Author's Note: Et voilà! Hello, love readers, and please excuse the lengthy absence of chapters. So sorry for not updating sooner, but I'm super excited to finally be returning to this story! Thank you so much to everyone who's been sticking with it and continuing to follow, favourite, and review, I appreciate your kind words so much.

Thank you, again and enjoy!

France

August 1916

Captain Adam Savoy didn't know if it was dirt in his mouth or the remains of the ghastly coffee he drank that morning, but after two endless months of walking back and forth through the mud-filled trenches, it was all starting to taste the same.

God, what he would give to have a cup in Theron's breakfast room. To have the sun warm his face through the windows, and to read his favourite novel. Just the thought nearly caused him to lose his footing in the mud. At least he had three weeks leave to look forward to at the end of the month – he would finally be able to get some proper food into him, and sleep in a proper bed.

Since the beginning of the war, Adam had only been back to Theron a few times, and even then only for a week at a time at the most. Certainly not long enough to get used to his previous way of life. In a sense, his father had got what he wanted – for Adam to be out of the house. And yet the war had thrown all expectations out the window in that Lord Villeneuve probably wouldn't even notice if Adam were staying in the house.

Lord Villeneuve had resumed his position in the British Army as a Lord Lieutenant and was off in Yorkshire or Scotland or some such place training new recruits. He doubted his father had even seen the inside of Theron since the start of the war. Adam had mercifully been spared having his father as his commanding officer, and within two years had risen to the rank of captain and was now leading his own squadron of troops through the humid trenches of France, waiting for the battle to begin. It was one of those rare moments when neither side were bombarding each other – it was just quiet, and Adam intended to savour every moment of it.

Entering his small bunker, Adam shook off his coat and laid it over the crooked wooden chair next to the bureau. For a moment, he took the time to gaze at a small photograph of Belle – his only possession from before the war. She had it taken only a few days before Adam was due to leave, and he had carried it with him since. The photograph had become a sort of appendage – he never traveled without it, and during the few battles he'd fought he had kept it in the inside pocket of his coat.

On the small bureau there was a small stack of letters, still unopened, that Adam had yet to reply to. Though the stack seemed larger than when he'd previously glanced at it. Gingerly, Adam picked up the stack and shuffled through the letters, glancing at the return addresses. Two from Belle, one from the staff at Theron, and a last from his cousin, Elizabeth. Since the beginning of war, Adam had heard very little from the rest of his family, save from the occasional letter. Theresa had written him before he'd joined the army asking after his welfare, what his future plans were, and wrote that both Cousin Alexander and Cousin Edward had joined right at the beginning (no doubt with resistance from their mother). Cousin Elizabeth, on the other hand wrote him frequently relaying all the London gossip she was apparently tired of hearing. Her only reprieve, she wrote, was that her mother's talk of finding her a suitable husband lessened because many of the eligible men had gone off to the front.

Adam sat at the bureau, grabbed his letter opener and teared open Belle's letter when a sudden explosion knocked him off his seat. From the bunker's cold and dusty floor, he quickly came to his senses and whipped on his overcoat, making sure to grab the photograph of Belle and placing it inside the small pocket. He then grabbed his helmet hanging from the wooden hook on the hall and exited out into heavy air. That was another thing Adam missed about England, and about home – the crisp open air of the estate he had taken for granted. Now the only air available was heavy with dust and smoke, constantly smelling of perspiration and rotting flesh.

Chaos reigned outside the bunker as men hurried to their battle positions, hurling explosives over the trenches and returning fire with their rifles. Somehow, in all of it, Adam managed to find his commanding officer.

"What's going on, sir?!" Adam cried through the roar of explosions and gunfire.

"The Germans launched an attack near our food stores, nearly wiped them out," Major Wright replied. "Get your men into position for an attack, Captain, it looks as though the Germans are getting ready to charge."

Adam could hardly reply with a "Yes, sir" before Major Wright made his way further down the trench. With a nervous sigh, he strode toward his squadron to relay the major's orders. It was strange – he'd been through battle before, some lasting days, and yet in the moments before he would charge onto the field, he always felt his stomach flip. He imagined the feeling was uncommon.

Thankfully, the battle only lasted a few hours when they managed to drive the Germans back to their trenches. Adam was ready to collapse with relief on his cot when Major Wright approached the bunker's entrance. He stood at attention, giving a sharp salute.

"Captain Savoy, your new batman has arrived. He's from Chartham as well, so perhaps you already know each other. The lads down at the War Office thought the two of you would get on a little better," Major Wright explained, his expression relaxing. "At ease, gentlemen."

Until then, Adam hadn't noticed the young man standing behind the major, but as soon as got a look at him under his hat his face instantly lit up.

"Percy!" he cried, throwing his arm around the boy that used to be a Theron footman. He hadn't seen any of the staff since he'd last been to Theron over a year ago, and still always remembered Percy has having a boyish charm about him. Now, in his clean uniform still devoid of any dirt and mud he seemed more grown. His blond hair was cut short, and his cheeks had lost some of their roundness. "It's so good to see a familiar face!"

"When the War Office told me I would be placed as a batman to a Captain Savoy, I hoped it was you and not some unfortunate coincidence," Percy replied, smiling. "And it's Private Hayes, now, sir."

"Private Hayes, of course," Adam replied, running his eyes over Percy, worried that if he blinked, he would be gone. "How long since you joined up?"

"About three months now, though this is my first time at the front."

"And how has Theron been since I last visited?"

"Much of the same, sir, though Mrs. Potts had taken on a few volunteers from the village to help with the convalescence. Mainly school teachers and shop workers. And of course, Belle continues to help every evening," Percy said with a smile.

Adam smiled warmly, feeling blush rise to his cheeks. "And how is little Eleanor doing?"

"She's gotten over the stage of wailing night and day, at least that's what Lumiere said. For the first few months they were hardly able to walk to Theron in the morning. I have a photograph," he said, pulling out a small card from his coat pocket.

Adam gazed at the small child, embraced by both her parents. Eleanor Valois had the same dark hair of her mother, and the same bright eyes of her father.

"Lumiere was talking of joining up, last I heard," Percy continued. "Though Plumette was desperately trying to talk him out of it."

"I would expect nothing less," Adam replied, smiling softly and returning the photograph to Percy. For a moment, he couldn't help but worry. Of course, he supported Lumiere's desire to serve king and country, but unlike himself, he had a young family to think about. It was perfectly understandable for Plumette to not want him to join up, but there must be so much pressure for men like him to take up the cause – especially now that the war had gone on for a little over two years and everyone wanted to be back home in time for Christmas.

That's what everyone had said, when it started. It's what he had told Belle when he left.

"I'll be back before you know it," Adam had told her the evening after he'd made the decision to join up. It had been late August, and men from the village were already leaving for the front in throngs. Belle had been in the process to settling into a newly-established office in the village, and both she and Adam had finally gotten the chance to meet each other for supper at the pub.

"Must you go, Adam?" Belle asked, reaching across the table to take his hand in hers. "It's still so early."

"And yet most of the men in the village have already left. What will the rest think of me – their employer not serving his country?".

Belle could feel Adam's hand tense and rubbed her thumb over it in an attempt to relax him. "What does… what does your father say?" Lord Villeneuve was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but she worried that he was somehow forcing Adam to join the army, that this was all his doing.

"He doesn't say anything, I haven't even told him," Adam confessed, relaxing his shoulders. "I supposed he's resumed his position from the Boer War and is somewhere up in Yorkshire training all the new men. No, this is my decision."

Belle smiled softly. "I'm glad you've decided this for yourself. And yet…" she trailed off, not wanting to think about all the horrible possibilities of what would happen to him at the front.

"Don't worry, Belle. They're saying we'll be back home in time for Christmas."

They'd be back home for Christmas.

The war would only last a few short months.

And yet, here they all were, stuck in the wet and muddy trenches waiting for the battle to continue.

During the hot summer months, Belle was grateful her trek from the office to Theron was in the evening, as the sun started to set, and the evening breezes picked up. That day had been particularly brutal, with the air so humid it proved a difficult task to keep cool. By the end of the work day, Belle had wanted nothing more than to jump into an ice bath. But she tried not to complain about the conditions of the village too much. After all, Adam and thousands of young men were fighting in undoubtedly worse conditions the likes of which she could barely imagine. Even in Adam's letters from the front, he didn't speak too much about his living situation, only that the men were still in good spirits, the fighting was going well, and that Percy had become his batman – a source of happiness to the rest of the staff at Theron, especially Mrs. Potts. Though the footman had never been directly under her charge, her relief at the news had been palpable when Belle had read Adam's latest correspondence to the staff. They had all been so worried about Percy joining up on his own, but now at least he had someone that would look out for him out there.

Belle was knocked back into the present abruptly as she jumped out of the street to make way for a medical truck pulling into the hospital. Lately, it seemed as if the stream of injured officers coming back from the front was endless, but before Adam had joined up, he'd decided to turn the estate into a convalescence home as it once had been during the Boer Wars. At that time, it had been run by Adam's mother, the Countess of Villeneuve, but now it was run by Dr. Nichols from the hospital conjointly with Mrs. Potts. Belle, of course, volunteered her evenings and weekends to help out. Those hours were mainly spent doing mundane tasks such as changing bedding, delivering letters, and serving meals, but she didn't mind. It felt good to be useful while Adam and Percy were risking their lives, and it felt good to be back in the big house with no looming shadow of controlling fathers or arranged marriages hanging in the air.

For once, it felt like that was all behind her.

Belle reached the servants' entrance just as the sun was peeking through the tops of the trees, bathing the estate in a beautiful golden glow.

Though she was technically entitled to enter through the main entrance now, she nevertheless wanted to catch her old friends before starting her duties. She spotted Plumette sitting at the servants' dining table reading a magazine as she pulled off her hat and hung it on the wooden rack. Now that Plumette was still nursing her baby girl, she was allowed a little more time to herself than the other maids.

"Belle!" Plumette said in surprise as she looked up from her magazine. "You look positively drenched!"

Belle let out a short laugh. "I feel like it too. It is ghastly hot out."

"Tell me about it. It feels like it takes twice as long for Lumiere and I to walk up from the cottage with Eleanor."

"Any news since last evening?"

Plumette nodded her head with enthusiasm. "Mrs. Potts and Dr. Nichols have decided to throw a sort of concert for the men in two weeks. Anyone who can play the piano or sing or perform a talent can participate."

Belle smiled. "That sounds lovely!"

"Oh Belle," Plumette suddenly gasped, "please tell me you'll sing!"

"Me?" Belle gaped at her friend.

"Yes, of course! I remember your lovely voice from New Year's 1913."

"How do you remember that? I don't remember such an occasion."

"To be fair, you had a little too much to drink." Both friends laughed, remember the time they both lived under this roof. How long ago, it seemed.

"Anything else?" Belle asked.

"Not much," Plumette replied, "oh but Sergeant Jameson left to go back up north, to his family. There's a convalescence home up in Yorkshire that could take him."

Belle couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the news. Sergeant Jameson had been a great help not just to the staff but also to the rest of the convalescing men. He'd tell them stories from before the war of his travels. He said he'd been as far east as Singapore and as far south as Johannesburg.

"Ah, that's a shame," Belle replied. "But good that he can be closer to his family."

"Speaking of family…" Plumette trailed off as she eyed Lumiere making was down the corridor. Belle smiled toward the footman, but he hardly gave her an acknowledgement as he brushed passed her in a hurry.

Belle shot Plumette a confused look. "What was that about?"

The maid sighed deeply. "Oh, don't mind him. He's in one of his moods again."

"Is this about joining up?" Belle was almost hesitant to bring up the subject, for fear that Lumiere would hear from the room over.

Plumette nodded. "He's been insisting these past few days. Especially now that he's the only male member of staff who hasn't joined up. Besides Cogsworth, of course, and the hallboys."

"It must be difficult, seeing so many of his friends go," Belle remarked.

"I know… and I want him to feel like he's being useful in the war effort… but I want more than anything for Eleanor to have a father. To know her father."

Belle put an arm around her friend. "It was difficult… and terrifying, watching Adam leave for the front. And it doesn't get easier, knowing he's in harm's way every day. But he's fighting for what he believes in, and that's enough. I know it's different for me, but you may have to let Lumiere go if you want him to remain on your side."

Plumette didn't say anything. She only pulled Belle into a tight hug that she wasn't quite prepared for. In spite of the bustle of the servants' hall, Belle could have sworn she heard the sniffles of her friend which eventually turned into light sobs. Belle knew she couldn't make this decision for her friends, but only wished for them to make it mutually.

This blasted mud would give them away.

Adam and Percy trudged through the thick muds, praying that the ground was wet enough from the rains the previous day to disfigure their tracks.

Both soldiers had left their base hours ago for what was supposed to be a quick reconnaissance mission, but the difficult terrain made it a lot longer – and made the path more confusing. Adam assumed they were behind enemy lines by now and wanted nothing more than to get back to base as quickly as possible.

More footsteps.

Voices – speaking in hushed tones.

Definitely not speaking English.

Adam turned around as his hand shot out to pull Percy with him behind a tree. With a look, his batman knew to be quiet. They shared a long stare, wide-eyed, seeming to pray together that they wouldn't be seen. Adam didn't even want to imagine what would happen to them should they be caught by the Germans.

The voices grew louder.

There was shouting.

Then the voices stopped.

Adam tentatively peaked from behind the tree, and instantly regretted it. The German soldiers were only about one hundred metres away, smoking cigarettes.

Shit.

They needed to leave.

They needed to run.

"What's going on, sir?" Percy asked, his voice wobbly and short of breath.

"The Germans are taking a break, it would seem," Adam responded as quiet as possible. "We can't wait around for them to leave."

Percy nodded, wide-eyed.

Together, Adam and Percy stepped forward from the tree, further away from the Germans. If they would get far enough away in the opposite direction first, they shouldn't be noticeable heading back to base.

Another shout, and they took off running.

Adam didn't turn to see if the Germans were following them.

They received the telegram as Belle was taking book orders for the soldiers. It was one of her duties that made the rest of the work a little less strenuous. One of the soldiers, Lieutenant Carter, was particularly well-read, and she enjoyed discussing any number of books with him. It reminded her of the conservations Belle would have with Adam in this very library so long ago.

Plumette came into the library, out of breath like she had run the length of the house five times over. A few of the convalescing soldiers turned to look at the maid as she entered, a sort of bewilderment in their eyes, but then quickly returned to their newspaper or novel.

Belle approached her friend quickly. "What is it, Plumette?" She asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Was it Adam?

Was he hurt?

Was he…?

"A telegram from the War Office," Plumette said, trying to catch her breath. "About Mr. Adam and Percy."

Belle's heart caught in her throat.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't think.

"What happened?" Belle demanded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Cogsworth wouldn't say, he wants all the staff downstairs."

Belle didn't wait. She passed Plumette in a hurry and all but ran down to the servants' hall. By the time Plumette caught up to her, the rest of the staff had assembled around the long dining table. Mostly women now, only Lumiere was the only footman left and the hallboys – too young to join up –made up the rest of the male staff, besides Cogsworth. Many of the maids now working at Theron had all been hired after Belle had left just over two years ago.

Had it really been that long?

"Good, now that we're all assembled," Cogsworth began, clearing his throat.

Belle closed her eyes, prayed silently for Adam.

He needed to be okay.

He must.

"The telegram from the War Office brings grave news regarding Mr. Adam and Percy," Cogsworth continued.

Belle suddenly felt faint. She dripped the back of a wooden chair for support, so tight her knuckles were turning white.

"They appear to have gone missing while on a patrol a few days ago. That is all we know right now."

A low murmur started among the staff.

"What do you mean, they don't know anything else?" Belle asked, raising her shaky voice. "The War Office doesn't have a clue happened to them?"

"Let's not fall to pieces quite yet," Cogsworth reasoned. "Apparently it happens all the time, and the men turn up in one field hospital or another."

"But is the War Office treating them as missing in action?" Belle asked, her voice wobbly in her throat.

"Have they been taken prisoner?" A hallboy asked, making Belle's heart leap out of her mouth. Her legs were giving out from under her, and she sat down hard on one of the chairs, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand.

Cogsworth opened his mouth to speak again, but Mrs. Potts instead answered. "That is all the War Office is telling us at the moment. Perhaps a more detailed telegram was sent to his Lordship, but that is nevertheless the extent of what we know. It's frightening, I know, in these uncertain times, but we all must pray for Mr. Adam and Percy's safe return. That is all we can do."

Belle nodded, holding in the urge to burst into tears.

It was dark when Belle finally returned to the cottage. She was surprised to see that her father was still up, working away on one of this music boxes.

"Don't let me disturb you," Belle said meekly, passing by his bureau. The news of Mr. Adam still rung heavy in her mind.

"You don't disturb me, dear," Maurice replied, looking up from his work. "How was it at the big house today?"

Belle stopped, opened her mouth to respond, but at that came out were tears.

Maurice rushed from his bureau and wrapped her in his arms. "What's the matter, Belle?"

"A telegram came from the War Office," Belle said in between sobs. "They said Adam's gone missing behind enemy lines."

"Oh, my dear girl," he said, holding her tighter. "I'm sure he's alright. That Adam's a fighter, that one."

Belle nodded into her father's shirt.

"Adam's a fighter. And you are, too."