding away in my little bunker or walking through the trenches or wading through the mud… I always wondered what you were doing, what you were thinking."
"And of course, I thought of you," Belle answered. "I wondered how you were managing, if you were thinking of me. I guess I know now."
"God, I love you so much," Adam breathed before they shared another kiss, bathed in the silver moonlight.
For once, the days passed all too quickly for Belle, and soon Adam's leave was finally up. She had gotten used to having Adam around on the evenings and weekends, and he even helped with the chores for the convalescing soldiers – distributing mail, transcribing letters for those unable to write, serving glasses of water. It was like he had become a member of the staff, and Mrs. Potts was all too happy to see him do it.
He still ate dinner alone in the dining room, and invited Belle to join him. She did, on a few occasions – she didn't want to completely abandon the rest of the staff.
"You know this house was a convalescence home during the Boer Wars," Adam had told her one evening over a dinner of chicken and roasted vegetables. "My mother managed it with the head doctor from the village hospital. Who was it then? Oh, it was Dr. Albright. He always used to let me watch as he stitched up soldiers' wounds. I couldn't have been more than twelve years old."
"It must have been frightening, for a boy of your age," Belle said.
"I don't remember being afraid of the soldiers," Adam recalled. "But I do remember a few of them making me nervous, especially when they raised their voices… Mama said they were just having difficult memories from their times in the war, and only now I understand how they felt."
"Do you want to talk about it…" Belle ventured carefully. "About your time in France?"
Adam shook his head. "All I want to do is spend time with the woman I love… with the people I love."
Now, both Adam and Percy were due back in France early, so Belle decided to surprise him at the train station before he left. It worked out so that she would be able to meet him before she was due for work at the office.
Even though it had been dreadfully hot this past month, the morning air was chilled, and Belle pulled her knitted cardigan a little tighter around her shoulders to keep warm. Her heart was pounding in anticipation of seeing Adam, of making their moments together last a little bit longer.
Then they were there on the platform, Adam in front of Percy, both dressed smartly in their uniforms and overcoats. Belle caught his eye, and he made his way over to her on the platform.
"I wanted to see you again," Belle started, "one last time before you left."
He kissed her on the cheek. "You must have been up early."
"Yes, I'm afraid I woke up Papa in my efforts to get here on time." It was quiet for a few moments, and they just started at each other, letting life happen around them. Belle then cleared her throat, remembering something. She opened her purse and pulled out a small baby's rattle in the shape of a rose. "I wanted to give you this," she said, blushing a little.
Adam gave her an inquisitive look as he took the rattle.
"It's my lucky charm, I've had it always," she explained. "So, you must promise to bring it back without a scratch."
"Won't you need it?"
"Not as much as you." Belle placed her hand over his, curling it over the small object. She loved the feeling of his warm hands. "Look after it, please."
"I'll try not to be a hero, if that's what you're afraid of," he gave her a small smile.
"Just come back safe and sound." Belle felt tears forming in her eyes. "That's all I ask."
"Belle…" he started, a little uneasy. "If I don't come back…"
"No –"
"If I don't, then please remember that I don't regret anything. I don't regret anything that has led me to this moment right now. I mean it."
"I don't, either," Belle replied softly, tears truly forming now. The whistle of the train blew loud, nearly making her jump out of her skin. "I guess this is goodbye, then." She leaned in to kiss Adam on the lips, trying to recall every detail so she would remember. "And such good luck."
"Goodbye, Belle. I love you," Adam said before boarding the train with Percy, and soon the train was pulling out of the station and was out of site.
If Belle could've stayed on that platform for hours, she would have. She felt as if she could stay there forever.
