I had to get away. I couldn't marry him. I never dreamed of disobeying my parents, but I just could not marry him. Duke or not, he was a cruel man. My parents didn't know it, but I did. I still had the bruises and the scars to prove it. I still had the nightmares.

The Baren's Estate

Bella's POV

I walked down the docks, and headed straight for the nearest tavern. It was called The Rosy Kitty, the name should have clued me in on what kind of establishment it was, but I was tired and thought little of it. I walked inside and was amazed at the squalor of the place. Jagged glass from old bottles, long ago broken, littered the floor. A dejected old piano covered in dust sat in the corner, it looked as though somebody had crashed through it, breaking it.

The bar was filthy and the bartender looked even worse for wear. He was short, balding in the middle, and missing most, if not all, of his teeth. He had a patch over his left eye and he snarled at his patrons. The patrons were another story. It was still early in the afternoon and most were slumped over the tables, half in the bag. Some were playing cards; poker by the looks of it. A woman walked by me, giving me a look of curiosity. She was dressed in a bright emerald green gown, and had matching slippers. Realization finally hit me when I noticed that the woman's breasts were exposed.

I sighed. Not the kind of place I would like to work for. I turned to leave and noticed a server walk by. She was dressed a little better with a simple long brown skirt, brown leather slippers and a white shirt. I left the tavern, keeping in mind that if I couldn't find anything better, I'd return.

I walked down the narrow street, and came across another tavern. This one was called The Baron's Estate. It was hard to tell from the outside, but it seemed as though it might be a little more reputable.

I was right. The interior was clean and it didn't have half naked women walking about. The bartender wore clean clothes and a smile (He was missing a few teeth, but at least he still had the majority of them!). The patrons were quiet and still somewhat sober. Most of them looked like farmers. I walked up to the bar. The bartender was speaking to a very handsome young gentleman, but stopped when he saw me coming.

"Excuse me sir. My name is Miss Swan, and I am looking for employment." I was nervous but tried to speak clearly, hopefully sounding confident.

The bartender looked me up and down. "I don't employ whores. Go to The Rosy Kitty, down the street. They'll hire anybody." He turned back to the gentleman.

I could feel myself blushing as I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry sir. I'm not looking for employment as a whore. Would you have any openings for a server or even a maid? I'm a hard worker and I catch on very quick. You wouldn't regret hiring me."

The bartender sighed. "I'm sorry to have mistaken you for a whore Miss, but I'm not looking at hiring anyone right now."

The young gentleman turned and looked at me. He was absolutely gorgeous, pale with blond hair and golden eyes. He seemed muscular under his clothes, and his smile was breathtaking. He nodded to me and spoke. "Miss Swan is it? Well, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen and my housekeeper Mrs. Benedict has been asking me for sometime to allow her to hire a new maid for the scullery and the kitchen. Would you be interested in meeting Mrs. Benedict about the position?" He smiled. I noticed he had a very kind smile.

"That would be wonderful Dr. Cullen. When and where could I meet her?" I couldn't believe my luck. Working as a maid in a gentleman's home would be far better than working in a tavern.

"We live on 1339 Forks Ave. She will be available this afternoon between 1pm and 3pm, I believe. Just ring at the servant's door in the back. I will inform her of your visit ahead of time, so she will be expecting you."

"Thank you so much for your kindness Dr. Cullen." I curtsied.

"It's my pleasure Miss Swan. I'm sure you'll be a great addition to our household staff." He smiled and turned back to the bartender.

I turned and walked out of The Baron's Estate feeling relieved, hopeful, and maybe, just maybe, happy.