Much love to my betas, noctems, vanilladoubleshot, and windtrails. You ladies are making this entire process so much fun! Thank you first for your friendship, and then for your support and your watchful eyes. Special thanks also to poppypickle, who lent her time and her eyes, and helped my reallylongsentences take on some reasonable structure. ;)
Thanks to Michelle for everything, and to Ashley for being 'queen' of the lab.
To each of you who have favorited this fic/me, put it/me as an author on alert, and/or who've taken the time to review - thank you so much! I'm really humbled by the response I've gotten so far. You all are lovely!
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer wears really bright lipstick and can afford my whole life. I wear Burt's Bees lip balm and paid for my dinner entirely in quarters.
***
Much to Bella's delight, she found herself roused in the morning – as she had hoped – by a warm strip of sunlight across her side of the bed. Angela was quietly moving about the room, and Bella yawned and stretched, curling her toes into the mattress as she sat up and brought her knees to her chest beneath the covers.
"Good morning, Bella."
Noticing the wisps of steam rising from a pitcher on her dressing table, Bella hugged her knees before pushing away the duvet and dropping her legs off the side of the bed. A pair of slippers awaited her bare feet, and she finally spoke, "Good morning."
"I ordered breakfast for seven, as we discussed last night, and I told Cook that you'd send times for dinner, tea and supper. I also told her you may have a guest for dinner, if Miss Alice stays." Angela informed her, pouring the steaming pitcher of water into its washbasin and draping a facecloth over the edge.
"That's perfect, Angela. Thank you." Smiling around another yawn, Bella untangled her legs from the thin layers of her summer nightgown, tossed her hair – braided for bed – over her shoulder, and made her way to the cushioned stool by her dressing table. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she dipped her fingers into the hot water in front of her.
"I'll let you wash up." Giving Bella's shoulder a gentle squeeze, Angela headed toward the door, "I'll be back in a few minutes to help you dress. I've set your under clothes just there," Gesturing to the drawers, stockings and chemise laid across a chair near where Bella sat, Angela grinned, "and there is a new bodice in your closet that I cannot wait to dress you in, Bella."
Bella shook her head as the other girl excused herself from the room, and soaked the awaiting facecloth in the basin before wringing it out and bringing it to rest warm against the side of her neck. It was wonderful what a night's worth of sleep had done for her anxious thoughts. Bella relished the thought of seeing Alice after breakfast as she pulled loose the strings at the neck of her nightgown, a trail of warm water running down her palm
She washed up quickly, shedding her now damp sleepwear for the intimates that Angela had readied. After donning the black stockings and loose drawers, she fingered the lace around the hem of the chemise before slipping it over her head and fitting the tiny pearl button through its corresponding loophole at her collarbone. Massaging her sides through the comfortable cotton, Bella took her last unlabored deep breaths before Angela returned to corset her just moments later.
The bodice Angela chose was a lovely shade of light blue, with matching pearl buttons at the wrists and down the front. Bella decided on a chamois brown skirt, loathe to be adding another layer to the petticoats and black underskirt she was already wearing.
"I will be so glad when the bustle goes out of fashion." Bemoaning the pad of fabric tied around her waist to give shape to the back of her skirt layers, Bella leaned on Angela as she helped her slip into her ankle-high shoes.
"I don't begrudge you the style at all." Due to the work she was often required to do, it was impractical for Angela to indulge in that particular vanity. Motioning for Bella to once again sit at her dressing table, she brought out a brush to set about the task of brushing and styling Bella's near waist length hair.
"They're simply ridiculous," Bella murmured, closing her eyes; having her hair brushed, whether by Angela or on her own, was her favorite part of the morning and evening routine.
After her hair was sufficiently brushed until it was shining and soft, Angela pinned it up in loose, wavy layers, leaving a slight poof in the front, and allowing a few tendrils to fall and frame Bella's face.
"There," Setting Bella's brush near the washbasin so she'd remember to wash and rinse it, Angela stepped back as Bella stood to gaze at her reflection in the full-length mirror near the closet. "You go on down for breakfast now, Bella."
"Thank you, Angela." Meeting the younger girl's eyes in the mirror Bella smiled.
It was time to face her first full day here as Mrs. Michael Newton.
* * *
The fresh bread, hot cakes, boiled eggs, and fried ham that Sue had prepared and served were cooked just to Bella's liking, and she was embarrassed by the ravenous way in which she finished everything set before her; she hadn't even left the edges of her bread. Her nerves had kept her from eating much at the previous night's supper, even after Jasper's visit and her new found resolve, and apparently she was hungrier than she realized.
"More bread, Miss Bella?" Emily queried as she refilled Bella's glass with fresh squeezed orange juice and balanced her now empty dishes in her free hand. Bella had been quick to prompt Emily to call her by her first name, and she smiled at the more informal address.
Feeling the extra tightness behind the corset at her waist, Bella shook her head, rubbing the front of her bodice lightly, "I'm full to bursting, Emily. Thank you." Sipping at her orange juice, Bella sighed and looked around the dining room.
It was decorated in similar fashion to the rest of the home, with paintings and fine furniture surrounding the modest table she was sitting at. Bowls with bright red apples called to Bella from the far end of the room, and her full stomach groaned.
"I'm going to become a barge." Laughing quietly to herself, Bella finished her juice and excused herself from the table to wander her new home.
Breakfast was long since over, and most of the entire lower level of the house searched, when Bella began to wonder if Jasper had forgotten his promise to send Alice to her first thing. Meandering back into the foyer, she decided to give herself a tour of the upper level, when the telltale sounds of a horse and carriage sounded through the open windows.
"Alice!"
Of all the words Bella'd ever heard to describe Alice she wagered that 'dainty' suited her physical appearance best. However, as she made her way down her front steps to greet the dainty Alice Whitlock, the lady in question rose to her feet – in the still moving, open carriage – and waved her dainty arms in Bella's direction.
"She's an effulgent force of nature, that young niece of mine."
Recalling her father's fond assessment from their childhood, Bella wagered they suited her cousin's interminable gaiety, and she couldn't suppress the affection that spilled from her mouth as laughter.
Alice's eyes widened as she realized her un-ladylike behavior, and she sat quickly, her lips pursed apologetically for only a second before pulling into a wide grin as the carriage came to a halt. She remained seated, patiently waiting for her driver to extend his hand to help her down. From the tilt of her head and the barely perceptible bounce in her walk, Bella recognized the constraint her cousin was exerting to keep her feet from running.
"Bella!" Laced with nursery rhymes and secrets, Alice's voice met Bella's ears just moments before her small frame was wrapped in Bella's arms. "I brought you flowers - oh! I left them on the seat! – And I have news from Rose, and did Jasper tell you that his father is coming for a short visit? Oh my goodness, Bella, don't let me forget to tell you about the letter Kate sent from France – she's doing so many things, she even wrote a line in French!"
As always, Alice's enthusiasm refused to allow her a moment to breathe. Taking the flowers Alice's driver had retrieved for her from the carriage seat, Bella linked her arm through her cousin's and led her towards the house. Reaching to hand the flowers to Angela who was waiting on the porch with an open parasol, Bella shared a quick knowing smile with the girl before directing her companion in the direction of the gardens.
"But none of that is really important right away, because Bella you're home and you're married, and I want to know all about New York!" Alice's eyes shone brightly, and her face radiated its usual, charming glow. "I'm terribly afraid I've monopolized this entire conversation thus far, haven't I? Oh, Bella, I'm sorry. I've just looked so forward to seeing you! A month feels like such a long time when you're missing someone, doesn't it?"
Thinking of her sentiments upon seeing Jasper the day before, Bella leaned into Alice and hugged the arm entwined with her own. "I've missed the sound of your voice, Alice. Your talking does nothing but warm my heart."
"You've always been forgiving." Alice sighed, opening her own parasol and looking around the garden they were strolling through. "Now, tell me, did you enjoy your honeymoon, dear cousin?"
"New York was something!" Seeing the crowded streets and the looming architecture in her mind's eye, Bella rushed on, "You would have loved the Metropolitan Art Museum, and we even went to the opera! Oh, Alice, I've no idea how Michael got us into the Academy, but we saw a production called la Sonnambula, and it was so beautiful. I couldn't understand a word, but at the end, when Elvino took Amina into his arms, I understood; I cried!"
"You are Isabella, indeed." Alice mused and listened with rapt attention as Bella spoke about paintings and parks, of carriage rides and fashion – especially the fashion. When they made to pass through the garden a second time, the two women sat on a stone bench nestled within the flowers, overlooking a great deal of the property.
"I have gifts for you and Rose inside, remind me to send them with you. Actually, I'll see Rose at Church on Sunday, I think I should like to give her the gift myself." Fully at ease in Alice's presence, Bella twirled her parasol lightly, turning to face the smaller woman. Alice's face was fraught with mischief, and Bella shook her head. "Alice…"
"Bella you must! I don't need details, and even if I did I know you wouldn't give them to me. I just want to know that you…enjoyed yourself during the times that you did not venture out of your bedroom…" Laughing at the blush that bloomed across Bella's cheeks, Alice nudged her with an elbow. "Was he gentle with you?"
"This is highly improper for ladies to be discussing." Too warm beneath the confines of her corset, Bella bit her lip.
"Please, Bella." Laughing more, Alice lifted a tiny, gloved hand to brush some hair from Bella's eyes. "While we are indeed ladies of society, you and I both know that we are nothing but silly girls - and cousins none the less! Impropriety is to be expected with one's own family."
Alice's laughter was contagious, and Bella raised an eyebrow, "Is it now? I can't recall learning about familial impropriety in all the etiquette classes we endured."
"I do believe it came after the lesson on never being seen on the street without a proper pair of gloves, but before the lesson on allowing the gentleman seated to your right at a dinner party to assist you during the meal."
Both women erupted into laughter then, and after awhile of silence, Bella gave in.
"You are too much, Mary Alice, and I simply adore you." Taking a deep breath, she gave a glance heavenward and continued, "I cannot say that I did not enjoy myself during the times that Michael and I were…alone. I've never experienced anything to compare it to. He was nothing if not kind, and for the first few mornings he arranged hot baths for me to soak in. He said it would help to ease any of my lingering discomfort, and he was right. He was a perfect gentleman the entire time."
"Arranging hot baths for you was very considerate of him..." Alice allowed her voice to trail off in thought. "I simply want to know that you were taken care of, and it does sound as if Michael anticipated your needs."
"He said that I-" Bringing her hand to her neck, Bella looked over at Alice shyly, "He said that I pleased him. Mother said that was important – that I please my husband."
"Oh, Bella." Gathering the younger woman in her arms, their parasols forgotten, Alice kissed Bella's temple. "As if you could ever displease anyone." She was only older than Bella by two years, and had only been married for one year longer; however, with Bella's cheek pressed against her shoulder, Alice's twenty felt a lifetime older than Bella's eighteen.
"Will you stay for dinner, Alice?" Remembering that she was a grown woman and not a little girl, Bella pulled back from Alice's embrace, though she found a gloved hand to hold onto.
"I wouldn't think of leaving before."
***
Bella spent the subsequent days after Alice's visit further familiarizing herself with her home, the grounds, and many of her staff, and helping them to prepare for her husband's return on Friday afternoon.
After breakfast the morning of his arrival, Bella made sure to order a light dinner so that Sue could devote the afternoon to fixing the supper she'd ordered just for Michael. She'd requested all his favorites: cold pea soup to start, roast pork and seasoned potatoes with greens and turnips for the main course, followed by citrus ice to cleanse the palate, fresh rolls with sweet cream butter, and finally an assortment of jellies, dried fruits and cakes for dessert. Unable to remember if Michael enjoyed punch, she'd ordered coffee and lemonade to be brought last, hoping it would please him.
Bella had noticed the flowers Alice brought were beginning to wilt in their vases, and with the help of young Seth, one of the stable boys – and Leah's younger brother – she had procured some secateurs and some gardening gloves, and had collected a basket full of bright, Black-Eyed Susans to replace them.
She had busied herself by writing a letter to Kate, whom Alice had in fact informed her was quite enjoying her job as caretaker for her elderly grandmother - as the responsibility had taken her to Europe. She had also written letters to her mother and Rose, though she'd see them both on Sunday.
Angela had helped to dress her in an ensemble Bella hoped Michael would like, and after having her hair re-pinned in a few places, she had asked Angela to leave so she could gather her thoughts.
Her conversation with Alice in the garden had replayed in her head many times. Sitting on the edge of the chaise longue, she fixed her eyes on the bed that until this evening she had slept in alone. Something about the way Alice had drifted off, the intonation of her voice when she approved of Michael's anticipation of Bella's needs had made Bella wonder what Alice wasn't telling her.
She had been honest, she had not disliked being intimate with Michael; there had been pain at first, but he had been gentle. There had been a strange ache in her belly that remained even after Michael's soft snoring sounded beside her, and once she had felt as if she was near to something, some relief from the ache, but it had eluded her. She had found it frustrating, like having an itch she couldn't scratch. Overall she simply found the whole experience to be a necessity to ensuring her husband's happiness, and her mother had stressed that this particular duty of a wife was of the utmost importance.
She wondered if Michael would be too tired to expect her to be his wife in that way tonight.
In the distance she could hear the familiar sound of carriage wheels approaching, and sure enough Angela appeared to inform her that Michael was arriving.
"Thank you, Angela. Do I look alright?"
"You look beautiful, Bella. Come on, now." Angela adjusted Bella's skirts where they had bunched just slightly from sitting, and pushed her towards the stairs.
The day was nearing its end and darkness was beginning to lurk within shadows around the edges of the property, but Bella could see Michael clearly. She noticed he looked tired, but as his legs brought him up the porch steps to where she stood near the door, Bella's heart thudded with pride when he smiled appreciatively at her.
"Isabella."
Bella stiffened slightly at the use of her full name; it was one thing Michael had not yet consented to. He absolutely insisted on calling her Isabella, though he had taken to calling her 'Izzie' from time to time - usually when he thought something should be of interest to her.
"Look, Izzie, can you see there where they're building the bridge? It's going to be the greatest bridge in these United States."
"Michael." Pushing down her unease, Bella remembered her place, "Did you have a nice journey?"
"It was pleasant enough, though my destination is by far the nicest thing I've seen today." He brought one of her bare hands to his lips, and Bella's smile was genuine when he winked one blue eye at her.
"I don't mean to intrude, Sir, but will you be needing anything else from me this evening, or may I retire?"
Michael winked at Bella again before dropping her hand and turning to address the man speaking from the bottom of the steps. Eyes widening, Bella sucked in a tiny breath, for once glad for her corset that kept her from the great gasp she was sure would have filled her lungs.
He was beautiful.
"You've had a long day as well. If you'd lead the carriage back to the stables, tell Sam to rub down the horse and put the tack and carriage away. You may retire to your quarters in the carriage house after."
"Sir." Glancing briefly at Bella, the young man nodded and was about to walk away when Michael spoke again.
"Wait, wait, there is one more thing." Taking hold of Bella's elbow, Michael drew her to stand just in front of him. "You should meet my wife."
Bella swallowed as the man's eyes met hers, for she was sure the freshest summer grass envied their color – even in the fading light.
"It's nice to meet you," She managed, extending her hand, as a married woman should.
"I'm sure that the pleasure's all mine, Ma'am." The young man's mouth turned up on one side as he shook her hand, and Bella smiled politely back.
"Isabella, this is Edward. His father served as a driver for my family for many years, if you can remember him, pleasant Irish man?"
"Mr. Masen?" Looking back and up at Michael, she saw his nod of affirmation.
"That's right. Mr. Masen's wife has fallen ill, and Edward here has taken his place. Anywhere you need to go, you let him know. He'll take you."
"Your husband says you're to be taken to the Charity Society in town twice a week." The man's, Edward's, voice just hinted at his Irish birth, and Bella found herself leaning back just slightly into her husband's side.
Edward's mouth was still curved into a crooked smile, and under his hat, Bella glimpsed some strands of reddish hair, darkened by a thin sheen of sweat across his forehead. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and she could feel her own face heating at her perusal of his pale skin.
"Yes, that's correct. I also have a cousin I shall like to visit often, and my parents."
"Edward's quartered in the carriage house, Izzie. You can send Angela for him at any time. He'll help Sam maintain the grounds as well." With a hand at the small of her back, Michael turned her towards the door. "Right, well. That will be all, Edward. Good night."
"Good night, Sir. Ma'am."
Bella allowed Michael to lead her inside, and as she told him of the special dinner she had ordered, he hummed in approval.
"Did you find the house to your liking?"
"Yes, yes of course. I cut these flowers myself." Motioning towards the bright yellow flowers near the staircase, Bella bit her lip.
"They're beautiful, Isabella."
As Michael's lips brushed soft against the corner of her mouth, Bella closed her eyes.
She saw green behind her eyelids.
*Secateurs – pruning shears used in gardening.
*Chemise – an item of 19th century lingerie; worn for modesty, and as a protective layer for the skin under the corset.
*La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) is an opera in two acts, by Vincenzo Bellini, and was popular in the early and mid 19th century. It is still performed in opera houses around the world, today.