making plans

[heartbeneathastone]

An ordinary Milliways afternoon, drifting on into evening: Marius is sitting in his room, only half attending to the book he has in his hand. His gaze drifts to the snow falling outside-- it's so very picturesque, the way snow in Paris can only be in the earliest hours of the morning, before the bustle of the day tramples it into slush and mud.

Though it can be difficult to tell the shades of difference between Marius's various states of dreamy distractibility-- especially these days, especially since his recovery-- he would confess, if asked, to a sort of restlessness lately, though he would also insist he has no idea why. (Certainly disrupted attempts at spying and ghostly visitations could not have anything to do with it, no, certainly not.)

He tosses his book aside and rises to get a better look out the window, and tells himself that in another minute, he will go find Cosette.

Comments

[lark_in_flight]

It's another minute. Or two. Orrrr three.

But eventually a key turns in the lock, and the door opens, and Cosette smiles brightly to see him as she slips inside in a rosy-cheeked rustle of skirts and sleeves.

"Here I am, husband! Oh, isn't it lovely?"

She drops her reticule and bonnet on a table and crosses to him, to lean her head against his shoulder and tuck herself against his side and smile out at the falling snow.

[heartbeneathastone]

"Yes," he agrees. He smiles as she bustles over, then lets his gaze float back to the window. "So clean and white! One would hardly mind walking through such a scene-- though here, of course, there is nowhere to go." And speaking of which: "Where were you?"

[lark_in_flight]

"And how funny, to come here to snow, when it's so warm back home."

It makes a lovely change, however odd it may be. To come to winter from summer, and to come to warm spring or summer from a Parisian winter -- it makes one appreciate them both all the more.

"Only with Mother. She's very well. She sends her love to you too. And then I went down to say hello to Mme Bar and see if anyone was about in the common room whom I really ought to say hello to, but there wasn't. Do you know what I learned, though? It's not just winter, husband, it's Christmas."

[heartbeneathastone]

"Is it?" Really, this Milliways place is doing nothing for his general tendency to lose track of time. "But you know, I suppose I might have guessed-- Bahorel had quite a lot to say about Father Christmas, and those strange dolls littered about the place downstairs. But you wouldn't know to look at it, would you. Do they keep Christmas here?"

[lark_in_flight]

Cosette looks a little uncertain.

"Well, yes, of course -- there are Christians here, plenty of them. Only it seems quite a quiet holiday compared to some. There's a little chapel, you know, there's a priest who gives a service. And a few garlands about. I suppose some people must have parties with their friends, naturally. And oh, yes, I've heard something about Father Christmas as well." Well, Bahorel once told her a wonderfully absurd tale involving a valiant fight against a pillowcase monster who kidnapped Father Christmas, but... anyway. "But it's rather quiet, I think. And of course there isn't a proper church with bells, there aren't any markets, one can't see the city all alight."

Which is rather sad, all of it, now that she's saying it out.

[heartbeneathastone]

"It is a shame," Marius says, less because he thinks so (he has no particularly strong feelings about Christmas, no particularly fond memories of it) than because Cosette clearly seems to.

[lark_in_flight]

"Well --"

Well, yes, it is, isn't it? But...

"Well, it isn't a city, and I suppose there are some people who prefer it so. And some people who don't even keep Christmas, perhaps." Bafflingly! "And anyone who wants a party, a little friendly gathering, can get together with their friends for a nice little dinner." She turns her head for a moment to smile up at him. "I've never had anything but a quiet little Christmas myself, after all! The convent, of course, it was a convent, you know, and then Father and Uncle, and then only Father and myself in our little house outside. Toussaint had the day off. And now I have you too."

And... Grandfather Gillenormand and Aunt Gillenormand. What will next Christmas be like? It will be like whatever Grandfather Gillenormand wants it to be, which is... that's fine, isn't it? He's very generous, he loves to have fun.

"And if there's a real Father Christmas here then he'll leave presents in children's shoes." That's important. Every Christmas she remembers, she left out her shoe, and when she was young it was in an agony of anticipation: would he forget, this year? What if there was nothing, only an empty shoe in the cold? But every year, presents. Even when she knew it was her father, she still loved that silent game between them. Any children at Milliways will have their parents and Father Christmas both.

"What is Christmas like in -- in our household? Or... what will it be like next year? When it's Christmas in Paris?"

[heartbeneathastone]

"Oh!" Marius seems surprised by the question, though of course it's an entirely natural one, given the conversation. "Well of course, I have not spent a Christmas with my grandfather in some years now. I cannot say if he keeps the same customs. But he did enjoy a party at Christmas-- either holding one or attending someone else's."

And Marius just loves parties.

[lark_in_flight]

No, he hasn't, has he? He didn't live with his grandfather for years before. And they were estranged, and -- and of course it's good that they get along now, it's horrible for family to fight, it's horrible to not talk, but there are so many things Cosette doesn't entirely understand, and doesn't quite like to ask about.

She looks out at the snow, biting her lip unconsciously, and tries to find something that she wants to say.

Grandfather Gillenormand does love parties. He loved arranging their wedding. And that was lovely, because it was their wedding, she married her dear Marius that day, and everything was heaven. But she doesn't know what a Christmas party of his might be, not really. She has a hazy image: candlelight, oysters and pâté, wine, laughing strangers.

"I've never been to a Christmas party," she says, a little at random, leaning against her husband's warm strong shoulder. "Not a proper party, a big one."

Will she like one? Of course she must. It's Christmas, and parties are joyful occasions, she knows that.

[heartbeneathastone]

"They are--" He trails off. "I am sure some of them are very fine. With pleasant company, I am sure they can be quite as nice as any other kind of party."

[lark_in_flight]

Pleasant company is nice! Cosette smiles a little, thinking about her friends, and Marius's, at a Christmas party of candlelight and food and laughter, and...

and...

and every name and face she can think of is here, really. Oh, there's her father, there's Marius's grandfather and aunt, but that's family, that's different; they all live under the same roof anyway.

"Have you --"

There's an idea trying to form at the edge of her thoughts, but she isn't sure what it is; she isn't sure if it's a good one, or if it will burst like a soap bubble, or prove itself to be entirely foolish after all.

"Have you never been to a nice Christmas party? One you liked?"

[heartbeneathastone]

"Well-- well--" It seems a terrible thing to admit, after she's been painting such lovely pictures of Christmas and markets and church bells. "Well, no. I can't say that I have."

[lark_in_flight]

Cosette laughs, suddenly, a brief little tumble of merriment. It's that or feel terribly sorry for him, and she'd rather be merry than sad. "And I've never been to one at all. Oh, what a pair we are!"

She pulls away from him suddenly, to whirl and catch at his hands.

"Let's make our own. Let's have our own, husband. We have pleasant company here, it's Milliways, it's Christmas. We can do what we like. We're married, we're young, we have money. Why shouldn't we throw a party, a proper Christmas party, and enjoy ourselves?"

[heartbeneathastone]

He can't keep from smiling in the face of her happiness-- he even almost laughs.

"Well-- why not? My friends are here, and your mother-- we could not ask for better company than that!"

[lark_in_flight]

"Yes! And there are other kind people too. Lord Elrond, and my friend Mary, and -- oh, plenty of good people -- and my mother may have friends, and Father too, if he comes."

Not that he'll probably volunteer them. He'll smile vaguely and benevolently and tell her whatever you think best, my child. But maybe she can cajole some names out of him, all the same, or perhaps Marius will have a better idea.

She stretches up to kiss him, just a happy impulsive peck, and beams brightly up at him afterwards. Her dear, dear husband. He shall have a happy Christmas here, at least.

"It can be just as large or as small as you like. We'll do what we like."

[heartbeneathastone]

"I would like to know your friends, and your father's. I should know more people here."

His resolve strengthens as he speaks. Yes, he should! There are very interesting people here, he ought to know some of them. After all, it is not so long before he will be twenty-five-- and thus quite entirely grown!-- and he should, he thinks, begin acting like it. Shouldn't he?

[lark_in_flight]

Definitely! And Cosette is seventeen -- why, eighteen before too very long! -- and thus entirely adult too, and certainly old enough to act like it and host parties for as many people as she likes, and bring a proper Christmas to Milliways.

"I'd like you to know them too. Have I met all your friends? I'm not certain I have. There are so many good people here! I'm sure there are lots of lovely people neither of us know. But we shall have a lovely Christmas party. Or perhaps an Epiphany party -- I don't know the precise date here, you know, now that I think of it. Only that it's the season."

[heartbeneathastone]

"That cannot be too much trouble to discover," Marius says. "If it is very near, I'm sure a party for Epiphany could be just as pleasant-- to have more time to prepare. Of course--" He laughs uncertainly. "I have no idea what would need preparation here. I suppose we could ask Madame Bar to conjure up a party this moment if we wished to."

[lark_in_flight]

Cosette laughs too, rather more merrily and less hesitantly. "Can you imagine! She might! She might very well! But no one would have time to prepare. They might have other plans. We ought to do it properly. We can send out invitations, everything one might wish."

Cosette, you're definitely underestimating Marius's friends' willingness to leap into an impromptu party. But never mind; she wants to have fun planning a party, and doing everything properly, just like the adult wife she totally is.

"Well -- well, we ought to plan out the menu, even if Mme Bar can produce it with her wonders! And the guest list, and the decorations. What would you like to do, my darling?"

Because Cosette is going to have so much fun fluttering about planning a menu and preparing decorations and everything, but she knows perfectly well that Marius's role in that is going to be limited to a) vaguely approving of whatever she decides, and b) pinning up garlands where she tells him to, especially if it's somewhere she can't reach.

[heartbeneathastone]

Wait, he has to do something?

"Whatever you require of me, my dear."

[lark_in_flight]

He totally doesn't have to! She just wants to make sure he can if he wants to.

But Cosette is absolutely up for single-handedly planning a party, with her husband to stand at her shoulder looking benevolent and respectable and also getting things off high shelves.

She laughs again, for the sheer bubbling joy of anticipation. (And, okay, a little bit at her husband, but it's with deep affection.) "Very well! Very well, you shall have a very solemn charge, my Marius. Here it is: to tell me who you would find pleasant company there, to tell me if anything else comes to your mind that you would like or dislike, and then to kiss your little Cosette and share a nice lunch with her."

:D

[heartbeneathastone]

"The first two I must consider-- but the last I hope to accomplish without delay."

And so he stoops to kiss her, of course.

[lark_in_flight]

Success! Gosh she's so cunning.

Okay, no. But she is entirely pleased with herself.

And with their new plans for the Milliways Christmas -- and their plans for today, as well.

(She's going to get to plan so many things to make a room pretty and festive and make people happy! Already, she's fizzing with delighted plans.)