Chapter III

September 14th, 1510

I had missed my monthly course, and a physician was sent for. I was nervous and scared. Was there something wrong with me?

After a check-up, the physician looked strained.

"What is it?" I said at once.

"My Lady," he said, clearing his throat. "After consulting a midwife, both of us came to the conclusion that you're with child. There is the matter of how to proceed. You are only fourteen and quite young to have a child and survive."

I felt the ground coming towards me.

"Get her some water!" I heard the physician call.

I was taken to my bed.

"She's in shock," Jessica murmured to the physician. "What shall we do?"

"Get the Countess of Olympia," the physician told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm confident that she'll know what to do. The Countess has children of her own, so I'm sure she'll know what to do to a young girl who had became pregnant for the first time. She's close too. Besides, there's a blood connection between the Baroness and the Countess. Go! Send a couple of servants! Here's the address. Go on girl! What are you waiting for?! You do want the child to make it alive to the well, now do you? You do want Lady Isabella-"

"Yes, I know!"

"Good!"

Jessica went out and returned with the herald.

The physician told him something, and he rushed off.

I was still too shock to do anything.

A few minutes later, a woman with a heart-shaped face and caramel-coloured hair hurried in, Jessica trailing after her.

"Isabella?" she said, gently shaking me.

I tried to talk, but no noise came out.

"Relax," said the woman, tenderly placing me in a sitting position.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"I'm Esmeralda, the Countess of Olympia," she said, giving me a cup of tea. "You can call me Esme, everyone calls me that. The physician told me about your condition. Don't worry about it, dear. I gave birth to a child when I was fourteen. It's not as painful as it sounds. Do you want to talk, Isabella? We can talk privately if you want."

I nodded.

The physician and Jessica left the room.

Jessica closed the door behind them.

"I'm scared," I confessed.

"It's natural," said Esme, smiling at me. "Every woman fears that."

"I'm not that scared of the pregnancy."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm scared of Jacob."

"Oh? Why? He's your husband. There's nothing to be scared about. A girl your age, I'm sure the child is legitimately his! You're a pretty girl, and after the pregnancy, I'm sure your looks will remain the same, and maybe your husband will like you more!"

"He doesn't care for me. He only cares for his bastard and House."

"Oh?"

"Jacob dotes on his bastard. He never showed any love to me."

"Is that all?"

"Esme! It hurts! I don't understand why he has all his love and affections reserved for his bastard while being cold and abusive to me! How do I know if he'll treat our future children in similar fashion?! I don't want to live with an abusive husband who'll use me as entertainment for his relatives! This child wasn't even conceived out of love!"

"Don't say that!"

"What would you do with an abusive husband?"

Esme was silent.

"Let me tell you a secret," said Esme finally. "I was a very wealthy heiress in my time, and my parents died when I was a few months old. I was the ward of a great supporter of the previous King of Volterra, Sir Robert Evenson, 2nd Earl of Columbus. I was raised alongside his children, Charles, Richard, John, Margaret and Eleanor. The girls were kind to me."

"What happened?" I said softly.

"I was betrothed and married to Sir Charles."

"For your wealth?"

"Of course. The Platt inheritance was quite a catch back then."

"It probably still is."

"Well, I suppose so."

"What happened to you?"

"When Sir Robert died, my husband became the 3rd Earl of Columbus and I became Countess. I was pregnant when I was fourteen and gave birth to my first child, a girl. She was named Mary, after Charles's mother. As soon as I recovered, I was pregnant again and had another daughter, Eleanor. That was when Charles became abusive towards me. Even during my third pregnancy, he would hit and smother me as entertainment. I gave birth to another girl, named after his aunt, Isabel. Charles was so angry that it wasn't a son that he left me outside in the cold. I survived of course, to give birth to the boy the very next year. He was named Henry, after an uncle. Charles died in war a few weeks later. I didn't plan to remarry, because of my fear of being abused again."

"But you did remarry."

"I know."

"Where are your children?"

"Living with their uncle John."

"Don't you want them with you?"

"I have a new family. I married into a more loving and peaceful family. My Evenson children seem to be happy with their uncle. I don't think they want to be with me and my new husband anyway. Very soon, I had fallen in love with the Earl of Olympia."

"Edward's father."

"You know my stepson Edward?!"

"Stepson?! You're not his mother?!"

"No dear! How silly of me! Of course you know Edward! You're his half-sister-in-law! You're a poor soul, marrying in a family like this!"

"I thought you said-"

"That the family is peaceful? I didn't marry into the Black family!"

"I don't understand…"

"Of course you won't. It's complicated."

"What happened to Edward's mother?"

"Oh, that poor lady. She was abused badly by William Black. She escaped and became the first wife of the Earl of Olympia, even though William's still alive. With him, she had three children. Are you sure you want to know what happened to her?"

"Yes."

Before she could speak, Edward walked in.

"Esme!" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Mistress Stanley called me here," said Esme pleasantly. "I'll leave you two in peace."

She smiled encouragingly at me and departed.

"Edward," I said uncomfortably. "I don't know whether it's a good thing to tell you, but I'll tell you anyway. I'm pregnant with Jacob's child. I don't know what to do! Esme was helping me out and preparing me for the months ahead. She did have experience in having children. I couldn't tell any Black servant about my emotions, or they'll definitely tell Jacob and I would be dead by now. I'm scared, Edward. What if I die in childbirth?"

Edward frowned slightly.

"I'm scared," I whimpered.

His frown disappeared and was replaced by a concerned look.

"Are you alright?" he said, worried.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I was never pregnant before. Esme said not to worry about it, but I'm scared the child will be a girl."

"Don't worry about it."

"You know better than I do about the Blacks!"

"There aren't that bad…"

"You told me that the Blacks are cruel and evil!"

Edward said nothing.

"Edward!" I pleaded. "Tell me the truth!"

"Bella," Edward said, almost painfully. "It's a long story. This isn't the right time to tell you either. You have to worry about your unborn child. I'm here to tell you that Jacob won't be back any time sooner. He's on a mission in a different kingdom. My brother's with him. One thing's for sure; there'll never be peace if Jacob and I are in the same kingdom. There'll always be trouble in between us. I'll tell you another day, after your pregnancy at the most. The most I can do for you is to keep an eye out on Jacob and warn you if he comes around here."

I almost cried out in desperation.

Couldn't he see that I needed him?!

Months passed and my pregnancy grew obviously visible. Jacob wrote letters to me once a month and thankfully wasn't close to William Manor.

The more time he's away, the more time I spend with Edward.

One day, Edward brought his young daughter over.

Once I set eyes on her, I couldn't take them off.

She had the same high cheek bones, straight nose, jaw line and shell-pink full lips as Edward. Her curly hair was the same, beautiful bronze colour as Edward's, and had adorable ringlets. Her eyes were chocolate brown with pale lavender-shaded eyelids. She was the most attractive little girl I had ever seen in my whole life!

"This is Renata Esmeralda," said Edward, smiling at her.

"Renata Esmeralda," I murmured.

The name was too grown up for such a delightful petite girl.

"We call her Renesmee," Edward explained. "You know, the combination of her two names? We'll have to start calling her Renata (or at least Renee) when she's older of course, but for now, it's Renesmee. I named her after her mother and my stepmother."

"Esme," I said thoughtfully.

"Yes. Esme's done so much for me, that I felt compelled to name my first child after her."

"Of course."

"Renesmee, this is your half-aunt, Bella."

"Hello Renesmee."

Renesmee looked at me curiously.

"Why she so fat?!" she demanded.

I laughed while Edward looked shocked and taken back.

"I have a baby in here," I said to Renesmee. "You were one before."

"Baby," repeated Renesmee, gingerly touching my stomach. "Is it a girl or boy? Will it be my new brother or sister?"

"Sorry darling," said Edward, patting her on the head. "We don't know whether it's a girl or boy. It'll be

your new cousin, not sister or brother. Why don't you go and play?"

Renesmee smiled and ran out.

"She's only three," Edward said apologetically.

"Nothing to apologise!" I laughed.

"It's not polite though! It seems rude! Besides, it's your first pregnancy! I didn't know that Renesmee would say that to you! I really didn't!"

"Edward, calm down. She's three years old."

"I shouldn't have brought her here…"

"Stop thinking about it! It'll only make things worse!"

Edward sighed.

There was something on his mind.

I could sense it.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"What?" said Edward, distracted. "Oh, I'm fine. There's been some problems, but no big deal. I can suppress them easily. You don't have to worry about them. The problems don't concern you. Jacob maybe, but definitely not you."

"He's my husband!"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"It's not good news."

"Okay…"

"There's been attacks on my land. Somebody even set fire to one of the sheds yesterday. My father's away in Court, and left me in charge. This hadn't happened when he was at Olympia. I have no idea why this is happening. Olympia's very prosperous, but the fires might destroy the land and that'll cause economic problems. You're looking confused already. Sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have talked about it to you, you're getting confused."

"No. I get it. Why's Jacob part of this?"

"I suspect-"

"That I set the fires?" said a cold voice at the door.

Edward jumped up.

My husband stood coldly at the door, his arms crossed and his legs apart.

"Edward," he said icily. "I'm glad to see you keeping my wife company while she's pregnant with my child. I'm surprised you brought your bastard."

"Jacob," said Edward calmly. "What's your point?"

"This isn't your house. Why are you discussing business with Isabella?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"She's my wife. I can't let her conspire with you."

"If she's your wife, you should trust her."

"Why would I trust that bitch? The only good thing about her is that she's pregnant. Once the child is born, she'll be pregnant again and again, always carrying my child. I won't mind if she dies in childbirth. At least she'll die of a noble cause."

"Dying giving birth to your child?! That's noble?!"

"What happened to the mother of your bastard? Oh yes, she got-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

I had never seen Edward that furious before.

Jacob smirked.

Edward punched Jacob in the face and stormed out.

"Renesmee!" I heard him shout. "We're going home!"

Jacob wiped away the blood and glared at me.

William stroded in, holding a bottle of wine (which looked half empty).

"Ah, Isabella," he said unpleasantly. "I see that you're pregnant. The baby better look a lot like Jacob, or there'll be some problems. Like the controversy whether it is Jacob or Edward's child. I've noticed that you spent a lot of time with him while my son was gone. Now, tell me. Did he come here to keep you company, or for something darker?"

His sly eyes never moved from my face.

I said nothing.

I was too scared to talk.

The Earl came closer to me and grabbed my throat. He slowly squeezed it, and dark spots slowly appeared in my vision.

"I'll strangle you if I see him with you again," he growled.

He released me and I fell back against my pillows.

Jacob and William departed.

I wished Edward was here.

He would always make me feel better.

I silently climbed out of bed and stepped in my satin slippers.

I don't care if the physician advised me to stay in bed, but I needed something to do.

Jessica had escaped to Edward's household safely before Jacob appeared. If William caught her here, she would be dead in seconds. Jacob and William tolerated Edward (because of his blood connection), but they didn't care at all about Jessica. They only viewed her as an annoying maid who could put nasty ideas in my mind and thoughts.

I walked quietly through a corridor and noticed paintings on the walls.

They were all paintings of the Black family over time.

The first few paintings of the Blacks were much warmer than the ones at the end.

The painting at the furthest end included a man, his wife and five children. They all seemed so happy, and all had black hair and dark eyes. They must be Jacob's ancestors. The closest one was of William with a woman and Jacob.

The woman's face was slashed.

It must be Jacob's mother.

William's expression was cruelty and pride. There was no longer the happiness and joy on the painting like there was in the earlier ones.

I heard raucous laughter below.

William and his loud friends again.

I felt movement in my stomach.

I was in my seventh month of pregnancy.

The baby will see the light of the world in two months' time.

Will Jacob warm up to me?

I was relieved that Jacob left Beatrice with other members of the Black family. Maybe this is the only chance I'll get in winning his love and affection. Deep inside, I was certain that even the cruellest man on earth had a little love in his heart, even if it was covered by layers of ice. I'll just have to warm Jacob's heart, enough for it to melt.

Perhaps I'll be the one that changes the Black family atmosphere.

Back into the happy feeling like before.

I continued walking and found myself in a place I haven't been to before.

I realised I was in one of the towers.

In front of me was a door.

There was a sense of foreboding about it.

I pondered.

Should I risk opening the door to see what's inside, or should I explore the tower another day when I'm not heavily pregnant? The more I thought about it, the more curious I became. After a few minutes, I decided to go into the room.

I slowly opened the door and saw Jacob with two others.

Their backs were to me.

"We have to attack them someday," one was saying. "Burning and stealing is fun, but we have to get serious about it now. The King would obviously support them rather than us, but I'm sure we can twist this situation around so it can suit us better. There are other male Blacks, but it'll be best for you to get the main benefits. You are of the main Black line. I'm sure your plan will succeed. It'll be best for Swan to help, but I don't think he will."

"He won't," said Jacob carelessly. "He's a drunk."

"How do you know?"

"Sam, I married his daughter. I know him. He won't help."

"It's pretty unfair though…"

"I know. I want a divorce though. I'm suspecting Isabella as a traitor of the Blacks. She's spending a lot of time with Cullen. I would beat her up until she dies if Cullen foils our plans. Never liked her. I only married her for her wealth."

"What else do we marry for?"

The three of them laughed nastily.

Suddenly, Jacob caught sight of me at the corner of his eye.

He dragged me in and threw me on the ground.

"What did you hear?!" he snarled.

"Not-thing!" I stammered.

"LIAR!"

"I didn't hear anything! I mean what I say!"

"What are you doing here?! You lie, and I'll cut out your tongue and allow my friends to beat you until you're senseless! I don't care if you're pregnant! I want to know what you're doing here! Are you here to eavesdrop on us and report what we said to Cullen? My father is right! You're having a disgusting affair with him behind my back! You have no idea how much I want to kill you! If the child in your womb is a girl, your life will end!"

He grabbed a cane and whacked it on my head.

Blood rushed through my head.

I bit my lip as Jacob continued hitting my head, and tasted blood. My vision grew blurry and all I could feel was the constant beating on my head.

Not long after, I passed out.

I'd like to thank all those people who gave me reviews! :) They added so much fuel to my motivation for typing this story! Please review! :)