Eponine slept better that night than she had in years. Her slight confusion at what her and Enjolras was present, but not enough to keep her awake. Her nightmares did not return.
When she woke up, the apartment was empty. She guessed Enjolras had gone either to his classes or to continue planning with his friends at the café. She sat up slowly, blinking in the late morning sun. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so late or so comfortably. When she finally decided to leave the warmth and comfort of her makeshift bed, she began to explore the apartment. There were books everywhere: on the shelves, tables, and even a few on the floor.
On a large table, she found a lone piece of paper. Large letters at the top spelled out E-P-O-N-I-N-E. The note was for her. Eponine had been taught to read at a young age, but she had not had the opportunity to practice for quite some time. She struggled to read the words on the paper.
Eponine, I have gone to classes. I will stop back at home at noon. Please remain here until then.
-Enjolras
Eponine was grateful for her long sleep, or else she would have been bored, sitting there for hours. The sun's place in the sky told her that noon would be there soon.
She went into the washroom and found a mirror. Eponine grimaced at what she saw. Her dark, wavy hair was tangled and knotted. Her face, though sun-chapped, was not quite as sunken as usual, thanks to the sustenance she received by hanging around Les Amis. She had a map of bruises across her arms and chest, bruises both new and fading. Her cheeks did seem to have a happy sort of flush, though. Eponine frowned in confusion. What did Enjolras see in her? She was filthy, and the only men she attracted were rats. Enjolras was extraordinarily handsome. She felt both giddy and perplexed at once.
She heard the door open in the next room.
"Eponine?"
She went out to find the source of the voice. Enjolras smiled at the fact she was still there. Drawing closer to him, Eponine realized she did not know how to greet him. Should she just stand still? Kiss him? Enjolras seemed to be struggling with the same question. They settled on an awkward embrace but nothing more, and Eponine blushed a little.
"Did you read the note I left for you?"
Eponine nodded. "I did."
He smiled. "I wasn't sure if you were able to read or not, but I thought it was worth a try…"
Eponine knew not to be offended at the thought that she might not be able to read. "It was a little difficult, but I managed. Why did you want me to stay here?"
"Because I made some plans for you."
Her forehead creased. "What do you mean?"
"Well, and please do not take this the wrong way, you have been living in fairly unhygienic situations. Now that you are with me, I believe it best if you received a good bath and a few new dresses." He spoke slowly, watching her face to look out for any radical changes in her expression.
Eponine bit her lip. "I—uh—where?" She stammered, embarrassed.
"A seamstress I am acquainted with. I have made an appointment for you to have a fitting with her this afternoon."
Eponine let out a small sigh, not sure how to respond. "I have no more money." She finally said, quietly.
Enjolras looked at her like she was crazy. "Yes, I know, Eponine. This is just something I want to do for you."
Eponine wanted to refuse. She could not make him spend any more money on her behalf. But on the other hand, her clothes were itching and only a knife could cut through the layers of grime that coated her skin. And Enjolras looked quite eager, and she did not want to disappoint him.
She sighed again and rolled her eyes. "Alright, then." She smiled.
"Wonderful! Shall we be going?" He held out his arm to her.
She hesitated, and did not take his arm. "I can walk by myself. I do not think it would be good for your reputation to be seen with the likes of me."
He frowned. "I do not quite care what the upper-class really thinks of me, Eponine."
She shook her head. "Please, Enjolras," she remembered to use his name and not call him Monsieur, "You have done so much for me, and I do not want to witness the glares and mumbles you will get if I am on your arm."
He lowered his arm. "If that is what you really want."
She nodded vigorously. "It is."
"Then you can walk a little ways from me, but follow where I go." He offered.
"That sounds splendid."
When Enjolras had gathered up his belongings, he set off down the street. Eponine waited a few moments before exiting as well, and caught sight of him down the street, looking over her shoulder for her. When he saw her, he continued walking and she followed.
After a bit, he stopped at a vendor on the street. Eponine, a few steps behind him, stopped as well and peered around the crowds to see what he was doing. When a path finally cleared, she saw Enjolras walking towards her, but not making eye contact. He surreptitiously handed her a large chunk of hot bread, then quickly turned and kept walking. Eponine hid a grin and took a large bite of the food as they continued.
She finally joined him at the seamstress's shop.
"See? I told you it would work." Eponine smiled.
"I never doubted you." He told her.
"Thanks for the bread." She resisted the urge to reach out and touch his arm gently to convey her gratitude.
"You need it. Madame Bissette," he gestured at the shop window, "will already be aghast at how thin you are." He led her into the shop.
"Ah, is that you, Monsieur Enjolras?" A petite and graceful woman, who looked to be in her late 40s, came out from behind a mannequin. Her welcoming expression fell from her face when she laid eyes on the girl beside the student.
"Yes, good day to you, Madame." Enjolras greeted her. He noted how she was already looking at Eponine in disgust and he felt a sudden need to grab her hand comfortingly, but he did not.
"Is this the, uh, the mademoiselle you have arranged for me to work on today?" Her eyes scanned Eponine's darker skin and ripped clothes.
Enjolras nodded. "It is." He had known the seamstress a long time, she was friend of his mother's. He tried to tell her with a look that she was not to be too insulting to Eponine.
"Why don't you take a look around, dear?" Madame Bissette offered to Eponine, who was gazing in wonder at the luxurious fabrics that surrounded her. Eponine began to wander off, and as soon as she was out of earshot, the lady began reprimanding Enjolras in harsh tones.
"What are you thinking, monsieur?" She asked. "How in the world did you come to be associated with such a thing?"
"She's a friend of mine, Madame." Defended Enjolras, leaving out the part that he thought he might love her. "And she's been abused for quite some time. I thank you to treat her with the respect you would have for any member of the nobility."
"I don't believe I can," she whisper-shouted. "Monsieur, she's filthy!"
"Please, Madame. I am paying for you to make sure she leaves here looking like any bourgeois girl would."
Madame Bissette scowled, but nodded. "What would your mother say if she knew of your companions?" She mumbled, and it was Enjolras's turn to scowl.
"My family has no say or matter in any of this." He looked to where Eponine was examining a simple purple frock, being careful not to touch anything, then back to Madame Bissette. "I must be going, I shall return in a few hours." He made his way to Eponine and touched her arm lightly.
"Listen, Eponine," He whispered quickly. "She might not be the nicest woman around, but please keep your temper under control if you wish to see results."
Her eyes became worried, but she nodded. "Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, I must. I won't be gone for too long." He glanced at the seamstress, and when he saw that she was looking away, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Good luck."
Eponine looked at the large metal tub in front of her that had just been filled with water. A bar of soap and a sponge lay beside it. Madame Bissette had told her to wash herself clean. She slowly dipped a toe in the water. It was fairly cold, but Eponine did not mind. She slipped out of her clothes and sank into the water, almost sighing at the glorious feeling. Within minutes, the clear water was turning a dark grayish-brown, and Eponine grimaced in disgust. She could feel the dirt and stress wash away from her body and she closed her eyes, just enjoying the feeling. She started scrubbed her skin until it was no longer brown, though it was still nowhere near the milky-white skin tones of the upper class ladies of Paris. Her wanderings about town had given her unusual tan skin.
When she had finished washing her hair as well, she stepped out. She spied a towel by the basin and ran it over herself, still deliriously happy at being clean again.
"Madame?" She called. She was in the back room of the shop, and the seamstress had told her to call her when she had finished.
"Are you done?" The lady called back. "Put on your underthings and we shall get to work."
Eponine put on her undergarments, which thankfully were not quite as disgusting as her usual clothes. She opened the door to the fitting room, where Madame Bissette was waiting.
"Ah, good." She smiled a smile that did not extend to her eyes. She still regarded Eponine with a level of both distrust and disgust. "Stand up here." Eponine noticed that several frocks were lying around the room. They were quite simple, but still much nicer than anything Eponine had owned at home. There was a purple day dress draped over Madame Bissette's arm.
Eponine stood up on a small pedestal and waited patiently as the lady took her measurements. Eponine could hear her click her tongue when she measured her waist.
"Is something wrong?" Eponine asked in response to the sound.
"You're quite skinny," the seamstress needlessly informed her.
"I thought having a small waist was the point of corsets and such," Eponine tried to keep the snap out of her voice.
"Well yes, but it is also to give a womanly figure. I must say, you might resemble an adolescent boy."
Eponine glowered. "An adolescent boy does not have breasts." She did nothing to hide her annoyance this time.
"Oh, I know." Madame Bissette was also trying her hardest to tone down her disgust, for the sake of the money Enjolras had offered her for this job. She worked in silence after that, while Eponine tried on several dresses and they all hung loose on her frame.
When several hours had passed and Eponine was beginning to wish for Enjolras to appear, Madame Bissette proclaimed that she had finished. Eponine slipped on the purple dress that had caught her eye. She almost gasped in amazement. It fit her perfectly, even her waist and hips. Looking in a mirror, she saw that her hair had dried into loose curls that cascaded down her shoulders. She grinned. Even Madame Bissette couldn't hide her amusement at the girl's expression.
"Madame?" A voice called from the front of the shop. Eponine felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized it as Enjolras's.
"One moment." Madame Bissette called, and she began packaging the remaining purchases. "You can wear that dress out of the shop," she told Eponine, who was still staring at her reflection in awe. "I hope you will allow me to dispose of the rags you came in wearing."
Eponine nodded, not really paying attention.
"Yes, she's in there," she heard Madame Bissette say to Enjolras in the next room.
Eponine finally decided she was done. Adjusting her hair once more, she left the room and joined Enjolras and Madame Bissette.
Enjolras did not immediately recognize her. He had not counted on how much her appearance relied on her clothing and grime. The girl in front of him more closely resembled the girl from his dream in the café than the girl he had led through the streets this morning. Her skin, though tan, was shining and clean, and her hair was no longer ratty, but soft and pretty. And she was smiling so big that it was infectious.
Enjolras paid the seamstress as Eponine looked at the money, disapproving, but accepting. Enjolras hurried her out of the shop, carrying the bundles of clothing.
"What do you think?" Eponine twirled in the street, ignoring the stares she got for her odd behavior. Enjolras grabbed her hand.
"Eponine…you really do look beautiful." He had thought that for quite some time, and he was not one to put too much stock into superficial appearances, but he could not deny that Eponine was now downright gorgeous. He held out his arm to her as he had done in his flat that afternoon. "Now will you accept to be seen with me?"
She looped her hand around his elbow and giggled. "Yes."
He brought her to the café that night, and she quickly ran off to talk to Gavroche in the corner. Enjolras joined Courfeyrac and Grantaire at the bar, where Grantaire was already swimming in liquor.
"I cannot believe you!" Courfeyrac said to him in stunned bewilderment.
"What on Earth are you going on about?" Enjolras asked, taking a seat.
"Just yesterday, I have to explicate the joys of loving women to you, and today you are on your second."
"What?" Enjolras asked, now thoroughly confused.
Courfeyrac glanced at Eponine, whose back was turned to them as she talked to Gavroche in hushed tones.
"I thought you wanted Eponine!"
Enjolras smiled with mirth, but did not interrupt his friend.
"And now you have forgotten her already!" Courfeyrac continued.
"Courfeyrac, you are mistaken," Enjolras tried to correct him, but Courfeyrac did not hear him.
"Where is Eponine, tonight? I expected her to be following either you or Pontmercy."
"Eponine is right here." A sultry voice behind him responded. The two boys looked around. Eponine had ended her conversation with Gavroche and had come up behind them. Enjolras hid his grin as Courfeyrac's jaw dropped and he looked to Enjolras in shock.
"Wait a moment," Courfeyrac looked over to Gavroche, who was now alone, to make sure he was looking at the same person. "Eponine?"
"Hi Courfeyrac." Eponine smiled at the two, but touched Enjolras's arm lightly without Courfeyrac noticing.
Grantaire had joined the conversation. "Fancy a drink, lovely lady?"
Eponine shook her head. "No, thank you, Grantaire."
"Why not? You're much too pretty to be sober."
"That's enough Grantaire." Enjolras scolded. Eponine must have heard someone calling her name, because suddenly she had left his side.
"Enjolras, what did you do?" Courfeyrac asked urgently, staring after the girl walking across the café.
Enjolras shrugged. "I did not have to do anything. She's really always looked this way."
Courfeyrac shook his head. "I don't know, mon ami. Your feelings for her are showing." He teased.
Enjolras brushed the tease aside. He had still not confronted the feelings he did have for the girl, and what they had done the night before only confused him more. "I don't know. Isn't she still Marius's shadow?" He could not hide his displeasure.
"I don't know…" said Courfeyrac again, slowly. "Perhaps not anymore." He was looking over Enjolras's shoulder. Enjolras turned.
Marius was pressing a letter into Eponine's hand. Eponine was talking to him, and her face was flushed with anger. Marius's mouth was opening and closing, but no response was coming out.
"I have never seen her talk to him in such a way," said Courfeyrac in awe. Enjolras strained to hear what she was saying.
"You are perfectly capable of taking this yourself. Did you not spend all day with her? Why the need to send a letter, anyway?" Eponine scoffed. She threw the letter aside and Marius watched it float to the ground with a look that resembled horror.
"Eponine, what's come over you? You're my friend!" Marius finally protested.
"Friends don't make friends risk their health for what you call love." Eponine sneered. Enjolras's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You never saw me when I was right in front of you, so now you will not have to see me at all." Eponine turned on her heel and stormed away from him, slamming the door of the café behind her.
A/N: Oh my gosh! I got so many reviews on the last chapter that I knew I needed to update quickly! Ok so quick thing about this chapter: I know absolutely nothing about clothing design or customs from this period, and I'm not going to pretend to, so that will explain if I got anything wrong. I'm sorry! I love everyone who reads this story so much, I hope this chapter (the longest I've ever written!) was good!
XOXO, Love always,
CADreaming555