Eponine stepped out of the Gorbeau Tenement into the cold Parisian night. She shivered despite herself for her ragged chemise and skirt offered little protection against the cold. She scanned the street for Montparnasse through force of habit. Today had been one of her better days and the last thing she wanted was a run-in with him. It had been a while but she still winced at the memory of his blows. He had been cruel, but then again no more cruel than anyone else in her life. It was just the way things were for her.

"Azelma, come on!" she hissed to her younger sister. "Old Thénardier says these letters have to go out tonight. If they don't and Babet gets wind of it we're done for!" Eponine knew Azelma was scared of Babet and intended to play on that. She wanted to get the job over and done with. She was always wary that the police would catch up with them.

"Coming 'Ponine! Sorry." Azelma apologised. She quickly appeared in the doorway. "How many letters are there?" she asked

"Not as many as usual, still quite a lot though and the addresses are dotted all over the place," replied Eponine, "so we'd better get a move on!"

"Eponine! I can’t thank you enough!" cried Marius, overjoyed at having found the girl from the Luxembourg Gardens. "I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me." They were stood outside the gates at the house in the Rue Plumet He looked through them as if they were the gates to paradise.

Eponine couldn’t bring herself to speak. She knew she’d give away too much if she did. She watched Marius disappear through the gates and sat down outside. She blinked back tears. Why had she done it? She'd lost Marius forever now. Before he knew where Cosette was, there was a chance. That thought made it impossible to hold back the tears any longer. Who was she trying to fool? There was no way Marius could love her. To him she was merely Eponine, Thénardier's daughter, who was useful for finding things out now and again.

She knew all too well why that was. She'd seen her reflection and her rags often enough. She was too ugly and too poor. She could not compete with Cosette's beauty and status. How ironic it was that Cosette had gone up in the world and she, Eponine, had sank into murkier depths.

More silent tears slid down her face

The two girls hurried along the alley. Eponine was uneasy. They were down to the last letter, after discarding half of the letters that were to people they couldn't find, and she had seen none of the gang. Thénardier always sent out at least one member of the gang to check upon her and Azelma. She prayed that he'd forgotten and that they'd deliver this letter and get back to the tenement without running into anyone. She looked up ahead and her heart sank. At the end of the alley stood the gang, Patron Minette, her father included. The sight stopped her in her tracks. She inwardly cursed herself for tempting fate. Azelma stood beside her terrified.

"Look, it'll be okay if we just stick together" Eponine whispered to her sister. She was trembling herself though. If there had only been one or two of the gang she could have handled it but not the whole gang.

"Well if it isn't Thénardier's two little brats." sneered Claquesous. Eponine's skin crawled at the sound of his voice. She subtly looked for a way out of the alley.

"Did you deliver those letters?" asked Thénardier.

"There's still one left" Eponine replied.

"You're lying through your teeth. I know you are 'cause I saw you dumping some earlier." Said Montparnasse. "That's the reason for this little.....'get together'" he explained. Azelma started to cry.

"She's telling the truth!", Azelma shouted through tears. "It must have been someone else you saw."

"I don't think so." said Montparnasse "It's not like you two are easy to mistake. Anyway, I make it my business to know what dear Eponine is up to."

"That was over a while ago 'Parnasse" said Eponine weakly.

"Oh no." said Montparnasse. "I'm just getting started." At that he grabbed Eponine roughly by the arm and dragged her into an even narrower back alley. Eponine shut her eyes to block out the impending beating. She didn't have the strength or courage to fight it.

Eponine sat listening to the happy murmur of Marius and Cosette's conversation. She couldn't make out the words but the couple sounded happy. It was more torture than she could bear. She realised what a fool she'd been. In bringing Marius to Cosette she had, in effect, broken her own heart. She knew they loved each other and so what else could have come of bringing Marius to Cosette? They would be happy together, leaving her broken hearted. Yet, the fact was that Marius would be happy. Could she have brought him to Cosette if she knew he would be turned away? It was precisely because she knew it would make him happy that she brought him.

She gathered up her ragged skirt and got up to leave. Her eyes were misty with tears but she could make out the familiar silhouettes at the end of the street. It was Patron Minette. Her first instinct was to turn on her heels and get out but she knew instinctively that they were coming to rob the house. Marius could get hurt or he and Cosette would be discovered by Cosette's father and separated if there was trouble. She had to stand up to the gang and stop them. She briefly recalled the time, which was only a few months ago, when she wouldn't have had the courage. Could it be love changes a person so?

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