E/DS 2: Meet the Beauchene's Takes place BEFORE "Trials and Tribulations"; A few weeks after the proposal. Enjolras is intent on receiving Lynette's mother's blessing; so Lynette reluctantly agrees to return to her former, taciturn home to visit her family. But will things go as smoothly as planned? Or will Lynette Beauchene be forced to revisit her discordant past?
"Netta; what's your last name?" Enjolras abruptly asked, breaking the silence that had settled over them for much of the afternoon. They had both been sitting quietly for a few hours—Lynette reading a recently published book that Enjolras had recommended to her; 'The Red and the Black',and Enjolras pretending to read one of his old texts whilst frequently glancing up at the lovely woman sitting in the window. She had been living with him for several weeks, and there were more than just a few moments when he found himself struggling to believe it after all that had happened.
Lynette looked up from her book, staring at him quizzically. "Why does it matter? Soon it will be yours." she replied, smiling dazzlingly at him.
"I know… but I feel as if I'm missing a part of you not knowing it. What kind of husband doesn't know his wife's maiden name?" he told her, returning her infectious smile.
"And yet you are not yet my husband." she retorted, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"You know what I mean."
She sighed, closing the book in her hands and setting it aside. "Beauchene," she finally responded. "My full name is Lynette Alaina Beauchene."
"Alaina… meaning "little rock" or bright and shining, correct? More than suitable." he told her compassionately. She beamed, then put the book in her hands on the table beside her before getting up and walking over to where he sat; leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "You're too kind, Blondinette."
"I am rarely kind… only truthful." he murmured in reply; watching her intently as she pulled away.
"Oh really? I beg to differ. I think you are one of the kindest men I've ever met." she retorted; eyes twinkling. She then turned and sauntered over to the shelf to pull another manuscript; and another sudden thought struck Enjolras. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Does your… does your family know about any of the things that have happened to you these past few weeks?"
She laughed short and cold; but her face held no amusement. "No. It's not like I exactly bother telling them. Not to mention they wouldn't give a whit if I did mention it." she said bitterly.
"The revolution? Your moving in with me? Nothing?" Enjolras asked in disbelief.
"No; and I'm glad of it. Such large, imperative events in my life would act as nothing but fuel to their scorn." she snapped.
"But… shouldn't they at least know that you're safe? They are your blood, after all." he pressed cautiously; beginning to sense that this was a losing battle.
Another acidic laugh. "They are no more my 'blood' than I am a royalist! Why in the world would they care whether I was dead in an alleyway somewhere or happily thriving?"
Her tone was growing sharper and sharper by the second; and Enjolras could hear that standoffish, warning ring to it. A ring telling him he better back off the subject before he pushed her over the edge.
"Happily thriving, eh?" he teased her; trying to disclose his submission with his eyes. She took the enticement; her own eyes twinkling as she turned back to him with her hand on her hip. "Have I ever said otherwise?" she inquired.
"No; but neither have you described it so eloquently before." he fired back mischievously.
"Hm… that's funny… I thought that such things needn't be said when 'I love you' is a perfect substitute." she retorted, raising an eyebrow jestingly at him.
"Indeed… but thriving? I am the cause of your thriving happiness?" he wondered temptingly. She laughed—all traces of her preceding terseness gone—and crossed back over to him; hitting him lightly with the book in her hand. "When did you get so cocky? Of course you're the cause of my thriving happiness. You… and your gloriously extensive collection of books." she taunted merrily.
"Aha! Is that why you agreed to live with me then?" he asked her; faking a hurt expression. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly; catching his feign. "Well it certainly didn't hurt once I got here, but have you so soon forgotten that I knew next to nothing about your home life when I agreed?"
"True. Oh, good. Then it must have been me that persuaded you towards this option." he flashed a playful grin at her.
"My; self-satisfied, are we?" she asked with a chuckle before leaning in to press her lips to his. He instantly reached up and tangled his fingers in her coffee colored hair; anchoring her to him as he began to pull her closer. But this time—instead of pulling her back down into the chair to sit on his lap—she took ahold of his cravat and tugged him up out of his seated position. The action sent his breath hastening; but as the kiss heightened, he found that his mind did not go completely blank in the passion of the moment as it usually did. Instead he found himself as lost in thought as he was in the kiss.
He couldn't help pondering what had just been said about her family; for she seemed to have disregarded it by now, but he hadn't. From what she'd said, they had no idea what Lynette Alaina Beauchene had gone through these past few months; no idea that she was about to be married. The notion irked him immensely, and he knew not why. From the way she'd said they'd treated her; why should they be informed of her upcoming wedding? Why should she risk their having any objections to either he or her new life?
'And yet… haven't they a right to know? Wouldn't her mother be—if nothing else—curious about where her daughter had gotten off to after all this time?' He couldn't help thinking. He just couldn't wrap his head around going and getting married without one's family hearing of it at some point. And that was what Lynette seemed to be counting on; her family never hearing of her impending union… or even another word from her at all. How could she not speculate such things? How could she not want to at least try for a family blessing?
'And yet you have not even told your own parents…' some part of him whispered.
'But it's not as if I'm not planning to! I'll write them soon enough!' another argued.
'Oh; 'soon enough', will you? Just listen to yourself, putting it off!'
He could hardly be attempting to understand Lynette's reasoning behind her complete isolation from her family; not when his own situation was just as complicated. And as soon as this epiphany came to mind, he forced himself to surrender all thoughts but those of the lovely woman so perfectly pressed up against him.
And yet that irritating, pervasive thought of '…mother's blessing?' remained.
A/N: Here's the first chapter, folks! Do hope you like it. :)
This one turned out a lot shorter than Trials, but it's just as equally important. But that also means I'll be finishing it faster, which means I'll have to get a move on the next one… Mon dieu, this DS/E system is a vicious cycle!
A vicious cycle that I love every minute of. ;)
R&R everyone; perhaps your kind words will urge Lynette or Enjolras into making a decision? ~DonJuana