Chapter Five
It was true. Beau was stunned. Instead of the judge standing where he thought he'd be, stood Louis and the rest of the fellows. The hall was decorated for a party for Ian and Rosie, and every one in the village was there. He couldn't believe it. His cronies had removed the judge, so he could not perform the ceremony.
"What the hell is this?" he asked.
"This is the end of your scheme," said an angry voice, music to Rosie's ears.
When she heard Ian's voice, Rosie was relieved. She knew he would not let this happen. "Ian, I am so glad to see you!" she cried.
"Put my wife down, Laroche!"
"Not a chance, McKendrick!" Beau said to him, turning around.
"That's enough, you two," Stephan told them. "Beau, put Rosie down."
"Face it, Beau. This little plan of yours is over." This time it was Louis who spoke. "We knew of your plan to kidnap Rosie and force her to marry you. So we did a little scheming on our own to counteract yours. Every one here was in on it, including the McKendricks. Now do we have to tell you to put Rosie down again?"
Ian added, "You weren't going to get away with it. Not if I had anything to say about it!"
Beau looked around the hall. It was true. He was so stupefied that he followed the directions given to him by Stephan and did so. Once Rosie was free, she ran towards Ian, swung her arms around him, and pressed herself against him. He put his arms around his wife for comfort and protection.
"Oh, Ian, I'd knew you'd come, but I must confess that I was a little bit worried," Rosie told him. In response, Ian held her closer to him, a motion of reassurance for both of them.
"What in the world was going through that mind of yours, Beau? Just what were you trying to accomplish this time?" Stephan asked him, although he knew.
"I don't have to tell you anything, old timer."
"He said something about vengeance for an ancestor," Rosie offered.
"Shut up, you little…" Beau lunged after her.
"Watch it! That's my wife. You insult her, you tangle with me," Ian told him, pulling Rosie away from Beau.
"I guess this means I don't get paid," the judge said.
"Shut up. I don't want to see your face again," Beau shouted at him.
The judge shrugged his shoulders and exited the building. Beau was seething. Betrayed by his cronies! Worst of all, he had been thwarted by an old man, a bunch of women, and Louis, that geek, not to mention the newlyweds. Outdone and outsmarted by a bunch of inferiors. He couldn't believe it. The sight of Rosie and her husband so in love was sickening to see.
By this time, Rosie had been told about the reception for them. She was lavishing kisses on Ian, as a reward, much to the amusement of everyone around them. Beau was furious and he couldn't do a thing about it, not with so many people around. He would bide his time and strike again.
By this time, the tension had gone out of the crowd and an atmosphere of celebration had taken its place. Laughter and rejoicing filled the air as everyone congratulated the newlyweds. All of a sudden it began to grow chilly and soon one by one every one was staring at what was standing, or what appeared to be standing, in front of them. The room became absolutely silent, and every pair of eyes was focused on the visitor. The vision looked like Beau, but how was that possible? He was already here. Even he was stunned as he looked upon a mirror image of himself, save for the clothing.
At this the ghost began to speak, "I have been avenged. Who has avenged me? Is it you?" he turned to Beau. Beau was petrified, so scared was he, that he could not answer.
Just then a voice said, "No, it was I. I am the one who has set you free."
Every one was surprised to see that it was Ian who had spoken. Most amazed of all were Beau, Louis, and Stephan. They, knowing the story behind the ghost, were stunned at this turn of events. How could this be? Was Ian a direct descendant of Gaston as well? They watched unbelieving as Ian walked up to where the ghost was and stood there in front of him.
The ghost turned to Ian and said, "You say you have avenged me, but where is the proof? Show me Belle's descendant and only then I will believe you."
Hearing the ghost's request, Rosie strolled over to where the two were. Ian put his arm around her and showed the ghost the ring on her finger. He then said, "Here is my bride and here is my ring. You can tell just by looking at her that there is no doubt who her ancestor was."
The ghost was astonished. Ian had not lied about Rosie's appearance. She looked just like the Belle of old, except for the clothing. Rosie spoke up, "It is as he says. I am a direct descendant of the Princesse Belle DeVincent, nee LeRoeux, whose father was named Maurice, the inventor."
The ghost was completely convinced when she spoke, knowing she had told the truth about her ancestry. He then turned back to Ian and said, "Thank you. I can finally rest; knowing that one of my descendants has finally been able to marry one of Belle's. She has good taste, because it's obvious where you got your looks. From ME!"
"Gaston, even after all this time your arrogance never ceases to amaze me," spoke a soft feminine voice.
Everyone turned to see where the voice was coming from and was amazed to see another ghost. She was dressed in a gorgeous golden yellow ball gown, styled in the mid 18th century. She was stunningly beautiful. So much so that when she glided over to where the couple was standing, every one in the lodge stopped and watched her, even the ghost of Gaston.
She turned to the newlyweds and congratulated them on their marriage. She addressed both of them, saying, "You have done a great service for us both. Gaston can rest now that his vow has been fulfilled. Your joining in marriage has repaired the rift between the two of our families. I thank you just as Gaston has done so. However, I must confess that I was afraid for you, Rosalie Annabelle, because you had married a man who was of Gaston's bloodlines. I am glad I am wrong. Meeting him, I sense that your Ian is more like my Prince in nature than Gaston."
She smiled at Rosie and then Ian. "Which is why you will enjoy a long and happy life together, married for many years. This I am sure of. Blessings on you both. May your life together be filled with joy love, friends and family, and many children, as mine was."
Rosie's eyes were full of tears, her heart touched by the gesture and blessing. Even Ian was speechless. All he could manage was a whispered, "Thank you."
Then she turned to the other ghost, and said, "It is time for you to rest. Follow me and I will show you the way home."
With that she disappeared into thin air. A few seconds later, he followed suit and did the same. Every one stared at the space that they had occupied, and then at each other, not believing what they had just witnessed. A buzz filled the room as every one started talking at once about had happened. A moment they were all was focused on Rosie and Ian waiting for an explanation.
Stephan asked them the question everyone wanted to know, "Is Ian related to the 18th century Gaston? How is that possible? Please fill us in, Rosie."
In response to his question, Rosie began to explain both her and Ian's family history. Everyone listened eagerly to the tale, everyone but Beau.
"It all began when Belle and her father, Maurice, moved to this little village around two centuries ago."
She told the tale of how Gaston, in his attempts to make her his wife, pursued Belle. She continued on with the story of Maurice's imprisonment, Belle's stay at the castle, and the blossoming love between the Beast and Belle. Next was the attack on the castle by the mob, the confrontation between Gaston and the Beast and the reunion between Belle and the Beast. Finally, she ended the story with the lifting of the enchantment when Belle declared her love for the Beast.
"Belle and her Prince were married and soon became the proud parents of two girls and a boy. Many years later the majority of her grandchildren fled the country to escape the turmoil and chaos that was France all through out the 1800's.A few were drawn to America because of the opportunities and freedom there. I am a direct descendant of one such grandson who immigrated to the States."
"Yes, we know about Belle's side of the story, but what about Gaston's side? How can you prove Ian is an actual descendant? Word is that Gaston went into the castle that night but never came out," said Stephan.
"He survived that night. The proof is right in front of you, in the persons of Ian and Beau. The reason the villagers assumed he was dead was because he was never again seen. He relocated to another part of France and settled down. He eventually married and fathered six sons. One of those sons enlisted in the army and was sent to America to help fight the Revolutionary War. While he was over there, he fell in love with a Patriot beauty, as well as America. The idea of a new government that was run by the people very much appealed to him. He chose to stay in the US after the Revolution was over and married his colonial sweetheart. We've traced Ian's lineage all the way back to that exact son. Because of this, Ian is a direct descendant of Gaston."
"Considering the tension between the two ancestors, weren't you dismayed to find that Ian was related to Gaston?" Louis asked her.
"I must admit, I was a little shook up at first. But then I thought about it and realized Ian is Ian, not Gaston. They might share the same bloodlines but are as different as two people can possibly be. Ian's good natured, and kind hearted."
Beau started snickering at this, elbowing some of his cronies. They too started chuckling, but stopped as soon as Ian shot a look their way.
This did not stop Beau from laughing so hard at this time that he barely choked out, "What a wimp! Sounds like a sissy. Should have gone with a real man, Rosie. Someone like me!"
Despite coming to terms with what had happened and halfheartedly accepting Rosie's choice, Beau couldn't resist the parting shot towards Ian. It made him feel better.
Rosie shook her head, turned towards him and retorted, "You just don't get it, do you, Beau? According to you what makes a man is the size of his biceps. I don't see it that way. A real man is measured by the size of his heart and by the way he behaves towards others around him. Most importantly, Ian sees me as his equal and treats me as such. He respects me. That's why Ian is all the man I could ever want and hope for-"
All of a sudden, Rosie was interrupted by cries for help. They came from a young mother whose toddler had fallen and was unconscious. It didn't take but a second for Ian and Rosie to respond to her pleas. Ian realized that the little girl was choking and began performing the Heimlich maneuver on her. This dislodged whatever had been in her windpipe but she wasn't responding, so Ian began administering CPR. During this time, the whole group was silent, with the exception of the weeping mother, everyone focusing on the emergency unfolding before them. Rosie was by the mother's side calming and comforting her.
Within a few minutes, the little girl began to respond. A cheer went up for Ian. He gently helped the toddler sit up. The little girl then asked for her mother. In response to this, Ian scooped the child up into his arms very slowly and carefully carried her over to her mother. The tot's mother whispered her gratitude to Ian for saving her baby's life. She hugged the child to her. Ian instructed her to take the child home and have a friend or neighbor stay with her. The mother nodded and left the building with Celeste.
All of a sudden everyone's eyes were on Ian. He didn't like being the center of attention. "That's it, folks. The show's over," he told them.
"But how did you know what to do?" Monique asked him.
"I did my job. That's all."
To this, Rosie responded, "He's a firefighter." She was looking at him with pride when she said this.
"A firefighter? Oh, Rosie, you lucky girl!" all the women sighed watching Ian.
Beau glared at them. Not again! he thought. I'll be glad when he leaves and the girls will again focus on me.
"Oh, Ian, Ian, Ian! I should be way past this, but I'm glad I'm not. When you lifted that little girl up after saving her life and I saw all those muscles rippling in that magnificent masculine physique of yours," Rosie said to him in low voice while sidling up to him. "I thought to myself, 'That's definitely no boy. That's a MAN and he's mine!' I'm getting weak in the knees. Why?Because of you! You great big handsome thing, you!"
One look in Rosie's eyes and he could see the longing. Every ounce of her being wanted him. Then and there he wanted her suddenly. Without warning, he swept her into his arms. They exited the lodge this way while all of the townspeople watched, save for one. The villagers did not see either of them again until later on that evening.