Chapter Twelve

FALLEN FROM GRACE

May 15th, 1832

Paris, France

Angélique was placed upon her bed, with her eyes full of tears. It was been one month and fifteen days since the last time she saw Enjolras. Her pride did not allow her to go to him, begging for his return. Her belly was getting bigger, but when she wears large gowns, the pregnancy is invisible. She started taking walks with Madame Loire, because spending her days locked in the house was asphyxiating for her; in her chest always remained the desire of an encounter with Enjolras on the street, but that never happened.

"Mademoiselle…" Madame Loire called, standing next to the door.

"Yes?" Angélique shuttered because of her tears.

"A message arrived from your grandfather."

"You can read it to me…" she asked without expression on her voice.

"It's not a letter, mademoiselle." Madame Loire informed "Monsieur Beaulincourt-Marle sent a pageboy."

"I don't feel like receiving anyone today."

"You say that every day, mademoiselle…" Madame Loire sighed "Allow the boy to come in… It can be an important message from the Monsieur."

"Fine." Angélique breathed-out "Let him in…"

A redhead young man, in his twenties, come in to the room and performed a bow to Angélique; she looked at him with the same among of amusement and interest as she was looking at the window before.

"What do you have to tell me, Monsieur?"

"Mademoiselle, I'm here to inform you about a decision made by Monsieur Beaulincourt-Marle, your dearest grandfather." the young man started with a mechanic voice "The Monsieur was informed about the mademoiselle's current health condition. The Monsieur declares that she shall remain in Paris until the childbirth."

"What!?" Angélique shuttered, breathless, feeling the dagger of betray carved into her chest.

"If the mademoiselle's child is a girl, she shall be delivered to the Couvent du Petit-Picpus*, where she shall be raised and educated by the nuns." the pageboy continued with his mechanic tone, ignoring her questions "The Monsieur also informs the mademoiselle about her future marriage to Barthélemy Benoît-Campion, an wine merchant from Bordeaux. Do not fear, mademoiselle, Monsieur Benoît-Campion is a wealthy man. Nothing will be lacking to your happiness."

"Nothing will be lacking to my happiness!?" Angélique repeated, with tears on her eyes "Tell my grandfather I won't marry that man. Nor will I give my child away!"

The pageboy left the room.

"Mademoiselle, please, calm down…" Madame Loire interfered "You can't be this nervous…"

"Please, tell me you did not, Madame Loire…" Angélique grabbed the old woman by her arms "That you did not reported me to my grandfather… You couldn't…"

"Report, mademoiselle?" Madame Loire laughed "Oh, whoever hears you speaking in such terms would assume you're talking about the National Guard and not about your grandfather…"

"Answer me!" Angélique said with serious and staring into her eyes "Did you report me or didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, mademoiselle." The old woman confessed "But it was for your own good."

Angélique step aside from her, with a shocked expression upon her face.

"Was it? An arranged marriage with some bourgeois man from Bordeaux? My child to be taken away from me and raised by the nuns?"

"Imagine the disgrace you would cause to your family, mademoiselle!" Madame Loire said "And the shame that would fall upon you with a bastard child in your arms… Your grandfather is only doing what is best for you."

Angélique cleaned the tears that were falling from her face.

"The tragedy is that you are right, Madame Loire…"

"Our only wish, mine and your family's, is to protect you…" the old maid said with tenderness.

Angélique said no more; she turned her back on Madame Loire and stood by the window.

At nightfall, Angélique swallowed her pride and waited for Madame Loire bedtime hour; for she knew how early the old woman usually goes to bed. When she was sure the old maid was asleep in her room, the young woman gather some gowns, underwear, blank papers, charcoal and a two books and arranged her bag. Angélique dressed a long and dark cloak and, grabbing her bag, she run away into the empty and dark streets of Paris.

"I swear by all the stars in heavens that you will not grow up far away from me, my child…" Angélique whispered, caressing her belly.

Angélique arrived to Café Musain; she could hear the male laughs on the first floor, at the wine shop, near the Friends of the ABC's secret meeting room. The young woman search for Louison and found the middle-age woman washing dishes on the Café's kitchen.

"Madame Louison…" she called, warily.

"Yes?" Louison said, looking around, searching for the voice who called her, until she found Angélique staring at her "Oh! Mademoiselle… Long time no see! I remember you well!"

Angélique smiled with shyness.

"Is there anything I can do for you, my dear?" Louison asked.

"I need to talk to Monsieur Enjolras." Angélique answered.

"Monsieur Enjolras is at the meeting." the middle-age woman said, while cleaning the dishes "You know it's impossible to get him out of there, now… I'm afraid you will have to wait."

"I don't mind waiting…" Angélique said.

"You can sit down…" Louison smiled "You look tired, my dear… Why are you carrying a bag?"

"It's nothing important… Only a few pamphlets…" Angélique lied.

"Do you want to eat something? I have soup and bread… It's not much but it satisfies the hunger."

"I will accept, thank you."

Louison served Angélique and sat beside her; the two women talked until the meeting was over. The brunette saw all the familiar faces of the Friends of the ABC coming downstairs and smiling at Louison and greeting her; they did not recognize Angélique, because of her tired and swell face from the pregnancy. She saw the blonde leader passing by: he was the last one leaving the room.

"Enjolras!"

Angélique run after him, to the outside. The blonde young man looked at her, with an astonished expression; he could not believe his eyes.

"What are you doing here!?"

"Why you didn't come to see me?" Angélique asked, coming closer to him.

"You said you didn't wish to see me again." the young man replied "Why would I go to your house if you would send me away?"

"I was such a fool… Please, forgive me…" Angélique whispered, caressing his hair.

"I haven't seen you in a month, Angélique…" Enjolras said, stepping away from her.

"Did you find yourself another woman?" she said with scorn.

"Of course not!" Enjolras answered in a serious tone. "I'm completely committed to the revolution and that's how I intend to remain."

Angélique remained silenced, staring at the dark and dirty floor.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked looking at the bag in her hand.

"I've run away."

"Why would you do such thing?" Enjolras asked with disapproval "A woman in your condition can't be wandering around on these streets. It's dangerous!"

"I'm tired of that talk of «a woman in your condition»…" Angélique said, enraged "Everyone treats me like if I were dying…"

"Was that the reason why you've run away?" Enjolras interrupted her, with sarcasm.

"I thought you knew me better..." Angélique nodded in disappointment "Of course that was not the reason. Madame Loire told my grandfather about my pregnancy... And he sent a pageboy with a message to me, the boy arrived this afternoon, and my grandfather commands that I shall remain in Paris until the childbirth."

"And… What will happen? After the childbirth?... What will happen to our child?" Enjolras asked with concern.

"Our child will grow up with me." Angélique said with determination "I shall not allow my family to close her in a Convent!"

"Her? It's a girl?" Enjolras asked, confused "Please, calm down… I'm trying to follow your thoughts. Who wants to lock our child in a Convent?"

"I don't know if it's a boy or a girl." she answered "My grandfather. He said if the child is a girl, she shall be raised by the nuns of the Couvent du Petit-Picpus, here, in Paris."

"And if the child is a boy?..."

"He didn't say anything about that possibility." Angélique said "No one will hurt our child. Not as long as I'm alive."

"And what of your fate?..." Enjolras asked.

"My grandfather found me a suitable husband." Angélique said with sarcasm "A wine merchant from Bordeaux… He's a wealthy man. And my grandfather said that nothing will be lacking to my happiness!"

Enjolras stared at her with a spark of sadness into his blue eyes.

"I won't marry him…" she whispered.

"That's why you've run away?" it was a rhetorical question.

"I refuse to marry anyone else because my heart belongs to you." Angélique said, staring into his eyes.

"I thought you didn't want to get married."

"And I don't." Angélique said "But if I wanted to get married, I would marry you."

Enjolras took a deep breath and restrained himself from not kissing her there, on the streets, for he remembered as last time went.

"You will stay in my apartment." Enjolras informed "You did not think I would leave you on the streets, did you? Come with me… We shall go home. It's late and you need to rest."

"I surely had enough emotions for one day…" she sighed.

Although, when Enjolras and Angélique arrived at his apartment, they did not rest. The blonde young man forgot his fears about hurting the baby, that was growing inside of her, and made love to her all night, making up for the wasted months.

"This is my happiness…" Angélique moaned into his ear. "Here, in your embrace…"

His strong arms held her waist and his hands felt her skin, while trusted his hips, roughly, into her.

"Don't you ever send me away, again…" he whispered in her neck, kissing her skin.

"Never!" Angélique cried-out, while her fingers digging deep into his bare chest. "I want to make love to you until sunrise..."

Translation (French – English) and Historical Facts:

* Couvent du Petit-Picpus – meaning "Convent of Petit-Picpus", is a fictional Convent in "Les Misérables", located in Rue de Picpus, in Paris. It is the same Convent where Cosette spent her late childhood and teenage years with Jean Valjean.

I'm sorry for keeping you waiting! This week was been really busy for me and I could not find the time to write a new chapter every day. I apologize…

I hope you've enjoyed it and it will be continued.

Thank you so, so much for the nice reviews! You've been too kind! And for following, of course! It means a lot to me.

Thank you for the reading.