Cosette Fauchelevent

"I've learned that it's surprising how little things can make a simple meal that much better, even if it's something as little as adding some decorations to the table at a meal, or taking care that everything is laid out prettily on the plate," Cosette said. "I've tried one or two of them already, and it's nice to see my father smile like that."

She still couldn't quite puzzle out the reason behind why that smile had been so bittersweet the night that he'd allowed her to put those two silver candlesticks on the dinner table, but she still felt accomplished for it.

"It doesn't so much matter if the food is the finest, most expensive thing in the world --" which it generally wasn't, at home, because her father insisted on living simply as much as possible -- "if sitting down for the meal doesn't feel terribly hospitable. I'd much rather have some soup and vegetables in pleasant company than the most elegant dinner in a dungeon, I think."

She paused, chewed on her lower lip, and smiled. "Of course, food is food when it's all told. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and I'm sure I'd enjoy an elegant dinner if one were served to me. But there's something about the way one experiences it that can make all the difference."