3
The cab stopped in front of a large path that led to the castle. The driver took my bags out of the trunk and drove away. I stood speechless for a while, wondering why he didn't take me to the frontdoor. I sighed and picked up my bags. The path was quite long and the bags were quite heavy, but I supposed I didn't have a choice. I started walking towards the beautiful castle, which was bathing in the sunlight from the setting sun. I paused for a moment and dug in my bag, looking for my camera. I found it and quickly took some pictures of the castle. I put the camera back in my bag and continued my walk towards the castle.
As I finally arrived at the large, mahogany front door, I dropped the bags with a huff and took the key out of the envelope I got from Carlisle Cullen, the owner. A thrilling feeling washed over me as I put the key in the lock and turned it over, hearing the lock open. The door opened noisily and I shuffled inside, feeling a slight draft inside. I put my bags at the bottom of the stairs while looking around the large hallway. I closed the door and turned on the light. The wood glimmered beautifully in the soft light and it took my breath away. I walked through a random door that led to a long hallway. On the walls were old paintings and wall carpets. There were small windows that showed the large garden being beautifully lit by the sun. I leaned towards a window and put my hand against the window, tracing the lines of a large statue in the garden. It was too dark to make out the details. I sighed softly, afraid to disturb the silent peace of the castle.
The hallway led me to a room I supposed was a livingroom. There was a large fireplace and a dark red carpet. The curtains were drawn closed and the room was only lit by the faint light that was hanging on the ceiling. There were quite a few candles, but none of them lit. A coffee table was in the center of the room and a couch and a few chairs were around it.
I went through another door and found myself in the kitchen. In the center was a counter on which a small piece of paper was placed. I turned on more lights and walked towards the counter. I placed myself on a bar chair and picked up the piece of paper. I folded it open and saw a beautiful handwriting covering most of the page.
Dear Isabella Swan,
I would like to welcome you to Birkhill Castle. I am truly sorry me and my husband, Carlisle, can't be here to welcome you properly.
I have taken the liberty of making your bedroom ready and I have stocked the fridge so you will be able to make some dinner. I have also included the route to the nearest village. There you will find a supermarket and some shops, for if you need anything.
My son Edward will arrive here in a few weeks to help you with everything. He will not stay for more than a few weeks, so I hope that you don't mind him staying in the castle.
If there is anything you wish to ask, do not hesitate to call me or Carlisle. Our phone numbers are also included in this note.
I hope you will enjoy it here and that you will be able to write your article.
Best wishes,
Esme Cullen
I was surprised she had gone through so much trouble to make it comfortable here. I found the phone numbers and route in the envelope. As I opened the fridge, I saw that there was indeed a lot of food. I smiled and decided to make something simple.
I took some spaghetti from a cabin and found some sauce in another cabin. Within minutes I was done and I started eating at the counter. It was nine o'clock and I realised I still needed to call Alice and perhaps my mother and father.
I finished up my spaghetti and cleaned everything. I grabbed the note, phone numbers and route, put it in my pocket and turned off the light from the kitchen. I walked the same way back to the main hall, afraid I would get lost otherwhise and took my bags upstairs. I wasn't sure where my bedroom was, but then I saw a small note on one of the doors saying: 'This is your bedroom, Isabella. I wasn't sure if you would know which chamber it would be yourself.'
I was convinced Esme was a very sweet woman and I would love to meet her. I didn't know when that would happen, although I did know her son would be here in a few weeks. I hadn't anticipated that, but it didn't bother me either. If he was raised by Esme, he would sure to have good manners. It might even be nice not to be alone the entire time. I smiled and opened the door.
I turned on the lights. My eyes went around the room and I saw a large mahogany closet, a beautiful bed, a small desk, a window and a comfy looking chair. I opened my bag and started unpacking, knowing I probably wouldn't want to do that tomorrow. It didn't take me long. I left the bedroom with my pyjamas and toothbrush.
I quickly spotted the bathroom, the door was open and from the hallway you could easily see it was the bathroom. I went inside and was glad to see there was a shower and a large bathtub. I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, feeling that I was becoming sleepy.
I returned to my bedroom I picked up my phone and dialled Alice's number.
"Hello?" I heard Alice say.
"Hi Alice, it's me."
"Bella! How was your flight? How is the castle?"
"The flight was great, I met a wonderful woman, Macy, she's was really nice and she'll come visit me when she's in the neighbourhood. The castle is just fascinating. Everything is so beautiful!" Alice laughed.
"Great, take pictures for me, will you? But I really need to go to bed now, I'm really tired and I have to work tomorrow."
"Yes, of course. I'm really tired too. Speak to you soon!" She said goodbye and hung up. I yawned and turned off the lights.
I crawled beneath the soft sheets and looked out of the window, the pale moon stood bright against the dark blue sky. It looked beautiful, just like most things did in this mystical castle. I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.
The sound of singing birds awoke me and I yawned, seeing the sunbeams coming through the window, indicating it was quite late. I looked at the clock and saw it is eleven o'clock. It had been a long time since I had slept this long and I smiled. I got up and got dressed. I went to the bathroom and saw that my hair was a total mess, but I didn't seem to care. I brushed it and put it in a ponytail. While contemplating what to do to today, I walked downstairs and tried to find the kitchen again for some breakfast.
The house looked less overwhelming when light from outside was shining through the windows, making all the shadows disappear.
I was feeling quite confident and decided to take a different route this time. I took an unfamiliar door and ended up in a small room with almost no furnishing. Only a large painting on the wall and a singular chair placed in the corner, next to a bookcase. I smiled as I examined the book titles, glad to see some of the classics between them. I quickly decided this would be one of my favourite rooms and I forgot my hunger as I picked one book and sat down, already having started reading.
As I read, I couldn't shake of the feeling I was being watched. Of course, I knew that was nonsense, for I was all alone in this castle. I looked up and glanced across the room until my gaze landed upon the painting. It was a painting of a young woman, beautiful and elegant. She wore an exquisite, red dress and her black hair was pinned up. She wore a neckless and a small smile was on her face, although you could clearly see the sadness in her eyes. Light was falling from a very fortunate corner and it softened her details. But most haunting of all were her beautiful, green eyes. There was a sadness in there that broke your heart.
I placed the book beside me, completely forgotten, and got up. As I walked around the room, I noticed that her eyes followed you. I got closer and looked up at her, feeling pity for her. There was something strong about the way she tried to hide her sadness. On the frame I saw the name Elizabeth Masenwith the year 1801.
I knew from Carlise Cullen that this house was built in 1780, so if you would assume the family built the house when Elizabeth was just born, she would be twenty-one in the painting. I was interested in her, wanted to know more about her and I decided to see if there was a library in this house.
I left the room, feeling her eyes in my back, and closed the door.
