Disclaimer: I don't own either.

A/N: I'm going to be unable to update within the next two weeks due to finals and essay preparations. I can try to update if I get bored, but it's not likely. Thanks for bearing with me. Enjoy, this is to make up for the quick falling in love thing.

Chapter7

In the next morning, I had stopped crying long enough in order to dress myself and step outside. The gardens were cool, but yesterday had been warm enough that the final snowfall had melted, and buds were sprouting on the trees already. Apparently, the trees knew of the warm weather ahead quite some time ago, and had started the preparations of the spring.

I wallowed in my sorrows as I wandered through the gardens. Life isn't fair. I can't get involved with anyone, especially Mr. Masen. He's too old, but he's wonderful, and kind, and loving. Everything that my father wasn't. He's trusted by my uncle and the family here, and…I'm so confused! I can't understand anything, not even my own thoughts! I stormed frustrated and confused through the garden, occasionally finding myself a puddle of melted snow water left from the last warm-spell that melted the last of the winter's snow, and wetting my shoes and socks through. It is spring, though, and I don't mind. It's my favourite time of the year because of the life that blossoms from the eternal and unforgiving cycle of cold during the winter, like a resolve that I would like to have but don't. Oh well. I stopped storming around and looked around me at my surroundings. My favourite robin sat on the ground, pecking at the dead grass that covered the ground and all insects that came to life this time of the year. It looked up at me with wondering eyes.

"I don't know! I'm so confused!" I cried out to the bird. Others would think that I was just lonely and started talking to myself, but I was talking to the bird that befriended me, talks to Mr. Masen, Edward- I corrected myself mentally, and actually seems to understand and listen to my ranting and ravings. I was lonely, but not for the type of friendship that any other person can offer. I was searching for the one type of friendship that only one person can give me, and that someone was male, tall strong…my mind started to wander and I internally cringed as I discovered myself thinking that the one person was Edward, undoubtedly and irrevocably. The bird whistled to me to catch my attention, and I looked into his beady little black eyes, seeing something that drew me in and told me to follow. He flitted up to the wall, stared back at me for a moment, and dove off to the other side of the wall. As I looked at the section of wall in front of me, I noticed a faint silhouette behind the vines, and stepped foreword with a faint sense of adrenaline.

I started clearing the vines away from the area in front of the silhouette. A door was hidden behind, and accented with a dull copper on the dark silver metallic door. I felt around for the doorknob, and found one, but a large key-slot just above it. I felt silly doing it, but I reached down into my 'bra', the only one I had left after Alice's little warpath on my wardrobe, and pulled out the key I found days earlier in the attic. I put the key into the slot, and miraculously, it fit. I turned the key and I heard the groan of rusted gears turning as the door unlocked. I turned the doorknob and the door opened slowly. Off to the side, in the far corner of the garden, my little robin sat in the tree observing me. There were two parts to this majestic garden. First, the interior, was open to the sky above it, and had a lovely pond off to the side opposite the tree, in the far corner. Stone arches lined the interior and exterior of the garden's areas. The arches created a path around the perimeter of the interior, covered and sheltered from the sunlight. Hidden statues peaked out of the encampment of the vines and weeds that nearly hid their existence entirely. It looked dead, though. Everything was grey and dark, trees were bare and lifeless. Something caught my eye, and I walked slowly through the weeds and water puddles towards it. As I removed the dead grass and weeds from around the area that caught my eye, I saw life. A small piece of grass, light green and full of life, was growing in amongst the smothering of everything else in the garden. Hope for me and the garden and the world; a reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

I had been in the new garden for a long time, and stood up deciding that I needed to stretch my legs. I didn't want to go back inside and do nothing, locked in my room like a prisoner. As I exited, I decided to lock the door to the garden to keep it secret, and put the key back where I stored it. I turned around and wandered the gardens, walking until I came to the stables. I kept walking past them, and stared out at the fields, the never ending fields of green and blue sky.

"It's so green!" I complained to myself. I wasn't paying attention, so the gentle breath at my ear and the small chuckle startled me. I tripped backwards, into a waiting set of arms. I looked up at the face that stared at me warmly.

"Mr. Masen! I'm so sorry!" I stuttered out. He chuckled again. Were his arms waiting for me, behind me and unseen? He had been breathing down my neck, and intimately close. I shivered in fear and delight.

"Edward, Isabella, Edward," he chanted to me in his velvety musical voice. Reminding me to call him by his first name reserved for close family friends, family and partners.

I was tripping back, trying to get my balance. His arms snaked around my waist from the front, in an attempt- I assume- to steady me. I could seriously endanger myself in this state. I blushed deep scarlet as he held me close for an eternity of moments.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

"Yes, I was just startled, that's all."

"Green is good, it's life and diversity."

"But too much of any one color unbalances the delicate scales of nature." I argued softly.

I stared into his emerald eyes with him staring back into mine. We seemed to forget about time and space, and our surroundings. My robin came to us and perched on Edward's shoulder.

"You have a friend." I teased softly, unintentionally flirting.

"We have a friend. And why does he keep chirping about he's definitely your one?"

I turned my head in embarrassment. Who knew that the first guy I felt for could communicate with animals?

"You can communicate with animals?" I asked, astounded.

"Yes. It's not that hard for me, it's almost as if we speak telepathically, sending the words to each other. Understanding them is another matter."

"He's referring to the way I feel for you." I whispered, hoping that he wouldn't hear.

"I'm your one? I hardly deserve the love of such a pure and beautiful and intelligent young woman." He beated himself up.

"You abusing yourself isn't going to change the way I feel about you. Actually, I don't deserve such trust, and intelligent and love from a beautiful man such as yourself."

He shook his head violently a couple times. "You don't see yourself clearly at all."

"Can I show you something really special?" I asked him timidly. He nodded once and held out his hand to me, indicating to take it. I took his hand and led him to the entrance to the garden.

I pushed the vines aside and found the door. I stopped for a minute and blushed, knowing where I'd need to go to retrieve the key.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"This." I said and put my hand down the front of my dress. He stiffened and looked at me with surprise. I found the cold key and pulled it out, showing it to him.

"It's the only place that people can't get to and it's safe."

"I'm not so sure about that…" he muttered after he turned his head away in embarrassment. I giggled lightly, bringing a blush to his cheeks.

I unlocked the door and returned the key, earning another blush from him, then pulled him inside the door. We walked down the staircase and into the inner-garden.

"The only problem is that it's dead." I said disappointedly.

"It's not dead." He said gently, walking over to the bark of a tree. A simple knife was taken out of his pockets and held up to the tree; he cut a sliver of the bark off of the tiny branch. "See the green underneath the bark? It's the tree; it is life, formed from a new and growing shoot from the tree." I looked around the garden, assessing.

"So, with a bit of care, this garden can be brought back to life? To its best?"

"Yes. It will take some work, though.

"Can I ask you a question, Isabella?"

"Sure." I said, shyly. I never was shy before, but since that encounter in my room, I tend to be a bit…overreactive…around Edward.

"How did this happen? How did we fall so quickly?" I looked over to him, but he didn't see me. He was staring out at the trellis and the pond, and he was so serene. I turned around and walked over to the large tree in the left back corner. After pushing aside some of the dead grass, I found a swing intact gently swaying with the wind from a thick branch. I got on the swing and began gently swaying, thinking. From the first moment I saw him, I was smitten. He was tall, handsome, kind, intelligent, muscular…and most of all; he actually paid attention to me, unlike my parents. I didn't notice that he had snuck up behind me and began to gently pushing me on the swing until we had stopped, and he was holding the ropes while breathing down my neck, his nose gently brushing along the skin there.

"I think…" I started, trying to get my concentration back. "That it happened when we first met in the hallway in the attic. I was a new, young girl from a family that didn't love or care for me, in a new land, and household, who wandered the halls because I couldn't sleep. The way you looked at me, with such care and softness, I immediately started to fall for you, and hard. You were older than me, and mysterious, and loving. After I came back from the attic, and found you in my room, it was such a rush. I had no idea what you were doing there, but when you kissed me, it was like a dream come true! Finally, someone seemed to love me, and I loved you back. I now know what I was missing growing up, and I know what I will have in the future with you. When I told you that I loved you after you kissed me, I was telling the truth. You are the only one to show me such feelings, and it feels so wonderful, to be able to love, to be cared for…but I know that it's too good to be true. I've never had good luck, and this must be luck of the absolute best sort."

He chuckled lightly, and softly. "Isabella, I haven't loved anyone like I love you. You captured my heart when you walked down the hallway in the candle light. You were bold, to be walking the halls at night, so gracefully. Your warm brown hair and brown eyes looked into mine with fright, and so innocently, that I knew that I had fallen for you. I admit that I went back to my room and wondered what I was feeling, and what I was going to do. I decided to go to your room to talk with you, but you came in 25 minutes later, and you came in and shut the door silently, avoiding attention, and you spun back to look at me, and I saw love in your eyes, but I also saw my love. I had a momentary lapse in control and kissed you, passionately, then set you to bed. When you told me that you loved me, it made my heart soar. Many women had professed to love me, I never returned their affections, but they insisted to be with me. I had to move away, and come here with my sister's husband's sister Esme to escape the unthoughtful women. I have been managing the Castle for Carlisle since his wife's death, while he escapes the memories and hides away from the world. But in that Attic hallway, it was like we were made for each other in another lifetime, and our souls recognized each other whilst we could not. I am glad that they did. I love you Isabella, truly." He kissed my neck lightly and lovingly. It felt nice to be loved, and nicer to be able to express these feelings that pent up inside of me.

I got up and turned towards him, shyly. "Can I have something, Mr. Masen?"

"Please call me Edward, Isabella love."

"…Edward"

"Yes, my dear, whatever might it be?"

"A hug?" He smiled widely, and opened his arms to me. I walked uncertainly into his waiting arms, wrapping my arms around his waist and putting my head on his sculpted chest. He hugged me warmly, and put his head on top of mine, and I swore I felt him kiss the top of my head. I needed the hug, for in the first time in my life; I was where I wanted to be and never wanted to leave. I had everything I would ever need, and all the love I could ever want. Society forbade our love, but nothing would prevent our love. Forbidden love of the strongest kind would never be hindered, I would give my life for him, and we would be together forever in life or death. My prince charming, my knight in shining armour, Edward Masen, loved me truly. My mind wandered for an instant, betraying my life teachings: Mrs. Isabella Masen…