TO CARVE AN ANGEL FROM MARBLE act one , chapter four
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( september 1831 )
WITH MORNING CAME THE frightening realization that Madeleine was going to confront the marbled leader of the group of revolutionaries that evening, and she had no idea what she was going to say. She had one last chance to convince Enjolras to allow her to join them. He had already made it clear that she was no longer welcome at their meetings, so what she said to him had to be convincing- but how on Earth could she convince someone who seemed so sure, so confident of everything?
Madeleine hoped to catch Andre before he left for work that morning, but the tiny flat she shared with her brothers was empty when they awoke. She was left alone with nothing but her thoughts, and the silent apartment was filled with groans as she struggled to understand what about Enjolras made her so nervous to face him.
She knew nothing about him apart from his name, and that he was seemingly placed on this earth for the sole purpose of leading this revolution, so why did he make her so nervous? Perhaps it was the intensity of his gaze, the way he seemed to see straight into her mind and read her every thought. Or perhaps it was the fact that he carried himself with such an air of confidence that he seemed almost regal, like a god from the ancient world incarnated into flesh.
With another groan, Madeleine collapsed onto the alcove in her bedroom. Her sketchbook laid in her lap, and she flipped it open to the drawing she'd created at the cafe the night before. Seeing her creation in the light of day, away from the atmosphere in which she created it, was different. The imagery was certainly jarring, something that she had no idea she had the ability to create. It was a perfect representation of the streets just outside her home, and as she gazed through the window to see a scene so similar to the one she had put on paper, she felt another surge of desperation to be given the chance to help.
She had to convince Enjolras, and with another glance down at her drawing, she was struck with an idea that might just allow her to do so.
In an attempt to pass some time and calm her ever-growing nerves, Madeleine decided to head out into the city to spend the afternoon in the gardens. She quickly dressed herself in a plain brown dress and pinned her hair back to keep it out of her eyes. Wrapping a dark shawl around herself to protect her from the cool autumn temperatures, she left her home.
She took no more than a couple of steps out of her front door before someone poked their head out of the apartment next door. It was Madame Chapelle, the older woman who lived beside the three siblings and often had a hard time minding her own business. "Where are you off to, dear Madeleine?" she questioned.
"I'm only heading out for a little while, Madame Chapelle," said Madeleine with a subtle roll of her eyes. Knowing Leon, he probably told the woman about her arrest, and it wouldn't have surprised her if he asked her to keep an eye on his sister. What Madame Chapelle said next confirmed her suspicions.
