Chauvelin could see his darling was hurt all through the ride. He had always tried to protect her and had failed miserably. He had no idea what to say, it killed him every second feeling him hold tightly to her, knowing she had been afraid and knowing he had not prevented it. Did he treat Margot like that? What kind of man would do something like that? Hurting women and children, it disgusted him. They came back to the apartment. Chauvelin sighed, he'd have to do something, Fleurette needed him. He sat down on the couch. "Fleurette, I know you want to read, but we need to have a talk, come sit down. I am not angry with you, don't worry" he said and picked her up, so that she was sitting next to him. He placed his arm around her, feeling a tear prickle at the back of his eyes which he pointedly ignored. "Sweetheart, I am sorry for what happened, I didn't know that man would be there. He's a cruel person and you shouldn't pay attention to what he said. I went there to try and help Marguerite go away from him. I promise, I'll never let him insult you again. Are you all right?" he said, stroking her curly blond hair.

Chauvelin sighed. How could he explain to his sheltered little girl about the world? "I wish I knew why Marguerite stayed with him. He's a mean and horrible man, I knew him from many years ago and he was mean to a very nice friend of Bibi's. Some people feel as though they have to be mean in order to feel important. He is a horrible person but sometimes people just don't want to see what's in front of their eyes. She is to be pitied and helped, since she made a mistake without thinking. That is something you must always learn, my Fluer de la Coeur, is to always think about things before doing them. Keep your wits about you and think "What is the best thing to do for everyone?'. Sometimes, it's not the easiest thing that is correct but the hardest. People like him do the easy thing, hurt people instead of face things. Those people are weak and should be thought of as nothing more then dust" he said. He had to arm his little girl against the world, yet not take the veil of blessed innocence off her eyes. "But don't look so worried, eh. I promise, I will always be there to guide and help and protect and take care of you" he said.

Chauvelin smiled and hugged his daughter close. He had a great deal of work to do, treaties to sign, papers to look over, reports to make and yet...it would have to wait. He had to make it up to his daughter. He remembered holding her after she had been born and remembering falling in love with the tiny helpless flower, that he and Josephine, his beautiful wife had made. He had loved them so much, he had felt so complete with her. She was all he had in the world, she was his only family alive. The rest of the De Chauvelins were in prison or dead, a fact he took great pleasure in it. Had he truly left his money because of the disagreement over class or was it the one with his father, who was so vapid that the two had never agreed on the time of day. He had embraced whatever his father hated, and now that lead him here, an ambassador for the Republic. He wondered what his father would say. "Armand, you have shamed me" most likely or something along those lines. Well, Father, I have a child now and I am raising her right, she loves me! He nodded. "Of course, of course, I'll stay. Go get your book, I'll read to you a few stories, and then dinner and your lessons till bedtime, all right?" he said.

Chauvelin grinned at his daughter's words and patted her blond head. What a mind his little flower had, how intelligent and perceptive she was. Marguerite living with them, returning to the person she was before she had been infatuated with that blaggard. He had begun to have doubts, but he too didn't understand why she'd chain herself to a man like that. A marriage like that, it was glorified and gilded slavery, and yet she stayed there, a glutton for this boorish rude monster's cruelties. Had she truly decided she'd prefer the life of a wealthy man's possession? If so, then she was a bad influence on his child, but as of yet, he still would bide his time. "If you wish to see her, of course you may. I'll try to make sure that it will be a time when HE won't be around and you will be perfectly safe. She liked talking to you too, chere. The world isn't as simple as that, especially for Marguerite, my dear one. Though you never know, next time you see her, why don't you ask her if she'd like to stay with us, I wonder what she'd answer. She might decide she wants you to come stay with her to keep her company instead of that mean man and then what would your poor Bibi do?" he asked teasingly, tickling her chin.