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landofnowhereThis is something I wrote on Facebook in 2015, before I started posting on DW. Reposting it here so I can link to it, and because people might find it interesting. I doubt I'll ever do more with this story idea, but someone should!
So I'm 70ish e-book pages from the end of Les Miserables -- Marius and Cosette are newlyweds, Valjean has come clean to Marius and is acting distant towards Cosette -- and in my disappointment that Cosette doesn't try to do more about this, I'm thinking that this would all be a good setup for a gothic novel from Cosette's point of view: (sorry, long)
You are a sheltered teenage heiress -- after a whirlwind courtship, you marry the man you love and move in to his elderly family's Parisian townhouse. You are very happy with your husband and get along very well with your in-laws, although your chambermaid decides to quit because she doesn't get along with the house servants -- at least that's what she says.
However, right after the marriage, your father (adopted father? you're not sure what the relationship is, although legally he's your uncle) suddenly starts acting very strangely towards you, starting with his disappearance from your wedding reception. When he reappears he has a "business conversation" with your husband which neither of them want you to know about, and refuses to live in the room that you've made nice for him in your new house. In fact, he is only willing to meet with you in a horrid room in the servant's quarters -- and behaves coldly and distantly towards you.
Nobody else in your new family seems to be as bothered by this as you are. Your husband tries to comfort you with sweet nothings, but he refuses to talk to your father with you -- before the marriage he might have been shy of your father, but now you think he finds your father -- horrifying, maybe? He also seems unwilling to draw on your inheritance, but won't say why. As to your husband's relatives -- they just don't seem to care, and are happy to go on with their lives with minimal interference.
Your father couldn't possibly be keeping any deep dark secrets -- could he? And what about your husband? Half a month before your wedding he went off to fight in an insurrection and came back covered in scars -- but he hasn't told you very much about it. What is he hiding from you? And on the topic of secrets -- will you ever learn the truth of your parentage?
So I'm 70ish e-book pages from the end of Les Miserables -- Marius and Cosette are newlyweds, Valjean has come clean to Marius and is acting distant towards Cosette -- and in my disappointment that Cosette doesn't try to do more about this, I'm thinking that this would all be a good setup for a gothic novel from Cosette's point of view: (sorry, long)
You are a sheltered teenage heiress -- after a whirlwind courtship, you marry the man you love and move in to his elderly family's Parisian townhouse. You are very happy with your husband and get along very well with your in-laws, although your chambermaid decides to quit because she doesn't get along with the house servants -- at least that's what she says.
However, right after the marriage, your father (adopted father? you're not sure what the relationship is, although legally he's your uncle) suddenly starts acting very strangely towards you, starting with his disappearance from your wedding reception. When he reappears he has a "business conversation" with your husband which neither of them want you to know about, and refuses to live in the room that you've made nice for him in your new house. In fact, he is only willing to meet with you in a horrid room in the servant's quarters -- and behaves coldly and distantly towards you.
Nobody else in your new family seems to be as bothered by this as you are. Your husband tries to comfort you with sweet nothings, but he refuses to talk to your father with you -- before the marriage he might have been shy of your father, but now you think he finds your father -- horrifying, maybe? He also seems unwilling to draw on your inheritance, but won't say why. As to your husband's relatives -- they just don't seem to care, and are happy to go on with their lives with minimal interference.
Your father couldn't possibly be keeping any deep dark secrets -- could he? And what about your husband? Half a month before your wedding he went off to fight in an insurrection and came back covered in scars -- but he hasn't told you very much about it. What is he hiding from you? And on the topic of secrets -- will you ever learn the truth of your parentage?
no subject
Date: 13 Jun 2021 02:38 (UTC)I'm just going to assume any "Monsieur Jean"-ing and associated drifting into coldness/formality on Cosette's part is because she's On The Case and has decided to play along until she figures out the truth. :(
no subject
Date: 13 Jun 2021 04:58 (UTC)