A/N: I just want to say thank you to LoriDuchess, who offered to Beta for me. She Beta-ed this chapter. You guys will no longer have to read all my spelling and grammar mistakes!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. This is a fictional story. Any similarities to publicly recognizable persons, places, things, or events is purely coincidental. The only thing I own is the story line.

Stage 2 Begins

Over the next three days I stayed in my rooms as much as possible. Lauren feared I must be ill, but I did my best to convince her that I was fine. In truth, I needed to figure out my options. If I told someone, who would it be? Who would believe that I had not desired it? I had no idea what Father would do. Mother would tell my father, so she must not be told as well. James was caring, but he was sometimes blind to the faults of others. Would he believe me? I could not take the chance. I did not want to burden Rosalie with this as she had just had brought the sweetest little life into the world and did not need to be worried about me. No, no, there was only one viable option. I would just have to keep this to myself.

I was overly aware of every minute change in me, afraid it was a sign I was with child. Every time I thought of what he had done to me I was nauseous beyond belief. Rosalie said that was one of her signs of pregnancy. When I felt tired, I immediately pulled myself out of the stupor to decide if I thought it was because I was carrying a child. Michael swore I would not fall with child, and that Edward would not able to tell. But how could he know for certain? I should not trust him. I had heard Father talking with someone about a girl who was condemned for using contraceptives. Perhaps I could employ one of those methods? But I had no way of knowing what they were. Maybe I keep from eating and starve the child? No, that was too cruel. There had to be a better way to go about it. Maybe I could convince Edward the child was his? But would be a possibility only if I could make him believe that I was still untouched.

I wished for someone in whom I could confide and who could help me make these decisions.

I was sitting by the window pondering all this when a hand on my shoulder made me jump. I looked up into the face of my mother.

"Isabella," she said, "I know that you are nervous, but it is unnecessary. I would be surprised if you were not. Every woman in your position has felt the same way." But she did not know the true reason why I was so afraid. "Now, Isabella, tonight is your last night sleeping here. Before you leave us, I need to impart some final knowledge on you."

Now I was red and flustered. I know what she alluded to. I wished I could stop her before she began, but I was certain if I said something she would know what had happened. I would just need to keep my mouth shut and let her plow though with what she desired to say.

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The next day at midday when my husband and his family arrived for the feast, I realized that my mother may have been right, he was very handsome. But now I was sitting here in the carriage and I realized she was wrong about the pleasure one could receive from coupling. Any woman who gained pleasure from that must have some masochistic tendencies.

Lauren had given me different advice than my mother. She said if I did not want to copulate, fake an ailment. Of course I would have to participate in the coupling tonight. Lauren warned me to make sure it was not a serious illness, but something that did not require a physician, like a headache or upset stomach. For tonight, however, I would just have to stick it out with the pain. Hopefully I would bear him a child immediately and he would no longer enter my rooms at night. I suppose that is the best case scenario I can attain.

The carriage stopped abruptly and Edward leaped to the ground lightly. He held out his hand to help me descend the steps. I got the first look at my new home. Although my father was wealthy, it was grander than anything I had ever seen.

Edward spoke for the first time since we left my father's house. "Is it suitable?" he asked. I did not know what to say, so I only nodded my head.

"Come," he said, "I will show you the way around." As Edward's tour was not very thorough, I was glad to have at least met the head of the household staff. The older lady looked kindly. I hoped that she would help me out when it came to managing the day to day necessities of the house. And finding my way around. The house was so huge I am sure that I will lose my way and die of starvation trying to find the dining room.

I was quickly whisked away to my new rooms. They were grand and nothing like the rooms I occupied at my father's house. I did not think that so much would change. I nearly cried with relief at the only familiar sight when Lauren came into the room to help me freshen up for supper.

"Here you go," she said spritzing me with rose water. She calmed my hair and chatted about nothing, taking my mind off my nerves. And before I knew what was happening, Edward was at the door to escort me to the dinning room. I wondered if I could throw a temper tantrum, or assault him, or fake an illness to one of the courses at dinner tonight. But for some reason, I did not think any of those options would go over very well with Edward.

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Dinner was a long, drawn out affair. Mostly because I made it that way. My soup had been cold for at least forty minutes before I finished it. And even then, I made sure get every last drop of it out of the bowl; if I thought I could have gotten away with it, I might have licked the bowl. I cut my meat into tiny pieces so small they could be swallowed with out any chewing. But that did not stop me from chewing each piece slowly and thoroughly. I am not sure what I hoped-if I would take so long eating he would tire of me and send me away or if I took so long he fell asleep at the table. Either would be fine by me, though neither seemed likely. I am sure he must know what I am trying to do. I am also sure he must be very annoyed by stalling methods. But I am too afraid to look at his face to know for sure.

As I put the last piece of the meat in my mouth, Edward's throat cleared. It was the loudest noise that came from either of us during dinner. The sound scared me. It made me jump and choke.

"Please bring out the dessert," Edward instructed the servants. When I did not stop coughing, he turned to me, "Are you alright Isabella?" I tried to respond, but could only shake my head. Edward nodded at one of the servants behind me and then I felt someone's hand connect with my back. Hard. Twice. The meat flew out of my mouth and across the table, where it sat. It was an ugly dark spot on the otherwise immaculate white tablecloth. The contrast was striking, and for a moment I could do nothing but stare in horror, waiting for his words of reproach-or worse.

"I am so sorry," I finally managed to get out. Edward said nothing. When I looked up he was already starting on the fresh fruit in front of him. I looked down at my place as a plate set down.

The awkwardness settled down on us again as I brought the first grape up to my mouth. If I had not been so worried and nervous about what was going to come next, I would have actually enjoyed the meal. My father had been wealthy, but it was nothing compared to the opulence that Edward enjoyed. Everything he owned seemed to be grander, richer, more vibrant and prestigious than I anything I was used to before. War and looting must be a very profitable endeavor. My thoughts sobered immediately. Edward had killed people. It was how he earned this opulence. Would he kill me when he found out I was no longer innocent? I determined to eat my strawberries and grapes slowly and enjoy them as much as possible in the case that they were the last thing I would have in this life.

The were delicious really. Juicy and just ripe. The grapes were a crunchy perfection, that made a very satisfying sound as my teeth cut into them. All too soon, they were gone and Edward rose from the table. For a moment, panic overtook me and my brain would not function. I sat still for a minute until Edward looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Are you quite finished, Isabella? Or would you like to eat the plate as well?" I blushed deeply and stood quickly. "I will drop you off at your rooms-"my heart rose, maybe he did not intend to consummate tonight! But it plummeted swiftly at his next words "-and I will meet you there in an hour." An hour! That was cruel. Was this his punishment for dinner? I would be a complete mess for an hour waiting for him to come.

We arrived at my door, and I stepped inside where I found Lauren. I rushed over to her as soon as the door shut behind me.

"Miss, it is not my place to ask, but are you alright?" Lauren queried. I hugged her. She looked surprised, and after a second wrapped her arms around me too. "Are you frightened of what comes next?" I nodded and few tears leaked out. "Do not be so afraid," she stated. "It's not that bad as everyone seems to make it out to be," she said soothingly.

But I was beyond that. "It is awful. It is," I cried. Lauren laughed slightly and shook her head.

"Of course it is not. And the master knows you are innocent; he will be gentle. You will see, it will all be fine." I shook my head. "It will. The other servants have told me that he is a fair and good master in all things. If he is fair to his servants, he will treat you very well. Now, dry your tears. They are unbecoming in a young lady like yourself. Come," she said after a second's pause, "we will get you all ready for him."

Supposing I had been a virgin, Lauren's words would have been comforting. I would have been able to spend the rest of the hour calmly-or more calmly than I did. But Lauren did not know that I had experienced that act before and her lies were, therefore, unnecessary. She did not know that I was more concerned with Edward finding out my fallen state than anything else.

Lauren said he was fair. I suppose that means he will just denounce me as an adulterer and spare my life? But maybe that was not fair. Maybe it was only fair to take my life. I had taken away his wedding night, after all.

I was so preoccupied with these thoughts, I did not realize that she was finished dressing me in my night clothes. But these clothes were unlike any I had ever worn. They were so thin that one could almost see through them. My hair was down. For a moment I heard my mother's voice telling me to never let a man see me like this. But I think she must not be talking about my husband. He must be allowed to do anything?

Lauren left me, and I wanted to beg her to stay. But I knew I could not. Instead I spent the rest of my time on my bed, mentally preparing to fake my way through this. I had almost convinced myself I could do it, when I remembered that I would not bleed! Perhaps I could cut my hand and put the blood all over my bedding. I knew that would not work. But before I could come up with a better scheme there was a knock on my door.

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I knew there was nothing for it. I would just have to fake it and pretend I had no clue what was going on. Edward walked into my rooms and stood up quickly, and walked away from the bed. I did not have a clue where I was walking to, but I knew I did not want to be near the bed. At my actions, a smile appeared on Edward's face. It was an amused smile; not menacing or scary in any way, but it still made me uncomfortable. I supposed the feeling must stem from the idea that he knows he is about to take pleasure from me in a way that will hurt me.

He walked toward me and held out his hand. "Isabella," he said in an amused voice, "I promise I will not bite. Come over to bed, you will be much more comfortable." I took his hand hesitantly, and his smile and amusement grew. "You do not need to be frightened," he said as he led me to bed. "I do not know what you have been told, but I assure you, it can be a very pleasurable experience for the female as well." He smiled again, but I remained unconvinced. "Really, Isabella," he laughed, "by the end of tonight I will have you screaming and writhing in pleasure." But I only shrunk away from him on the bed. "Alright, we can take very slow. Would you like a glass of wine? It will help you relax."

I was unsure if I wanted the wine. On the one hand I am sure it will make what will happen next much more bearable. On the other, what if I let go of too many inhibitions and tell Edward something damning? He will probably find out anyway-wine it is then. "Yes, please," I answered softly. Edward nodded, and left the bed temporarily, returning with two goblets in his hand.

"Here," he put one of the glasses into my hand. I drank deeply, hoping to numb the pain that I knew would come. If I could just drink enough, perhaps I will remember nothing of this in the morning.

When he saw how much I was drinking, Edward let out a chortle and took the goblet from me. "You really are nervous," he laughed, "you innocent little thing." He was still laughing. He would not be laughing if he knew just how ruined I really was. I was half tempted to blurt it out and put an end to this whole charade, but common sense held me back. Instead I reached for the goblet that Edward had taken out of my hand. But he pulled it farther out of my reach saying, "Are you trying to get yourself drunk?" then he laughed again. He laughed to himself, "Who knew that I married such an unlady-like drunk?"

I did not know what to make of this laughing Edward. Did bedroom activities really make a man this happy? We had not even done anything yet; how happy would Edward be after? But this did not seem the likely reason. After all, Michael had seemed angry when he took my innocence. Perhaps I had married the drunk. I suppose after one had killed and plundered enough one needed something to take your mind off of what one had done. Maybe Edward turned to the drink. This made more sense than anything else I could come up with.

I had almost forgotten why we were here. Almost. Until Edward set the goblets down on the floor next to the bed and reached for my nightclothes. I gulped and gritted my teeth. The real question I should be asking is what will happy Edward do when he finds out I am not innocent? This side of Edward almost made me more afraid, it made him seem more volatile. Volatile people were dangerous. Dangerous people hurt others. Would he realize I was not a virgin and still take me, before he decides to denounce me? I had no other choice. I would just have to stick it out. I had done it once before, I am sure I can do it again. If I could just trick him into thinking I was still a virgin maybe I would be alright. But when he talked he seemed so informed, like he had already experienced it himself. If that was the case, perhaps he could not be fooled.

Edward pulled my nightclothes off, and stared at me. I blushed red to the roots of my hair. This was perhaps the most embarrassing moment of my entire life! He reached for my shoulder and brought me to him. Then he kissed my lips. I just sat there, unresponsive, unsure of what was expected of me. Edward removed his own vestments and I saw him, him, for the first time. I had not seen Michael, so I had nothing to compare to, but Edward looked big. And painful.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I could not get through this again. The first time was painful and did not want to experience that kind of pain again. Edward pulled me in for another kiss. But when I still did nothing he seemed to get a little annoyed. As though he thought to force a reaction out of me, his hands moved lower on my body. I could not push the images and feelings from my first time out of my head. And before I knew what was happening, I was off the bed and scrambling into the far corner of the room.

As I was trying to get myself into the smallest area possible, I surveyed the disorder I had left in my wake. The wine goblets had been knocked over and red liquid was spreading on the floor. But it hampered by the bedding that I had unwittingly dragged onto the floor. The white of the bedding was slowly staining a dark red from the wine that sponged up off the floor.

And still sitting on the bed in a state of confusion was my husband.

A/N: A quick reminder/clarification: in the last chapter, when Bella was raped, she was sodomized. I did not come right out and say it in the last chapter because I was trying be as . . . tasteful and tactful as possible. Of course, Bella doesn't understand this and what is going on. This is the reason for her concern during this chapter.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to have the next chapter out soon, hopefully by next Thursday.

P.S. I'm still trying to come up with a better title. Anyone who has one and is willing to share, please do!