Eponine had, by the time Marius got close, darted forward and grabbed the food Ian had offered. She felt bad about exaggerating Mona's bossiness when the girl had been nothing but kind - but, well, they needed food and so food they were going to get - by any means possible.

But then Marius appeared and said her name and her eyes lit up with that same old joy of being recognised by the man she adored.

"Monsieur - Monsieur Marius! What do you do here? Oh!"

And realisation began to colour her cheeks. That boy she had robbed, that she had called a thief - he was friends with Marius. Not a thief at all, but a gentleman. A gentleman she'd offered to kiss- oh, what if he told Marius? What if they called her names, or worse, laughed at her? What then?

"You... Are you friends, Sirs?"