**Disclaimer: C'mon...this was covered in the last chapter, remember?
Eponine was so startled by the hard expression on Cosette's face that she quickly pulled her hand away from Marius, whose face held surprise and confusion all at once. Cosette was decked in shades of bronze, a color that didn't match well with her pigeon-brown hair. From what Eponine could remember, Cosette had always had a child-like face, but now there were wrinkles about her mouth and little crow's feet at the corner of her eyes. Her once deep blue eyes seemed paler...and colder. What happened to her? wondered Eponine. She looks so old!
"Cosette!" cried Marius. "What is wrong? You look very upset!" He ran to Cosette. "Are you all right?" he said quietly.
Cosette didn't even look at him when he approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. She pushed Marius away and walked slowly toward Eponine, her look of anger mixed with disbelief. "You!" she said in a low voice. "But you're dead!"
Eponine heard the undisguised disappointment in Cosette's voice and was deeply offended...and outraged. "That, I guess, was the general assumption. Yes, I was shot at the barricade, but I did not die, dear Cosette." She made the word `dear' sound like a curse. "I am very much alive, to the obvious disappointment of you."
Cosette's demeanor had changed over the short span of time since Eponine had played matchmaker for Marius during the revolt. Before, she seemed naïve, lovesick, and oblivious to anything and everything that didn't concern her. Perhaps she still only thought about her, her, her, but the façade of innocence was gone. Cosette was still very pretty, but now that she had discovered that Eponine's status had gone from deceased to living and thriving, her prettiness seemed only like a hard shell that covered a vortex of coarse emotions.
Cosette looked at Marius and recovered her equanimity. "Eponine, you mistake surprise for disappointment! I am happy that you are alive and well! It's only that Marius told me that you died and that he was there when you died...it's a bit of a shock to see you, well, alive!" she said with an almost expressionless face.
Deep in Eponine's heart, she knew the real Cosette was the angry woman with the undertones of hatred in her voice. Eponine acted politely toward Cosette, but felt that there was something very wrong about her.
"Marius--" started Eponine, but she was cut off by Cosette who had put her arm around Marius' waist.
"Eponine, I believe Antoine is looking for you," said Cosette in monotone. "Marius, I'm tired. Let's go back to the hotel."
Marius stared at her like he couldn't believe his ears. "But Cosette! Don't you see what a wonderful occasion this is?! We three are survivors! We have come up from the ashes of misery. I from the endless scrutiny of an old man who never seem satisfied. You, from a daily life of loneliness. And Ponine, from the hardest life of us three...days on the street of not knowing when God would finally finish his torture of abuse and crime. You, Eponine shall be awarded best of all." He looked at Eponine with understanding eyes.
Eponine acted happy for Marius' burst of inspiration, but she died inside as she watched Cosette's little intimate movements on Marius. As Marius continued his speech of positive turnabouts, she saw Cosette straightening his peacock feather-bordered collar, pressing herself closer to him, entwining her fingers in his with her free hand, and pulling his arm around her thin waist. She acted as if Marius was talking into a mirror...as if Eponine was still dead or never existed.
And how could Eponine compete with the lawful wife of the man she adored? Yes, she still adored him still...his sunny complexion, his ready smile, and his exuberant attitude towards life. Cosette looked up at Marius with wanting eyes, not desiring, not loving, not even lusting, but with subtle dominance that demanded attention immediately. Eponine could not read Cosette's mind, but she has seen the look in her own conniving mother's eyes and knew what Cosette was doing. She was going to make Marius give in to her way.
"We have gone from the Miserable to the Triumphant!" cried out Marius as he finished.
Eponine heard these last few words and felt like a match was struck in her. Yes, had come all the way up from the grimy bottom of existence. Years of being unclean and wondering when the next meal was going to come and if her con was good enough or if she was going to be thrown in jail. Of wondering when she was finally going to give up or give in. And now...was she not beautiful and desirable and have her own free will? Did she not have a devoted father now? Was she not a future Comtesse?!
"Yes! From the Miserable to the Triumphant!" she exclaimed. She pulled on her mask and taking Marius' mask, put his on him. She grabbed his hand and jerked him away from Cosette. "Now Monsieur," she said laughingly, "let's go dance a triumphant one that only strutting peacocks can dance!" She did not even glance back to see the curdling look on Cosette's face.
"Strutting peacocks, eh?" laughed Marius as he tried to keep up with Eponine. "Come with us, Cosette! You're not a peacock tonight, but you must dance with us!" But Cosette did not join them as they ran to the magnificent ballroom.
Eponine pulled Marius on the ballroom dance floor and pulled his arm snugly around her waist, pressing her chest against his abdomen. She needed a little of that award Marius spoke of...right at that moment. She could see the surprised expression on his face and said, "I'm going to dance the shoes off of your feet, Monsieur."
He looked down at her with daring eyes and replied, "And I am up for the challenge, Mademoiselle." Eponine threw her head back and laughed as he charged into a lead, moving her through an energetic dance.
The band played with the enthusiastic motivation of the two glorious dancing peacocks. Bows grated down onto violin and cello strings with urgency as the sound of the piano seemingly galloped over the strings. Eponine's becoming dress flowed like black smoke through their dance, keeping up with every graceful spin and twirl Marius maneuvered her through. Her cheeks were hot and her body was covered with sweat, but it was a jubilant sweat. Liberating and free like a soaring eagle.
Everyone's attention was focused on Marius and Eponine. They flew across the floor, gliding like fish through water. Women gasped and men gaped and everyone felt the surge of energy and happiness.
Everyone except two people.
Eponine was so startled by the hard expression on Cosette's face that she quickly pulled her hand away from Marius, whose face held surprise and confusion all at once. Cosette was decked in shades of bronze, a color that didn't match well with her pigeon-brown hair. From what Eponine could remember, Cosette had always had a child-like face, but now there were wrinkles about her mouth and little crow's feet at the corner of her eyes. Her once deep blue eyes seemed paler...and colder. What happened to her? wondered Eponine. She looks so old!
"Cosette!" cried Marius. "What is wrong? You look very upset!" He ran to Cosette. "Are you all right?" he said quietly.
Cosette didn't even look at him when he approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. She pushed Marius away and walked slowly toward Eponine, her look of anger mixed with disbelief. "You!" she said in a low voice. "But you're dead!"
Eponine heard the undisguised disappointment in Cosette's voice and was deeply offended...and outraged. "That, I guess, was the general assumption. Yes, I was shot at the barricade, but I did not die, dear Cosette." She made the word `dear' sound like a curse. "I am very much alive, to the obvious disappointment of you."
Cosette's demeanor had changed over the short span of time since Eponine had played matchmaker for Marius during the revolt. Before, she seemed naïve, lovesick, and oblivious to anything and everything that didn't concern her. Perhaps she still only thought about her, her, her, but the façade of innocence was gone. Cosette was still very pretty, but now that she had discovered that Eponine's status had gone from deceased to living and thriving, her prettiness seemed only like a hard shell that covered a vortex of coarse emotions.
Cosette looked at Marius and recovered her equanimity. "Eponine, you mistake surprise for disappointment! I am happy that you are alive and well! It's only that Marius told me that you died and that he was there when you died...it's a bit of a shock to see you, well, alive!" she said with an almost expressionless face.
Deep in Eponine's heart, she knew the real Cosette was the angry woman with the undertones of hatred in her voice. Eponine acted politely toward Cosette, but felt that there was something very wrong about her.
"Marius--" started Eponine, but she was cut off by Cosette who had put her arm around Marius' waist.
"Eponine, I believe Antoine is looking for you," said Cosette in monotone. "Marius, I'm tired. Let's go back to the hotel."
Marius stared at her like he couldn't believe his ears. "But Cosette! Don't you see what a wonderful occasion this is?! We three are survivors! We have come up from the ashes of misery. I from the endless scrutiny of an old man who never seem satisfied. You, from a daily life of loneliness. And Ponine, from the hardest life of us three...days on the street of not knowing when God would finally finish his torture of abuse and crime. You, Eponine shall be awarded best of all." He looked at Eponine with understanding eyes.
Eponine acted happy for Marius' burst of inspiration, but she died inside as she watched Cosette's little intimate movements on Marius. As Marius continued his speech of positive turnabouts, she saw Cosette straightening his peacock feather-bordered collar, pressing herself closer to him, entwining her fingers in his with her free hand, and pulling his arm around her thin waist. She acted as if Marius was talking into a mirror...as if Eponine was still dead or never existed.
And how could Eponine compete with the lawful wife of the man she adored? Yes, she still adored him still...his sunny complexion, his ready smile, and his exuberant attitude towards life. Cosette looked up at Marius with wanting eyes, not desiring, not loving, not even lusting, but with subtle dominance that demanded attention immediately. Eponine could not read Cosette's mind, but she has seen the look in her own conniving mother's eyes and knew what Cosette was doing. She was going to make Marius give in to her way.
"We have gone from the Miserable to the Triumphant!" cried out Marius as he finished.
Eponine heard these last few words and felt like a match was struck in her. Yes, had come all the way up from the grimy bottom of existence. Years of being unclean and wondering when the next meal was going to come and if her con was good enough or if she was going to be thrown in jail. Of wondering when she was finally going to give up or give in. And now...was she not beautiful and desirable and have her own free will? Did she not have a devoted father now? Was she not a future Comtesse?!
"Yes! From the Miserable to the Triumphant!" she exclaimed. She pulled on her mask and taking Marius' mask, put his on him. She grabbed his hand and jerked him away from Cosette. "Now Monsieur," she said laughingly, "let's go dance a triumphant one that only strutting peacocks can dance!" She did not even glance back to see the curdling look on Cosette's face.
"Strutting peacocks, eh?" laughed Marius as he tried to keep up with Eponine. "Come with us, Cosette! You're not a peacock tonight, but you must dance with us!" But Cosette did not join them as they ran to the magnificent ballroom.
Eponine pulled Marius on the ballroom dance floor and pulled his arm snugly around her waist, pressing her chest against his abdomen. She needed a little of that award Marius spoke of...right at that moment. She could see the surprised expression on his face and said, "I'm going to dance the shoes off of your feet, Monsieur."
He looked down at her with daring eyes and replied, "And I am up for the challenge, Mademoiselle." Eponine threw her head back and laughed as he charged into a lead, moving her through an energetic dance.
The band played with the enthusiastic motivation of the two glorious dancing peacocks. Bows grated down onto violin and cello strings with urgency as the sound of the piano seemingly galloped over the strings. Eponine's becoming dress flowed like black smoke through their dance, keeping up with every graceful spin and twirl Marius maneuvered her through. Her cheeks were hot and her body was covered with sweat, but it was a jubilant sweat. Liberating and free like a soaring eagle.
Everyone's attention was focused on Marius and Eponine. They flew across the floor, gliding like fish through water. Women gasped and men gaped and everyone felt the surge of energy and happiness.
Everyone except two people.