Lumiere pace uneasily before the master's chambers, muttering French nothings while Cogsworth went on about how he was right. "I honestly don't see what the problem is," the haughty upright clock moaned. "It gives the master longer to try and find someone to love! I really have gotten used to being a household item, I haven't liked it, but I've gotten used to it."
"No, you do not understand," Lumiere hissed. "She was the one! Now we know, otherwise, our master would be dead and we would be trapped forever. We have to get her to come back, there is no other hope!"
"Now Lumiere," the motherly tea pot coaxed. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Not three hours ago that girl ran from this castle with her life in her hands. It's going to be hard to get her to come back."
"We don't even know where she lives!" There was a deep silence after a painful roar came from inside the room. Their voices had risen too high. "Quiet…you'll upset the master more."
"We have hope, my friends, hope!" Lumiere exclaimed. "Tomorrow, we will go to the village and find the girl. We tell her destiny waits, and…"
"She comes running back to the beast who nearly killed her?" Cogsworth sarcastically finished. "Sounds like a plan, my candled friend."
"Surely she believes in love," Lumiere continued, gazing off into the dark halls of the west wing. "With any luck, love will lure her back."
"Belle? Belle! I demand you open this door!" Belle rolled her chestnut eyes and laid her book aside. Her father was still sleeping, sick but getting better. She peeped through the contraption to see who it was, as if she didn't know. "Belle! You'll not turn me down again!"
"Gaston, I can't let you in. My father has taken ill, and I need to stay with him," Belle answered sternly back. Lefou's insane laughter was heard, muffled by the door. Belle stayed near it to make sure he didn't try and burst in.
"Gaston, she's playing hard to get," Lefou whispered. "That crazy father of hers is holding her back!" Gaston, outside, rifle still on his back and thick chin in his hand, nodded and walked along the small cottage to the back.
"Belle? Belle!" he shouted from the back kitchen. The young beauty rushed to the back of the house to lock that door as well. "You can't stay in there forever!"
"Why not let me try!" she yelled back. "Go away!" Gaston's anger was beginning to build. He gave the back door a hearty kick, scaring Belle back and bending the wood.
"You don't know what you're missing," he grumbled, turning back to the road towards town. "She's insane," he growled to Lefou. "Her father's turning her insane!"
"Tales about beasts and castles; it's those books that are ruining her!" Lefou shouted. Gaston stopped, struck with a rare thought.
"The books…of course! You're right, she's always reading books. Those stupid stories about princes and magic! It's a load of deer dung!"
"The more she's reading, the more she's wasting away about fairy tales," Lefou added. Gaston grimace and nodded.
"We may not catch her today, Lefou," Gaston spat. "But we'll see how hard to get when she can't read any more of her precious made-up stories."
Beast held the rose close to his wide shoulder, softly crying into the glass. All hope was surely gone now. She was a miracle, a beautiful angel in a work of darkness. And now, she was gone. No matter what that witch said, he sobbed, she wouldn't return. Not to this forsaken place. Not to a monstrosity, an evil lord like himself. This was what was meant to be, he decided. Years of having a cold heart had brought him something worse than death.