Chapter 6– The Minstrel's Visit

"There's a minstrel!" Jocelyn said with excitement, sitting down on the bench beside me with a thump. "He came this afternoon and he's going to sing after supper!"

"Oh, wonderful!" Agnes eyes shone. "We haven't had any music for so long…even Lord Edward hasn't played."

Just hearing his name sent a small thrill through me. "Lord Edward is a musician?"

"He plays the harp," Agnes said. "Not very often in the hall, but we can still hear him from the family's private rooms."

I tucked this little tidbit away with what little I knew of Lord Edward, and pulled my knife off my belt to eat supper.

"The minstrel is young," Jocelyn babbled, "And so handsome. I hope he sings well…" She chattered on in between bites of food.

The hall hummed with excitement, and I couldn't help but be affected by it. Minstrels and musicians were prized guests, and there had been none at Castle Cullen for some time, so everyone was anxious to hear him. Even Lady Rosalie, Lord Emmett, Lady Alice and Sir Jasper looked more animated than usual at the high table. I didn't let my eyes slip down the end of the table to Lord Edward.

After dinner people didn't leave the hall, instead milling around talking and finding places to sit. The minstrel himself sat by the fire, drinking wine and plucking idly at the strings of his lute. I was looking at him, admiring his bright, parti-coloured tunic and hose, when Jocelyn dug an elbow hard into my ribs.

"Bella, look…I told you Lord Edward keeps staring at you! What is he doing?"

I looked up sharply, and my heart fluttered in shock as I saw Lord Edward descending the stairs from the high table and taking a seat at a lower table. What's more his eyes were on me, and when he saw that I was looking at him he raised a hand and crooked a finger, beckoning me towards him.

For a moment I stood motionless.

"What does he want?" Jocelyn demanded. "Bella, what's going on?"

"Nothing," I muttered. "Nothing is going on…I ought to go on and see what he wants." Horribly conscious of the number of eyes following my progress, I walked across the hall and stood tentatively in front of him.

Edward smiled his crooked smile and indicated the bench beside him. "Why don't you sit with me to listen to the music?"

I sat down hesitantly, wondering what on earth was going on. In the rush lights his hair gleamed, and his beautiful topaz eyes were focussed only on me. For a long moment there was silence between us, until I cleared my throat and said, "This is a little unexpected."

"I suppose so," Edward acknowledged, adding with a mischievous smile. "Not unwanted, I hope."

I could feel myself blushing. "No. Not unwanted."

"Good." Edward stretched out his long legs before him. "Because I'm tired of trying to stay away with you."

"You are?"

"I am. And so I'm giving up…I'm not going to try to be good anymore, and the chips can fall where they will."

I looked at him in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I'm counting on it."

"Why are you being so cryptic?" I said, frustrated. "Why will you never give a straight answer?"

"Because I say too much when I'm talking to you," Lord Edward said, his face suddenly serious. "It's too easy to go too far."

I chewed my lip. "Well, if it's any consolation you mostly just confuse me. Except the part about me not being good enough for you. I understand that."

Lord Edward's brows rose. "You think you're not good enough for me? Lady Bella, I said it wasn't wise to be friends, not that I didn't wish for it."

"I can read between the lines," I whispered. "At least sometimes."

"Bella, it is not prudent for the two of us to be friends. If you were smart you'd stay away from me, and if I were good I'd stay away from you. But I've decided that since I'm going to hell anyway, I may as well do it thoroughly." Lord Edward grinned again, his teeth startlingly white in the flickering light.

"You're making no sense again," I complained. "Except that I think you just called me stupid."

"Not stupid," Lord Edward said, his voice a caress. "A little foolish, perhaps, but never stupid."

I shook my head and sat in silence for a moment, thinking over what he had said, trying to find the sense and meaning in it, trying to think how it might relate to the mystery about him.

"What are you thinking?" Lord Edward asked curiously.

"I'm thinking about what I know of you," I said honestly. "And I'm wondering about what you really are."

"Oh yes?" Lord Edward's voice was light, but there was a tautness in his face that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Have you come up with any ideas?"

"Nothing really," I said. "Nothing I'm going to share with you."

"Why not?"

I felt my cheeks warm. "It's too embarrassing."

"Please," Lord Edward said, with a seductive smile. "I'd like to hear what you think."

I shook my head, and for a moment his face tightened. "This is really frustrating you know."

"What, not knowing what someone is thinking and them giving half answers and cryptic clues? Gosh, I wonder what that's like," I said sarcastically, relieved when Lord Edward laughed.

"Touche," he said.

He looked around the room, a glint of amusement in his eyes as he said, "I hope you know that this is creating quite a scandal Lady Bella, you and I sitting together. Your father really wants to come up and throw me away by the scruff of my neck, at the same time as he can't help but be pleased that you're talking with a lord and not someone lower born."

I looked over at Charles, talking with two other men. His face was impassive. "How do you know that?"

Lord Edward shrugged. "Body language, facial expressions…most people are very easy to read. Apart from you."

"Why is that?"

"I wish I knew." Lord Edward looked broodingly down at his hands for a minute. "You are quite the mystery Lady Bella."

"Me? A mystery?" I exclaimed. "What about you? First you appear to hate me on sight, then you save my life under impossible circumstances, refuse to talk to me for weeks, talk to me to tell me we can't be friends, then invite me to sit with you to listen to the music tonight!"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Lord Edward laughed, a low, musical chuckle that made my belly feel warm. He gazed into my eyes, a small smile quirking up the corners of his full mouth. "It does sound rather peculiar. And you have some theories as to what the mystery is…"

"Just one really," I said, half dazed by the hypnotic look in his topaz eyes and the sweet smile as he looked down on me. "But it's silly really."

"Tell me. I promise not to laugh."

"You will laugh though," I said, certain. "Because it sounds so ridiculous, but it's the only thing I can think of."

"I won't. Please tell me."

Lord Edward leaned closer to me, and I was suddenly enveloped by the most delicious smell. Part of me disgusted by my own lack of backbone I bit my bottom lip and then said slowly, "I thought perhaps you might be an angel. You saved me from death with superhuman strength…see, I told you it was silly!"

Lord Edward was manfully holding in his laughter, but I could tell by the sparkle in his eyes and the way his lips were pursed that it was an effort. "Not even close I'm afraid. In fact, anyone further from being a warrior for God than I am would be difficult to find." For a moment his laughter vanished and his face looked grim.

"Well," I said with a sigh. "I'll figure it out eventually."

"I wish you wouldn't try," Lord Edward said seriously.

"Why? You said I intrigue you…maybe I am just as intrigued by your mystery?"

Lord Edward shook his head. "But if you go searching, you may not like what you find. After all, I'm not an angel, Lady Bella. What if I am the very opposite of that? What if I'm of the devil?"

My heart thudded painfully, as several things began to fall in to place. "You're dangerous," I said, and it was half a guess and half a statement.

Lord Edward's eyes were full of sorrow as he looked at me, and I slowly shook my head.

"Dangerous maybe, but not bad," I whispered. "Not of the devil. I can't believe that you're bad."

Lord Edward played with the knife on his belt. "You're wrong Bella. You just don't see…and I don't want you to see. I would rather be what it is you see, even though I know that it's just a fantasy."

I looked at him, at his beautiful face and the defeated set of his shoulders and felt myself so drawn to him I was almost frightened. "I think you can be whatever you want to be."

"Perhaps." Edward raised his head with a sigh. "Perhaps it is possible."

"I can't believe you sat with Lord Edward all evening last night!" Jocelyn exclaimed, adding a wagging finger in my direction as she said, "I think there's something you haven't been telling us!"

"I'm not keeping things from you," I said with a sigh. "We've only spoken briefly before; I'm as surprised as anyone that he invited me to listen to the minstrel with him last night!"

"Well, I think it's nice," Agnes said loyally. "It must be nice for Lord Edward to have someone to talk to, outside of his family. He's younger than his brother and sister and maybe he gets lonely."

"But what could he possibly see in Bella?" Lorelle asked sneeringly. "You know how wealthy and well travelled they are…"

"Lorelle!" Agnes reproved, but Jocelyn only laughed.

"You'd better be careful Bella, that's all I can say. Edward doesn't have a reputation, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything- perhaps he's just been discreet. But you…"

"…Are tired of this conversation," I finished for her firmly. "Lord Edward has behaved with complete propriety. There's nothing to talk about."

I looked back across the courtyard with a sigh. It was an unusually sunny day and it was busy with knights and squires and pages all practising their arts. The smaller boys were practising their archery and the knights were close to where we were sitting, showing off with the longswords. I let my gaze linger on the sparkle of sun on polished steel.

Suddenly there was a yell and the fighting stopped. Sir Berislav swore and stepped back, his hand clasped to his arm where the chain mail stopped. As I watched in horror, blood began to ooze from between his fingers.

"Are you all right, man?" Sir Hugh panted, lifting Sir Berislav's hand to examine the wound.

The world began to go fuzzy around the edges of my vision and lurch alarmingly beneath me. With a small whimper I put out a hand and caught someone's sleeve as the darkness began to close in.

"Bella? What's wrong, oh Bella…Can someone help me, Bella has fainted!"

Jocelyn's voice was the last thing I heard as the darkness closed over my head.

"There…she's coming round now. Lady Bella?"

I opened my eyes, horrified to find myself lying down on the bench I had been sitting on, a ring of concerned faces looking down at me. Mortified I rushed to sit up, even though the world heaved sickeningly around me.

"I'm fine, honestly! It was just the blood…" I closed my eyes briefly in sheer embarrassment.

"I think she should go to Lord Carlisle," Jocelyn announced importantly. "She may have struck her head when she swooned."

"I don't need Lord Carlisle," I said through gritted teeth. "And I didn't swoon."

"You should go and see the Lord, Lady Bella," said Sir Hugh. "Make sure you're not injured."

"I'll take her," Merek said eagerly.

He was one of the squires that Jocelyn seemed to particularly admire, but who had been caught on more than one occasion looking in my direction yearningly. I had done nothing to encourage his attentions and had no wish to now, but before I could say a word he had hauled me to my feet and was helping me stumble across the courtyard. Feeling sick and still dizzy, I had no choice but to comply.

I wasn't ready to be upright though, and no sooner were we in the castle hall than I slithered out of his arms and down onto the rushes scattered over the stone floor. Not for the first time I was glad that the floor was swept often and had fresh rushes laid down, with herbs strewn throughout it to keep it smelling fresh.

"What happened? Lady Bella…are you hurt?"

I groaned aloud as I heard that unmistakable, velvet voice. Surely he wasn't here and seeing me like this!

"Merek, what happened?"

"I believe she fainted," Merek said nervously. "Sir Berislav was injured in the sword play – not too badly, I don't think – and the next thing we knew Lady Bella had just keeled over on the bench."

"Lady Bella." I heard Lord Edward's voice, soft and gentle as he spoke close to my ear. Once again I could smell that delicious, enticing scent that seemed to come from his very skin. "Lady Bella, can you hear me?"

"No," I muttered. "Go away and leave me to bear my embarrassment alone."

Lord Edward laughed. "Good to see your sense of humour still works."

"I'm taking her to Lord Carlisle," Merek interjected.

"You needn't worry," Lord Edward said dismissively. "I shall do it."

Suddenly the stone floor below me disappeared as I was scooped up in Lord Edward's arms as if I weighed no more than a baby. I squawked and clutched at his neck for a moment, terrified I would fall, and then pushed uselessly at his chest. "Put me down!"

"You look awful," he told me critically. "I doubt you can walk to the door, let alone the infirmary. Merek, you may go back to your work," he added.

Merek looked as though he wanted to protest, but he had little choice but to bow to Lord Edward and head back out to the courtyard. "I hope you feel better soon Lady Bella."

Lord Edward carried me effortlessly from the great hall and towards the infirmary. "So it was the blood?" he asked, as if he were highly entertained by this fact. "You fainted at the sight of blood?"

I closed my eyes against the nausea, seeing again in my mind the blood oozing between Sir Berislav's fingers and beginning to drip onto the cobbles.

"Blood," Lord Edward murmured. "Not even your blood, and you're down on the ground." He was practically chortling, and if I hadn't thought I might throw up if I opened my mouth I would have found something to say.

Somehow he managed to open the door to the infirmary while still keeping a snug and secure grip on me, and then laid me almost reluctantly on the bed. I took several deep breaths and began to feel a little better.

Lord Edward was eyeing me contemplatively and I was just about to ask him what he was thinking when there was a noise at the door and Lord Carlisle came in.

"So Lady Bella, we meet again," he said cheerfully. "What seems to be the trouble this time?"

"She fainted," Edward said briefly. "There was an accident out in the yard and one of the men was bleeding. It was a little much for Bella."

"Your colour is not good," Lord Carlisle said, leaning over me.

"It's much better than it was when I first saw her," Edward said.

"I'm really feeling much better now," I said truthfully.

Lord Carlisle smiled at me, pressing his fingers against my neck to feel the heart beat. "Does this happen often?"

I shrugged. "Just with blood. It's not just the sight of it, it's the smell…I can't stand it."

Lord Edward and Lord Carlisle exchanged unfathomable glances over a long minute of silence. I don't know what would have been said if we hadn't heard the clink of chainmail and the noise of men in the hallway.

"Sir Berislav is coming," Lord Edward said quickly. "They think the wound needs stitching…perhaps I should take Bella elsewhere."

"Oh, yes," I said hastily, sitting up and taking several more deep breaths to steady myself. The nausea had almost gone, and I had no desire to be in the small infirmary when they bought Sir Berislav in.

"I think you will be fine, Lady Bella," Lord Carlisle said comfortingly. "Fainting at the sight of blood is not uncommon, and unless it happens again I would not worry. Perhaps go outside and get some fresh air and you'll feel better."

"Thank you," I said, smiling at him. He was almost as handsome as Lord Edward and had that same magnetic quality. I had no doubt he was an exceptional healer.

Lord Edward took my arm and guided me from the room, leading me in the opposite direction to where we could see the knights tramping along the hallway to the infirmary door, the injured Sir Berislav in the centre. I was very glad when we reached a bend in the hallway and he vanished from sight.