Work around the castle was hard but I just dealt with it. I never even knew what a scullery maid was but it was harder than I thought being a maid would be. I spent all of my time in the kitchen with Cook. Cook was a tall woman with orange curly hair and a very loud, angry voice. Her voice alone was intimidating enough for me to never want to leave the servant quarters in the morning. But I pulled myself out of bed every morning. Things weren't exactly getting easier though. I'd keep my head down, never talking to anyone in the castle, besides Cook of course. Ms. Tasses tried to engage me but I pushed her away and Lumiere eyed me in the hallways but I'd simply blush and look away. A few weeks of this passed quickly. I never got lonely because I always had the thought of Edmond at my side. The guilt of my mother was still there but it was beginning to fade with time, and I no longer had any reminders of her so I was able to clear my mind.

I very rarely saw Prince Adam or Mr. Potts but when I did I noticed how close the two were. Cogsworth didn't allow me to be around the little prince because he didn't know how I would act around Prince Adam.

One day a few weeks into my work in the castle Lumiere cornered me in the servant quarters.

"Um…" I said trying to walk around him.

"Mademoiselle, why do you push everyone away?" he asked bluntly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said quietly.

"Do you hate me?"

"I don't know you."

"Ah, cherie, but I know you," He said with a smile, "I can see into those dark eyes of yours. The eyes of someone who's suffered a great loss."

"You don't know me."

"If your eyes are so dark why do I get the feeling that deep down you're just like me?"

"Just like you?"

"You know what I mean."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.

"You're beauty is beyond belief."

"Ah, you are mistaken…" I said quietly, no one had flirted with me this much since I had Edmond with me. And this was only making my heart ache more.

"On the contrary, I find you gorgeous." Lumiere took his hand from behind his back and he handed me a rose.

I broke down. I couldn't stop crying, nothing would help.

"Babette? Babette, please, what's wrong? What did I say?" He said frantically, trying to make me stop.

I curled up into a ball on the floor and Lumiere kneeled down besides me. He placed the rose on the floor beside us. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed louder. All I could think about was how much I missed Edmond.

"Please tell me what's wrong." Lumiere said quietly.

I took a deep breath and collected myself enough to talk, "B-before I came here I had someone…"

"Of course, a beautiful woman like yourself, you ought to have someone."

I shook my head frantically, "No no no, I-I was going to leave with him, to go marry him…"

"And why shouldn't you? You loved him, no?"

"More than anything, but my parents found out…"

He remained silent this time.

"And they yelled, forbid me from ever seeing him, then my mother got too worked up and told me how ungrateful I was before she collapsed…"

Silence.

I took a deep breath and got it together before I finished, "She died because of me, because I got her so worked up."

I stood up, "Don't come near me again, you remind me too much of him and it would only get me hurt."

He remained speechless as I walked out of the servant quarters alone.