Hey, so a few things before you start reading. 1. I like short chapters. I don't like to drag on too long, so I'll have a bunch of really short chapters when I'm done. 2. It begins when Eponine is young. I didn't want my writing to seem too juvenile, so I tried to make it somewhat intellectual (despite the fact that the narrator is 3 in this chapter) while the dialoge will be riddles with accents and mistakes. 3. I love constructive criticism, soplease read and review :)
I stared into the eyes of the young girl standing in front of me who had just arrived with her mother. The girl was in a much better condition than her mother. They both had shining blonde hair, but that of the mother was matted and dirty, while the little girl's was brushed and shining in the afternoon sun. The mother was dressed like a working woman. Her clothes, which were more like rags, were old and torn. Her daughter, rather, wore her best clothes. It was laced in what looked like a gold fabric and had some sort of stone, perhaps diamonds, on the sleeves.
I turned around to see my mother walking out of the door to greet the woman.
"You have very beautiful children," the woman said.
"My name is Thénardier," my mother replied, obviously trying to lure in a new customer. "We run this inn."
The woman's eyes lit up. "Can you keep my child for me?" She asked eagerly. "I am in desperate need of work, but I cannot find any because I am alone with a child."
My mother paused for a moment, considering the offer. "We'll keep the child," she said. "However, you must send us seven francs a month."
"I will pay in advance for a year," said the woman, digging through her bag to find the money.
"What is your little one's name?" My mother asked.
"Oh, I apologize! I have not introduced myself yet. My name is Fantine and my child is called Cosette. She is going on three," Fantine replied, handing my mother the money.
"Ah, the age of my eldest," my mother said, turning to my sister and me. "Go amuse yourselves, now. Take the child, Cosette, with you," she told us.
"Yes, mother" I responded, walking over to Cosette.
I took her hand in one of mine and Azelma's in the other. We all walked casually to the back of the inn, chatting as the adults finished their conversation. Azelma and I showed her the swing; she had apparently never seen one before. It was big enough to fit the three of us, so we all sat down and pushed back and forth, giggling.
A few moments later, my mother arrived, looking intimidating. She carried something in her arms, but I couldn't make out what it was.
"Cosette," my mother said. The young girl looked up. "Get off the swing." The child obliged. "Put this on," my mother commanded, tossing her the dirty garments formerly in her arms. Cosette scurried away inside to change.
My mother faced her gaze upon my sister and me. "Éponine. Azelma. You will no longer play with that little girl. She works for us now. She is a servant and you will treat her as such. Do not play with her. Do not talk to her. Do not even look at her unless you are commanding her. Do you understand?"
Azelma looked at me with a confused expression, but I just turned to mother and replied, "Yes, mother. We understand.