My Boys of the Barricade {Les Miserables}

Chapter 16: Alone in the Café

      Enjolras looked up from his writings and frowned at the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Checking his pocket watch he confirmed that it was too early for the others to be arriving. 

   Clara appeared at the top of the stairs, her hair windswept and her cheeks flushed pink from the cold evening breeze. 

     "It's just me," Clara said, "sorry I'm early. Sebastien's on his way, he just stopped to say hello to someone he knew and told me to go on ahead without him."

      Enjolras just nodded stiffly and returned his attention to his papers, intent on ignoring Clara until the meeting commenced. 

   Clara sat down in a chair near the back opening up the book she brought with her to pass the time. 

     She wondered where Kaylin and AJ were. She had expected them to be here already with Enjolras since they live in the same house currently. Tomorrow, she, Kaylin, Combeferre and Courfeyrac were joining AJ to head over to her house to collect whatever belongings  they could salvage. 

     The fire had been a week ago now, but Mrs Richardson had out off the task of fetching any of their things. Now, with some persuasion from Countess Enjolras and AJ, they were finally going to do the tiresome job of moving any salvageable items from the Richardson house to an unoccupied Enjolras estate just a couple of miles outside of Paris for safe keeping. 

      AJ said that Courfyerac had immediately offered to help with the removal as he had a lot of time on his hands. And Clara had a fair idea on why Combeferre was coming along too. She knew something was going on between him and Kaylin. Plus, Grantaire has already hinted at the fact that there was something going on between the two. A thing kept hidden from man in red. 

       Clara also had a fair idea on why Courfeyrac had offered to help. The moments were there, sublte, but there nonetheless. She had noticed how they who glance at each other and smile from time to during the last two meetings, and how they always stood next to each other now. If they were together and were just keeping it a secret, they were doing a terrible job at it. 

     Combeferre and Kaylin on the other hand, there moments together had to carefully timed and very secretive. Even if Enjolras was oblivious to things such as glances and smiles, he had sharp senses and a keen observation. It wouldn't take him long to figure out that something was going on, even if he didn't know exactly what.

      "Candide, Volaitre," Enjolras suddenly spoke, not looking up from his papers. 

   Startled, Clara looked at him in confusion before looking down at her book. "Oh! Yes, I picked it up from our library on my way out. I knew I would be a bit early so I brought it along to pass the time," She said. 

      Enjolras turned his attention towards her. "Do you enjoy reading?" He inquired, stopping his writing. 

     "Yes, I do," Clara nodded, standing up from her seat and drawing closer to where he sat. She reached his table and stood by it, resting her book on the smooth surface. "Mother would always find me either in the library or the music room." She paused. "Can you play any instruments?" She asked hesitantly. 

     Enjolras nodded. "When you live in a bourgeois family, it's hard not to be able to play an instrument," He sighed.

    "Could you play something for me then?" Clara requested, her voice barely audible. She didn't know what had overcome her, but she felt a sudden wave of confidence in asking the 'marble' revolutionary leader for something.

      Enjolras looked over at the upright piano in the corner of the room. He hadn't really performed in front of anyone before, apart from his family or in front of his fathers friends when he forces him to play for them.