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A month has passed since Isabelle became part of the Bougton's home. Received a stylish collection of costumes to compose her wardrobe with soft leather shoes, a kind not seen since the beginning of the war, and several pairs of silk stockings. When arranging the pieces on the dresser, Belle sighed realizing the bitter irony of the situation. She was living like a princess in a house where money seemed endless and where she was served and assisted at all times by employees and housekeepers, while being forced to see people who were once as rich as her, but now were begging for money in streets.
Not only does she lay in her bed at night, feeling homesick for her father until her heart ache, but also thought in men and women, like Ruby, with whom she had trained and who were now in the field, constantly in danger, suffering privations she could barely imagine. After she had spent the afternoon at the Café de Flore, Adrian Gold had not come to attend the local anymore. Belle thought that meant he had suspected something about her, that she was Rose and now he needed to take strict measures to prevent any contact with her. The day after their meeting, James came to inform her that Gold was out of town, traveling, and would return there one week.
For a week, Belle thought she would go mad. Regina had contacted James, asking to Isabelle to send it a report with data on progress in the mission that she was making. But there was nothing to transmit to Mills because Belle failed to obtain any new information to her mission, and she knew that if she not present considerable advances, then she would be sent back to London.
Her only salvation was Mary Margaret, who she became very fond. With a keen perception, she always knew when Belle was sad just by the tone of her voice.
Recently, while chatting on the terrace with a warm sunset, Belle talked to Mary Margaret about her father and the pain that caused her to miss him. Mary told her that, like Belle, Maurice was working in the field, commanding actions of several battalions in various conflict zones in Europe.
Belle believed she could trust the Bougtons, but still, she had no evidence that they were holding her as a prize to be handed over to the Nazis when were convenient. But she needs to trust someone.
And two nights ago, Colonel Alfred Von Gaston appeared by surprise at the front door. Laura came looking for Belle, who was sitting with Mary in the living room.
"Miss you has visit, Mademoiselle Isabelle" Laura said, warning of the danger with her eyes.
Belle nodded and, feeling her heart race, she went to the art room, where Gaston was conducted.
"Fräulein Isabelle! Now, I think you're even more beautiful than when I last saw you" the German said, coming toward her and kissing her hand.
"Thank you, Colonel. I…".
"Please remember that we must deal with the first name" Gaston interrupted. "I was passing through the neighborhood on my way to headquarters and I thought to myself: 'I will visit the charming cousin of James to ask how she is! '."
"I'm very well, thank you," said Belle, feeling tense.
"I was wondering if later, after finishing an interview, I could come here and take you somewhere else. Would you like to go out to dinner with me and then maybe dance a little?"
Belle's stomach squirmed
"I..."
At that moment, obviously alerted by Laura about the presence of the Colonel, James entered the room.
"Gaston! What a nice surprise!" He said, greeting him with a warm handshake.
"I was suggesting to your lovely cousin that maybe I could enjoy her delightful company tonight" repeated Gaston.
"Unfortunately, we were invited to dinner near Versailles by another cousin" James said, looking fondly at Belle. "Honey, you got too much time away from Paris. It seems that your presence is being requested enough. Maybe on Saturday, you can join us at the Café de La Paix, Gaston".
"Yes. It would be perfect" Gaston hit the heels of his boots against each other, and reached forward. "Heil Hitler! I must go now. Until Saturday, Fräulein Isabelle" he said, bowing.
When the German left, Belle had been sitting in a chair. James returned to the room.
"Isabelle, I'm sorry, but it seems that the colonel has a crush on my beautiful cousin" he said, holding up her hands. "I suggested he join us for dinner because at least there, we'll be around to protect you."
"Oh James…" Belle sighed, disconsolate, shaking her head.
He stroked her hand reassuringly.
"I know, honey. It is a horrible lie, but you need to resist as best you can."
To the dismay of Isabelle, the day of the dinner arrived quicker than she expected. James told her that Gold was still traveling and would not attend the dinner that night, which greatly disappointed because she could not continue her task of spying on him. That same day, before the night arrived and Belle had to get dressed for dinner, she wrote a letter in response to Regina Mills, on the progress it had achieved in her mission, until then the only relevant factor she had discovered was that Adrian Gold used to be a frequent visitor of the establishment called Café de Flore, a place known for the Nazi, used to receive clients who were leaders of the French Resistance. Belle came to the conclusion that it was in this way that Gold could get details on the plans and meeting places of these groups and so had this information, he did not hesitate to forward them to the Germans.
Throughout the week, she spent days trying to figure out where Gold used to travel every month and why. The fact that he can leave the city of Paris so easily was another demonstration of the power he had acquired from the Nazis. Nobody could leave the city without being stopped by officers on guard posts, but apparently, Gold had free passage by any barrier created by the Germans.
There were so many questions that she could not answer and she need to find a way to find out why, but not tonight.
That night, Belle would have to use her disguise to survive the clutches of Gaston. Need to have cold blood in order to endure the company of that tyrant. She was lucky that James and Mary Margaret were with her, because she would not have enough forces to hide her disgust for this man.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Belle could barely recognize herself. She wore an emerald green dress that left the base of her neck to shoulder height exposed, but coming down through her body elegantly. The hair fell in cascades, with a few strands stuck on top of her head, which made her blue eyes gained prominence in her face.
Belle thought about her eyes. They bother her. She could see that they no longer exuded brightness that conveyed before coming to France, and contained only a shadow of who she really was one day.
She was no longer a child, although all continued to see her so. Maybe that's what she really was. A child lost in the wars tanks and pumps. Belle sighed sadly. Even if she was treated as a child and maybe that she was still a child, Belle could no longer act like one. She needed to see the world differently. She needed to grow.
Laura knocked on the door, warning her that she was expected in the lobby. Passing a red lipstick on her lips, Belle left the room and went for a night of martyrdom.
A black limousine from the Gestapo was waiting outside. Gaston sat beside her, and sported a confidant smile on his face while talking to James. The ride to the Café de La Paix took twenty minutes, and when the limo pulled up in front of the place, Belle was not relieved to be able to leave the car and get away from Gaston, because in seconds, the German promptly stood beside her, offering his arm to her to be guided into the restaurant.
Although every part of her body was reluctant to make contact with any part of the body of that man, Belle could not risk the confidence he reposed in her, and showing a fake smile, that Gaston seemed to be the most beautiful of all, she held Gaston's arm.
Belle looked toward buildings around, and a sadness came over her. Now, Nazi flags replaced the tricolor flag of France on the masts.
The place around the restaurant was packed with German officers and others who, like James, were accompanying the officers for several dinners.
While Belle was conducted by the German to the sidewalk and to the front door of the restaurant, several people walked around them, smoking their cigarettes, and enjoying the start of another night in Paris. When, without realizing that Belle was there, a woman, who appeared to be over forty years old, crossed in front of her, almost bumping into Gaston. Her red hair was visibly dirty and disheveled, marked by mistreatment. The outfit she wore was even more in a pitiable state; wore a thick coat, torn and dirty, that she probably had found amid trash cans, and the fabrics she wore underneath her coat was torn and also marks sludge, and Belle also concluded, with blood.
"Hey, you!" Gaston waved beside her, turning to the woman. It was apparent the disgust and anger in the features of the German. "Get back here!"
Belle noted that the woman began to tremble convulsively, and looked frightened for them, with her head down, not daring to make eye contact with the officer.
"Herr…" She muttered in German, keeping her head down.
"How dare you cross in front of me, your schmutzig" Gaston looked at her with disgust.
"Forgive me, Herr…" she whispered, visibly desperate; tears streamed down her face. "Please don't kill me" The woman reached out to try to touch the arm of the German, supplicant.
"Do not touch me" The man shouted, spitting in the woman's face, causing her shrinks up, like an animal. "Out of my way!"
Belle closed her eyes for a second, feeling a strong knot in her throat and suffocating to see the woman be abused that way. Wish she could help her. But she could not risk her disguise. What Gaston would think if she helper that poor creature? Before she could formulate any plan in her mind, the German led along with them into the restaurant.
Belle could not look at him, without letting the disgust she felt for him appear. Being led to the table that they would occupy, she excused herself, saying she needed to go to the toilet. The moment she saw that no one was watching, Belle headed down the hallway opposite the bathroom, leaving through the side door of the restaurant, which was now seeing on the street side to the establishment. She could see the main street there, in front of the establishment, as well as people walking on the sidewalks. She had to sneak through the shadows so no one could see her. She needed to be careful.
Looking closely at people, Belle was able to distinguish between them, the woman who Gaston had mistreated. Luckily for her, she was right next to the place that Belle was hiding. Stealthily, motioned for the woman to come forward. She knew what she was doing was crazy and that was totally against what she learned during the SOE training, but was not able to see a person being abused that way in front of her and do nothing to help her.
"Mlle..." The woman whispered, afraid of approaching Belle and discovered that it was some kind of trap to deliver her to the Germans. "I'm sorry to have crossed your path, forgive me...".
"Do you have food?" Belle interrupted. "Money? Anything?"
The woman looked at her startled.
"No, Mademoiselle..." She whispered.
Belle did not hesitate, opening the bag she carried with her, and pulled out a wad of cash. "Take it."
The woman's eyes in front of her widened to see the amount that Belle was offering "I... Ma'am, I cannot accept... ".
Holding the woman's hand tightly in hers, Belle deposited the money, closing her fingers between the wad. "Take it. Buy something to eat. Now go!"
Tears started streaming down the dirty woman's face when she saw that Belle was not cheating on her. "Oh, my lady! God bless you!" She kissed Belle's hands in gratitude.
"Go!" Belle whispered, rushing the woman. Had to go back as soon as possible to the restaurant before Gaston or the others noticed her delay and solve to seek her.
The woman turned to thank her, and hiding the money in her shoe, left the dark street, and returned to walk among the people on the sidewalk, moving away from the local.
Belle stared at the woman when she realized that someone was looking at her from inside one of the cars that had just stopped in front of the restaurant. In that instant, she felt her heart stop beating and breathing cease. She could not breathe.
Adrian Gold was standing in front of the restaurant and stared at where she was hidden in the shadows. Belle did not dare to move a muscle, for fear that he would capture her every move. He did not look away even a second, and at the first opportunity, she slipped back into the side door, entering and closing the door behind her.
Could not believe that she had put her mission in risk. She was sure Gold had seen her giving money to the woman. That was her end. That night no doubt would remain for Adrian Gold that she was Rose.
No. She could not panic. Maybe he has not been able to see her face because she was hidden in the shadows. Needed to believe in that hypothesis.
Breathing deeply, Belle resumed the route to the dining room, praying that Gold had not seen her and that he would not surrender her to the Germans. She needed to believe it. Her mission was in risk. Her life was in risk.
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