Disclaimer: I shamelessly admit stealing a number of characters from Les Misérables (I'm sure you will all recognise them). These characters obviously belong to Victor Hugo and not to me. Inspiration for the initial setting came from A Thenardier's Redemption.
Any characters you don't recognise from the books sprung from my imagination. I'd prefer you didn't steal them.
Élodie sat on the steps in front of a small bookshop, a crust of bread in her hand and a book in her lap. Occasionally she'd brush a strand of auburn hair from her pale blue eyes or a crumb from the book.
"Excusez-moi, mademoiselle?" The grisette looked up. In front of her stood a student she had seen at the bookshop many times before – he was still quite young, with an angelic face and golden hair. She knew him to study law; he often asked her to stitch his books.
"Oui, monsieur?" she replied politely.
"I apologise for disturbing you during your lunch hour, but would you perhaps have time to stitch this book for me today?" he asked. He pulled a tattered book out of his bag, and she carefully took it from him. It was an old copy of Rousseau's The Social Contract, which had obviously been read many times. The stitching had come loose, and some pages were threatening to slide from the book. She looked back at the student, who was looking somewhat anxious, and nodded.
"If you come back later in the afternoon, I will make sure I have finished," she replied. A smile formed on the student's lips as he thanked her and bid her good day. She smiled back, and then quickly finished her crust of bread. While she still had a half hour off, she knew stitching his book would take her some time. M. Dubois had obviously seen the interaction between his employee and the student outside, because he did not question her when she sat back into her corner.
