Title: Anatomy of a Human
Author: Amethyst Jackson
Rating: M
Summary: Companion to Only Human. Edward's young life is irreversibly altered when a mysterious girl in strange clothing stumbles into his world.
Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belongs to a whole lot of people, namely Stephenie Meyer and whomever she chooses to share the rights with, but I'm not one of those people. I wish I was, because I could use the cash, but I am making no money off this story or any other derivative work, so there's nothing to sue me for.
Chapter Two
"Excuse me, miss?"
Her eyes flashed to mine, wide and bright and shocked, and I was stunned senseless. I couldn't quite place what it was I found so striking about this woman – aside from her strange attire, I could find nothing out of the ordinary about her. Perhaps the combination of her features formed something greater than the sum of various parts. Her hair, her eyes, her skin, the shape of her mouth, the shape of her body – somehow, these things worked together to captivate me.
The woman stared at me with unsettling intensity. It was if she knew me somehow, which was utterly impossible. I would remember meeting this woman, surely. There was no way I had met her and forgotten her when I was struggling with such a visceral reaction to the sight of her now. Why, then, did she look so astonished?
I began to feel uncomfortable. Clearly, she was not going to respond to my question, but she couldn't simply continue to stand in the middle of the street, dressed like a cross between a suffragette and a manual laborer. All sorts of monsters could come along and attempt to take advantage of her.
"Miss?" I tried again, glancing about nervously. People were definitely staring. "Are you all right?"
Her eyes sharpened, snapping into focus, but she looked at me another few seconds before she responded.
"Actually, I'm a bit lost."
That seemed like an understatement. I wanted to know what life had handed her, why she seemed so disoriented. Perhaps she was…unstable? People did escape from the asylum from time to time….
"Where are you going?" I asked, sincerely hoping she was sane. It would be my luck to feel my first spark of interest for a woman that was a few bricks shy of a load. "Perhaps I can help you find your way."
"Um…maybe 'lost' wasn't the right word. I don't have any place to go," she admitted, twisting the hem of her blouse in one hand. The gesture seemed quite vulnerable, and I found it endearing.
"You don't live in Chicago?" I ventured.
"No," she replied slowly, still with that unwavering gaze. "I'm from Washington."
Washington? Washington state? "And you're here unattended? You've no one to take care of you?" Who would allow this young woman to wander around in such attire, far from home and without an escort?
The woman pursed her lips and then relaxed them, as if by force. "I didn't exactly intend to come here, but I have nowhere else to go, either."
I started to search my mind for some solution, but the tinkling of a bell as a door opened distracted me, and I tensed as I heard my mother's voice.
"Edward?" She approached us steadily, assessing the woman and me with her keen eyes. "Is there a problem?"
I took a deep breath to compose myself. I had no idea how my mother might react to this situation. "I was just asking this young lady if she needed assistance," I explained, keeping my tone light. "It seems she has nowhere to go."
My mother glanced between us once more. Her mouth lifted in a smirk, and I knew she'd caught me. My casual act hadn't fooled her for a second; she could see clearly that this woman intrigued me.
"And have you introduced yourself?" Mother asked, eyes dancing with mirth. Oh, this would not lead to anything good. I felt the color creeping up my neck, rushing into my cheeks.
"I hadn't gotten to that part yet," I muttered, embarrassed to have lost my composure so completely with one look from my mother. I was supposed to be a man, for goodness' sake, not some wide-eyed schoolboy. I cleared my throat unnecessarily. "Forgive me. My name is Edward Masen, and this is my mother."
"How do you do," the young woman said awkwardly. "I'm Bella Swan."
"Bella, you say? Is that your full name?" my mother questioned with a tilt of her head. Bella sounded perfect to me. Unusual, but perhaps people in Washington were somewhat eccentric?
"Um, no, it's short for Isabella," Bella replied with a wavering voice. Clearly, my mother made her nervous in a way that I had not. Yet another mystery to taunt my curiosity.
"Well, it's a very pretty name indeed," Mother declared with a contemplative tone in her voice. That tone was dangerous. Bella didn't seem to notice.
"Would you like to accompany us home for tea?" my mother offered, and I stared at her incredulously. "Perhaps we can be of some assistance to you."
"Thank you," Bella breathed, smiling widely with gratitude. "You're very kind."
"Well, we all need a bit of kindness now and then, do we not?" my mother smiled, and her gloved hand wrapped around my elbow. She nudged me in the side, her way of telling me to offer Bella my other arm. "It's simply the right thing to do."
"Still, you are a great deal more kind than most," Bella said, placing her hand very tentatively in the crook of my elbow. Even through my jacket and the July heat, I could feel the warmth.
We began the walk home in silence. Bella looked about uncertainly, as if everything was foreign to her. Washington couldn't be that much different, could it? My mother spoke now and then, trying to make small talk, but I was surreptitiously watching Bella, and Bella was clearly lost in her own thoughts.
Inside our home, Bella looked a bit out of place. Certainly no one in denim had ever sat on our parlor settee. Mother disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone with her. I took a seat in the chair my father typically occupied and watched her as she peered around curiously. Bella's eyes drifted to mine and darted away quickly. I was probably making her uncomfortable – I was staring rather improperly – but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to understand her.
My mother bustled in with the tea tray, and Bella relaxed slightly. "Your home is beautiful."
"Thank you," my mother said, busy with the tea things. "It was built just after the Great Fire."
Bella blinked owlishly. "How fascinating."
My mother prepared Bella's tea and handed it off to her. She passed me a cup as well, but I didn't drink right away, too amused by the awkward way Bella held her cup and saucer.
"Why don't you tell us how you've come to be here?" my mother suggested, sitting back in her chair with her own cup of tea. Bella took an unladylike gulp and began her story.
"My parents died three years ago, back in Washington. They'd become very ill – there was nothing the doctor could do. I was too old to be sent to the orphanage by then, and I had nowhere to go. I have no other relatives, as far as I know. An older woman took me in, a seamstress, and I lived and worked with her until she passed away. There was nothing left for me in that town, so I got on a train and…well, here I am," she concluded uncertainly, as if she thought we would toss her back on the street.
Something had changed for my mother during the course of Bella's tale. Her face had softened, and yet, there was something like determination in her eyes.
"I'm very sorry to hear about your parents," she said gently. "Forgive me, but may I inquire as to the manner of your dress? I don't think I've ever seen a girl in denim trousers before."
Bella's face grew very red, and she fiddled with the hem of her blouse again. "Oh, well, it's easier to travel this way. Fewer people bother you when you're dressed as a man. I, uh…tailored these to fit better."
My mother knew as well as I did that Bella's story about the clothing made no sense, but she didn't question Bella further. "It must be difficult for a young lady to travel alone these days."
"Sometimes," Bella murmured. "I've managed well enough."
Mother nodded. "Well, we'll be happy to offer you a place to stay until you find new employment." I blinked. We would? I'd known my mother would be willing to help Bella, but I'd thought that would involve finding her a boarding house and a job, not offering her the guestroom. The guestroom. She would be sleeping right down the hall…so close….
"Thank you," Bella said, her voice breathy with surprise and relief. "I can't begin to repay you for your kindness."
"Nonsense," my mother waved her off. "You have no belongings with you, so I suppose you have nothing suitable to wear during your stay."
I wondered at that. Surely Bella had inherited her parents' possessions, and had kept her own things, even after her employer had died. Why would she come to Chicago with nothing? Something wasn't right about her story, not at all.
"No, I don't, I'm sorry," Bella was saying.
"No need to apologize," Mother replied, evidently unconcerned, though I knew she must be thinking the same things I was. I think I have something suitable. Come upstairs with me. Edward, will you see to the spare bedroom?"
"Of course," I answered automatically, surprised to be addressed. Bella's eyes flickered back to me again. She still looked at me strangely.
Mother ushered Bella out of the parlor, onto the staircase. When they were out of sight, I slipped into the kitchen, where the maid, Annie, was busy gossiping with Mary. I knew they'd doubtlessly been eavesdropping through the entire conversation with Bella.
"Mother would like the spare bedroom prepared for our guest," I told them, met with raised eyebrows.
"The girl is staying?" Mary said incredulously. She'd always been rather impertinent for an employee, and she'd always gotten away with it somehow. I suppose she was virtually a member of the family by now.
I bristled. "Yes, she's staying. She has nowhere else to go."
Mary exchanged a look with Annie. I knew they were considering the scandalous nature of my mother's decision, taking in a strange girl with no connections. It was bizarre. I had no idea why my mother was doing it, but I was glad she had. Now I had more time to unravel the mystery of Bella Swan, and perhaps to understand why she captured my fancy so effortlessly.
"I suppose I'll need to rethink dinner plans, then," Mary grumbled. "It was to be steak, but we haven't enough for four."
I shrugged. "You'll have to discuss that with Mother. All I know is that we need the guestroom prepared," I said pointedly to Annie, who finally hopped down from the kitchen's wooden stool. She shot me a look before slipping up the back stairs to do her duty.
"Mr. Masen won't be pleased about this at all," Mary muttered. She could have been talking about the steaks, but I knew my father would not react well to our new houseguest. She would be allowed to stay, of course, because my mother always got her way, but I hoped he would not make Bella feel unwelcome. While I doubted the story she'd given us, I had the distinct feeling that Bella had been through enough hardship already.
A/N: In case you missed the memo, this story is the EPoV companion to my completed story Only Human. This one will make a lot more sense if you read the other one first. Otherwise, you'll be completely in the dark until...well, pretty much the last chapter. Then again, maybe it would be fun to have the story unravel that way. Your prerogative.
