Chapter 2:
"Aow, you're drunk, ain't you all? Now, come on 'ere, why do you'ze always get drunk at another tavern afore coming to mine?" joked Thenardier as his friends stumbled in the door.
"We don't wanna be around with all your common folk. Wouldn't be fun!" slurred Babet as he reclined in the nearest chair.
"Where is that beautiful wife o' yours? We sure could use some o' her cooking to sober us down," commented Claquesous.
"Yeah, right afore we get drunk again." The room echoed with the laughter from Brujon's joke.
Eponine was filled with a sickness every time her father's friends decided to make an appearance. Not just because they were drunk bastards who couldn't find work anywhere, but because they were pigs who disrespected women. She had often heard at night her parents arguing about the four men.
"I swear to God, you may be the master of this house, but you don't let them talk like that to me! You understand me?!"
"Poppet, they was only just playing. They don't mean nothing by it."
"I'm sick of it! If they dare come near my daughter or me I'll kill them! And then I'll kill you for letting them in here! Let 'em have that wretch of a maid we keep, but don't let them within 15 feet of our 'Ponine!"
Not that they ever had gone near Eponine or Cosette. They were grown men, a good many years behind them, who weren't interested in mere children. They had occasionally whistled at Cosette as she passed them to enter the kitchen, but they never directly spoke to her. Being that they were drunk, it might have been the only reason they did these things to begin with.
"Darling, do we'ze 'ave any supper left?"
"O' course. I wouldn't let a man go hungry," said Madame Thenardier, bringing out four plates. "How are we doing tonight gentlemen?"
"We is doing a lots better now, Madame. I thank you kindly," Montparnasse said on behalf of all the men.
"My pleasure. Excuse me, won't you. I have to check on my daughter."
With that, Eponine flew from her spot into her room. She realized she hadn't even gotten changed out of her day clothes, when her mother's footsteps were heard approaching her room. Eponine pulled a book from the shelf and turned towards the end. She looked deeply interested in the book when her mother walked into the room.
"Heavens, 'Ponine! It's well past you're bedtime. What have you been up to all this time?"
"Reading," whispered Eponine as she held up the book.
"Don Quixote? 'Ponine, what have you truly been up to? You was listening again, wasn't you?"
"Mama, please don't be mad."
"Mad? At me only child? Lord Almighty, no! 'Ponine, I knows why you is listening. I know your Papa and I don't have much time for you and you wants to know what we is doing in our lives. Tell you the truth, is what I did when I was your age."
"Mama, is it true that Cosette is gone forever?"
Madame sighed. "Yes, 'Ponine. Her Daddy came and found her. She is going to be more happy now than she was here."
"Mama, why did you and Papa treat Cosette as bad as you did?"
"To tell you the truth," confessed Madame as she helped her daughter get ready for bed, "We never meant to hurt her so. It's just we was mad at her Mother for not doing as she was apost to do. Now, I just feel plain awful."
Eponine knew her mother was lying to her. Surly her mother knew that she had not given birth to any ordinary girl. It was true, Eponine had no schooling behind her or in her near future, but from living around a bunch of drunken diners every night, she knew many things that not even the best students in Paris would know about. It almost hurt that her mother didn't be truthful with her, but only being 8 years of age, she had no position to demand these things out of her mother.
"Now, off to bed with you. You've had a long night, seen and heard a lot. Night, my darling. Sleep well."
As she began to fall asleep, she recalled the night's events. Cosette: gone from the Thenardier Inn and no doubt happier now with a new father. She had not heard what her father's friends had come to talk about, but as she thought about it, it was probably better that she wasn't there. After all, whenever those five men got together, she knew the night had not yet begun. As the thoughts swirled lazily around her mind, she closed her eyes and rested.
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"So, why is ya all lagging about me home tonight?"
"You ol' goat! Do we need a reason a come visit our bestest friend? Eh?"
"Save it, Brujon. He'll have no jokes 'til our business is spoke."
Thenardier looked across the table into each man's eyes, unable to read a single one of them. He knew that the only person who would come straight out and speak would be Montparnasse because that was always the case. 'Parnasse was always the one of the five to be the mediator, or even, the voice of reason. So, as usual, 'Parnasse looked at his friends, and then at Thenardier.
"We're tired of waiting. We've been promised Paris, and we get this," he glanced around. "A tiny, run down shack. We is gettin' impatient with you. Sooner or later, one of these country folk will notice more than a few francs missing from their moneybags, and we ain't gonna be the ones drug down with you when it 'appens." 'Parnasse sat back feeling very pleased with himself, until he saw Thenardier's sickening smile appear.
"Funny you'ze should mention that. Something quite interesting 'appened 'ere tonight." He pulled out the 1500 francs and counted it out in front of the men. "With this and the trinkets we pulled off tonight, we can afford to sell this ol' hut. We'ze is going to live in grand style gentlemen. Pickings off the rich, the dignified. Paris, boys! Paris!"
"Not on again about Paris," droned Madame coming down the stairs. "We is never getting there. It ain't like we'd fit in with any of those upper society men."
"But, Poppet. With this 'ere money, and if we sell the Inn..."
"What would I do in Paris? What would Eponine do in Paris?"
"We'd live as the wealthy live."
"Darling, would you come in the kitchen please?"
Thenardier moved from the table to his wife. "What? What now?"
"'Ponine is too young and Paris is too big. Put two and two together if you still know 'ow. All I'm saying is wait a few years. Maybe five or so, until she's at least into her teens. Then she'd know 'ow to handle a lot more than she do now."
Thenardier studied his wife. 'You ain't just doing this for 'Ponine, are you?"
"Call me crazy, but I've grown acustomed to Montfermeil. It's homely and we is welcome, 'til someone discovers what we'ze doing."
"Fine, fine, fine," chuckled Thenardier. "We stay for our darlin'' daughter. But in five years, we is gone."
"In five years, I'll be ready to be gone," smiled Madame as she kissed her husband before he rejoined his friend's for a night's worth of joking.
Hey everyone! I was just talking with my beta, and now as it stands, I believe I only have 3 or 4 reviews. I should be putting up at least two chapters a week. I really need to know you're ideas and comments about this story. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!
"Aow, you're drunk, ain't you all? Now, come on 'ere, why do you'ze always get drunk at another tavern afore coming to mine?" joked Thenardier as his friends stumbled in the door.
"We don't wanna be around with all your common folk. Wouldn't be fun!" slurred Babet as he reclined in the nearest chair.
"Where is that beautiful wife o' yours? We sure could use some o' her cooking to sober us down," commented Claquesous.
"Yeah, right afore we get drunk again." The room echoed with the laughter from Brujon's joke.
Eponine was filled with a sickness every time her father's friends decided to make an appearance. Not just because they were drunk bastards who couldn't find work anywhere, but because they were pigs who disrespected women. She had often heard at night her parents arguing about the four men.
"I swear to God, you may be the master of this house, but you don't let them talk like that to me! You understand me?!"
"Poppet, they was only just playing. They don't mean nothing by it."
"I'm sick of it! If they dare come near my daughter or me I'll kill them! And then I'll kill you for letting them in here! Let 'em have that wretch of a maid we keep, but don't let them within 15 feet of our 'Ponine!"
Not that they ever had gone near Eponine or Cosette. They were grown men, a good many years behind them, who weren't interested in mere children. They had occasionally whistled at Cosette as she passed them to enter the kitchen, but they never directly spoke to her. Being that they were drunk, it might have been the only reason they did these things to begin with.
"Darling, do we'ze 'ave any supper left?"
"O' course. I wouldn't let a man go hungry," said Madame Thenardier, bringing out four plates. "How are we doing tonight gentlemen?"
"We is doing a lots better now, Madame. I thank you kindly," Montparnasse said on behalf of all the men.
"My pleasure. Excuse me, won't you. I have to check on my daughter."
With that, Eponine flew from her spot into her room. She realized she hadn't even gotten changed out of her day clothes, when her mother's footsteps were heard approaching her room. Eponine pulled a book from the shelf and turned towards the end. She looked deeply interested in the book when her mother walked into the room.
"Heavens, 'Ponine! It's well past you're bedtime. What have you been up to all this time?"
"Reading," whispered Eponine as she held up the book.
"Don Quixote? 'Ponine, what have you truly been up to? You was listening again, wasn't you?"
"Mama, please don't be mad."
"Mad? At me only child? Lord Almighty, no! 'Ponine, I knows why you is listening. I know your Papa and I don't have much time for you and you wants to know what we is doing in our lives. Tell you the truth, is what I did when I was your age."
"Mama, is it true that Cosette is gone forever?"
Madame sighed. "Yes, 'Ponine. Her Daddy came and found her. She is going to be more happy now than she was here."
"Mama, why did you and Papa treat Cosette as bad as you did?"
"To tell you the truth," confessed Madame as she helped her daughter get ready for bed, "We never meant to hurt her so. It's just we was mad at her Mother for not doing as she was apost to do. Now, I just feel plain awful."
Eponine knew her mother was lying to her. Surly her mother knew that she had not given birth to any ordinary girl. It was true, Eponine had no schooling behind her or in her near future, but from living around a bunch of drunken diners every night, she knew many things that not even the best students in Paris would know about. It almost hurt that her mother didn't be truthful with her, but only being 8 years of age, she had no position to demand these things out of her mother.
"Now, off to bed with you. You've had a long night, seen and heard a lot. Night, my darling. Sleep well."
As she began to fall asleep, she recalled the night's events. Cosette: gone from the Thenardier Inn and no doubt happier now with a new father. She had not heard what her father's friends had come to talk about, but as she thought about it, it was probably better that she wasn't there. After all, whenever those five men got together, she knew the night had not yet begun. As the thoughts swirled lazily around her mind, she closed her eyes and rested.
**************************************************************************
"So, why is ya all lagging about me home tonight?"
"You ol' goat! Do we need a reason a come visit our bestest friend? Eh?"
"Save it, Brujon. He'll have no jokes 'til our business is spoke."
Thenardier looked across the table into each man's eyes, unable to read a single one of them. He knew that the only person who would come straight out and speak would be Montparnasse because that was always the case. 'Parnasse was always the one of the five to be the mediator, or even, the voice of reason. So, as usual, 'Parnasse looked at his friends, and then at Thenardier.
"We're tired of waiting. We've been promised Paris, and we get this," he glanced around. "A tiny, run down shack. We is gettin' impatient with you. Sooner or later, one of these country folk will notice more than a few francs missing from their moneybags, and we ain't gonna be the ones drug down with you when it 'appens." 'Parnasse sat back feeling very pleased with himself, until he saw Thenardier's sickening smile appear.
"Funny you'ze should mention that. Something quite interesting 'appened 'ere tonight." He pulled out the 1500 francs and counted it out in front of the men. "With this and the trinkets we pulled off tonight, we can afford to sell this ol' hut. We'ze is going to live in grand style gentlemen. Pickings off the rich, the dignified. Paris, boys! Paris!"
"Not on again about Paris," droned Madame coming down the stairs. "We is never getting there. It ain't like we'd fit in with any of those upper society men."
"But, Poppet. With this 'ere money, and if we sell the Inn..."
"What would I do in Paris? What would Eponine do in Paris?"
"We'd live as the wealthy live."
"Darling, would you come in the kitchen please?"
Thenardier moved from the table to his wife. "What? What now?"
"'Ponine is too young and Paris is too big. Put two and two together if you still know 'ow. All I'm saying is wait a few years. Maybe five or so, until she's at least into her teens. Then she'd know 'ow to handle a lot more than she do now."
Thenardier studied his wife. 'You ain't just doing this for 'Ponine, are you?"
"Call me crazy, but I've grown acustomed to Montfermeil. It's homely and we is welcome, 'til someone discovers what we'ze doing."
"Fine, fine, fine," chuckled Thenardier. "We stay for our darlin'' daughter. But in five years, we is gone."
"In five years, I'll be ready to be gone," smiled Madame as she kissed her husband before he rejoined his friend's for a night's worth of joking.
Hey everyone! I was just talking with my beta, and now as it stands, I believe I only have 3 or 4 reviews. I should be putting up at least two chapters a week. I really need to know you're ideas and comments about this story. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!