Belle wept with no hendrence; her mind swam in tears as if they had no end. There was no hope for her now. If she left the village, they would most likely take her father. If she stayed, she would have the marry the true beast. Suddenly, a wave of comfort came over her. The Beast! She had spent the night crying and had forgotten about him. From the window, she could see sunlight peering through. Her true friends would be able to help her. Leaping to her feet, she searched for her cloak. Papa would see Felipe gone when he woke and realize where she'd gone, if she could only get some more bandages…the door refused to open. Through her frustration she began to jerk at the small handle harder. "Belle?" She had disturbed her father. "Belle, what's going on?" She glanced to the window. There was a blockade made of iron and bent nails over thick wooden boards. They were looked in her house. Someone was standing near the door—Belle began to pound on the glass.
"Do you hear something, Lefou?" Gaston said while brushing his gloved hands. The troublesome moron stumbled over a pile of wood he had dropped.
"No, nothing at all, Gaston." Gaston shrugged and looked over the small cottage once before heading back for the main road to town.
"Such a silly little house…Belle will be glad to finally have a real castle."
"You're so right, Gaston!" Belle furiously tore herself from the window. It was no use. She was trapped. How could she tell the Beast? Alone, she slowly dropped to her feet. Gaston had finally won.
Meanwhile, at the castle, Lumiere and Cogsworth paced bath and forth over the dining room table debating what should be done. "Why has she not returned? Surely she has fixed this mess by now."
"Lumiere, I have a bad feeling about this," Cogsworth officiously rambled. "I never trusted this girl from the beginning, and now she's forgotten about us again."
"Surely that is not the case," Ms. Potts argued from the doorway of the kitchen. "She must be in trouble, some that she can't get out of."
"That lunitic has her trapped in her house," a fimiliarly dark voice echoed. There, in the main archway, was the upright shadow of the Beast, his dark form highlited only by his sorrowfully blue eyes. He was clutching the mirror revealing Belle's lost state. "She wants to come, but cannot."
"We must rescue her," Lumiere exclaimed. "We must get her out of that village!"
"She can't leave her father," Ms. Potts continued. "She is going to marry Gaston no matter what."
"Wait," Cogsworth whispered. "I have an idea!" Lumiere rolled his eyes. "She cannot marry Gaston if she is already married!" The Beast's drifting gaze darted to the small table clock.
"What do you mean!" Lumiere shouted.
"The Master must propose to her. If she accepts, Gaston has no right to steal a bride from a prince." The Beast moved to another corner, trying not to listen.
"It must work," Ms. Potts added. "Belle can stay here, and the Master will be himself again!"
"She doesn't love me," the Beast quietly growled. "You'll only give her a larger cage."