Kat swallowed, "Um… that does certainly seem suspicious but… um… is there any other reasons?"
Belle gave a harsh shrug and a grunt before saying, "I suppose it depends on how you look at it. See, when I was younger I… indulged a bit. I had no interest in marrying. The company was MINE and I wasn't exactly keen to share it. Then… well… I got to thinking about what would happen to it once I was gone. So… I decided to be a bit less… careful during my encounters.
"A particularly memorable encounter, and one that I attribute to Gaston's conception was with the current Lord of the 8th. He was clearly interested and my looks were much better in my youth… and before my… issues with the world started. So, I bedded him for a better price on some goods he was offering. I don't regret it. It was the right call at the time, and I love the son I'm certain resulted from it…
