Eponine nods. "Yes, my sire. I suppose you say boyfriend now, but we never called it that back when I were alive. We laid together and that, you know? He's dead handsome. Even when we had nowt, he were dressed the dandy. He were a cut throat, you know? 'E went after the rich ladies he could charm. He didn't bite. He slits with his knife and drinks." She smiles in an almost daydreamy fondness.

"You know when someone ain't nice, not exactly, but you can't help going with 'em anyway? He'd hit me as soon as kiss me if 'e were in the mood. But it were kinda... good. It can make you feel alive, you know?" Eponine rests her chin in her hand. "I don't like being hit, but with him, summat good would come of it in the end. You know?"

Aware of how different their relationship was to most people's, Eponine is hasty to add, "Well, it were a different time, weren't it?" It's only half a lie. He was that bad when she was alive, and he got steadily worse once she was turned.