It took Belle a second to realise the person she had taken in, given food, sat next to in front of the fireplace was not George she knew, but it was a spirit from the land of the dead. She felt her face turn pale at this realisation. She hadn't expected things to become like this. Neither did Lucas nor Barron and Belle see this coming. The person had been good in deceiving them, and it seemed like he had waited for Lucas to leave.

"You don't look happy,

" stated George, the smile on his lips falling as he said,

"Is it because I released the man you had tied or is it because of how I look right now?

"

Belle took a step back, remembering dully that Councilman Joshua had fled from this mansion. They were in deeper trouble than any time before,

"What happened to you?

" Belle questioned. How was George dead, and how did she not know about it? She or her family should have received a letter about it, but they had not received single news about him, and now she was finding out that he was dead.

"What happened to me?

" asked George, his head tilting to his side.

Did he not know that he had come back from the dead? Asked Belle to herself, which she found hard to believe. Her mother and father's residue that was taken by the spirits knew that they had come back from the dead, but George, his body appeared rotten, and it made her worried.

"It was important to keep the councilman here. We need to get him back,

" said Belle hoping to distract him, but George raised his hand to his side, not letting her pass him when she took two steps forward.

"Why don't we sit down and talk. It's been long since we last chatted together,

" said the man. A small smile on his face as he looked at her.

"We did that a few hours ago. We have been speaking in the drawing-room and the dining room,

" Belle reminded him which was true. As a friend, Belle had made sure to spend time so that he wouldn't feel neglected. The work with the Lord of Bonelake had been a lie, and he was only trying to stay here.

She had thought to use him as an alibi, but she didn't know it was going to backfire like this.

"Let's sit,

" he said, moving his hand from the side to show it towards the closest spare room,

"I think no matter how many times I speak to you it will never be sufficient. You are the closest person to my heart, Belle. Did you know that?

" he asked her. Believing a dead person was hard, especially with how one of the spirits tried to manipulate her mother's thoughts.

Thinking as quick as she could, Belle then said,

"I think I am tired. I will go rest in my room.

"

"How about I tuck you to sleep. Remember I used to do it for before? I used to hate Simon so much for interrupting our time. It was already hard enough with the way your butler tried to interrupt our time. I used to hate it,

" he confessed.

To Belle, George had been a good friend like Simone. Seeing him in this state broke her heart, to think that she had met him after such a long time only to have him dead before he even entered the mansion.

Mustering the courage, she smiled,

"I am grown up now, George. I sleep well, even without Mr. Fluffs.

"

George stared at her for a few seconds and then snapped out to say,

"I remember him. The rabbit with long ears. The buttoned eye. You liked to carry the ragged doll everywhere. Do you still have him?

"

"Yes, he's still with me. I couldn't throw him away,

" said Belle before she realised she couldn't go to sleep because there were other people in this mansion and she didn't know what George was capable of.

"Where is he?

" George stated, and Belle scolded herself. Mr. Fluffs was no longer in her possession, and it had turned to Barron's possession since the last few weeks.

"Lucas took him to stitch his arm. It is very loose. You know what? Why don't we go to the drawing-room,

" proposed Belle. It was the safest and easiest way to maintain distance while keeping an eye on him. She tried to mentally prepare herself that he would need to return to the dead again, and for that, she would need to kill him.

They went to the drawing-room, and Belle went to the fireplace to burn some logs of wood to keep the room warm. Every now and then she turned to make sure George was where he was,

"When did you last see your parents? It's been long since I met them,

" Belle tried to extract some answers.

"It must have been a week ago. You didn't come to visit us. I was worried where you would find a suitor for yourself. But then I see you haven't found a suitor but you're too close to the butler, aren't you?

" he asked her. Both Lucas and Belle had not been subtle when it came to them being together. Not to forget the way Lucas was making strong actions to make sure George understood that Lucas was her man.

Belle had never sensed his feelings for her, but with the words he was uttering to her right now, she questioned if George had harboured feelings for her.

Taking a deep breath, she laughed. Was she supposed to wait for Lucas and Barron to come home? Or was she supposed to send her dear friend to his grave by herself? Belle was still trying to figure out when she heard him say,

"Belle, I want to tell you something,

" that he is dead? Asked Belle to herself,

"I don't know what's going on with you and the butler but leave it and come to me. I will look after you.

"

.

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