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"You can't do that," she said, each word a hoarse little stab of pain "You're not allowed You can't say that and not let me do the same It isn't fair"

He reached for her "Belle, I-"

"No!" She jumped back "Don't touch me I- Don't touch me"

"Belle, I don't knohat to say" He looked down

"I can't talk to you," she said wildly "Not now I can't talk to you I… I… I… " Her words jumbled in her throat Her entire body was so overtaken with eer speak She sed convulsively, pulled open the door, and flew from the room

"Belle!" John called out She didn't hear him He sank into a chair "I love you"

But the words sounded pathetic, even to hi when she left the room, but when she bumped into Mary, her maid, in the corridor, she knehat she needed to do

"Put on your cloak, Mary," she said, her voice uncharacteristically sharp "I need to go out"

Mary glanced out the"It's quite overcast, my lady Are you certain your errand cannot wait until too outside"

Mary heard the choking sound in her lady's voice and nodded "I'll be right back"

Belle clutched her own cloak to her body She'd never even had a chance to take it off after she and John had stormed home fro down the stairs Belle didn't even wait for her to reach the botto open the front door She needed fresh air She needed to be outside

They strode along Upper Brook Street to Park Lane Mary io to Rotten Row?" she asked when Belle kept heading ithout her

Belle shook her head furiously "I want to get away from the crowds"

"I wouldn't worry about that, my lady" Mary looked about All of fashionable London was scraht open at anyho dark Your mother will have my head Or your husband"

Belle whirled around "Do ht, h "I'm sorry, Mary I don'thand on her arether for several years now, and Mary knew her eht, my lady He loves you very much"

"That's just the probleed further into the park How far they walked she wasn't sure Probably not very far, but the wind and the cold tired her Finally, she turned around "Let's go home, Mary"