"Mademoiselle Mignonette, Monsieur Bayard is here to see you."
Mignonette Modisette, or Mignon, as she was sometimes called, looked up from her book to face her maid.
"Thank you, Raissa," Mignonette said. "Tell him I'll be down in a moment."
"Yes, Mademoiselle," Raissa said, curtsing as she exited.
Mignonette scurried over to her vanity to check herself in the mirrior. She was a beautiful sixteen year old. She had an innocent face, big warm brown eyes, red lips, rosy cheeks, and curly dark brown hair. She was wearing a brownish whitish dress with short puffy sleeves and a floral pattern lining the dress. She was the daughter of a duke and grew up to support the King of France. She had actually met him on a few occasions. However, she was not like the majority of the upper class people she grew up around. She was kinder than them, always giving them food and money if she had any. In looks, she was not a great beauty, but it was this compassion that made her a great beauty. She was in the middle of eleven siblings. First came Olivier who was twenty-eight, then Edgar, who was twenty-five, then Adorlee, who was twenty-two, then Violette who was nineteen, then Victoirine, who was seventeen, Jacques who was fifteen, then Tatienne, who was thirteen, then Beauregard, who was ten, then Rosemonde who was eight, and Josephine, who was six. Because of her giving nature, she was always considered different from her siblings.
Mignonette was about to leave her room when she felt something brush up against her dress.
"Pascal," Mignonette giggled as she picked up her little orange kitten. "Come on; let's go see what Bayard wants."
Mignonette left her room and walked down the large staircase. She went to the parlor where she found Bayard Robicheaux, a rich, handsome young man with light brown hair and green eyes, talking to her older sister, Adorlee, who looked like Mignonette if she were twenty-two.
"Hello, Bayard," said Mignonette. "Hello Adorlee."
"Mignon!" exclaimed Adorlee. "Monsieur Bayard has just told me the most wonderful news."
"Adorlee!" hissed Bayard.
"What is the news?" Mignonette asked.
"I am not allowed to say," Adorlee said, beaming.
"What is the news, Bayard?" Mignonette asked, looking curiously at Bayard.
"I will tell you later, I promise," Bayard said nervously. "Come, I'd like to take you for a walk."
Mignonette looked skeptical, but all she said was:
"Yes, I'd love to go for a walk with you, Bayard."
Bayard walked over to Mignonette and she set Pascal down. Mignonette walked out the door and Bayard followed after her, glaring at Adorlee for a moment.
Once they were outside, Mignonette and Bayard linked arms.
"Will you tell me the news now?" Mignonette asked.
"How about I tell you during dinner?" Bayard reasoned.
"You promise you'll tell me during dinner?" Mignonette asked.
"Yes," said Bayard. "I promise."
Mignonette smiled.
"May I have a clue as to what the news is?" Mignonette asked.
"It's wonderful." said Bayard.
Mignonette's smile faded slightly.
"You're going to propose, aren't you?" Mignonette asked.
"No!" Bayard screamed nervously. He calmed down. "No, of course not."
"Yes, you are," Mignonette said. "And Bayard, please don't. I won't say yes. It's not that I don't like you, it's just, it's only been two months. That's just too soon. And, I don't even know if I'm really in love with you. I'm sorry."
Bayard looked hurt.
"I'm truly sorry, Bayard," Mignonette said. "Perhaps if we give it a few months, my answer will change."
"Right," said Bayard. "Would you still like to finish the walk?"
Mignonette's smile returned.
"Yes, Bayard, I'd like that," Mignonette replied.
After a moment, Mignonette spoke again.
"Perhaps, if you propose, I will say yes."
Bayards face lit up.
"Do you mean it?" Bayard asked.
"Yes, I do," Mignonette said.
Bayard smiled. As much as Mignonette did not wish to marry him, she saw how here rejection had hurt him, and she couldn't bare to see him, or anyone else for that matter, sad, especially knowing something could be done about it.
As they continued to walk, they came across a rally taking place.
"What do you think that's about?" Mignonette asked.
"Who knows?" said Bayard. "Come along, Mignonette."
"Well, I'd like to see what that's about," said Mignonette.
"It's probably something idiotic," said Bayard.
"Perhaps it's not," Mignonette said. "Perhaps we should see."
Mignonette walked away from Bayard and to the rally.
"Mignonette!" Bayard called. "Mignonette!"
"How long are we to be treated like slaves?!" Mignonette heard.
She continued to push her way to the front of the crowd.
How handsome he is, Mignonette thought about the man who was speaking so passionately on the platform.
"Mignonette!" Bayard called. "Mignonette!"
He had caught up to her.
"This isn't idiotic, Bayard," Mignonette said. "It sounds like he has a valid point."
"Mignonette, he's talking about rebelling against the king," Bayard said.
Mignonette wanted to say 'but when there are so many people who live on the streets, perhaps he is not good for the job' but she held her tounge.
"Come, Bayard," said Mignonette, smiling. "Let us finish our walk."
Bayard said nothing, but offered his arm. Mignonette smiled.
"Aunt Mignon!"
"Hello, Gabrielle!" Mignonatte exclaimed as she saw her nieces. "Hello, Edith!"
"Hello, Mignon," her sister-in-law, Rosalie, said.
"Hello, Rosalie," Mignonette said. "Hello, Olivier."
Mignonette leaned over the stroller Rosalie was pushing.
"And hello there, Sebastian," Mignonette said, beaming. "He's so adorable."
"Thank you," Rosalie said.
Rosalie was very pretty. She had curly light blonde hair and bright green eyes.
"Aren't we adorable, Aunt Mignon?" Edith asked.
Mignonette giggled and looked down at the four-year-old.
"Absolutley, dears," Mignonette said. "You are the most adorable little girls in the world, along with Joceline and Toinette."
"Well, I'm afraid we must be going," said Olivier. "But we'll see you tonight."
Mignonette smiled and hugged her brother.
"See you tonight, Olivier," Mignonette said
After about an hour of walking Bayard returned Mignonette home.
"I shall see you tonight, my dear," Bayard said taking hold of Mignonette's hand and kissing it.
"Tonight then, Monsieur," Mignonette said.
Bayard walked away. Mignonette was about to open the door when she saw her dear friend, a gamine name Eponine.
"'Ponine!" Mignonette cried.
"Mignon!" Eponine cried back.
Mignonette ran up to her.
"Hello!" Mignonette exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Epinine asked, smiling.
"Bayard took me for a walk," Mignonette said. "He's going to propose tonight."
"Congratulations," Eponine said.
Eponine studied Mignonette's face.
"Aren't you happy?" Eponine asked.
Mignonette gave a smile that was a mixture between fake and sad, and nodded.
"Why are you going marry him if you don't love him?"
Mignonette scoffed.
"Eponine, I do love him," Mignonette said, not only trying to convince Eponine of the fact, but also herself.
"Mignonette!"
Mignonette turned and saw her father, Henri, poking his head out the door.
"Goodbye, Eponine," Mignonette said. "I must be going."
"Goodbye, Mignon," Eponine said.
Mignonette ran back to her house.
"Hello, Papa," Mignonette said as she entered the house.
That night, at dinner Mignonette's family, her parent, brothers and sisters, Rosalie, Edith, Gabriel, Edgar's wife Olivie, their children Josceline and Toniette and tonight Bayard's family, his parents, Leonard and Madeleine, and his sisters, Isabelle and Laurentine, were gathered in the Modisette's dining room.
In between dinner and dessert, Bayard stood up and walked over tom Mignonette.
Mignonette held her breath.
This is it, Mignonette thought.
"Mignonette," Bayard started.
Bayard took hold of Mignonette's hand. and stared down at her. Mignonette turned her head and looked at the floor.
"These past two monthes have been absolutely amazing," Bayard said dropping on one knee and presented a ring with . "Mignonette Modisette, will you be my wife?"
There was a silence. Mignonette still had her head turned and still looked at the floor.
"Yes," Mignonette said in a whisper. No one could have heard her, however, Bayard must have heard, because he took the ring and slipped it on Mignonette's finger.
Adorlee turned to Violette and Victoirine.
"Sixteen and getting married before us," Adorlee said.
"We're going to be old maids," joked Victoirine.
"Congratulations, Mignon!" Rosemonde and Josepine squealed.
Mignonette smiled at her little sisters.
"How would you two like to be my flower girls?" Mignonette asked her little sisters, giving the fake/sad smile she gave Eponine.
Rosemonde and Josephine beamed and their eyes lit up. They nodded vigorously.
Henri raised his glass.
"To Bayard and Mignonette, the future Madame and Monsieur Robicheaux."
Everyone raised their glasses and toasted Mignonette and Bayard.