Éponine Durant, formerly known as Éponine Thérnadier, ran a comb through her hair. After picking up her attire for the day, she ties her hair with a soft blue ribbon she'd gotten in the market yesterday.
She did a final inspection of her attire in front of a full-length mirror on the far corner of her bedroom. The dress is nothing much, really. The cotton blue dress is very simple with halter neck and the flowing skirt that went a little bit past her ankles. 'Definitely a fitting attire for a clerk,' She thought sadly, after recounting an incident with a burgeoisie few weeks ago.
After giving one approving nod, she descended the stairs leading her into the shop area.
"Morning, Maman!" She greeted her mother from the stairs.
"Morning, Mon Chére, a pretty nice day, isn't it?" Her mother looked up from the papers that scattered across the table.
"Ah, yes, it is, indeed! I shall hope this fine weather lasts until at least mid-day!"
"I do share the same hope, Mademoiselle!"
Éponine grinned upon seeing the figure standing in the doorway of the back office.
"Tante Violette!" Éponine exclaimed, running up to the lady who owns the dress parlor, the woman accepting her embrace with a hearthy chuckle.
Madame Violette D'Avrigny, preferably goes with Tante Violette (that only goes for Éponine, since the Baroness had considered the girl her own daughter) is the wife of Baron Matheus D'Avrigny. Their marriage produced two beautiful children, Aimé, who recently turned 20, and Aubérgine, who is only 14.
Her husband often spend his time fretting over his textile business than with her. They often traveled the world together, picking up various exotic fabrics they'd found along the way, and brought it home with them to France.
One day, her husband was afraid that they would lose all of their costumers, so she simply said, then she will be his costumer.
He was confused, at first, but then when she laid down all of her ideas, he finally understood. And so Le Princesse Cabinet was conceived.
She was never planning on finding Jeanette and Éponine, really. They simply...met. She was taking a stroll one day and felt a hand in her purse. She knocked the thief over with her parasol and saw a frighteningly thin young gamine staring back at her, with her cheekbones protruding and deathly pale face with an equally desperate eyes.
Her urge to scream for the gendarmes were immediately subsided. Instead, she slowly lowers herself and asks is she orphaned, to which she replied no.
And soon, she met Jeanette. They were frighteningly thin back then. And so she gave them clothings and food, and gave them some money so they can find shelter.
Regarding her grand scheme, she asks Jeanette and Éponine if they could sew. Jeanette can, but Éponine isn't. So she taught them all about fashion and trends. And few months later, Le Princesse Cabinet was opened.
"Good morning, Jeanette, I believe all is well during my absent?"
The former grisette laughs good-naturedly, "Well, we are flocking with orders, but besides that, everything is well,"
"Ah, that is fine news, I know I can count on you two," The Baroness smiled good-naturedly.
"How is America? Oh, You must simply tell me!" Éponine insisted, and Madame Durant, formerly known as Madame Thérnadier laughs at her daughter's excitement.
"Patience, dear! Well, New York is just grand, there are tall buildings everywhere, and people rushing about here and there, oh, it was marvelous!"
The discussion went on and on. Madame D'Avrigny entertained Éponine with great enthusiasm with her story of the Land of Promise. The red-haired woman suddenly realized how she missed being a performer so much. She used to be an actress before she married Matheus, but forced to stopped because of the birth of her son.
"Ah, and we had prepared your gown for the ball in June, I think I had the design right here..."
Éponine picked up her sketchbook and starts to flip through the pages until she reached the one she meant. "Ah, this!" She handed the sketchbook to Madame D'Avrigny, and she smiled instantly.
"Marvelous, dearest! You are indeed, a very gifted young lady!"
Éponine beamed at the compliment. And soon after, Madame D'Avrigny got up to leave.
"Well, I believe all is well! I must run along now, Aimé is coming home today!"
The lady left the store. Éponine was left wondering. Of course, Madame D'Avrigny had spoken plenty of times of her son. She knows he was studying literature far away in Saint-Guilhem, in the family's original hometown, and he recently graduated, and is an amazing writer.
"Éponine, the Frederics, The Chalormans, and the Auberts will pick up their dresses today!" Her mother yelled from the office.
"Oui, Maman! I'll prepare their dresses!"
Éponine ran to the storage to pick up the women's finished dresses, then hanged them in the small room near the display room where they kept all the finished orders.
"Oh, I simply love this!" Carine stared at her reflection adoringly. The dress she'd made is a bit medieval-like, a royal blue dress with gold threads decorating the waist and the bust.
"Oh, you are most definitely a fairy godmother, 'Ponine!" The brown-haired girl threw her arms around Éponine and enveloped her in an embrace. Carine and Éponine had been best friends since two years ago, when they first met at the store.
Baroness D'Avrigny opened a new store and promised them she have the best designer in France. Of course, that got the best of her, so she and her younger sister, Cornélie, had set out to the newly-opened dress parlor to look for themselves.
They are, indeed, surprised to see the young clerk. At first, they thought it was her mother that is the designer, but it is, actually the young lady who is the designer, and her mother, apparently, is the manager.
"Well, I believe I am too young to be a fairy godmother, so perhaps, a fairy godsister will do" Éponine grinned.
After that, they left Madame Durant to tend to Madame Aubert. The two girls sat on a chaise in the fitting quarter.
"So, had you heard about the D'Avrigny boy?" Carine enquired, smiling coyly.
"Madame D'Avrigny mentioned it to me this morning that he is coming home today, what of it?" Éponine asked confusedly. She didn't know the boy, unless of the stories that Madame D'Avrigny often shares. But apart from that, she didn't know the boy in person.
"He's 20, Éponine," Carine looked at Éponine sharply.
"So?" Éponine asks uncomfortably.
"They're going to look for his bride, you silly girl!" Carine exclaimed.
"I thought you were engaged with...what is his name again? Francis! What of him then?"
"If I was not courted I would've pursue the D'Avrigny boy, but I'm not talking about me,"
At first, Éponine was confused, but then with the pointed and excited look Carine is giving her, she suddenly understand.
"What?! No, no, no, no, no, no, this is madness!" She exclaimed.
"You two are perfect for each other, 'Ponine! Believe me! You both are smart, you both are kind and very sweet and caring people, and also very talented, trust me!"
"He's a nobleman, Carine!" Éponine's face fell, "And I'm just a shopkeeper,"
"But trust me when I said that you are far better than any of the burgeoisies out there," Carine took Éponine's hands in hers, and held it assuringly.
Carine knows that these two friends of hers are perfect for each other. Madame D'Avrigny had mentioned to her a few times (all of which in private, of course) that she thought Éponine will be perfect for her son, and if only Aimé was here.
But the boy is coming home to Paris today, and perhaps, this could be the day the two finally met!
Carine can felt excitement bubbling in her chest. She can't even wiped the grin on her face as they exits the store.
'Oh, this is ought to be very interesting...' She thought as the carriage rolled to her home.
A/N: I had this practically ringing in my head and I just NEED to get this out before I can get crazier. This is an AU, in which Madame T cares more about her children and ran away with Eponine when she saw Thernadier beating Eponine and forced her into prostitution. She went back to her maiden name, Jeanette Durant, and since then the pair had been going by 'Durant' rather than 'Thernadier'
For any of you wondering, yes, this will have the ABC boys (in later chapter tho) and also, Gavroche will make an appearance. But I think this will be Eponine/OC. And the CAST! Of course, this will goes with the movie cast, with few additionals:
-Carine :Gina Beck
-Madame D'Avrigny : Susan Sullivan
-Aimé D'Avrigny : Jonathan Ansell (the guy who sang with Daniel Boys in Momentous Musicals, he's amazing!)
And one thing, I might put this to rest for about a week or so. The national exam is in Monday! (wish me luck!) And I just really want to see if this is good or not, so please review and tell me which part I need to fix! Thank you, good night!
