"My name is Henri, by the way," the man told her as they walked to his house.
"I am Fantine," she replied, "and this is my daughter, Cosette." Cosette, who had become restless and thus was now walking alongside her mother, shyly buried her face in Fantine's skirt.
Henri, sensing the child's bashfulness, suddenly stopped and knelt down in front of her. "Mademoiselle, it is a tremendous honor to make your acquaintance." With this, he lifted the little girl's hand to his lips, and Cosette giggled. Fantine smiled, grateful to Henri for getting Cosette to laugh. It was the first laughter she had heard from the child, and it was reassuring to her.
Henri stood and looked at Fantine for a moment, then said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, as well," except this time, there was a peculiar seriousness in his tone. In his eyes were a depth and tenderness that Fantine had seen before, although at first she could not remember where...but then, all at once, it came to her, and she looked away abruptly, the smile quickly vanishing from her face.
Félix Tholomyes...she had not thought of him for so long, for his memory was too painful for her, but suddenly he was forced back into her mind. Félix had looked at her like that once, and she had believed that his eyes had held a promise that could never be put into words. Because of that unspoken promise, she had given him everything. And then, he had broken the promise...as if it had never meant anything to him. But, of course, it hadn't. She had simply mistaken lust for love—a schoolboy's amusement for true love. A costly mistake, one both she and Cosette had paid for dearly.
She turned to look at Henri once again, and almost laughed aloud. How silly of her, to think that a man she had only met could offer her this same promise...she had probably only imagined it all. But still, she told herself that she must be careful. Right then, she made a solemn promise to herself. She would not allow this to happen. She would not be hurt again...for she feared that the second time would kill her.
"Are you alright?" Henri asked, bringing Fantine out of her reverie.
She realized that she was shaking, and quickly thought of a plausible excuse. "Oh, yes, just a bit cold."
"How thoughtless of me!" he exclaimed, embarrassed. With that, he removed his overcoat and draped it over her shoulders. "You must be freezing by now."
She smiled gratefully but distractedly, a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. For her own sake…and for Cosette's, she could never again place her life and that of her daughter's at the mercy of a man's whim.