OK, this is set in the late 18th Century (a.k.a. 'Pride and Prejudice' era) in England. I thought it would be interesting to see what it would be like for them in this era. Bear in mind that Carlisle and Esme are Edward's parents in this story - makes it easier. Alice and Emmett are Edward's brother and sister and Rose and Jasper are twins. All human!! Alice and Bella are the same age, Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie are the same age and Edward is a year older than Alice and Bella. Canon pairings. Read and review, please let me know if it's worth continuing! Enjoy!
"Children!" my mother called from in the sitting room.
"Yes?" When I walked into the sitting room, I saw her flicking through pages of a long letter someone had written her. She motioned for us to all sit down.
"I have just received word from Mrs Hale that they are returning to their estate here in a week's time. They plan to host a ball in two weeks!"
"Who are the Hales?" my sister, Alice and my brother, Emmett and I asked, confused.
"Oh, I wasn't sure whether you would remember them. Mr and Mrs Hale lived not two miles from here when you were little. Mr Hale's work called them to the south of England indefinately. They are very well-to-do people. They have a set of twins that are nineteen, like Emmett. Rosalie and Jasper are their names. Oh my, I haven't heard from Mrs Hale in years and then this, out of the blue! I can't believe it."
"Wow. I love balls! Oh, I'll need a new dress, Mother can I have a new dress?"
"Of course, darling. Yes, we shall both get new dresses, and you young men and your father must make sure your suits are in good condition. I'm not sure who else knows about their arrival yet, I must take the horse and carriage to see Mrs Long." We took that to be our dismissal and returned to our previous activities.
My sister, Alice, was swept up in the excitement of the upcoming ball. She longed for such occassions - she loved to dress up and dance. My mother, Esme, otherwise known as Lady Esme, was much the same. My father, Lord Carlisle, was a very well known and respected man. He is the owner of the Cullen estate, and through heritage and his position of being the most renound doctor in England is phenomonally wealthy.
My brother Emmett, now nineteen, is a unique man. He was what most would call a 'ladies man'. He and my sister were always the life of the party, participating in the most dances, the most social and more well-known than me.
I am eighteen and the quietest member of the Cullen family. I am, besides my father, the most well-read, I am the best musician in the family and the only one to follow in my father's footsteps. I have been studying in London to obtain my medical degree so that I can one day be as good a doctor as my father. I returned home one week ago.
Having been away for a year and a half, everything seemed new to me. I did not remember the Hales at all, although my mother seemed to be enthralled with their expected return.
My mother and father had been ecstatic when I wrote them with the news of my homecoming. They were proud to tell their friends that their educated son would be returning at an age suitable to settle down and start my life.
All of their friends had I'm sure organised for me to be set up with their daughters. My parents knew I didn't want to be pressured. The only lady I had ever had a courtship with was a girl named Amber. She and her family moved to France before I left for London to study. We wrote each other for a while, until she grew bored of it and became engaged to another man.
With the prospect of the enchantingly beautiful Rosalie Hale and the handsome Jasper Hale arriving, the town was sure to be alive with excitement.
Later that night, after my father returned home from work, we sat around the table to be served dinner.
"Where is Alice?" my father asked, looking around for my pixie-like sister.
"She had a letter from the Chief's daughter this afternoon, and said she had to go to see her immediately. She didn't say anything else. Is something the matter?"
"Wait. Chief Janus has a daughter? I didn't know that."
My mother laughed lightly. "Oh no, dear. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Chief Janus retired last year. Chief Swan moved from Sussex last year to replace him. His wife and daughter came, too. Isabella, the girl's name is. She is the same age as Alice. Carlisle, dear, is everything alright with Chief Swan's family?"
"Well, actually no. Unfortunately today, I got an urgent call from one of their messengers. The chief's wife, Renee, had become suddenly ill. I made an immediate visit to their home, but there was nothing I could do. She was gone before I could save her."
"Renee? Oh, that's awful! The poor family. And to think Isabella is only seventeen and now without a mother. Oh she will have to visit us more here. What happened?"
"She had a heart attack. She was much too young for it, bless her soul. They have arranged for her burial to be in two days."
"I must do something for them. We'll have them over, or give them anything they need." My mother had a heart of gold. She was always worried about other people; about her husband, her children and anyone else who needed her help.
I can't imagine what would happen to our family if our mother died. I felt awful for Chief Swan and his daughter.
A few moments later, Alice returned home. Her usual bright smile was replaced by a quivering lip and tear stained cheeks. My mother ran to her and took her into her arms as Alice sobbed freely.
"Oh, Alice, darling. How is Isabella? She should have come with you here."
"I asked her if she wanted to come, but she and her father wanted to be alone. I've never seen her so vacant before. She is always so bright and her cheeks are always flushed red, but today she was as white as a sheet. She barely said two words. I didn't know what to do!" Mother took Alice to her room to wash her face and calm down.
Dinner had been forgotten. Somehow the tragic news had stolen all our appetites. The joy and excitement of the Hales' arrival had been replaced by the sorrow and mourning of Mrs Swan's passing.
BPOV:
It was at 2:30 this afternoon that I wrote the rushed letter in a messy scrawl to Alice Cullen. My father wasn't able to be home in time and he was in hysterics. I sent him to bed just like my mother would have and then broke down.
Alice arrived in a horse and carriage not half an hour after I had sent as an urgent errand.
"Bella! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" She looked as though she had been crying. I myself had red, puffy eyes and they began to leak again as I saw my best friend burst into a fresh round of tears.
"Alice, thank-you for coming. You're the only one I could have spoken to in this state."
"Any time, you know that. Tell me what happened." We walked arm in arm into my sitting room. Juliet, our maid, came in to ask us if we needed anything. I suggested a cup of tea and she left to do so.
"She had been coming down with a cold for the past two days or so, and we all thought nothing of it. We just suggested she stay in bed and drink hot lemon and honey tea."
"So what happened today?" I took a deep breath and recounted the whole catastrophe to her.
"Bella!" my mother called from her bed. I left the sitting room where I had been reading 'Romeo and Juliet' and climbed the stairs to my parents' bedroom.
"Yes Mother?" I gasped when I saw her clutching her chest and her breathing becoming shallow and hard.
"Bella, I can't breathe properly. I don't know what's wrong. My chest hurts."
"Oh, Mama, I must call a doctor. I will be right back." I dashed down the stairs to find sone letter-writing paper and an envelope. Very hastily, I wrote an urgent message to Doctor Cullen, my best firiend's father and the most well-known doctor in the country.
"Percy! Take this to Doctor Cullen immediately. Tell him Chief Swan's wife is critically ill and he is needed urgently. Then go to my father and tell him he is needed at home. Make haste!"
I rushed back up to my mother who was clutching her chest and breathing deeply.
"Mama, I have sent an urgent message to Doctor Cullen. He should be arriving very soon. How are you feeling?"
"Bella, darling, I don't think I have much time. Something isn't right. I think I'm having a heart attack."
"No, Mother! Don't think such things. Doctor Cullen and my father will be here soon."
"Tell your father that I love him very much. I love you, Bella." With that, she closed her eyes and her laboured breathing slowed then stopped altogether.
"No! Mother, please, wake up!" I shook her shoulders gently but she did not respond.
Doctor Cullen then walked into the room and saw me standing over my mother's body.
"I'm too late." he whispered. My father then hurriedly rushed to my mother's side and started to sob.
"Renee, please darling, wake up! Bella, what happened?"
"I don't know! She called me in and complained that her chest was hurting and that she couldn't breathe. I sent a message to Doctor Cullen, but by the time I came back, I knew it was too late. She told me to tell you she loves you, then she told me she loved me and closed her eyes. She said she thinks she was having a heart attack."
"She is very young to be having a heart attack, but it is possible. I am so terribly sorry for your loss." Doctor Cullen then called her time of death and asked us to fill out some papers. My father took care of that while I wrote the letter to Alice with shaking hands.
"Oh, Bella. You must come with your father to our home for dinner. It's the least we can do."
"Thankyou, Alice, but I think my father and I should stay home tonight. I will send word to you tomorrow. Thankyou, though."
Alice stayed with me for a long while. It was mostly silent as she held me and we cried together. I was so thankful that I was blessed to have a friend like Alice. She, like her mother, would do anything for you and I knew that I could always count on her.
Eventually, Alice was due to go back to her family for dinner. I told her that I would write her tomorrow and she promised to be over as soon as I needed her.
Juliet made me a hot dinner then I checked on my father. He was fast asleep. I left his dinner by his bed should he want it and then went to my own bed.
That night, I cried myslf to sleep. I dreamt only of my mother and how much I already missed her. I could only hope that one day, we would be happy again.
There you go. Please tell me what you think, I would love to know!!