Chapter 4: Exchange of Pleasantries

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."
-Arnold Bennett

Carlisle was pacing around the master bedroom when Esme came in. He had his hands fisted in his hair, yanking at the graying roots.

"Please tell me you talked so sense into her, my Esme, please," he pleaded.

Esme smiled affectionately at her husband, "I did talk to her, handsome husband of mine, but I'm afraid you won't like it."

Carlisle's hands dropped limply at his sides, "What did you say to her, Esme?"

"I merely told her that if Seth Clearwater comes here to ask after her, I would talk to you about not running him off," I replied.

"Well, he's not going to come if he knows what's good for him," Carlisle muttered.

"Listen to me, Carlisle Cullen," Esme said harshly, "you have one very upset daughter who thinks that you aren't treating her fairly. I understand where you're coming from, my love, but you have to find the balance between treating her like your first baby and letting her grow up."

Carlisle walked over to his wife and put his hands on her shoulders, "I can't do this, my Esme. I can't just let her go."

"It's not up to you, Carlisle," Esme replied with a sigh. "Even if you're right about Seth not asking to court her—there will be other boys, and someday you will have to give her up, and she's going to want her Papa to be happy for her. So you'll have to smile and make her know that you're happy if she's happy."

Carlisle sighed and rested his forehead against his wife's. "I'll try, I can't make any guarantees, but I will try."

"That's all I could hope for Carlisle, now, let's go tuck our babies in and pretend like none of this drama happened."

Carlisle chuckled. He trusted his wife completely but he wasn't sure that he could entirely forget what had transpired that day.

He walked across the hall and knocked on the girls' bedroom door. Esther opened it and stared at him.

She threw herself into his arms and held on as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry that I made you mad, Papa."

He kissed her cheek, "I lost my temper, Esther, but I shouldn't have."

"It's alright, Papa, I shouldn't have been bratty to you," she smiled slightly, "I just let my imagination get away from me."

He smiled affectionately at the girl, "If Seth Clearwater comes here to ask after you, I'll talk to him. But know, my child, that I think he's far too old for you. He must prove himself, but I will give him a chance if he so desires one."

Esther's eyes widened. "That's all I could ask for from you, Papa! But he probably won't come, but I'm glad that you would've given him a choice."

The next week Carlisle and Esme traveled down the mountain pass to visit their family. Esther was watching the girls and so Carlisle and Esme were given some nice alone time to discuss their family and to reconnect with each other.

They planned their day so that they could stop by and see at least four of Carlisle's brothers. Starting with Benjamin and then going into town to see Emmett, Jasper and Edward.

Benjamin greeted his brother and sister-in-law as they pulled up. He had his daughter, Sarah, propped up against his shoulder. The bright-eyed baby was enthusiastically tugging on her father's hair.

"You two look happy," Carlisle laughed.

Benjamin smiled and then pulled his hair out of the babe's grasp. "Yes, we're all smiles this morning."

"Well at least one of you is," Esme giggled as Benjamin winced once again, pulling his dark hair way from the baby's hands.

She fussed at him and started to cry. Tia came running out on the porch and took the baby from him. She settled down once in her mother's arms. Tia gave both Carlisle and Esme a hug and the women went into the house to fawn over the baby.

"So how goes things at your neck of the woods?" Benjamin asked, sitting on the porch next to his brother.

Carlisle chuckled darkly, "Esther is all in a tizzy because she met Seth Clearwater last week and she's got it into her pretty, little head that he's going to court her."

"Seth Clearwater, huh?" Benjamin laughed. "Isn't that the little kid who was running around, biting everyone's ankles at the barn-raising way back when?"

"Yeah, that's him. Only he isn't so much of a little kid anymore," Carlisle replied morosely.

"Oh?" Benjamin asked with an arched eyebrow.

"He told me that I have a beautiful daughter and asked me how old she was," Carlisle shrugged.

"So you think that he's the scum of the earth just because he asked after your pretty, little girl?" Benjamin asked mirthfully.

"You won't think it's so funny when someone asks after your pretty, little girl," Carlisle shot back huskily, glaring at his brother.

"Yeah, but my pretty, little girl is four months old," Benjamin retorted, "yours is sixteen. You know—sixteen isn't too young to be married."

"Just because you and Tia were seventeen and sixteen when you were married doesn't necessarily mean that that is what is proper for my daughter."

Benjamin patted his brother on the back, "I know, Carlisle, but you are going to have to give her up someday."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Carlisle growled.

Benjamin chuckled, "Because it's true."

Carlisle smiled, but the humor didn't reach his eyes, "I get the feeling I'll be hearing that a lot in the next couple of years."

"Probably will," Benjamin said, scratching the back of his neck.

Carlisle sighed and stood up, "So when you go through this in sixteen years, I'll tell you the exact same thing."

"You sure will, I wouldn't expect anything less," the young father retorted.

Carlisle smiled, this time it lit up his whole face—he stood up and groaned. "I'm getting old, Benjamin."

"You're not even forty yet, quit complaining," Benjamin shot back, mock-punching his brother.

Carlisle laughed and went inside.

Soon Esme was ready to leave and they departed to go to Edward and Bella's homestead.

"Oh! Is that him?" Esme exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the seat of the wagon.

"What do you mean 'is that him'?" Carlisle asked, slowing the horses to a trot.

Esme grabbed onto his arm and bit her lip, "I think that's the young Mr. Clearwater!"

She pointed to a young man out working on the flowerbed in the front of his house.

"Carlisle slow the wagon down, I want to talk to him," Esme demanded.

"What? Esme, please, don't do this to me, you and Esther both are determined to make me go gray prematurely," he declared.

"Oh, Sweetie," Esme giggled, running her fingers through her hair and tousling it, "you already are turning a little gray at the temples."

"Don't say that Esme," he pleaded, looking at her with sad blue-gray eyes, his lip sticking out in a pout.

She leaned in and kissed him, "Be nice and stop, we'll talk to the young man and exchange pleasantries and perhaps see what his intentions are for our daughter."

"Esme, we're not going to encourage him," Carlisle muttered, glaring at the young man's back.

He stood and dusted his hands off and waved to them, a smile on his face. He jogged to the edge of his yard, "Hello there, Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Cullen."

Esme smiled at him, "Hello, Seth, how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Cullen, what about you?"

"Oh I'm well, thank you," she replied and then she elbowed Carlisle sharply in the ribs.

"What about you, Mr. Cullen?" Seth asked amiably.

"I'm alright," Carlisle replied curtly.

"And how are your daughters," Seth asked a little apprehensively. He felt as if he'd swallowed a brick and he was about to vomit it back up.

"They're well," Carlisle replied.

Seth nodded awkwardly and started kicking pebbles around, trying to think of something to prolong their conversation.

"Well, have a nice day, Seth," Esme smiled.

"You too, Mrs. Cullen," he replied, answering with a smile of his own.

Carlisle snapped the reigns of the horses and they continued on. When they were out of earshot, Esme slapped her husband on the arm.

"You could've been nicer to the young man," she scolded.

"I spoke civilly to him!" Carlisle defended himself.

Esme rolled her eyes and scoffed—they had a long road ahead of them.

So. I love Seth. I just do. I can't help it. Carlisle's still upset and who could blame him? He's got a pretty daughter that he doesn't want to let go of just yet. Anyway, I can't really think of anything else that needs to be addressed here. Oh! I know, I think this story is probably going to be a little bit longer than I originally estimated... I said in the beginning that it was only going to be about 10 chapters, because quite frankly I had no plot in mind for this story it was going to be mindless fluff, and then a couple of days ago this plot just hit me in the head. And I'm so excited! I really like it, but of course this story will probably end up being twice as long as I'd originally imaged. Not that I think any of you guys will be terribly upsetted by a longer, more interesting story. :P

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Next time on 7F47F:

"So do you know what his intentions are?" Edward asked.

"No, as far as I know, he only intends to make my life miserable," Carlisle muttered.

Edward laughed, "You're being over-dramatic, Carlisle. You weren't this mad at us as when we kidnapped the girls, what really is bothering you?"

Carlisle rubbed his temples, "I just don't want her to get hurt. I saw all the drama that went on when you all kidnapped the girls, and while it worked out in the end I'm just afraid that this isn't going to work out. What am I supposed to do if he breaks my little girl's heart?"