Combeferre catches the wince. "Yes, it's awful for her."
He hesitates. "And for you--perhaps not as bad, since it would be worse for a woman, and since there is other information about Mlle Fauchelevent's origins and childhood in the book. But even so..."
How to say this delicately? Even so, Hugo obviously badly wants you for his catamite isn't something Combeferre will say out loud.
"Hugo is obviously very taken with your appearance," he finishes. "He goes on, at rather embarrassing length. And he also describes your..." Friendship? What to call it? It is a friendship of sorts, certainly, but Hugo puts a different light on it. "...your...well, Grantaire's attitude to you. And Bossuet is telling Grantaire about it. To put it plainly, Hugo says Grantaire loves you, while you disdain him, until the end. Except he goes on for much longer about it."
Combeferre pauses. "I only tell you this so that you will be informed, if anyone--whether it be Grantaire, or one of our other friends, or the spy, or someone else at Milliways--seeks to surprise you with this information. And because I believe everyone is owed the truth of their legacy, no matter how little personal vanity they have."
no subject
He hesitates. "And for you--perhaps not as bad, since it would be worse for a woman, and since there is other information about Mlle Fauchelevent's origins and childhood in the book. But even so..."
How to say this delicately? Even so, Hugo obviously badly wants you for his catamite isn't something Combeferre will say out loud.
"Hugo is obviously very taken with your appearance," he finishes. "He goes on, at rather embarrassing length. And he also describes your..." Friendship? What to call it? It is a friendship of sorts, certainly, but Hugo puts a different light on it. "...your...well, Grantaire's attitude to you. And Bossuet is telling Grantaire about it. To put it plainly, Hugo says Grantaire loves you, while you disdain him, until the end. Except he goes on for much longer about it."
Combeferre pauses. "I only tell you this so that you will be informed, if anyone--whether it be Grantaire, or one of our other friends, or the spy, or someone else at Milliways--seeks to surprise you with this information. And because I believe everyone is owed the truth of their legacy, no matter how little personal vanity they have."