Chapter Thirteen

As his staff began clearing the dinner table, Lumière reached into his pocket before moving to take the plates from Avril. Subtly, he pressed a folded piece of paper into her hand with a wink before disappearing into the kitchen. When the dining room was empty, she subtly unfolded it to read.

"The servants' entrance after the kitchen is clear."

Avril refolded it quickly, walking to a nearby sitting room to "continue working" until she saw the last of the kitchen staff leave for the night. When she arrived at the entrance, she looked around the tiny corridor for Lumière. His shadow on the wall gave away his attempt to surprise her, and she turned on him, gripping his hands with a smirk.

"I must be far too predictable, or else you are simply too smart for me," he teased, taking advantage of his capture to pull her in for a quick kiss.

"Mmm, I think the second choice sounds like the best one," she replied, wrapping her arms around him.

Lumière smiled promisingly, but shook his head. "Not yet, petite. Wait right there."

He opened the door that led outside, taking a cautious sweeping glance around the grounds. When he was certain that no one could see them, he took Avril's hand, gave it an affectionate squeeze, and then gestured for her to follow him. She could hardly keep up as they bolted for another in-ground door that led to the wine cellar.

When they made it down the steps, Lumière immediately drew her close to explore her a bit more with his kiss. Avril sighed, but not happily, pulling away gently.

"We're hiding again," she whispered.

"What?"

"We're hiding again," she repeated. "We're always hiding. Why?"

Lumière shook his head in disagreement. "We are not; we are only keep our intimacy…well, intimate," he replied with a laugh. Her smile, however, was a little…sad, or disappointed perhaps. Whichever it was, he knew there was something amiss. Being with numerous women had taught him well enough. "What is it, chérie?"

Avril glanced up at him as he held her comfortingly close. "Did you hide like this when it came to other women?" she asked, but immediately regretted her words. "I don't want to be ungrateful or sound like I'm complaining. But I can't help wondering if you think that this is all wrong, as though you're ashamed of us."

She was not exactly correct, but she was not far off either, Lumière thought guiltily. He had been keeping their new relationship as confidential as he possibly could. Gossip could be prevented easily if he was careful in his planning of where and when to see her. No one had to know about them; it was none of their business. Still, why did he suddenly care about what others thought? After all, he was simply a man getting on with his life, precisely as she had done. What was so terrible with that?

The lurking, unshakable sense in the back of your mind that this is a mistake, that's what, he scolded himself mentally.

With his well-known charming grin, Lumière stroked Avril's soft golden locks tenderly, deciding on a safer explanation. "Ashamed?" he asked. "Never! You are right; we have been hiding a lot. But that is only because what I have found in you makes me so happy that I want to be a tad selfish and keep it for myself."

Avril smiled gently after a pause. "You're very sweet, mon cher," she said, gazing at him adoringly. "I've never felt like this before, and I guess I wanted to show everyone how equally happy I am with you. But you know better than me. If you think we should wait longer, then I will."

As if he did not feel torn enough already…Lumière's smile weakened a bit, but thankfully only someone with a trained eye would notice. By way of distraction, he kissed her again. He had already lost one woman because of his emotions; he would not do it again. What could he possibly do to show her that he really did care? What occasion was coming up where he could willingly and proudly have her on his arm?

"The Christmas party," he blurted out, pulling away. That was it!

It took Avril admittedly a minute to regain her senses. How a kiss was able to make her feel dizzy, she would never know. "Hmm?"

Lumière chuckled, pleased with her reaction. "I think I have the answer to our problem," he said. "On Christmas Eve, all of the servants are given the night off. It is a tradition amongst us to have a small party. Nothing grand, only food, music, dancing; overall, it is a relaxing evening with friends and loved ones."

"Sounds like fun," Avril agreed.

"Indeed it is, very much," Lumière replied. A playful twinkle in his eye, he lifted her hand to his lips. "Although it would be even more fun should a certain lady give me the honor of accompanying her. I would love to see the envy on every man's face when I walk in with her at my side…for all to see."

Avril's smile broadened joyfully. "Really? You mean it?"

"But of course! If you like, I will even ask you formally." He gripped her hand and cleared his throat, an overdramatic expression present to match his tone. "Mademoiselle Avril, would you make me the luckiest man in the castle by agreeing to attend the party with me?"

Avril laughed, hugging him. "I thought you'd never ask!" she cried teasingly. Pulling back to look at him, she answered sincerely, "I'm looking forward to it."

Lumière grinned. "So am I, chérie, so am I."

ooo

The next two weeks passed by in a blur. Lumière frowned, not as happy as one should be on Christmas Eve. He stared at the small open box in front of him. A few simple hair ribbons for a gift to a woman he cared for? He could not do better than that? Not with this girl, he thought, placing the lid on it and shoving it angrily aside.

Lumière leaned against the windowsill, gazing absently out at the snow. That first Christmas after the spell was broken had been miraculous, exactly how this time of year was supposed to feel. Years of wasting away were over, and there was reason to celebrate again. Who would have thought the very next year could be so awful?

On the other side of his closed door, he heard the delightful sounds of giddiness and excitement. He could see many of the voices' owners in his mind. Those on the decorating staff raced to complete their work with any final touches left. Young men, whose nerves had pushed them to the last minute, finally found the courage to ask a lady of their choice to the festivities. The girls went about finishing their work all the while chatting about what they would wear. Chip and the other children gleefully ran down the different hallways. Lumière could have sworn he had even heard Cogsworth praising the staff for once. That in itself was quite the Christmas miracle, Lumière mused solemnly, humor quite surprisingly not easing him.

Who are you trying to fool? he thought, closing his eyes tightly shut. He was the only one who was miserable. Ever since Avril had confronted him about avoiding the eyes of others, Lumière could not get it off of his mind, and the more he thought of it, the more he realized that it was not about what others would think. It was about…her. Babette. The guilt over finding another woman was toying with him, and he realized that it was not people he was hiding from. It was Babette, as though she could sense what he was doing even if she was gone.

Lumière smacked the wall in frustration. That was entire point: Babette was gone! Wherever she was, whatever she was doing, he did not matter to her anymore! It was over, and he should be able to continue on with his life in peace!

Well, tonight would be it: the night that he would finally prove to himself that he was not in the wrong. Tonight, Avril would be on his arm, and he would feel neither shame nor guilt about it at all. He turned back to where Avril's gift was sitting on his dresser. Picking it up, he grasped it firmly in his hand and headed for her room, knocking gently on her door.

"Just a minute!" Avril's voice cried from the other side. True to her word, her door opened shortly after, and Lumière smiled sincerely at the sight. She wore a simple blue dress, a slightly lighter shade than his own ensemble, and her golden hair was tied back loosely, delightfully displaying her pretty face for the world to see.

"You look beautiful," he offered, gallantly taking her hand in his to kiss it. "An absolute vision of loveliness."

Avril ducked her head, blushing a bit. "Merci, monsieur. You're quite handsome yourself."

"What, these old things?" Lumière asked, mockingly disgusted with his choice of outfits. "This is nothing compared to you, mon ange." He paused to wink, adding, "Though I am honored by your approval."

When they fell into a shy silence, Avril gestured to the gift box. "What do you have there?" she asked curiously.

"Oh this!" Lumière laughed, holding it out to her. "I am so sorry. I must have been too pleasantly distracted that I forgot. This is for you." He held it out stiffly in front of him, very much resembling a boy on his first outing with a lady. "Joyeux Noël!"

Avril accepted it with a grin of thanks. "Lumière, really you shouldn't have," she said, opening the box. Her smile broadened upon seeing the ribbons. "Oh, they're so pretty, merci!" She took the ribbon from her hair and replacing it with one of those in the box. "There, how does it look?" she asked, turning for him to see.

"Ah, très jolie!" he said, offering his arm when she faced him again. "Now, I do believe that I shall burst if I have to wait any longer to show off my stunning lady to everyone. Shall we?"

"Let's!" she agreed happily, linking her arm with his and following him downstairs.

Prior to the spell, the servants had celebrated the holiday amongst themselves in the servants' quarters while Vincent kept to himself, locked up in his room. Following the broken enchantment, Christmas Eve was moved to the ballroom at both the prince and princess' insistence where all could enjoy the time together, and they most certainly did. Many couples began to dance as music filled the room, including Belle and Vincent themselves. Near the warm fireplace, Mrs. Potts was reading to Chip from a storybook that the master and mistress had given the boy last year. Maurice sat close by enjoying the tales with Alexandre on his knee, the very image of a proud grandfather with his growing grandson. Across the room, a long table had been laid out with enough food to fill all of France, and Cogsworth already had a plate piled high with refreshments.

"Dieu, this place looks amazing!" Avril murmured, childlike joy shining in her eyes. "Look at that tree; it's huge and practically glowing!"

Lumière smiled warmly. "It certainly is," he commented. "We have a wonderful group of people that works hard on making the castle look beautiful for the holidays. Looks like they did a marvelous job, as usual."

"They really did," Avril agreed, moving closer to get a better look, examining the different ornaments with interest. "The tree was always my favorite when I was little. Some of the footmen would bring back a smaller one for the servants' wing and my sister and I, with the rest of the children, would run down there instantly to start decorating it."

"I can imagine," Lumière replied. "It simply is not Christmas without the tree; it truly sets the perfect mood."

They were disturbed from their conversation by a smattering of applause as the music drew to a close. But it was not long before another tune began, and Lumière smirked playfully.

"I know already that you are quite the expert in everything you can do," he said. "Do I dare to ask if dancing is also on that list?"

"I wouldn't say an expert this time," Avril countered, reflecting his expression. "But I think I'm good enough to match you."

"Then may I have this dance, mademoiselle?" he asked, holding out his hand. "So that we may see if that is the truth?"

"You may, monsieur," she said, placing her own into his. "Let's see if you yourself are as good as you say!"

Avril wasn't disappointed with the "challenge." She admittedly had to make quite an effort to keep up with Lumière during the quicker songs, and for a while, they were having a wonderful time. But once slower, softer ones started to play, Lumière's mood seemed distracted. He was suddenly stiff and a bit uncomfortably awkward. His charming smile faded, though a hint of it still remained. She even noticed that his eyes began to avoid hers, looking down at his feet and around the room at random.

"Lumière? Mon cher, are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"Hmm? Oh, oui," he replied, his grin broadening forcibly in realization. "It is the sudden change in the dancing style. I can dance to the faster songs with the best of them, but this, I am not so talented."

Avril laughed gently. "I have to say, from you, 'every lady's dream,' that's a little surprising."

Lumière remained silent at that, and Avril winced, not meaning to sound insulting had she done so. Biting her lip gently, she led him away from the floor, attempting a smile. "Never mind, we'll skip this one," she asked.

"Good idea," Lumière agreed softly, offering a light smile in return. As though trying to save the moment, he hastily asked, "Would you like something to drink? Dancing always makes me thirsty."

"Oui, merci."

"Then I will be right back."

Avril worriedly watched him go to the table, waiting patiently by the punch while others took some of their own. Something didn't seem right. She and Lumière had always jested like that. Had her words really upset him this once?

Sophie and Jeanette's voices beside her interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm so jealous!" Jeanette squealed, though she grinning giddily.

"You do realize that we want all the details tomorrow?" Sophie added, just as excited. "We have the day off, and normally everyone gathers in the common room. We expect you there as soon as possible."

"Yes! We want to hear everything!" Jeanette concluded.

Avril had to laugh. "I think you'll both be disappointed," she told them. "Lumière's been very much a gentleman. Nothing as scandalous as you think."

Sophie giggled. "The night's still young, so we'll see!" she said with a wink and nudge. When Lumière walked to rejoin Avril, Sophie quickly whispered, "Have fun!"

They were gone by the time Lumière was at Avril's side again and handing her a glass. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing really," Avril answered dismissively. "Just the usual: friends looking for some holiday cheer and gossip."

"Ah, I see," Lumière replied, drawing her close and kissing her cheek. Whispering in her ear, he said, "What did I tell you? We are the envy of everyone in the room!"

"We certainly are," Avril agreed quietly. Taking a sip of punch, she once again asked, "Lumière, are you sure you're all right? I really didn't mean to say anything unkind before…"

"You said nothing of the sort," he interrupted. "I told you, I am fine, and I mean it. Do not worry yourself, ma plumette."

Avril looked at him, curiously. "That's a new pet name; never heard it before."

"Mon ange!" Lumière cried, shaking his head with weak laughter. "So many beautiful names for a lady that I forget which is my favorite to use for you!"

If she was reassured whatsoever, Avril felt it all vanish from that reaction. Maybe this was all too soon for him, too fast.

Tenderly, she grasped his hand, bringing it to her cheek. "You've done exactly what I wanted – actually being with me in front of friends – and I'm very grateful. I think…that entitles you to a reward."

His interest immediately perked up. "Really now?"

Avril smiled, tugging him towards the door. "Come with me, you deserve some alone time…and I think I want some myself."

Lumière laughed, delighted, his famous playful smirk immediately taking over. "How can I refuse such an invitation?"

Without further conversation, they left their glasses on a small table and raced down the hallway. With no one in sight, Lumière took full advantage of the moment, pulling her close to press an urgent kiss upon her lips. Stunned by the gesture, Avril melted against him, fully returning the favor just as she had learned in their time together.

"Funny," she gasped, breathlessly pulling away. "I didn't see any mistletoe hanging around here."

"Who needs it?" Lumière asked, hungrily continuing what he had set out to do.

He did not release her, even as she reached to open the door to a sitting room, pulling him inside with her. When he took a good look around the room, however, he stalled at the doorway. Pulled to a halt by his hesitance, Avril looked at him.

"Lumière, are you coming in?"

Still he did not budge. Managing to slip her hand free from his grasp, Avril moved towards the chaise to sit down, grinning adorably as she patted the place next to her.

"Come on, I won't bite."

Lumière's attention returned to her, and she watched as he broke into a smirk again. Slowly walking to sit beside her, he said teasingly, "And I was very much hoping that I could get you to do so."

Avril blushed the brightest shade of red, though her smile remained. "Well, let's see if you still can," she whispered, rather shyly. It constantly surprised her how he had found and brought out such boldness in her that she never knew existed.

Lumière swallowed at the temptation behind her words. "I will hold you to that," he replied huskily, drawing her to him with the same passion and fervor that he had in the hall.

He had never kissed her like this, and it truly took all of Avril's strength not to swoon right there in his arms. Lumière was always so gentle, taking things slowly with her. Not even in their time alone was he this intense and earnest. But when she thought she would faint from such exhilaration, Lumière pried his lips away from hers, moving them other places to explore: her ear, her cheek, then down to her neck and shoulder, all of them bringing out a new and different sensation within her. Under his experienced ministrations, Avril gasped pleasurably.

"Mmm… Lumière…"

"…my sweet Babette, je t'aime…"