𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐄 | 𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬

54. dinner and whispers

BELLE ÂME

vol.5

54. dinner and whispers

[ Paris, France, June 15th, 1832 ]

________________________

  By the time that Annette got back home, her family was already there, dressed and ready for a dinner that would no doubt be interesting to say the least.

  Enjolras had offered to go to dinner with her and keep her company, worrying that she would be too overwhelmed to be alone. However, the girl reminded him that her family was not easy to deal with, but they were hers and she could handle them by herself.

  After that, he had reluctantly let her go, watching her walk into her house by herself before he too headed back home, his thoughts filled with guilt and grief as he walked the streets of Paris.

  The girl had quickly gone to her bedroom, simply staring at herself in the mirror for a few moments as she tried to get herself together. Annette knew that it was alright to be upset, that is was alright to cry. But she had already cried enough tears to last her a lifetime and she refused to be seen as weak once more.

  So, Annette quickly gathered herself, dressing out of her black clothes and putting on a lavish dress, she tried to pretend that it was all okay, that this was just another family dinner.

  Pining her hair up in a bun, the girl sprayed some water on her face, trying to compose herself and erase all signs of sadness, all signs of weakness from her features. Annette soon came to the conclusion that she hated weakness, and she refused to let in show any longer.

  Heading downstairs, she was surprised, yet not fazed to see that everyone was already seated and ready for dinner, with only one spot on the table reserved for her. 

  Annette swiftly headed to the chair between Celia and Léo, sitting herself down with a hushed apology.

  The tension present in the room was enough to suffocate someone as they all began eating, no one really having anything to say.

  Slowly, conversation began arriving between a few people, with Chantal talking lightly with Monsieur Hubert, Aunt Monique chatting away with her husband, the room slowly began showing a sense of normalcy.

  "So Celia," Aunt Monique began speaking, the red headed girl glancing up from her plate and staring at the woman, urging her to continue with whatever it was she was going to say "I know that Annette here has found someone to marry-"

  "It isn't really like that-" Annette tried to interrupt, not agreeing with the way that her aunt was wording the phrase, as if Enjolras was just someone for her to marry, as if it had all just been a match that had been arranged.