Chapter 1
Welcome to Forkshire.
That's what the sign indicated, beside that 593 happy inhabitants content to see you. To Edward Masen it was more like 593 persons ready to dig their noses in his life.
At 27 he was just coming back from Rhodesia to take care of his father's business. The Masen state, better known as Twilight, was one of the biggest properties there . Before he could go to his childhood home, he had to go to make a visit to his Uncle Carlisle Cullen. He was the one who gave him the notice of his father's death, and of course, reminded him that his duty was to come to take care of his father's side of the firm. Cullen & Masen was one of the biggest import-export companies in England and Edward Sr. with Carlisle were the owners.
So there he was coming to see what his 'Uncle', not really blood related at all, wanted to do.
As he was entering the land, he caught a car hidden in the woods; the car was moving rhythmically and it took him two seconds to realize what was happening inside it.
Oh my! His uncle would be furious if he find out that young kids came to his property to have fun. Then he heard a moan, loud enough to make him stop; maybe he was mistaken, it could be a different situation. He was about to come close to the car when a female voice screamed:
"Yes, yes"
No there's no danger here.
As he started to walk, he took a look at the car and he saw a face and a bit of cleavage of a strawberry blond female.
"Well" he thought, "it seems that people is the same everywhere" and he kept walking 'til he got to the house. Carlisle Cullen's house, the Laurels, was a beautiful manor just like his own one, but it gave him the feeling of coldness he couldn't explain.
He just knocked on the door, when a beautiful woman, maybe in her forties, opened it.
"Good morning! You must be Edward Jr. Come; Mr. Cullen is waiting for you. Let me take your coat and let this suitcase here."
"Are you by any chance Mrs…"
"Oh no. I'm Miss Platt, the housekeeper. " To Edward she talked too forward for a housekeeper, and the name sounded like he met her before, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.
"Come, you arrived just in time for tea."
She led Edward to a room where various women seated; one of them came for him.
"Oh Edward, I'm so glad you're here." said a cute little black haired woman " Please, tell me you remember me. I'm Alice, Carlisle's daughter."
Ah, now he remembered knobby knees, braces, and an awful screeching voice demanding attention. He really hoped she had change.
"Of course Miss Alice, I remember you."
"Let me introduce you to everyone, you've just met Miss Platt, whatever you need, she's the one you have to ask, here is Mrs. Carmen Denali, one of our neighbors," she said as she pointed to a middle age fat blond woman who nodded, "then here's my best friend and Carmen's daughter, Miss Kate Denali" a blond woman about his age came to take his hand.
"So pleased to meet you, Alice is really excited to have you here."
Alice's face became serious when she said "Coming over there," she pointed to a door in the back opening, " is my stepmother Tanya Cullen." The woman from the car outside came in, confusing Edward. This was Carlisle's wife? She was cheating to poor Carlisle in his own house! He had to keep his face straight, but inside he was burning with indignation.
"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Cullen." He spat, trying to control his temper.
Then, his uncle decided to make an appearance, finally.
"Edward, I'm so glad you're here. I see you've met my family. We were waiting for you to start. Let me call Esme, so she can bring us the tea." In that moment, Esme, or Miss Platt, whatever everyone called her, came in with a cart with tea, biscuits, toast, jam, butter. Edward's stomach growled in anticipation, so he took a plate and made honors to the meal.
"So Edward, did you left any Mrs. Masen waiting for you in Rhodesia?"
Damn this Alice! Edward thought. What a lack of tact, asking right away if he was single; but he saw a ring in her left hand, so she wasn't asking for herself. It was only gossip.
Noticing Edward's discomfort, Carlisle reprimanded his daughter.
"Alice dear, where are your manners? Edward had just come home after his father's death, he has so much in his mind right now."
"But Father, Twilight is a beautiful manor and so big that without the proper care a feminine hand could give, it will come down in a minute."
"Oh Alice, Edward has more to worry than his house; I mean he was in Africa for years, and he had lost his parents. He needs time to grieve…"
At this point, Edward's mind disconnected from the conversation. Was he grieving the death of his father? He left six years ago, when the loss of his mother, Elizabeth became too much to bear. Back then, the three of them were a happy family; he had come back after finishing his education in Eton, ready to start to work at his father's company. Elizabeth was hinting at the possibility of marriage to a proper girl, just like Alice or Kate. Then Elizabeth became sick, with lung pneumonia. She never had the chance to recover and within a month she died.
At first, both Edwards, father and son, were grieving together. Then alcohol came. Edward Sr. drank a lot, and in his drunkenness he blamed his son for Elizabeth's demise. Later he became violent. Edward took it all, because he respected his father; but it came the time when enough was enough and Edward left to Rhodesia. He kept in contact with his father through letters, but the relationship never mend.
Then he got notice of his father's lack of health so he made arrangements to come back to England, sadly it wasn't soon enough and he arrived a week after his father's death.
Of course Carlisle took care of the firm and that little pest called funeral. It took place the past Saturday and Edward never got the chance to say goodbye to his father. Now, without any hope to come back to the vast lands of Rhodesia, he now had to take care of his part of the firm. But no hopelessenough to let this group of women try to control his life.
"We have to make a 'welcome back' party; we have to let the people know Edward is back. We could invite the people that matter, let's see, Doctor Whitlock, Mr. McCarthy…"
When Edward came back from the past, he heard Alice and Carmen planning a party without acquiring his opinion .
"Don't forget Mrs. Mallory, and the Stanleys oh and Miss Emily. Just the finest people of Forkshire."
"Don't forget to invite Lady Higginbotham." Tanya said with a mischievous grin.
The outraged faces of the other ladies had Edward thinking what was wrong with Lady Higginbotham to make them pass the chance to invite the only nobility in Forkshire.
"What's wrong with Lady Higginbotham?" The curiosity was bigger than his will to remain silent.
"Ha, you've never heard of her. At the time you left here, they still lived in Surrey. Everyone cherised Lord Phil Higginbotham, so tall and handsome. Sadly, he never had a good brain for businesses. So he was losing money, and then he had to send his daughters to Paris and Florence to study because nothing was good enough for them. Of course by the time he died and they read the will, they found he was so in debt that they had to sell all their properties and just kept their home here. So now they may be all blue blooded but they're poorer than a rat." Carmen spat with venom.
"To the whole town horror, Rosalie Higginbotham had one coming-out party here, gaining the attention of every male here, single or married; but her father arranged her marriage to Mr. Royce King. So all the men hopes crushed, and all the ladies were mad to be left as second best." Added Tanya again, with that mischievous glint in her eyes. It seems like she wasn't very fond of the other ladies.
"Please, like I would envy anything that Rosalie has. She has the body of a wanton…" Kate silenced the last word, like it would tarnish her mouth. " Ugh! her face, and her eyes are almost violet so nasty colored."
The knowing smile that Carlisle wore made Edward realize that Miss Kate had her eyes set in certain Mr. Royce King and probably he rejected her. Now Edward wanted to meet the Higginbotham, they seem nicer than his current company.
Tanya was an enigma to him, obviously she wasn't happy in her marriage to cheat on her husband, but her attitude toward the Higginbotham or Miss Platt was nice, and the way she likes to taunt Alice and Kate… maybe it is because she's a beautiful woman, not his type but he couldn't deny it, and let's face it, Kate and her mother weren't pretty at all.
"But they live here , and I'm sure Edward will appreciate meeting them." Tanya said, winking at me.
"Sure, I'd like to meet them, let's invite them"
"Considered it done. Esme dear, please help me get everything ready for a reunion to present Edward to the people here." Carlisle said, calling for Esme who was picking all the plates and cups.
"Mr. Cullen I'm not so sure. I heard they're planning a party of their own to welcome back the younger daughter."
"So there's another Higginbotham girl" said Edward sounding really enthusiast "And what is her name?"
"Isabella, Isabella Higginbotham."