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Chapter Three: Not Silver
Valjean and both girls arrived in Paris in the early morning hours. The stranger had an uneasiness that they didn't understand.
Cosette had fallen asleep in the carriage. Eponine, however, stared as the streets passed by the window. As far away from Cosette as she could. That was the new problem: Eponine and Cosette simply had never got along.
As soon as they neared the gates of Paris, Valjean was instantly alert. Eponine recognised that alertness. She'd seen her parents with glimpses of it around the police. However, her parents had always talked their way out of it. This man was not like that. A worried expression appeared on his face as he quickly woke Cosette up.
"Sorry, Cosette. Eponine, we've got to leave." He hastily helped them out of the carriage.
Eponine didn't remember much of that night after that. She knew they'd run a lot. They stopped running after they climbed up a large wall. That was when the footsteps behind them couldn't follow. The stranger, who hadn't mentioned his name, told Cosette that it was the Thenardiers. Eponine knew better-she was aware that the footsteps were the police.
Azelma watched them leave from the window. Envy burned inside her as she saw the splendid dolls. What had they done to deserve those dolls? A bitter hatred began to spark towards them.
Now, Azelma wasn't really a mean child. She appreciated that Eponine had always been good to her. But she had always been jealous of Eponine. That's why she'd smirked in her face and taken the doll. That's why she'd convinced her parents to sent Eponine away with Cosette.
A knock on the inn door. Her mother answered it. A policeman was standing there.
"Where is the child?" The man asked.
"She's gone with a gent." Madame Thenardier paused a moment. "Didn't tell us where they went." Her smile was a nervous grimace.
"And what did he give you?" He didn't return the smile.
"Money and...two silver candlesticks." Madame Thenardier replied. A light of recognition lit up his face. The policeman was no other than inspector Javert.
Azelma skipped to join her Mother.
"Please, Monsieur. Look at the prints in the snow." She smiled sweetly as the policeman rode off, having spotted sets of footprints in the snow. Eponine's delicate shoes had left a faint track, but it had been covered. However, Valjean's boots and Cosette's large, heavy wooden shoes had left tracks that were easy to follow to where they got on the carriage, which left the clearest tracks of all. Javert was on their trail.
After he had gone, a roar was heard from inside the inn.
"THEY ARE NOT SILVER! HE'S TRICKED US!" Bellowed Monsieur Thenardier.
Valjean, Eponine and Cosette were exhausted as they tip-toed across a church yard. Maybe they'd find a place here. A gardener was clipping at some roses, although it couldn't be later than Two O'clock in the morning.
He suddenly started when Eponine stood on a twig. Valjean began to speak: "I beg your pardon, Monsieur. We've come to seek a place to stay." The older Man's expression changed suddenly, a mix of amazement and shock.
"Monsieur Le Mayor." His voice was full of wonder. "Fauchelevent?" Valjean sounded surprised. "Monsieur Le Mayor-you saved me from that cart in Montreuil-sur-Mer! How can I repay you in anyway?" "Monsieur Fauchelevent. I need somewhere for me and these two girls to say. Away from everything." Fauchelevent seemed to understand. He then glanced towards the chapel, where female singing could be heard.
"Those females in there dislike the company of men. Hence me being a gardener. But here is a good place. Say, you could pretend to be my brother. Your daughters will probably be accepted up there. They'll be educated." He seemed to notice the girls for the first time.
"Merci, Monsieur. They are not my daughters, but...that would be good. I'll say they are to avoid confusion." Fauchelevent nodded.
"Well, I'll take you to the convent to speak to their ladyships." Fauchelevent shivered slightly as he mentioned the strict nuns.
"The girls will be educated here, as long as you stay with your brother. They'll visit you every weekend." A sour-faced nun said to Valjean. She then examined the girls.
"They'll probably grow plain. They always do here." She rose. "Well, they start Monday. For now, they stay with you. On Sunday we'll make sure they're appropriately dressed."
She walked away before anyone could say otherwise-if they'd have dared to. ...
Fauchelevent led them into his tiny house. It had a small kitchen and a room with a minuscule fire and two beds.
"I'm afraid there's only one spare bed." He apologised. "There's another mattress though."
Valjean fell asleep on the straw mattress on the floor, whilst the girls topped-and-tailed in the spare bed.
Eponine still tried to keep as far away from Cosette as she could.