Chapter Three

I DON'T KNOW LOVE

"I am agog! Is Enjolras coming in with a woman?" Grantaire laughed.

"What!? You're joking, you drunken fool!" Marius couldn't believe it.

"No, I'm not. Look for yourself!"

All the ABC members looked chocked at Enjolras arrival with Angélique. They examined the young woman: observing her notorious beauty. Angélique noticed the looks on their eyes and felt uncomfortable and over-watched.

"Do they look at every woman with those hungry eyes?" Angélique asked to Enjolras.

"Yes, they do." he confirmed with an edge of anger "But they are surprised because you are with me."

"Good evening, Enjolras!" Grantaire grinned, hugged to his bottle of wine.

"Good evening, everyone." Enjolras said "I would like to present you my guest for tonight: Angélique."

All the eyes were on the young woman once again, full of expectations of what news they'll be receiving next. Prouvaire walked towards Angélique and Enjolras, performing a bow and kissing her hand.

"Your name makes justice to you, mademoiselle." Prouvaire praised "For you, mademoiselle, are quite an angel!"

"Oh! How gallant, Monsieur!" Angélique laughed.

"Aw… Prouvaire and his marvelous words of love!" Grantaire said, rising from his chair "Mademoiselle, this fellow here is Jehan Prouvaire; the resident poet and lover of women and children. I'm Grantaire, lover of wine."

"Enchanté!" Angélique smiled "Lover of women and children, you say, Prouvaire?"

"The women and children of Paris are one of my greatest concerns and the reason why I've joined the Friends of the ABC." Prouvaire answered and Angélique reattributed with a wide smile on her face.

Enjolras tried not to look enraged but the truth was, inside him, he felt something twitching, a sort of hate towards Prouvaire. Although, the blonde young man couldn't describe exactly what this feeling was, for he had never experienced such emotions. The only thing he knew was that this conversation between Prouvaire and Angélique wasn't pleasing him at all.

"I think we'll get along just fine." Angélique said to Prouvaire "All of you seem to be wondering why I am here and looked surprised when I walked in. Your leader, Enjolras, saved me this afternoon from the Law. I was giving a speech on the public square when Javert and his guards attacked us. They wanted to arrest us."

"You were giving a speech?" Joly asked "What about?"

"Women's Rights." the young woman replied.

"Women's rights…?" Marius asked with an edge of sarcasm on his voice.

"Yes." Enjolras raised his voice "Angélique is a very enthusiastic leader of the Women's Rights movement in Paris. We were debating politics and I invited her to join us for tonight's meeting. She has some interesting points of view that I would like you to listen to."

"Politics… And you were hoping that Enjolras brought the girl here for fun!" Marius whispered to Grantaire. "You should know Enjolras doesn't care about grisettes."

"I'm starting losing my hope that someday Enjolras will hear my advices." Grantaire drank a glass full of wine. "Still, this situation it's puzzling to me… Oi! Enjolras! Come over here for a minute!"

"What now, Grantaire?" Enjolras asked without patience "We are about to start."

The blonde young man walked towards Grantaire and sat next to him, taking a deep breath.

"I believe whatever you have to tell me is something important…" Enjolras said without taking his eyes off Angélique that was talking with Prouvaire, Marius and Joly.

"I'm confused, my friend." Grantaire started "The damsel was in distress and you rescue her… That's not very alike you… The usual you would pass by and wouldn't care about the arrest of some girl you don't even know."

"Are you trying to insinuate something?"

"Do you want me to believe that you are suddenly interested in women's rights? And you don't even look at me when I'm speaking to you because you can't take your eyes off your little angel. You fancy her."

"You are drunk as always, Grantaire."

"It's all I am to you, isn't it, Enjolras?" Grantaire's voice was painted in grief "To you, I'm just some stupid drunk young man… You don't care for me, you don't care for my advices…"

"Don't be juvenile." Enjolras said "You are important to me as anybody else in this room."

"No, my friend." Grantaire smiled and drank another glass full of wine "The brunette angel over there is more important to you than anybody else in this room. You can deny it from others and from yourself but I can see your growing passion for her in your eyes!"

"I believe you have drank too much." Enjolras said with seriousness in his voice and then raised from his chair "Everyone! Let's start tonight's meeting, please."

"At last!" Combeferre said "I've prepared some texts for tonight."

"Tonight we'll be discussing women's rights." Enjolras said.

"What about my writings?" Combeferre asked.

Grantaire laughed and Enjolras' fuming stare went his direction.

"We will discuss your writings tomorrow, don't you worry, Combeferre." Enjolras answered "I have some writings as well but since tonight we have among us the Women's Rights movement's leader, we will be discussing this matter. This is a subject of grand interest for Prouvaire and I would like him to participate dynamically in tonight's meeting."

Every other member of the ABC didn't seem pleased with Enjolras sudden interest for women's rights and Angélique noticed the annoyed expression on their faces.

"Your fellows don't seem to be very interested in discussing the topic." Angélique said to Enjolras. "It's better if I should go and leave you all for your meeting."

"No…" Enjolras grabbed her, gently, by the arm but tried to keep an impassive expression on his face "Please stay. They don't seem very amused because it is a strange matter to them. But that's the reason why you are here; to elucidate them about something that concerns every woman in this country."

Angélique stayed and the Friends of the ABC meeting begun.

The meeting didn't go as Enjolras expected. Angélique and Prouvaire were, frequently, interrupted for one student contradicting their points of view. Enjolras was in the role of moderator of the debate, always trying to calm down everyone in the room, because once in a while they all started screaming at each other.

"Please, people… Can you all calm down?" Enjolras asked.

"This is ridiculous! Votes for women? Not even men have the right to vote!" Feuilly said.

"In time we'll conquer both." Prouvaire declared.

"Of course we will!" Feuilly laughed in sarcasm "What's next? Children voting as well?"

"We are not saying that!" Angélique rose from her seat "In front of the Law, Women and Men should be seemed as equal! Perhaps not in this century, but women will vote someday."

"Angélique, please sit down and lower your voice." Enjolras asked "You too, Feuilly…"

"I find your enthusiasm with a lost cause touching, mademoiselle." Feuilly said, throwing his papers on the table.

"I believe that education for both men and women is very important." Combeferre declared. "Women shouldn't be locked in the house and learn only music and sewing with private tutors. They deserve a proper education in public school."

Once the debate was over, the members of the ABC returned to their drinking. Prouvaire was talking with Angélique, while Enjolras tried to fight his inner impulses of grabbing Angélique and take her away from all of them.

"Do you accept one glass of wine, mademoiselle?" Prouvaire asked her.

"Yes, thank you. After all this excitement I surely need something to relax." Angélique answered, looking at Enjolras.

Prouvaire and Angélique sat next to Grantaire and Combeferre.

"I hope you didn't felt offended by Feuilly's words during our debate." Combeferre said to Angélique.

"It's fine." Angélique said while drinking her wine "I'm used to listen those sort of things coming from men."

"I really admired your points of view." Combeferre praised "It's refreshing seeing a woman fighting for her rights."

"I'm not just fighting for my rights." Angélique declared "I'm fighting for the rights of every woman in this country."

"Aw… listening to you speaking… I can't keep myself from noticing how alike you are to our friend Enjolras." Grantaire said "You are like a female Enjolras! What do you think about love?"

"Love?" Angélique laughed.

"Yes, love. What do you think about romance?" Grantaire asked while drinking wine.

"Grantaire, don't bother Angélique with your impertinent questions…" Enjolras said in a severe tone.

"I never thought about it, really." Angélique confessed "I'm not concern about such topics as marriage and having children. I would like to follow my own path free of male' interference."

"I'm not talking about marriage, my friend!" Grantaire clarified "I'm talking about being in love. Prouvaire here is a great poet of human love. As for me, I'm more a lover of wine. I'm what you can call a nihilist… I don't really believe in anything but in my wine."

"How fortuned you are…" Angélique said. "I don't know love. I've never met a man worth loving."

Enjolras tried not to look upset by this conversation but her words were like a knife in him, for he has the exact feelings as she.

"I hope you find someone to love." Prouvaire smiled.

"He wishes that to everyone." Combeferre said. "If Prouvaire was the leader this would be a love revolution. Instead of bread and money, the People would receive love."

"Love is the only thing worth living for, my friends!" Prouvaire declared in a poetic tone "Love is the bread of the soul. Like music!"

"And wine!" Grantaire laughed "Want more wine, Angélique?"

"No thank you, I'm fine." she answered "It's getting late; I think I shall go home…"

"Do you want me to escort you downstairs?" Enjolras asked, trying not to sound courteous.

"Yes, please." Angélique answered in a passive tone.

Grantaire's eyes were on the couple and he smirked, for his theory was right.

Once outside, Enjolras looked at Angélique, who was with a lost look on her eyes.

"I apologize." the blonde young man said.

"What for?" Angélique looked him in the eyes.

"The meeting didn't go as I expected it to."

"Don't you worry." Angélique smiled "Never the less, I enjoyed it."

"Did you? I'm sure Prouvaire pleased you." Enjolras tried to hide his anger.

"He's a good man with great talent." Angélique said "His ideas match mine so it was obvious we got along."

"Well, you can join us anytime you feel like." Enjolras tried to remain passive "And you could see Prouvaire..."

"It's not in Prouvaire I'm interest in." Angélique interrupted him.

Enjolras stare into her eyes and a little smile was drawing in his face in hope what Angélique was talking about himself. And by looking into her golden eyes he was sure.

"It is on the revolution." Angélique lied, breaking the eye-contact.

"Oh… yes, of course." Enjolras was disappointed but tried not to show it "So do I."

"Walk me home?" she asked.

"Yes." the young man smiled.

As Enjolras escorted Angélique home, they talked about revolution and their political points of view. And the young man couldn't stop but to feel draw towards this unique female; she was so different from all the other women he met before. Although, she was strong and had solid beliefs, there was certain fragility to her and that was what makes her so intriguing. She wasn't only a pretty face but a true warrior and that was appealing to Enjolras.

Once they arrived to the old building where Angélique lives, at rue de Verneuil, Enjolras noticed his own apartment was only a few buildings ahead.

"You live near me… My apartment is at rue de Saint-Pères. How come I've never saw you?"

"Maybe we had already seen each other but we were too concentrated on our revolutionary beliefs to notice."

"Maybe…" Enjolras smiled.

"I don't have a face people would remember."

Angélique shrugged her shoulders and Enjolras' body come closer to hers.

"I disagree…"

Their faces were so close that Angélique could feel his breathe in her lips.

"Do you?" she was nervous.

Enjolras felt an increase desire of kissing her lips. He remembered the couple he saw last night thought his window and was burning inside for doing the same with this woman standing in front of him. But he couldn't give into his impulses; there were greater things for him right now. Besides, he couldn't figure out that Angélique was thinking: her lips were a little open and her eyes were lost in his lips.

"I shall go now." Enjolras step aside from her "You are home and it's late."

"Yes… it is…" Angélique whispered, still lost in the moment where he was so close. "Thank you. For everything…"

"Thank you." Enjolras said.

Angélique opened the old building's door but didn't go inside; she turned aside and looked at the beautiful blonde young man before her.

"What for?"

"For your contribution for tonight's meeting." Enjolras lied and regret his stupid gratitude.

Angélique looked disappointed with his answered but managed to smile.

"You don't need to thank me for that." she said.

"I know."

"What the hell I'm saying?" Enjolras thought to himself.

Angélique laughed by his confusion.

"You're a good man, Enjolras."

"Hope to see you around." the young man wished.

"You know where I live." Angélique smiled "Well, good night."

"Good night…"

Enjolras smiled and she closed the door.

Hope you are enjoying it and it will be continued.

Let me know your opinion and if I've made some grammatical mistakes, please, let me know.

By the way, thank you ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo for your support! (:

Thank you for the reading!