Lisette

Chapter 24 ~ Never Fallen in Love Before

Monday passed without incident, though I was somewhat later than I usually was in going to the drapers to take back the shirts I had sewn and to pick up some more linen, thanks to my stays taking so long to dry. Enjolras was out all day with lectures, and was engrossed in conversation with Joly on the way back from the Musain, so I had no opportunity to talk to him about Sunday evening, or to ask him what it was that he had been trying to say to me.

It was just after lunch on Tuesday that there was a knock at the door of our room. I was sat in the window sewing, and Enjolras, who had been on the verge of going out to a lecture anyway, opened the door. Musichetta was stood there, a bag over her shoulder. 

"Is Lis in?" she asked. "I thought I'd come and visit her, but I didn't know if she'd be around."

"I'm here!" I called, getting down from the windowsill. "I didn't realise you were going to visit - this is a very pleasant surprise!"

Enjolras, having got over his slight shock at this unexpected visitor, invited Musichetta in. 

"I'm afraid I'm just going out, but I'm sure Lis can host you perfectly well," he said. "I should be back around five at the latest."

As he left, Musichetta looked at me. "So that's the man Courfeyrac was saying is in love with you?"

I flushed. "Maybe?"

"Well, he's not bad looking. I wonder he doesn't already have a mistress!"

"From what the others have said, I'm the first woman he's ever properly looked at. He's never been particularly inclined towards taking a lover."

"And have you made up your mind over whether you love him?"

"So much for small talk!"

"That's avoiding the question!"

I could feel myself blushing even more, and wondered at what point it would be possible to fry an egg on my face.

"I think so. I've never fallen in love before - I don't know how you tell!"

She smiled. "Well, can you imagine life without him? How would you feel if he did take a mistress who wasn't you? Do you regard him with greater care and affection than you do any other young man?"

"Alright - in those terms, I do love him. I couldn't imagine life without him now, for all that it's only been a few months. But if he doesn't feel the same way - what then? I don't want to upend everything all for nothing."

"Courfeyrac thinks Enjolras is in love with you. And Courfeyrac is usually a pretty good judge of things when it comes to affairs of the heart. Though if Enjolras comes to the ball with you, I can try and give a second opinion, if you like? Speaking of which - " she pulled a pile of papers out of the bag she had brought with her, and set them down on the desk. "I've brought these with me. They're the last few months' copies of the Corsaire - Joly and Bossuet get it for the theatre and literature side of things, but it also has bits in it about fashion. I thought they might interest you as well, and that they could be useful in preparation for the ball."

Forgetting my sewing for a while, I came and joined her at the desk instead, flicking through the small daily newspapers looking for the 'MODES' section which talked about recent fashions. The logo at the top was familiar - I had seen some of the others reading it at the Musain before - but hadn't thought it anything more than a political publication.

"It seems to be quite random which ones have it and which ones don't - it's not like they have a fashion section every Friday, for example," Musichetta continued. "But from what Bossuet's said about you, you'd probably like some of the poems and plays that they print in serial, too. And it was easier just to bring them all, rather than sort through them."