Chapter 1
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Bella, Boston, November 2010
I crept out of the old house, praying to God that the door wouldn't squeak. Knowing the traitorous disposition of the ancient estate, I wouldn't have been surprised if it did just to spite me. No matter how many times we renovated it, there was always something that needed fixing.
The sounds of bickering and children screaming and adults yelling and china crashing followed behind me as I softly closed the door. I rolled my eyes.
All I'd wanted was a peaceful Thanksgiving break. You know, the usual: a quiet dinner with the family, a serene scene in front of a roaring fire, roasting chestnuts and a mug of hot chocolate. But with my family... I don't know how I even could have hoped. I wondered why I'd even agreed to come out here in the first place.
Actually, I knew exactly why.
First of all, my sister Alice had asked me to, and that little pixie was damned hard to say no to. She'd inherited the old clunker of a house after she'd gotten married to her southern gentleman, Jasper Whitlock. Our father deeded it to her as a wedding gift and then promptly moved to Forks, Washington, far on the other side of the country, wanting as little to do with Alice and Jasper's newly-wed antics as possible.
Second, I loved the countryside. I'd grown up here with my sisters, Alice and Rosalie, and I loved the serenity of the trees, the quiet of the mostly unpopulated terrain, the feeling of being one with nature. I'd looked forward to coming here and sitting in my old room that Alice and Jasper still kept up, even though it was their house now, staring outside at the falling leaves and working on my yet unfinished applications to grad school.
Lastly, I'd looked forward to getting away from the busy scene of Cambridge. I loved Harvard, but I needed to get away for a while. Or maybe, it was more a question of who I needed to get away from. My three year relationship with Jake had failed, and we both knew it. We were great friends, but somehow, we just couldn't function as a couple. He'd become increasingly clingy in the past year and I just couldn't take his hovering anymore. So I broke up with him a week ago. He'd taken it stoically, even agreeing that it was the best thing to do, but I still thought a little time away would be restorative for both of us if we had any hope of salvaging our previous friendship.
All I'd wanted was a little peace and quiet for contemplation. Contemplation of who I was, where I was going. Even after four years of a Harvard education, I still didn't know. I just felt there was a little part of myself I was missing, that one annoying piece of the puzzle that I couldn't find.
But of course, that was too much to ask.
I don't know what was in Alice's head when she'd insisted on inviting both Charlie and Renée over. They mixed together about as well as oil and water and then, inviting Rosalie too had been even worse, since she was the fire that usually set everything off. And now that Renée had found Phil... well, that just made everything more awkward. I snorted as I pictured the poor guy's dumbfounded expression as he watched his new wife screaming at her ex-husband and then his new step-daughter Rosalie screaming at her three boys and then her own mother for criticizing her mothering skills. Jasper and Rosalie's husband, Emmett were the only ones who'd remained unfazed. They'd been in our family for far too long to be surprised.
I winced as another crash resonated throughout the house and I heard Rosalie's shrill tones and Alice's horrified scream.
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT THROW THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE, ETHAN PATRICK MCCARTHY? NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU'VE BROKEN AUNT ALICE'S FAVORITE PLATE! EMMETT! COME HERE AND PUT YOUR KID INTO TIME-OUT!"
I sighed as a child's demanding scream filled the air and shook my head. Rosalie's boys were devils disguised as adorable little kids. They'd inherited Emmett's lovable and attractively boyish features, but unfortunately, they'd also inherited Rosalie's fiery temper and strong will.
I drifted towards the old stables that were now the garage, considering on taking the car, but then thought the better of it. Physical exercise would better clear my head of the chaos of the last two hours. As I walked past the cow pen, I nuzzled the nose of our old cow, Patsy. She stared back at me with gentle, long-lashed eyes.
"I don't know how you stand it here, Patsy," I whispered, "They're driving me crazy after just one day. How do you do it?" But she only looked at me and let out a low sympathetic moo. I sighed and patted her head before moving on past the old wooden fence gate.
It was an extraordinarily warm night for the Boston area. There was a slight chill breeze, but still, all I had on were jeans, my old Converse, a warm brown turtleneck that Alice said matched my eyes and a light crimson windbreaker with an H emblazoned on it for the school. And that was all I needed. The sun was just setting and its rays warmed me as I wandered down the dirt path, the house and its sounds within getting farther and farther away. I grabbed a stick from the side of the road and trailed it along in the dust. Soon, the path turned sharply right to yield to a cement road among the trees, one that I knew would go down to the busy highway, but I turned left instead, to where there was just grass and no road. I had traversed these fields enough times that I was unworried about finding my way back.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I was lost in my own thoughts as I kept on walking, hands brushing the tall grass that went up to my waist. I barely noticed that it was getting successively darker and darker until a freezing gust of wind blew in my face, penetrating my turtleneck and stealing away some of the warmth from my skin. I broke out of my reverie and looked around. It was late twilight, almost turning into evening and I... I had no idea where I was. In my daze, the world around me had changed and what had looked familiar before had somehow morphed into what may as well have been a whole other planet for how foreign it all seemed. Frowning, I scoured my brain for any memory at all of this place, finding it all so very strange as I was sure I'd romped through every nook and cranny of the surrounding area as a child. It was as if I'd unwittingly stepped into a warp-hole that transported me into another universe.
I squinted my eyes and looked all around me, hoping for a familiar glow on the horizon that might signal where the Swan homestead was. But there were only the stars twinkling on, one by one, in the violet sky. Mentally berating myself for being so stupid, I whipped out my cell phone and punched in my speed-dial for home, not looking forward to Alice's disapproval at my sneaking out or Emmett's amusement at my getting lost. He'd probably make some stupid comment about wolves eating little girls...
I waited and waited, but the ring tone never came on. Perplexed I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at it. Zero bars. There was no reception to be found here.
"Shit," I exclaimed, cursing my luck, cursing my cell-phone service provider, and cursing my own stupidity. I threw the cheap piece of plastic onto the ground and threw myself down into the grass in a rage. I flopped back and looked at the winter sky. The moon was full and bright tonight and bathed everything in an otherworldly glow. Another breeze came blowing through, rustling the grass above my head, which brushed against me like the touch of ghostly fingers, and I shivered, jumping up and looking around worriedly. This place had always been creepy at night…
I cursed again as I realized the idiotic hastiness of my actions and I dropped down onto my hands and knees, fingers raking the ground for my phone. Suddenly, my fingertips brushed against cold plastic and I grasped my phone, pulling myself up. My mouth went dry as my predicament hit me full-force. I needed to get home. Although it wasn't bad now, it would surely get lots cooler overnight and I'd always been frustratingly susceptible to low temperatures. At best I would get a severe cold and at worst, I would freeze. I hurried the way I came, hoping against hope that it would bring me back to the dirt road.
Minutes passed like hours and the night got darker and darker, until the moon was the only thing lighting my way. I hadn't found the dirt road yet, and I was about ready to cry from exhaustion and sheer panic when suddenly, a solitary light shined off in the distance. I huffed in relief. My sprint slowed down to a walk as I strolled towards that shining light. The night air was quiet- no sounds of bickering or yelling or screaming. Just... silence. I frowned in confusion. Silence just didn't happen in my family. But then, as I neared, I realized why.
It wasn't my house.
I almost collapsed in disappointment and frustration until I realized that this wasn't much of a setback. Whoever lived here might help me find my way. I strode up to the house, my confidence restored and peered through the door windows. The house was an old one, like mine, that was renovated for modern convenience. Everything inside was impeccable. Warm mahogany furniture, glossy paneled floors, a dark black piano in the middle of it all. My breath fogged up the glass and I was reminded of how cold it might get. I knocked on the door.
"Hello?" I called out. I waited but there was no answer. Desperate now, I knocked again, louder this time. Please let someone be home, I thought.
"Hello?" I yelled. I waited but still, there was no answer. Out of my mind with fear now, I pounded on the door and screamed with all my might.
"Someone, please open the door! Please! HEL-LO?!"
Suddenly, a quiet voice sounded unexpectedly from right behind me, "Can I help you, miss?"
Caught off guard and with my nerves already stretched to their limit, I jumped, screeching, and whirled around to see who it was, finally losing my balance and slamming against the door before I slid down it to plop onto the ground. My breath was coming in and out of me in short, sharp gasps of shock. A hand drifted into my vision and I looked up to see the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my life.
His features seemed to have been chiseled from stone and they were the likes of which had never been seen since the time of da Vinci and Michelangelo. A shock of perfectly messy bronze hair topped his glorious head, begging for fingers to run through it. Even in this dim light, his eyes were an unmistakable shade of bright, heart-melting green. My gaze unashamedly traveled down his body in my surprise. It seemed he'd been doing some work outside, because he was wearing a rather old and ratty shirt that was rolled up around well-tendoned forearms that ended in long-fingered and surprisingly elegant looking hands. I seemed to have lost control of my eyes as they stubbornly continued their journey down from his broad shoulders tapering to narrow hips and all the way to his utilitarian boots.
"Miss?" he said. He seemed to have asked me a question and I flushed as I realized he probably noticed me gawking at him. I tore my eyes back up to his face. Those green eyes were looking at me with worry and concern. And as they did, I was amazed to find that all of my fears had evaporated. For some reason, I felt safer than I'd ever had, like I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Strangely, it felt like coming home.
"I'm sorry, what?" I said, my voice coming out like a croak. I cleared my throat, embarrassed.
"I said would you like some help getting up?" he asked me again.
"Oh yeah! Thanks," I murmured, grabbing his hand as he pulled me up to my feet. A warmth flowed from his hand to mine and a slight gasp left my lips at the touch. There was something about it that I couldn't quite place... something ordinary and yet extraordinary at the same time, like I'd felt it before. It felt so familiar. He seemed to be a bit surprised too, because his hand squeezed mine for a moment as he stared at it, his face perplexed for a minute before he let my hand go and his features rearranged into concern. I found myself missing the warmth of his touch.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"No, no," I rushed to counter him, "Don't be. I was just being jumpy and silly."
There was a silence as we stared at each other.
"So, why were you trying to break my door down?" he asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Uh..." I stammered, "I kind of g-got lost." Get a hold of yourself, Swan! I scolded myself. I cleared my throat again.
The beautiful man looked out into the night, "You got yourself lost really late."
"Yeah, well," I mumbled, "I guess I wasn't being all that smart."
The man chuckled and said, "Don't worry. It could happen to anyone. I'll help you find your way home. Let me get a jacket real fast and we'll be off."
I nodded mutely as he stepped into his house. I stood there looking after him and he stood there, too, holding open the door as if he were waiting for something.
"Aren't you going to come in?" he finally said.
"Oh! Um... that's okay, I can just wait here," I said. The beautiful man rolled his eyes before pulling me in.
"Don't be silly. You're going to freeze to death out there, considering what you're wearing. I'm not going to bite you, you know." he joked, flashing a brilliant smile in my direction before disappearing behind a door. I stared after him, his words striking a chord within my heart, making it skip a beat. Where have I heard that before?
"Haha, yeah," I laughed weakly, thrown off kilter by his words and his smile. Why is this man affecting me like this, I wondered, internally slapping myself. You've met other attractive men before without turning into a slobbering bimbo. Pull it together, Swan. A minute later, he emerged in a blue Northface jacket.
"Let's go," he said and I followed him out the door. He locked up and then turned to me.
"I'm Edward," he said, holding out his hand. The name resonated through my mind with a significance I couldn't quite place. Edward, Edward, Edward... my mind repeated.
"Bella," I replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. Again, the warmth that flowed from his fingers to tingle through my entire body from the top of my head to the tips of my toes surprised me.
"Bella," he repeated. My name sounded like heaven through his lips.
"Your hands are freezing," he commented, as he brought his other hand to both of mine and rubbed them together, increasing the warmth that spread throughout my body at his touch. I barely stopped a moan of pleasure from escaping my damn traitor mouth.
"Here," he said, holding something out to me. It was another jacket. I didn't notice it before. I had been preoccupied by his face. I took it and, shivering as the empty air came in to replace the warmth where his hands had been, pushed my arms through the sleeves, wrapping the jacket around myself. It was too large on me and the sleeves fell past my hands, but I wasn't complaining. The more warmth the better.
"Thank you," I said, grateful for the protection against the cold.
Edward shrugged, "Esme made me buy two. I really don't know why. She's always so protective. But it seems like it came in handy tonight." He smiled at me and my heart dropped at the new name. Of course someone like him would be snatched up already.
"Sounds like you have a very devoted girlfriend," I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, as if the thought that he was already attached had not somehow destroyed the rest of my week.
The green eyes widened, "Who? Esme? No, no... Esme is my mother. She comes up to visit every so often. I have no girlfriend."
"Oh! I'm sorry... I guess I just assumed. I mean, handsome guy like you..." I murmured, blushing as I did so. It was ridiculous how happy that one little fact made me. He didn't have a girlfriend!
I was surprised to find him a little flushed too, as he replied, "No, that's okay. It's an honest mistake that many people make. Few call their parents by their given names."
"No, I really should have known, because I do, too. Not to their faces though..." I said. We started walking away from the house. Edward had a flashlight in his hand, although the full moon sufficiently lighted our way.
"I'm sorry you have to help me find my way home. It must be annoying. Especially so close during the holidays. I'm probably pulling you away from your family," I apologized.
"That's okay," he said, "It happens all the time. You wouldn't believe the number of people that have come by here, lost, these days. Besides, Esme is my only family and she's not flying in until tomorrow so you're not keeping me from anyone. Where are you staying, anyways?" I described to him where my house was.
He looked at me in surprise, "You're staying in the old Swan Estate? You're Bella... Swan?"
I nodded, "Yeah, but I guess it's the Whitlock Estate now. My dad gave my sister Alice the old house when she got married to her husband, Jasper Whitlock, five months ago in June."
"Huh," Edward said, "Who would have guessed..." I looked at him and he seemed far away in his thoughts. I wondered if he was still thinking about my house or if it was something else.
"What?" I asked him.
"Well, it's just that there are a lot of old legends surrounding that place," he answered.
"A lot of old legends?" I questioned him.
"Well, not a lot," he admitted, "just one in particular."
I stared at him blankly.
"Bella," he admonished me, "you live there. You can't tell me you've never heard any stories about your place?"
I shrugged, "I guess not. My parents haven't told me any stories. Or if they did, I probably just forgot."
"Trust me," Edward said, "you wouldn't have forgotten this one. In fact, it's the main reason why so many people are getting lost here nowadays. They keep trying to find your house."
"Really?" I said, a bit astonished. I'd have never guessed that the creaky old monster was that popular, "But we've never seen anyone other than our own family around."
"Well, I never told them. I thought that your family wouldn't appreciate random strangers coming to your house and poking around all the time."
I was stunned by his unasked for thoughtfulness, "Thank you."
"No problem," he replied, as if it was nothing at all.
"So how do you know that I'm not just one of those random strangers?" I teased him.
He laughed, "Well, all of those other people couldn't even describe at least a little bit of where it was. And here you are, knowing every tree, shrub, and brook that surrounds the place. You couldn't be one of those random strangers."
He had me there. This guy was sharp.
"So," I said, curiosity peaked, "What is this old legend anyway?"
"Well," Edward said hesitantly, "It's a long story."
"Hmm... judging by how late it is and the fact that I started out at sunset, I figure that we've got time," I said. He still hesitated.
"What," I laughed, "did someone die or something?"
"Actually," Edward replied, "two people did."
All laughter died out of my voice. "Oh," I said.
He turned to me, catching my tone of voice, his fingers spread out apologetically and his eyes wide again, "I'm sorry if that upsets you. I shouldn't have said anything. That just completely slipped out."
I shook my head fervently, and perhaps, out of morbid interest, I said, "No, I want to know. What happened?"
Edward peered at me, his expression scrutinizing as I squirmed under his gaze, a gaze that made me want to jump his bones right then and there under the starry sky.
Finally, he spoke up, "Well, it's a rather tragic tale. Are you sure you want to hear it?" I sighed and sped up, stopping right in front of him, my arms crossed from both the cold and plain old pig-headedness.
"Spill," I commanded.
"We're just a little pushy today, aren't we?" Edward said, an eyebrow raised, but at my fierce look, he continued.
"Well, perhaps you know that your house used to be an old inn, a bed and breakfast of sorts, where people went to have a drink and stay overnight if they wanted to."
"Yeah, I remember hearing something like that. When I was six, my parents got into this huge fight with the city government. They wanted to make our house some sort of historical monument but my parents refused. Obviously we'd have to move out if they did so, and this house has been in my family for generations. I'd never understood why they wanted to make it a historical site though. There really isn't anything special about it, except the fact that it was old," I spoke my thoughts.
"Well, maybe this story will enlighten you as to why the city wanted to do that," Edward replied, "Your ancestor, the man who originally owned the place was..."
"The landlord," I completed.
"Right, and he had a beautiful daughter, his only daughter, and his most prized possession in the world since her mother died in birthing her. Legend has it that although he loved her greatly, he still held some resentment in his heart for her mother's death, and so father and daughter were never as close as they could have been and for most of her life, the daughter had a lot more freedom than most other girls," Edward explained.
I nodded, "So what happened?"
Edward chuckled darkly, "Well, what else could have happened? She fell in love..."