Colour of Desire {Enjonine}

Chapter 31

*Enjolras POV*

I heard my mother's screams before the woman even entered the room. She had been out in Paris all day with Eponine and the others. She was raging through the house now, shouting at everyone who stood in her way. I was sitting in the drawing room, talking to Marius and Joly.

"I'd better calm that woman down. We have guests staying at the moment." Pére said, closing his book and leaving the room.

"What happened? It sounds like the revolution all over again." Joly asked.

"I have no idea." I replied.

"She hasn't shouted this much since we were twelve and tried to run away." Marius said.

Suddenly, mére came storming into the room in a fit of rage, dragging Eponine behind her by the arm.

"Mére, let go of her!" I gasped, standing up and facing the woman.

"Why, so she can go around and steal the best silver?!" She shouted.

"What are you talking about? Leave my love alone." I said.

"Madame, please, you're hurting me." Eponine cried.

"Hush, you." Mére commanded, tugging at Eponines arm.

"Please, mére, just stop!" I shouted. "Let go, for heaven's sake and tell us what is going on?"

"What's going on?! I'll tell you what's going on, you've run off with a Thenardier!" Mére spat. "This scum is nothing but a mindless and disgusting thief. I can't believe I let her into the house."

"She is not like her parents, mére. She's nothing like them." I said. "Now please, let her go."

"I can't believe this horror, Enjolras. I thought that I was doing the right thing by letting you live in Paris, but clearly I was wrong."

"You said you were sending me to Paris so that I could find a wife. I have found one. She's in your death grip losing the circulation in her arm. Let her go." I said fiercely. Eponine was kneeling on the floor, her hand slowly turning purple. Méres nails were digging into her wrist and I could already see the blood coming up.

"I mean it, mére. Let go of her now." I warned. At last, she threw Eponines arm down.

"Get out of my sight you little rat. And mark my words, you shall be on the first carriage back to Paris come morning." Mére spat. Eponine, gripping her wrist, picked herself off the floor and ran out of the room, Joly quickly followed.

"What was that about, mére? How dare you call her such things as that?" I hissed, staring after my fiancée. Marius was standing behind me, the way he always used to when we were younger and I had a fight with my parents.

"Enjolras, my child, my only son in this world, why are you marrying that... that... thing?" Mére asked, her anger suddenly evaporated. "I wanted you to marry a nice girl, a woman of noble blood. We have a legacy to continue and you've ruined it."

"I don't care about your legacy, mére. I already know that you wanted me to marry Elowen, but I don't even like her. I find her annoying and self absorbed. She is just like every other rich girl who ever walked the earth. I don't want to marry someone who sticks to the rules, I want someone who is daring enough to right their on rules, to make their own life. I chose to marry Eponine because she never pretended to be anything she wasn't. She is her own woman, who is not afraid to stand up for herself and those she loves. I only wish you could see her as I do, mére, because if you opened your eyes for once instead of playing by the rules, you might actually see something worth noticing, like the true beauty of my fiancée, the woman I love more than anything else in the world. I'm not doing this to spite you, you have to see that. I'm sorry that I've disappointed you, that I'm not the son you've always wanted, but I can't live my life pretending to be someone I'm not. If you send Eponine away tomorrow, so be it, but I'm going too."

The room was completely silent for a moment. I hadn't meant to say all that, but I knew that it was all true. For years I had been forced to do everything the exact same way everyone else did. When my parents sent me to Paris, I felt free for the first time in my life. Now they were doing it all over again, not only to me, but also to Eponine. They were controlling her as if she was a puppet on the end of a string.

"Enjolras-"

"No, mére. Just stop." I sighed, pushing past her and limping down the corridor, my cane slamming against the hard floor.

"Enjolras!" I heard Marius call to me.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I didn't mean to say all that." I said.

"What are you saying? That was amazing. I'm just sorry Eponine couldn't see it." Marius said. "It just shows how much you love her."

"I speak from the heart. Now, I really have to find Eponine." I said.

"They probably went back to your room."

"Thank you." I said, walking off in the direction of the stairs.

I found Eponine in my room, just as Marius said. She was sitting on the bed while Joly wrapped her arm up in some gauze. Musichetta and Cosette sat on her other side, offering comforting words. They all looked up when I entered.

"Sorry, we've taken over your room." Musichetta said.

"It's fine. I wanted to see if Eponine is okay." I replied.

"We'll leave you two in peace." Joly said. They all stood up and left Eponine and I alone in the room. I walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed.

"My love, are you okay?" I asked, taking hold of her bandaged arm.

"I'm fine. Your mother has a very tight grip." Eponine replied, giving me a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I should have tried to stop her. Now you're hurt." I said.

"Don't apologise. I shouldn't have mentioned my parents. It was stupid of me."

"No, what was stupid was méres overreaction. She had no right to say those things to you."

"Enjolras, I've been called worse in my life. People treat us like this all the time. Your mother is a very proud woman, and she just wants what is best for you." Eponine said, placing a hand on my face.

"I hate it here. I should never have come back." I said.

"Hush, don't say that. We'll be gone in a few days."

"And when we do, you'll be my wife." I grinned. She leaned over and gave a soft kiss.

"Yes, and I'll be the happiest woman alive."