Chapter 7
April finally passed, and before long, France found itself in the middle of May. The spring had come late this year, and all the flowers began to blossom as the birds returned from their winter homes. The entire Pontmercy family had journeyed to Paris to see Gustave graduate. The ceremony was early in the morning, so they had enough time to visit with Azelma and Grantaire before they went back to Rouen. Gavroche had decided to stay in Rouen to continue his work, and the Laroches were busy preparing for the wedding, although they had sent their congratulations. Claire had only come at the insistence of Eponine, and felt extremely out of place in a new dress and hat that Charlotte had picked out for her.
The entire ceremony, she sat next to Charlotte and Juliette with her hand folded across her lap. She stared on stage as Enjolras addressed the graduates and awarded them certificates of merit for the hard work they had done over the years. She never took her eyes off of Gustave, however. He didn't return her looks, but she continued to stare. She had realized that whenever his name was mentioned, her heart skipped a beat. She had grown to like him, even though she knew that he would never be hers.
Towards the end, Claire realized that Gustave was coming back to Rouen. He was going to be in the same house as her until July 2, which was practically a month and a half. She didn't know if she could handle seeing him everyday, knowing that she had a desire to be with him. When he was in Paris, she could admire him from afar. He didn't know what she was feeling or what she looked like on an hour to hour basis. But now, he would.
"Claire? We're going to see Gustave and Enjolras. Are you coming?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was daydreaming. Yes, I am coming."
Charlotte and Claire followed the rest of the family until they came up to Gustave.
"Congratulations, son."
"Thank you, Father," said Gustave, embracing Marius.
"I suppose you'll want him to be in your office everyday from now on, won't you?" asked Enjolras, who had taken Juliette in his arms when the twins greeted him.
"Maybe not the office," Eponine said looking at her husband. "But he'll be wanted in the firm, no doubt."
"Father knows that when I move to Lille, I'll be setting up my own firm along with my new family."
"Brigitte and I should have a talk about husbands who become lawyers."
"Eponine, don't start."
"In any case, I think that we should let Grantaire and Azelma know that we intend to overrun their house with children," Enjolras said, putting his niece down.
"Actually, it's going to be my last time in Paris for a long while. Might I walk around a bit?"
"Why don't you take Claire with you? She hasn't seen Paris at all." Eponine nudged Claire to go with Gustave.
"I wouldn't mind. Would you like to take a walk, Claire?"
"Yes. I would like to see a bit of Paris."
"You know how to get back to your Uncle's house."
"Yes, Father. I've been living there for a few years now."
Claire and Gustave watched everyone else depart before they started to walk the other way. For a few minutes, they said nothing, occasionally looking around. Finally, Claire spoke.
"So, after you're married, you will be moving to Lille?"
"Yes, Brigitte and I will be."
"Do you know anyone there?"
"No, it will just be my wife and me. We'll meet new people."
"Yes, you will."
"Is something bothering you?"
"Me?" Claire looked shocked. It was as if he had been reading her mind. "No," she lied. "Why would you think that?"
"You just seem different from when I saw you last."
"Perhaps."
"Is it...me?"
Claire felt as if she was about to faint. "You?"
"It is me, isn't it? Please tell me." He led her to a bench under a tree.
"Gustave, this is extremely difficult for me. I really don't want to say anything to you."
"Please, I'm asking you to tell me."
"Gustave, over the past couple of months, I found myself thinking about you. You would just come to mind, and for a while, that was all I could think about. And, as I've pondered over the past weeks, I've grown to realize that I have an attraction to you."
"An attraction?"
"I know this is sudden, and I know that you and Brigitte are extremely happy with one another and will be married for the rest of your lives, but I feel like I've come to like you." Claire turned her head away as a tear slid down her cheek. Gustave turned her head with his hand and wiped her tear away with his thumb.
"Why didn't you want to tell me?"
"Because I knew it would complicate your relationship with Brigitte, and I could never live with myself knowing that I jeopardized your marriage."
"It was in jeopardy the moment I realized that I had feelings for you." Claire looked into his eyes. "At first, I thought it wasn't possible for me to have feelings for anyone but my fiancee, so I ignored them. But when I saw you at the engagement party, you looked so beautiful and I just couldn't believe what was happening to me."
"What can we do?"
"Enjoy the moment." They closed their eyes, and kissed. The kiss itself didn't last long, but it was a passionate kiss. Neither one had ever really kissed in such a manner before. Such a kiss was reserved especially for those who were devoted to one another. Claire kept her eyes closed.
"We shouldn't have."
"Why not?"
"You know why not."
"We should go to my Uncle's house, now. We're been out for a while."
"Yes. They might wonder where we'd gone."
They walked in silence again, but this time, they walked hand in hand.
************************************************************************
A week after Gustave had come home, a routine formed. Marius would leave right after breakfast, followed by Charlotte, Nicolas, and Juliette, who went to their lessons. Finally, Eponine went out to the market for an hour or so, and then went to help Laetitia settle into the new house that Gavroche had purchased close to the firm. Claire and Gustave had limited time together, but it was not wasted. They turned a simple household chore into a kind of game, which made them come closer together. Not much more than the occasional kiss was shared, and they acted as nothing had ever happened when someone arrived home.
As the weeks progressed, Gustave became more and more absorbed in the wedding plans. He began to spend mornings in his father's firm, running odd jobs around Rouen and taking care of whatever needed to be done. Afternoons, he accompanied his mother to the Laroche household, where Brigitte and Catherine poured over endless lists of guests and bills for the tailor.
When June finally came around, Claire and Gustave realized their days were numbered. They were out in the garden, tending to the vegetables, one morning when no one was home.
"Gustave, this has to stop."
"What has to stop?"
"Us. We need to stop pretending that because we feel the same way about one another that we will work out."
"Claire..."
"Gustave, you're getting married in less than a month. You've already committed yourself to Brigitte, and she is hopelessly in love with you. You even said that you still had feelings still for her."
"But my feelings for you are stronger. That's why I was thinking. I'm going to talk to Monsieur Laroche and tell him that the wedding needs to be called off."
Claire stood horrified. "You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"He hated your family from the start. They've mended fences now, and if you break off your marriage to his daughter, he'll go right back to where he started."
"How can I live with Brigitte knowing that I would be much more happier with you?"
"Gustave, if you care about me, you will marry Brigitte."
"I more than care about you. I love you. If I love you, how can I possibly marry Brigitte."
"You don't make things easy, do you?"
"Claire, I just couldn't."
"Gustave, you have to. It's nobody's fault that we found one another a minute too late, but that's the truth. I was a minute too late."
"How can you do this for me?"
"You'll do anything for the one you love, even if it means sacrificing your own happiness. Marry Brigitte, please."
Gustave pulled Claire into an embrace and kissed her forehead. "This is going to be extremely hard for me. But I will do it because I love you more than anything."
Just then, a carriage pulled up to the house, and Gustave went to see who it was. Claire went inside the house and crept up to the window to see who was there.
"What are you doing here?"
"Did I disturb you?"
"Of course not, but it's extremely sudden of you to stop by."
It was Brigitte. Tears began to well up in Claire's eyes, and she wiped them away hurriedly as she sighed. She walked back out to the garden. 'He's doing what's right. You're doing what's right. Let it go.'
April finally passed, and before long, France found itself in the middle of May. The spring had come late this year, and all the flowers began to blossom as the birds returned from their winter homes. The entire Pontmercy family had journeyed to Paris to see Gustave graduate. The ceremony was early in the morning, so they had enough time to visit with Azelma and Grantaire before they went back to Rouen. Gavroche had decided to stay in Rouen to continue his work, and the Laroches were busy preparing for the wedding, although they had sent their congratulations. Claire had only come at the insistence of Eponine, and felt extremely out of place in a new dress and hat that Charlotte had picked out for her.
The entire ceremony, she sat next to Charlotte and Juliette with her hand folded across her lap. She stared on stage as Enjolras addressed the graduates and awarded them certificates of merit for the hard work they had done over the years. She never took her eyes off of Gustave, however. He didn't return her looks, but she continued to stare. She had realized that whenever his name was mentioned, her heart skipped a beat. She had grown to like him, even though she knew that he would never be hers.
Towards the end, Claire realized that Gustave was coming back to Rouen. He was going to be in the same house as her until July 2, which was practically a month and a half. She didn't know if she could handle seeing him everyday, knowing that she had a desire to be with him. When he was in Paris, she could admire him from afar. He didn't know what she was feeling or what she looked like on an hour to hour basis. But now, he would.
"Claire? We're going to see Gustave and Enjolras. Are you coming?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was daydreaming. Yes, I am coming."
Charlotte and Claire followed the rest of the family until they came up to Gustave.
"Congratulations, son."
"Thank you, Father," said Gustave, embracing Marius.
"I suppose you'll want him to be in your office everyday from now on, won't you?" asked Enjolras, who had taken Juliette in his arms when the twins greeted him.
"Maybe not the office," Eponine said looking at her husband. "But he'll be wanted in the firm, no doubt."
"Father knows that when I move to Lille, I'll be setting up my own firm along with my new family."
"Brigitte and I should have a talk about husbands who become lawyers."
"Eponine, don't start."
"In any case, I think that we should let Grantaire and Azelma know that we intend to overrun their house with children," Enjolras said, putting his niece down.
"Actually, it's going to be my last time in Paris for a long while. Might I walk around a bit?"
"Why don't you take Claire with you? She hasn't seen Paris at all." Eponine nudged Claire to go with Gustave.
"I wouldn't mind. Would you like to take a walk, Claire?"
"Yes. I would like to see a bit of Paris."
"You know how to get back to your Uncle's house."
"Yes, Father. I've been living there for a few years now."
Claire and Gustave watched everyone else depart before they started to walk the other way. For a few minutes, they said nothing, occasionally looking around. Finally, Claire spoke.
"So, after you're married, you will be moving to Lille?"
"Yes, Brigitte and I will be."
"Do you know anyone there?"
"No, it will just be my wife and me. We'll meet new people."
"Yes, you will."
"Is something bothering you?"
"Me?" Claire looked shocked. It was as if he had been reading her mind. "No," she lied. "Why would you think that?"
"You just seem different from when I saw you last."
"Perhaps."
"Is it...me?"
Claire felt as if she was about to faint. "You?"
"It is me, isn't it? Please tell me." He led her to a bench under a tree.
"Gustave, this is extremely difficult for me. I really don't want to say anything to you."
"Please, I'm asking you to tell me."
"Gustave, over the past couple of months, I found myself thinking about you. You would just come to mind, and for a while, that was all I could think about. And, as I've pondered over the past weeks, I've grown to realize that I have an attraction to you."
"An attraction?"
"I know this is sudden, and I know that you and Brigitte are extremely happy with one another and will be married for the rest of your lives, but I feel like I've come to like you." Claire turned her head away as a tear slid down her cheek. Gustave turned her head with his hand and wiped her tear away with his thumb.
"Why didn't you want to tell me?"
"Because I knew it would complicate your relationship with Brigitte, and I could never live with myself knowing that I jeopardized your marriage."
"It was in jeopardy the moment I realized that I had feelings for you." Claire looked into his eyes. "At first, I thought it wasn't possible for me to have feelings for anyone but my fiancee, so I ignored them. But when I saw you at the engagement party, you looked so beautiful and I just couldn't believe what was happening to me."
"What can we do?"
"Enjoy the moment." They closed their eyes, and kissed. The kiss itself didn't last long, but it was a passionate kiss. Neither one had ever really kissed in such a manner before. Such a kiss was reserved especially for those who were devoted to one another. Claire kept her eyes closed.
"We shouldn't have."
"Why not?"
"You know why not."
"We should go to my Uncle's house, now. We're been out for a while."
"Yes. They might wonder where we'd gone."
They walked in silence again, but this time, they walked hand in hand.
************************************************************************
A week after Gustave had come home, a routine formed. Marius would leave right after breakfast, followed by Charlotte, Nicolas, and Juliette, who went to their lessons. Finally, Eponine went out to the market for an hour or so, and then went to help Laetitia settle into the new house that Gavroche had purchased close to the firm. Claire and Gustave had limited time together, but it was not wasted. They turned a simple household chore into a kind of game, which made them come closer together. Not much more than the occasional kiss was shared, and they acted as nothing had ever happened when someone arrived home.
As the weeks progressed, Gustave became more and more absorbed in the wedding plans. He began to spend mornings in his father's firm, running odd jobs around Rouen and taking care of whatever needed to be done. Afternoons, he accompanied his mother to the Laroche household, where Brigitte and Catherine poured over endless lists of guests and bills for the tailor.
When June finally came around, Claire and Gustave realized their days were numbered. They were out in the garden, tending to the vegetables, one morning when no one was home.
"Gustave, this has to stop."
"What has to stop?"
"Us. We need to stop pretending that because we feel the same way about one another that we will work out."
"Claire..."
"Gustave, you're getting married in less than a month. You've already committed yourself to Brigitte, and she is hopelessly in love with you. You even said that you still had feelings still for her."
"But my feelings for you are stronger. That's why I was thinking. I'm going to talk to Monsieur Laroche and tell him that the wedding needs to be called off."
Claire stood horrified. "You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"He hated your family from the start. They've mended fences now, and if you break off your marriage to his daughter, he'll go right back to where he started."
"How can I live with Brigitte knowing that I would be much more happier with you?"
"Gustave, if you care about me, you will marry Brigitte."
"I more than care about you. I love you. If I love you, how can I possibly marry Brigitte."
"You don't make things easy, do you?"
"Claire, I just couldn't."
"Gustave, you have to. It's nobody's fault that we found one another a minute too late, but that's the truth. I was a minute too late."
"How can you do this for me?"
"You'll do anything for the one you love, even if it means sacrificing your own happiness. Marry Brigitte, please."
Gustave pulled Claire into an embrace and kissed her forehead. "This is going to be extremely hard for me. But I will do it because I love you more than anything."
Just then, a carriage pulled up to the house, and Gustave went to see who it was. Claire went inside the house and crept up to the window to see who was there.
"What are you doing here?"
"Did I disturb you?"
"Of course not, but it's extremely sudden of you to stop by."
It was Brigitte. Tears began to well up in Claire's eyes, and she wiped them away hurriedly as she sighed. She walked back out to the garden. 'He's doing what's right. You're doing what's right. Let it go.'