I just wanted to thank everyone again for their nice reviews and for helping out by pointing out the little errors that I have made LOL! I corrected them, so please let me know if you see anymore! ON with the next chapter!

Chapter 4

It took a few more days for my good sister to recover herself fully, and in those two days, I spent most of my time tending to her, reading in the garden, and trying to avoid the amber gaze of Mr. Cullen, who continually attempted to capture my attention in one way or another.

Last night he actually had the audacity to ask me for a dance, while Miss Hale played a happy little tune on her pianoforte.

"Miss Swan, do you not feel a great inclination to dance a reel at this moment? Come, the music is cheerful and I can see you are enjoying it."

I continued to look over the picture book I had taken up and did not answer him.

He repeated his question, his voice revealing a little surprise at my silence toward him.

I glanced up into his handsome face.

"Oh! I heard you before, but I could not determine what I was going to reply with. I know you wanted me to say 'Yes,' so that you could then make some sort of comment about my taste in music or the way I dance. I must say that I delight in overthrowing such schemes, though, and I shall decline your invitation for dancing a 'reel' as you say. There. Despise me if you dare."

Mr. Cullen smiled ever so slightly down at me. His amber eyes glowing. "I dare not." He said quietly and returned to his seat on the sofa.

I glanced at Miss Hale and, though she continued to play just as beautifully as before, there was a glitter in her eyes that told me that she had heard our entire conversation. She was none too pleased that Mr. Cullen had invited me to a dance, even though I turned him down.

Why, I could not understand, would Mr. Cullen be interested in someone like me? It certainly seemed that he was if he would ask me to dance with him. I would not budge on my opinion, though.

To me, he was still the self centered, arrogant man I had first laid eyes on that night at Meryton. No matter how handsome or rich he was. And no matter how many dances he asked from me.

This very morning I had been walking quietly through the garden, down a little green path, admiring the daisies that were blooming.

It was then that I heard Miss Hale's bell like tone drifting toward me. Unbeknownst to me, she had just been poking fun at Mr. Cullen and myself, trying to make him dislike me.

She had been talking of my family and the ridiculousness of my sisters.

I had interrupted their little walk by happening upon them on the lane.

"Why Miss Swan! We did not know you were taking a walk in the garden today also! Is it not a lovely day?" She looked at me as she spoke, her beautiful face smiling sweetly as if nothing had been happening.

Of course, Mr. Cullen's gaze seemed to pierce right to my core, and I had to glance away from him.

"Why yes it is a lovely day Miss Hale, thank you. I was just admiring your brother's garden. So nicely kept."

Miss Hale thanked me and then grasped Mr. Cullen's arm and pulled him down a smaller path to their left.

She glanced back at me. "Come, Miss Swan, join us. Just through here is a lovely garden full of daffodils. Come."

She walked on with Mr. Cullen, who immediately glanced back. He had noticed that the small path she was leading him down was only large enough for two people. If I were to go, I would have to walk behind the two of them.

She had done that on purpose.

He stopped and turned toward me. "This path is not wide enough for all of us. Perhaps we should walk down the avenue and find another path into the daffodil garden?"

I could see Miss Hale's pale skin darken slightly. I laughed inwardly at her efforts to keep me away from Mr. Cullen. I never had the least inclination to stay with them in the first place.

"No, no, please stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to a picturesque advantage. A third person would simply ruin the atmosphere." I smiled and then ran off quickly, not wanting to be around the gloomy Mr. Cullen or the mean Miss Hale any longer.

Later that evening, I conveyed to Alice what had happened that day, and we both had a good laugh about it.

She was definitely feeling much better than before, and told me that while I was out in the garden, She and Mr. Hale had enjoyed a very nice lunch and had chatted away the afternoon. She also told me that she had written to our family yesterday to come and pick us up.

For, though she was having a wonderful time with Mr. Hale here, she did not want to overstay her welcome here and was slightly homesick.

Therefore, the next day, our mother and our sister Jessica arrived and proceeded to plant themselves in Mr. Hale's sitting room, in complete awe of his very large and beautiful house.

My sister and I were seated across from them; all packed up and ready to go.

Mr. Cullen was standing against a back wall, and Miss Hale was near him, her arms folded glaring slightly at my family.

Mr. Hale was the only person in the room to whom my mother was speaking.

"Oh Mr. Hale, I just want to offer you mfy most sincere thanks for taking care of my dear Alice. I do not know what we would have done without your help with her illness."

"Oh it was my pleasure Mrs. Swan. Really, both of your daughters and the rest of your family for that matter are welcome anytime at Netherfield."

My sister, very energetically spoke up. "Mr. Hale! When are you going to throw a ball here at Netherfield? This place would be so much livelier with a few more people and some happy music! Perhaps the regiment could come?"

"Jessica!" I spoke up slightly. She never knew when to hold her tongue. I was not sure if Mr. Hale would take this question the wrong way or not. I could just feel the iciness from Miss Hale and Mr. Cullen behind me, and knew what they must be thinking of my sister and mother.

Mr. Hale simply smiled and laughed quietly. "Why, Jessica, once your sister is fully recovered and feeling 100 percent better, you may name the date of the ball yourself."

You would have thought that someone had just handed my little sister the entire world in a basket. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she thanked Mr. Hale.

We all decided that it was time for our goodbyes. Our belongings were carried out to the awaiting carriage in the front of the house, and as my sister and I walked arm in arm outside, I could hear Miss Hale talking quietly to Mr. Cullen behind us, and just behind them, my mother and Jessica chatting animatedly with Mr. Hale.

As we all reached the coach, Mr. Hale said his goodbyes to everyone, holding my sister's hand much longer than anyone else's before helping her on the coach.

I said goodbye to Mr. Hale myself then, and thanked him again for letting me and my sister stay for as long as we did. I then politely bowed to Miss Hale, and thanked her. I got a very cheerful reply from her, much to my surprise. She had certainly livened up since she had learned that my sister and I were to be returning home.

I walked to join my sisters and mother on the coach, and noticed that Mr. Cullen was standing by the entrance, looking down at me.

I did not know what to say to him, and he apparently did not know what to say to me at that moment. He simply bowed politely to me, and I to him, and then I got on the coach.

As I pulled myself up, I felt a warm hand slip under mine. I glanced over to see that it was Mr. Cullen's hand, and he was helping me into the coach.

Electricity flew into my arm and over my body. My eyes met his and as quickly as he had touched me, he was gone, walking quickly back into Netherfield.

I hardly heard any of the conversations that were going on between my mother and sisters on our ride back home. In my mind, all I saw were those piercing amber eyes, and felt the tingling warmth where his hand had touched mine.

Please read and review this chapter! Thank you so much for reading my fanfic! I am having a great time bringing these two worlds together into one! Chapter 5 will be up soon!