THIS is the chapter I've been so excited about!
"You need help, sir. A place to heal your troubled mind." Gaston whispered in a creepy voice, with his arms around the helpless old man and 'soothingly' rubbed his shoulder. "It's all right, Maurice. Everything is going to be fine." Maurice stared in dismay at this horrid man he'd once trusted and now at the intimidating and unkind three men from the who were closing in on him, preparing to detain him till he could be taken away to the asylum.
"Fire!" One of the young men suddenly cried out as he burst into the tavern. "Fire! Maurice, your house is burning!" Maurice gasped in fright and made a dash for the door before the men from the men could stop him. As they all stood outside the door watching, Gaston kept his back to everyone so they couldn't see his smug face.
"Ella!" He shouted 'frantically'. "Ella is in there!" Maurice began to rush to save his daughter, but Pere Robert and Jean the potter held him back.
"No, Maurice!" Pere Robert begged his friend. "It's too dangerous."
"My daughter!" Maurice let out an anguished cry. Gaston smirked, then put on the old act again.
"She's locked inside!" He announced with fear, not even thinking about what he had just said. "Stay here, Maurice. I'll get her!" He ran straight toward the engulfed house, with several of the neighbors cheering him on, thrilled to watch their hero make a daring rescue. "Hero time," Gaston whispered to himself as he ran up to the front door.
By now, the whole village was emerging from the tavern. Many raced to start a water brigade to save Maurice's home, while others lingered back and just watched with gloating faces. None of them noticed the trio back in the shadows. Gaston grandly pounced through the front door and started coughing, forgetting about the potential danger he'd actually set up for himself. He hurried to the closet where he'd left Ella to die, but to his horrified chagrin, the door had been bashed in and there was no sign of the girl. "She escaped!" Gaston scowled in anger, his whole plan foiled. He furiously kicked at the broken beams then hurried out the door. With his helpless victim nowhere to be found, there was nothing keeping him here and no reason to subject himself to more unnecessary danger.
The firefighters had managed to extinguish the fire on the outside and were now making their way inside, with the side of the house smoldering. The crowd gasped and Maurice trembled as Gaston made his way back to his captive audience. "Gaston, where is Ella?!" He pleaded. "Where is she!?"
"Oh, Maurice," Gaston panted dramatically. "I'm afraid I was too late. The inside of the house was falling at the seams," Gaston continued to tell more lies. "I had to get out before the roof collapsed."
"NOO!" Maurice drew back in agony. Gaston touched his shoulder again, but it only made the old man tense. Lefou stared at him suspiciously.
"Maurice, how did the fire start?" Gaston asked. The whole crowd gathered closer with interest. Maurice gaped at the army captain, horror on his face.
"What!?" His strangled voice caught in his throat.
"Apparently, you're more delusional than I first suspected." Gaston sighed, pretending to be filled with regret. "Maurice, old friend, in your unstable state of mind, I'm afraid you set fire to your own house. What drove you to attempt to kill your own daughter?" Poor Maurice was so shocked by this new false accusation that he couldn't speak.
"That's not true! It can't be!" Pere Robert protested. "Leave him alone. He's been put through enough." Lefou fidgeted uncomfortably. This was getting blown out of all proportion, and Lefou felt certain it wasn't Maurice who should be taken to the asylum. He didn't want this to happen, but it's not like Gaston would listen to him. Still, Lefou couldn't stomach much more of this!
"You see? Maurice, old friend, I'm afraid you are becoming seriously disillusioned."
"No! No, I never!" Maurice pleaded.
"Take him away." Gaston ordered. The men from the asylum grabbed Maurice before he could protect himself. There was terror etched in every inch of his face as he struggled against them and they locked him in the wagon. Gaston watched on proudly as his plot was coming together. Lefou touched his arm.
"Gaston, you've gone too far this time." Lefou said timidly. Gaston sharply whipped his head around and glared dangerously right in his friend's face. He clenched him roughly by the collar.
"You say that again, and it won't just be Maurice who will be chained up like a mad dog!" Gaston whispered vehemently, then let him go.
"Stay with her." Belle looked up at the Beast. "It's all right, Ella. He won't hurt you." Belle said softly and took off running. Ella gazed up suspiciously at the Beast, uncertainty on her face. He nodded kindly to her and she slowly relaxed.
Belle ran then marched angrily through the crowd, who all stared at her wide-eyed. Then she saw the large man who was proudly causing all this trouble. Him she did not just roughly brush passed. No! Gaston Belle marched up to from behind and roughly shoved out of her path, taking him by surprise, then raced up to the wagon door. She peered inside. "Papa!" She exclaimed.
"Ohh, Belle!" Maurice gasped in surprise and relief to see her.
"Let him out. He's hurt!" Belle told the driver.
"I'm afraid we can't do that, Miss." He said. "But we'll take very good care of him." Belle shifted her gaze from the creepy looking man until her eyes fell on Gaston who just stood there.
"Gaston!" Belle shouted, her eyes narrowing. "What in the name of decency are you trying to do!?" Belle thought she saw a flicker of worry flash through his eyes but he smiled and stepped forward.
"Belle," he said nonchalantly. "Where have you been? I've been searching for you for days. I was afraid I'd never see you again." The crowd nodded to their hero's lie.
"Let my father out at once!" Belle ordered.
"Oh, Belle," Gaston shook his head 'sorrowfully', "I'm afraid you don't understand. Your father has had a terrible shock, and it pains me to say that he's become dangerous from it. Why, he tried to set fire to his own house."
"Liar!" Belle snapped. "Papa, what is he talking about?"
"He...he says I didn't know what I was doing, and that I tried to kill Ella!" Maurice exclaimed. Belle's eyes widened in fury at Gaston.
"How dare you!" She snarled.
"NOO!" Came another voice from the crowd and made her way to the wagon, shocking everyone else, but no one was more stunned than Gaston. "NO! That's not true!" Ella cried out. She also ran to the window. "Oh, Father..." She wept.
"Ella?" Maurice shook with joy that she was alive.
"He told me you were dead." Ella said through her tears, kissing his fingers through the little barred window. "I thought you were gone forever!"
"He told me that you were dead!" Maurice replied.
"Enough already of this melodrama." One of the village women huffed.
"No, please! You must listen to me!" Ella begged. "You," she gazed tearfully at Gaston. "You lied to me. Then you tried to kill me!"
Gaston let out a cruel laugh. "Oh, must we go down this road again? Ella, I would never hurt you. You know that."
"You said you'd kill me if I didn't tell you where Belle was," Ella continued. "I did not know where she was. You hurt me, you locked me in the pantry, then you left me in the house to die by setting a fire!" The villagers were all confused. Whom should they believe?
"She's obviously traumatized by the disappearance of her sister." Gaston chuckled, trying to keep the crowd with him. "Don't you see?"
"You said our father was dead!" Ella wailed. "You came to my house and told me our father had died!" Gaston gulped. "Monsieur Lefou? You were there. Tell them what he told me. Please!" Lefou shifted dreadfully. It was up to him now. True he was afraid of the heartless brute who would surely kill him for this, but he'd already caused so much danger to the family of the girl he claimed to love. Enough was enough!
Taking his own life into his hands, Lefou cleared his throat and spoke up bravely, "She's telling the truth!" Everybody's eyes fell on him. Gaston's widened in outrage. "It's true. Gaston did tell her that Maurice was killed. And...and..." Gaston was at his side in an instant, and grabbed him by the collar.
"Shut your mouth, you fool!" He hollered, his eyes gleaming like hot coals.
"He did just go and threaten her before we came to the tavern." Lefou gulped. Gaston was so mad he couldn't see straight.
"Let my father out...NOW!" Belle ordered.
"We all know that your family is lying," one of the fancy village girls spoke unkindly to Belle and Ella. "Gaston went in to save your pathetic sister. You should get down on your knees and thank him. He's a hero."
"No, he isn't." Ella pursed her lips.
"Gaston," Pere Robert spoke up, "if you didn't set the fire, how did you know Ella was in there, locked up? You shouted it as you ran into the house!" Gaston froze. He'd forgotten about that!
"Gaston hurt me and locked me up. But he saved me!" Ella pointed out the Beast who was in the shadows, trying not to arouse the already angry mob.
"That's right!" Belle added. "He saved my sister. I was there. I saw it!" The villagers grabbed torches and weapons, rushing toward the Beast but Belle ran and threw herself in front of him. "No! Leave him alone! He hasn't done anything!" The citizens howled in anger and blood thirst. Gaston stared at the Beast in mad astonishment.
"Out of the way!" The angry, frightened villagers shouted and advanced toward Belle and the Beast.
"Belle!" Maurice cried from the wagon. Ella tried to run to protect her sister and her rescuer, but several of Gaston's henchmen grabbed her and held her back.
"No! Don't hurt them!" Ella screamed. "Gaston is trying to tear our family apart. Don't you see? Will no one believe us!?"
"Look," Gaston said loudly, "look at this beast! Look at his claws! Look at his fangs! He's a threat to our very existence!" The mob cheered him on and came closer with their weapons.
"Don't touch him!" Belle shouted. "You want to hurt him, you'll have to kill me first!"
Two loud shots rang out above everybody's heads. "Enough!" Someone shouted. Everyone looked. "Silence!" It was Kit. There was an army of mounted royal soldiers behind him. He dismounted his horse and, keeping one hand on his sword, stomped directly to the middle of the crowd. Ella looked up at him hopefully, while Belle and the Beast stared in confusion.
"Kit!" Ella called. Kit looked at her, horrified then he looked at the people who were staring at him. "Kit, Father's in trouble but no one will let us help him!" Ella exclaimed.
"Take your hands off her!" Kit commanded. "Now." The ruffians released Ella. "Step away." Kit said and they obeyed the prince. "Are you all right?" He asked Ella. Her wretched, frayed appearance answered for her. Kit grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as he marched to the front of the crowd. "Gaston!" Kit declared firmly. "What is this about?"
"Nothing that we can't handle. We will deal with this monster. Right, boys?" Gaston looked at his henchmen.
"Your Highness," Belle spoke, "please don't let them hurt him. I know he looks vicious but you must believe me, he isn't! And he saved my sister's life!" Kit looked up curiously at the Beast and their eyes met. Though Kit had been startled at seeing him, he saw no harmful intent in those blue eyes, only pain and longing.
"Everyone, stop!" Kit ordered. "Driver!" He looked at the man from the asylum. "Release Monsieur Maurice! At once, man!" The guy reluctantly unlocked the door and Maurice sprang out. He ran to his daughters.
"Thank you, Your Highness." He said, his voice full of emotion.
Gaston was losing his patience...fast! Everything he'd planned was going down the drain. "You have no right." He told Kit.
"I beg your pardon?" Kit sputtered.
"This doesn't concern you, boy." Gaston huffed. "You're not from this kingdom. Stay out of it." The crowd backed him up. "We should kill this monster!"
"But why?" Kit continued. "What evil has he done? He's just done a kindness. He saved the young lady's life!"
"It's not a matter of kindness. Just look at him." Gaston said. The Beast hung his head and fled. He'd come here at Belle's request, to help the one he loved. But his presence here seemed to only be making things worse, and it looked like Belle and her family would be in serious trouble if he remained. He couldn't bear to watch Belle harmed, and no one letting him protect her. So he tried to do the kindest thing he could think of. He ran. "That's right. Run, you monstrous coward!" Gaston chided after him, joined by the mob.
"And who are you to talk, Gaston?" Belle scowled. "You were going to take our father away to a madhouse and lock him up, so you could marry me! You just don't give a darn about anyone but yourself! You accused my father of trying to kill his own daughter. He's no killer, you are! And the Beast isn't any monster...YOU ARE!" Gaston scowled back at her, only his countenance much more deadly.
"Kill the Beast!" He ordered.
"NOO! Silence!" Kit raised his arm and one of his soldiers fired a musket three times. Kit looked from Belle to Maurice, to Lefou, to the mob, then from Gaston back to Ella. He gazed at her seriously. The pleading in her eyes caught in his throat. Then he looked back at the real perp. "You are the one who should be locked up, Gaston." He said firmly.
"Do you dare to threaten me...pretty boy?" Gaston sputtered, clenching his fists till his knuckles turned white. Lefou was almost sure he saw smoke blowing out of his ears.
"You will NOT commit this injustice, Gaston." Kit said adamantly. "I will not allow it!"
Gaston was raging mad now! This little prince was telling him what to do, and putting the blame of this whole mess on him! So what if he was guilty? No one did this to Gaston! No one...that is, no one did it and survived. How had this whole mess happened? That Beast, Gaston told himself. It was all the Beast's fault. If it hadn't been for him, Gaston would've rescued Ella-though she may have been half-dead by then-and come out a hero, again. But no! That Beast, Belle's hero, had spoiled all of his plans. Gaston let his killer instinct kick in again. He marched forward throwing a sucker punch at Kit, knocking him to the ground.
"Kit!" Ella screeched. Then Gaston grabbed Belle's arm and yanked her away. He threw her on top of his horse despite her angry protests then mounted. He clutched her hard around her waist so she couldn't get away.
"I will kill the beast! Who's with me!?" He shouted. But Kit's captain of the guard and his soldiers blocked the villagers so they couldn't leave. Gaston nudged his horse to move on. Maurice anxiously ran to him and grabbed Gaston's coat.
"Let go of my daughter!" He yelled. "Put her down!" Gaston sneered down at him, and pulling his pistol out of its holster, he struck Maurice hard across the forehead. Maurice grimaced and lost his footing.
"You…you savage!" Belle cried. But Gaston ignored her and kicked his stallion into a gallop, carrying them outside the village gates.
"Belle!" Ella called, trying to help her father up. Kit was back on his feet and tried to assist her as did Pere Robert and Jean the Potter. "Father..." Ella whispered.
"Belle...Belle..." Maurice moaned.
"Are you all right, Sir?" Kit asked with concern, eying the oozing blood and large goose egg growing on the older man's forehead.
"Belle! Help Belle!" Maurice begged frightfully. Kit raced to his own steed and mounted.
"After him!" He commanded his fleet of soldiers.
When I make Gaston the bad guy that he is, I go all out!