Sorry its along one but i felt that it needed to be, if you prefer the shorter ones please just say. Other than that enjoy xx
Marius took the road into the hills and soon the pastureland dropped away behind them. As the carriage climbed higher they could see forest and loch below them and wild moorland above.
Cosette leaned forward and tapped her beau on the shoulder. "Do you think you could capture this on canvas?" she shouted above the noise of the horse's hoofs. It was quite beautiful, thought Cosette, and real. Not a painting, nor a picture in a book, but a living landscape that she could see and smell. The trouble in France had prevented Cosette from taking her promised Cultural Tour abroad, and she longed to see all the things she had seen in the books she read. She had read about the sculptures in Greece, the buildings in Italy, and the paintings in England. But she was able to experience some of that glory right here, thought Cosette, looking around her. She felt elated merely by being young and alive among such beauty and promise.
They stopped in the hills by the side of the path and unpacked the baskets.
"Across that stile, I think", said Marius, "and if we follow the path we should come to a small river."
They set out their picnic by the edge of the water, spreading the rugs under a large tree. Marius tied twine round the bottles of Pommeau and sank them in the water to cool them. Alexander had brought some sailboats that his father had made and they all tried, without much success, to sail them on the water.
Cosette gave up first. "It's far too hot", she said. "I'm going to sit in the shade under the tree."
Not very long after she was joined by Marius. He took off his jacket and stretched out beside her on the grass. "I didn't want you to be lonely off here all by yourself," he said. "I thought I'd come and join you".
"Oh, don't spoil your game on my account," said Cosette. "I'm quite happy here on my own."
"So . . ." he looked at her carefully, "you'd rather I went away again?"
She twirled her parasol and studied him from under her lashes. "I didn't say that," she replied softly.
He rolled over onto his stomach so that he was gazing up at her. In her cream dress with the dappled light of the green leaves behind her he thought she was the most beautiful thing her he thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He looked down at the grass and then up at her again. "Shall I make you a daisy chain?"
She folded her parasol and put it aside. "I haven't seen a daisy chain for such a long time. Can you make one?"
"Easiest thing in the world."
They were both soon laughing at his clumsy attempts to slot the slender stems together. Eventually Cosette took it from him and they sat side by side heads close together, whiles she showed him how to do it.
He is very handsome, she though, as she stole little glances at him from time to time. His face was set in concentration as he followed her instructions, the strong tanned fingers among the fragile petals.
"There!" he said at last. "Now, how do you join both ends together?"
"Ah, that is the tricky part . . ." said Cosette. She put her fingers over his and gently drew the last stem opening over the first flower head.
There was a long pause. They could hear shouts of laughter from the riverbank but they seemed far away.
He caressed her fingers gently. "You seem so delicate . . .and serene, and . . . and . . . I don't know . . . good". He raised her fingers to his lips.
Cosette's heart was like a caged bird, her mind was in confusion. This was more than flirting, she must be falling in love. How fortunate she was that her feeling for Marius Pontmercy seemed to be returned by him. He took the daisy chain and wound it round her wrist.
They both looked towards the water as the shouts of laughter grew louder. Margo's boat was sinking and its line was trailing in the water out of reach. Francis has taken off his sock and shoes and having rolled up his trouser legs was gallantly wading out to rescue it.
"Is it very strange having many nieces and nephews?" asked Cosette.
"Margo's a good sort. She works very hard they all do", said Marius.
Cosette thought about her and Helen. They were close too, but in a different way. He looked out for her as his little niece, but she didn't really have a friend, a "pal" to use Marius word.
Francis had reached the boat and was now holding it triumphantly above his head. Margo cheered and clapped loudly. Alexander had taken his boots and socks of and had joined Francis in the water. Marius scrambled to his feet.
"My grandfather will have fourteen fits if he falls in," he told Cosette. "My sister and Alex were both very ill when he was born, and he still worries about him a lot"! He ran down to the water's edge.
Cosette leaned her back against the tree and watched the rescue attempt as Marius called his young nephew to come ashore. Margo came to join her and together they unwrapped the sandwiches of cold meat and tomato. Cosette chatted easily as they set out the napkins and cutlery.
It's shining out of her, Margo thought as she helped put out the food: cheese, fruit and apple pie. She had noticed the two heads together earlier; her uncle's dark curls a foil for the girl's soft blond hair. Why should they not be happy together? An awful though occurred to her. Was this jealousy she was feeling?
Marius, now barefoot, was capering about in the water with Francis and Alex. Eventually he grabbed Alexander and swung him across his shoulders and marched toward them. He was laughing as he tumbled his nephew down onto the grass beside them.
"One bag of coal delivered".
Cosette laughed too then. Surrounded by their happiness she could not help herself.
The boys dried off in the sun as they ate their picnic.
"I'm tired of sitting still for so long," Margo piped up. "I brought some racquets and a ball. Shall we play a game?"
They returned home just as twilight was falling. The lamps of the carriage cut a bright beam across the road, and although Alexander waved out of the window the only traffic they met was a heard of cows sauntering lazily along the road. The old herdsman touched his forehead as they passed. Then he shook his head and stood gazing down the dusty road after them.
"Do you realize something?" Cosette said to Marius as she left him at the door of her house. "We managed to spend a whole day in company and we hardly discussed the revolution at all."
That night she slept with a daisy chain under her pillow