I want to thank my one reviewer. You really made my day. Here's chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty and the Beast, all the characters are my own.

"You must understand, my father has not yet returned from the market. I know nothing of his debts, and, therefore, cannot answer you query. Please leave, and return at a later time!" Virulent then proceed to slam the door in the tax collector's face.

William, who was lounging on the couch, flashed his eyes from the book in front of him to his sister. "Really Virulent, must you be so ghastly?"

"Well if papa would just pay that man maybe I wouldn't be." She plopped herself on the the seat beside her brother. "I thought his business was going so well. When did everything go south?"

"When you decided that you must have everything you little heart ever desired," William added plainly.

"Well, what is the point of having money when you cannot spend it on anything?"

"The point," her father stated, as he stepped through the doorway, "is to have money to pay the King when he asks for it."

"Papa! You are home!" Virulent stood from the seat and rushed to him. "What have you brought from the market?" she asked as she reached for the basket.

"I'm afraid nothing more than some bread and fruit. The venders have raised the prices again! It cost me two sou for one loaf of bread!" He handed her the basket and leaned against the door frame. "I don't know how much longer we can make due."

Virulent, who was on her way to the kitchen, stopped in her tracks. "Papa, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he said with hesitancy, "maybe we should move to the country."

She dropped the basket she was holding. "Father, no! We can't move away from the city."

"Virulent, there's nothing I can do about it. We can no longer afford to stay here, and the taxes in the country are not as high. The only way we can even thing about staying is if you took a job at tailor's."

She was appalled. "Absolutely not! I don't have the time for work."

"You will be wanting some work once we move sister." William laughed, finally taking his nose from his reading. "And you'll have to take it too. There won't be anyone to pick up after us anymore."

"What are you talking about William?"

"Darling", their father interrupted, "we are going to have to let Marie go."

"Why?" she questioned, "What did she do?" William could help but chuckle. "What now?"

"Virulent," her brother replied, "She did nothing. We are going to have to clean for ourselves. We will no longer have her services. We have to do the work."

Virulent was froze for a brief moment, picked up the basket, and walked out of the room. "Well," the older man said after she had left, "that, surprisingly, went better then I expected."

"I'm shocked that she didn't throw something." William stood from the couch. "Don't worry father, she'll get over it. If not, she'll marry some rich patron and be out of our hair."

So, later that evening, they began to pack their things. Each was given one trunk to pack, and anything left behind would be auctioned off to pay off the debts. William tried to comfort his hysterical sister as much as he could. He looked back at their manor one last time. He knew that they would not be returning, but he couldn't help but feeling that all the times in that had spent there would not amount to the adventures they would have out in the country.

Review please.