Just a reminder that this story is rated M - Sue x

CHAPTER 7

Once Rosalie had left to change into her own costume, Bella took a few minutes to just relax. It felt very peaceful up here on her own and through the open bedroom window all she could hear was the faint sound of children's laughter from the back garden and an even quieter murmur from the grown ups, who were enjoying the last of the sunshine and the remains of the afternoon tea Mrs Cope had prepared.

It had been a wonderful day, in keeping with the Indian summer which was only now beginning to fizzle out as the third week of September began and Bella smiled at the memory of how happy Carlisle had been to see the small group of old friends and colleagues she'd invited to his birthday celebrations. The weeks of planning and trying to keep everything secret had been well worthwhile when she'd seen his delighted expression and the beaming smile on his face.

The entire village seemed to have turned up and after welcoming all of his guests, Carlisle and his friends had set themselves up in the conservatory, from where they'd held court and entered into a series of lively debates, fuelled by the choicest bottles from Carlisle's wine collection, which Emmett had been ferrying up from the cellar all afternoon.

Soon more guests would be arriving for the evening party and although she was trying not to get carried away, Bella was already feeling slightly giddy with excitement. Her eyes met Lady Mary's in the mirror, 'How do I look in your riding habit and ringlets? I can barely recognise myself. We could almost be twins!'

Lady Mary gazed back at her with the slight suggestion of a smile she always wore and suddenly Bella felt a little nervous about her choice of costume. She blamed Emmett, who was with her when she'd found it and strangely, Edward, who was the reason she'd been rummaging around in the attic again in the first place.

She usually kept to the room where the filing cabinets were stored, into which she'd squeezed a desk, a chair and a desk lamp. But after one of her email reports to Edward, he'd mentioned he thought there was a portrait of Perceval, Lady Mary's husband, in a batch of items which had failed to sell at the London auction.

Bella had gone to find Emmett immediately and after a bit of head scratching, he'd located the half a dozen paintings in the room next door to the one Bella was working in. Sadly Perceval's portrait was in very bad repair, not only due to the water damage which had affected the other pictures, but also because there was a large tear right across the front, from one corner to the other.

Before Emmett handed it to her, Bella had suddenly felt strangely apprehensive that Percy would resemble Edward, but in fact if anything he looked more like Emmett. Disappointingly though, unlike Lady Mary's portrait this one was rather amateurish and very little could be gleaned from the stiffly posed figure in front of a standard studio backdrop. So after examining the picture carefully, Bella handed it back to Emmett. But as she turned away, a flash of blue fabric trailing from a large trunk caught her eye.

When she opened the trunk a whole collection of fancy dress costumes was revealed and she immediately recognised the blue riding habit, which Carlisle's great grandmother had been wearing in the newspaper article she'd found online. To her surprise the old costume not only fitted her perfectly, but with Carlisle's approval it also survived a good wash in the washing machine, so Bella had decided to go ahead and wear it.

As she fastened her mother's gold necklace around her neck, she stared at herself in the mirror again, noticing how the cut of the riding habit pulled in her waist and emphasised her figure and suddenly her slight anxiety disappeared. Perhaps because she felt almost as if she was playing a role, she was confident she could handle anything, even Edward, who'd rung earlier to apologise for only being able to attend the evening party due to pressure of work.

It was great that he'd been given another high profile case, but Bella couldn't deny that she'd been disappointed when he'd apologised for also having to leave early the next morning. At this rate she'd be lucky to spend much time with him at all and after waiting for months she was really looking forward to seeing him again, which was bizarre considering how badly things had started out between them.

But despite its suddenness, Edward's promise to try to get along better in future had turned out to be sincere and the atmosphere between them had thawed surprisingly quickly in the weeks leading up to the party. So much so that Bella's weekly emails, which had begun rather awkwardly, had soon became almost daily and veered away from the subject of the archives to anything which caught her fancy, or amused or interested her, while his replies had gone from serious to humorous and even rather flirty.

Despite their wildly differing backgrounds Bella had been surprised at how much they seemed to have in common, but it was the memory of their previous kiss and the thought that he might really be attracted to her, which had put the spring in her step and the sparkle in her eyes. And once she'd re-applied her lipstick, taken one last look in the mirror and blown Lady Mary a kiss for luck, she could feel her heart fluttering with anticipation as she hurried back downstairs.

-ooo-

Looking much calmer than she felt, first of all Bella went to check on how things were going in the kitchen. Mrs Cope had been determined to oversee both the afternoon and evening refreshments, so Bella was glad to see that in between enjoying the party, most of Mrs Cope's extended family were taking it in turns to help with the supply of food and clean glasses. In fact they'd brought the party to the kitchen with them and the room was filled with laughter, gossip, and music from the small TV/radio on the dresser and after Mrs Cope assured her she would take a break when she needed it, Bella left them to it.

In the last half hour the house had been filling up with new arrivals and many of the guests had taken advantage of the sunny evening and wandered out into the garden, creating rather a surreal scene as they lounged in groups on the grass in their fancy dress, or clustered around Emmett, who had enthusiastically taken charge of the barbecue and was rather aptly dressed as Fred Flintstone.

Carlisle had moved to one of the tables set out on the paved area next to the conservatory and after bringing him a plate of food which Mrs Cope had prepared especially for him and making sure he wasn't in need of anything else, Bella left him happily chatting with his guests under the shade of a giant parasol which cast a bright green glow over all their faces.

As she made her way back into the house she bumped into Lauren and her latest boyfriend, who luckily seemed quite content to listen to Lauren talk non-stop about herself, so after exchanging a few pleasantries and pointing out Carlisle so that they could go and say hello, Bella was able to make her escape.

But while she kept herself busy by clearing away dirty glasses and plates and carrying supplies out to Emmett, Bella knew she was only waiting. And although she smiled and stopped to talk to various acquaintances and made sure the children, in their guises of princesses and super heroes, were suitably entertained, every time she heard a car draw up outside, or someone walked through the door, her heart sped up for a second and then sank, disappointed.

As the evening wore on and it began to get dark, sadly Bella realised that Edward probably wasn't going to make it after all. The drive from London took around six hours at the best of times and it looked more and more likely that he'd been delayed again, or got stuck in a traffic jam somewhere along the way.

To make things worse, Rose, who looked predictably stunning dressed as Wilma Flintstone to match Emmett's Fred, had been annoying her all evening by constantly introducing her to yet more prospective boyfriends, the most tenacious of whom was sweating under the weight of a furry Chewbacca costume. At least it made him visible among the crowds and as Bella saw him determinedly making his way across the room towards her for the umpteenth time, she grabbed a nearby tray of dirty glasses and hurried towards the door.

But as she stepped into the hall, which was deserted for a moment, the front door opened directly opposite her and Edward finally appeared, dressed as a highwayman. His face immediately broke into a wide smile and his eyes shone behind the mask which covered the upper part of his face. Removing his wide-brimmed hat with a flourish, he bowed low, then walked towards her smiling wickedly.

'Wow, you look spectacular in that costume - Lady Mary if I'm not mistaken?'

Doing her best to ignore the sudden shock which had set her heart thumping and taken her breath away, Bella smiled back at him.

'Yes, I couldn't resist when I found it. And it's weird because we sort of match. Although by the look of you, you're way too rakish for a well brought up 18th century lady.'

'I feel I should be stealing your jewels and carrying you off over my shoulder at the very least.'

'Is this where I say 'Oh fie sir!' and hide behind my fan?'

'Very probably,' he grinned. 'I'm sorry I'm so late, it took me hours to get out of London. But I was determined not to miss the celebrations completely, even though, as I mentioned, I'm going to have to leave quite early in the morning for a business meeting.'

Looking at her watch Bella saw it was almost nine o'clock, 'Well I'm afraid you've only got about an hour. We're chucking everyone out soon after ten, to avoid overtiring Carlisle. But the party's moving to Emmett and Rosalie's house if you want to join us.'

'Try stopping me if everyone looks half as beautiful as you.'

That comment brought Bella back to earth with a bump. She remembered Lauren and all the women who'd clustered round Edward at the bar. How had she allowed a few silly emails to overrule her common sense and convince her they had something in common? Did she really want to waste her time with someone like Edward anyway?

Feeling deflated, she did her best to ignore his smile, which kept coaxing an answering smile onto her face, and his eyes, which were looking at her in a way that had already turned her insides to jelly.

She struggled hard to resist the pull, 'Well…. It's nice to see you Edward, but I need to take these glasses to Mrs Cope. And you'd better go and find Carlisle while you can. I think he's in the drawing room.'

And dragging her eyes away from him, she turned towards the kitchen, just as Rosalie appeared with Chewbacca.

Ignoring Edward completely, Rosalie exclaimed 'Oh, there you are Bella, Jason and I were looking for you.'

And while Rosalie gave her a very stern look, Edward made off in the opposite direction, rolling his eyes behind Chewbacca's furry orange back and giving Bella a wink and a thumbs up.

-ooo-

It was lucky there wasn't long to go before everyone had to leave, because Edward was driving her mad. Wherever she looked he seemed to be there, surrounded by a simpering mass of women, all vying for his attention in the most nauseating way.

She'd continued to try really hard not to get drawn in, but her brain didn't seem to be working properly and however much she attempted to distract herself, memories of the night he'd kissed her kept intruding into her thoughts, reminding her of her stupidity, but also making her feel ridiculously jealous. Until finally, all she could think of was how much she wanted to be alone with him again.

She didn't want to be like all those other women, but she knew that if she had the chance she wouldn't be able to help herself, the attraction was just too strong. Even though it was completely out of character, even if it made her feel like a slut and meant nothing at all to him, like a moth to a flame there was no way she'd be able to resist.

But when Lauren and Jessica joined the crowd of admirers, Bella decided she needed a break and taking her glass of wine with her, she headed for the observatory.

It was cool and quiet inside and although she could hear voices from the back garden every now and then, there was no one on this side of the house and she breathed a sigh of relief as she stood still in the semi-darkness and let the sound of the sea gently wash over her.

After a few moments she heard the door open behind her and to her surprise she realised Edward had followed her. A light went on then dimmed and she listened to his footsteps slowly approaching across the polished wooden floor.

His voice echoed slightly in the quiet space.

'This was Alice's favourite place. She loved to come here at night, especially when there was a storm. She said it made her feel so alive.'

Bella turned and looked at him then. He'd taken off the mask and held it in his hand and he looked so tired for a moment that she wanted to put her arms around him.

He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. 'Seeing you dressed like that reminded me that Alice had a thing about Lady Mary when we were children. She must have been about eight or nine when she made me go round half the doors and windows scratching crosses in front of them. When we were caught she said Lady Mary told her to do it.'

She followed Edward over to the nearest window and sure enough a wobbly cross was faintly visible underneath the paint on the windowsill.

'Have you ever seen the ghost?'

'No, she's supposed to herald a death in the family. Mrs Cope claims one of the villagers saw her the night Esme, Carlisle's wife, died. Carlisle and Esme were living permanently in Italy by then. Esme found it very difficult to stay here after Alice drowned and it was only after Esme died that Carlisle came back. We Cullens have a very strong attachment to our home.'

Without noticing, he'd reached out and twined one of Bella's ringlets around his finger, but when he realised what he'd done, he hastily let go and stepped back.

'Do you miss her?' Bella couldn't help asking.

'Alice or Esme?'

'Both, I suppose.'

'Alice was always very … demanding. I miss the person she might have been. But Esme was like a mother to me, more than my own mother. Carlisle and Esme were my real family. I'd never have been able to thank them enough for what they did for me. Which reminds me, I should be getting back to Carlisle.'

'Will you come and find me afterwards?'

Surprised at the invitation, Edward's eyes flew towards her face.

There was no disguising what she meant and when she saw the answering desire in his eyes her heart leapt.

But for once he seemed uncertain.

'Are you positive that's what you want? Everything's in such a mess at the moment. You realise I can't make any promises or commitments? Preparing this new case is going to take up all my time for the next few months and I'll be stuck in London until at least the New Year. And in any event, my track record …'

'It's fine. We're both adults, I'm not expecting anything you can't give.'

'Are you sure? I don't want to jeopardise what we already have.'

'Don't worry my eyes are wide open - see?'

She fluttered her eyelashes at him hoping to lighten the atmosphere a bit, but he continued to stare at her gravely, before seeming to come to a decision.

'I've promised to have a nightcap with Carlisle, but I'll come to your room afterwards. About half an hour after everyone's gone?'

'Ok, I'll be waiting.'

She expected him to smile at least, but he still looked thoughtful as he turned away from her and the cloak he was wearing as part of his costume swirled around him as he walked out of the door.

Fuck, what have I done? Bella shook her head in disbelief and took a large swig of her wine.

-ooo-

As Bella climbed the stairs, the last few guests were still saying goodbye to Carlisle in the hall and she could hear shouts and laughter from the direction of the cliff path, as groups of people made their way towards Emmett and Rosalie's house to carry on the party. While she listened, a loud whoop went up, followed by a hail of laughter and she smiled and wondered what Emmett had just said or done.

She realised that Rosalie would quickly notice her absence and put two and two together, but for once she didn't care. Although she wasn't going to read too much into whatever happened tonight, any time spent with Edward was just too tantalising to resist .She'd made her decision and no matter what, she was going through with it.

She wandered around the room, tidying a few things away and trying to get her nerves under control while she waited, then knelt on the window seat and rested her flushed face against the cool window pane. Outside she heard Mrs Cope wishing someone goodnight as she left and the last few cars driving away, then everything went quiet.

She hadn't bothered to switch on the light because there was a full moon again and the night sky was glittering with stars. She felt strangely calm now and when Edward appeared in the doorway and noiselessly shut the door behind him, she only breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

She was still in her costume, but he'd ditched most of his, apart from a white shirt and a pair of tight black britches with buckles at the knee. He came and sat on the window seat beside her and they both looked out over the trees which hid the path to the beach, before turning to face each other. The moonlight was so bright that she could see how intently he was looking at her, although all the colours in the room had been turned to grey.

He whispered the words which were echoing around her own head, 'So beautiful!' and leant in towards her until their lips gently touched.

Immediately it was as if her whole body had woken from a long sleep and been sparked into life. Her skin tingled and with a groan she felt the fire which he'd lit in her all those months ago re-ignite. As every nerve ending in her body responded to his touch she knew she was lost. She clung to him as if she was drowning, while he crushed her body against his, until she felt as if all the breath had been forced out of her lungs.

But she only held on harder, winding her arms around his neck and returning his kisses with a passion she hadn't known she possessed, while her fingers threaded through his hair, part caressing and part grasping, drawing him nearer, desperate to get closer still.

Eventually they broke apart panting and she saw his eyes were wild. Standing and dragging her to her feet, he quickly reached behind his head and removed his shirt, before turning her round and starting to untie the laces which criss-crossed her back and held the bodice of her dress together. Swearing at the delay, he deftly unlaced her with nimble fingers and twirled her back to face him as he yanked the last piece free. Then smiling down at her and unable to resist, he bent to place another kiss on her lips.

Greedily she refused to let him go and the kiss deepened, while her hands gripped his bare arms and shoulders, then growing more confident, roamed over his back, feeling the muscles which rippled just beneath the surface and the strength which held her body captive against his. He kissed and caressed her neck, then gently slipped the dress from her shoulders, letting it slide down her arms and onto the floor. Her underwear was next and soon she was standing naked in front of him bathed in a pool of silver moonlight.

'So beautiful,' he whispered again, drinking her in with dark eyes that glittered in the bright moonlight, reflecting a whole tiny universe of night sky and sea and stars. He ducked his head suddenly, grasping her firmly underneath her arms and catching a nipple in his mouth, biting and sucking, then turning his attention to the other, until she groaned and clutched at him again, while his strong hands explored her body in their turn and he kissed her until she swayed on her feet, too dazed and light headed to stand unsupported.

When he lifted her up into his arms in one smooth movement to carry her over to the bed, for a second she caught sight of their reflection in the mirror as it swam into view and she was surprised at how unearthly they looked, her hair a riot of curls against their naked skin which glowed palely in the moonlight – a sea nymph carried away by her ghostly lover.

He laid her down in the middle of the bed, and she watched as he quickly removed his britches and his boxers, unconsciously licking her lips at the sight of his gloriously naked body, lean but muscular in all the right places. He was watching her too and when he saw her eyes stray to his erection he grinned and extracted a strip of condoms from his wallet, then placed them ready on the bedside table.

The bed dipped as he knelt on the edge. She lay still, stretched out in front of him, her breathing shallow with expectation, unable to tear her eyes away from his face. When she saw his eyes travelling over her naked body, she suddenly felt nervous of any disappointment which might show in his expression. Part of her wanted to cover herself up, to shrink away from his gaze which already knew too much, to run away and hide herself from him, but it was too late, he'd cast a spell over her and she was helplessly, knowingly, laid out for his inspection.

He smiled so sweetly then, that she thought her heart would burst, but when he leaned in closer, his eyes were glittering and dark. Playfully he caught her bottom lip between his teeth, then retreated, watching her reaction as he tweaked a nipple then reached down to caress her ass. He gently trailed his hand across her torso, still following every movement with his eyes, leisurely circling her breasts with the softest of featherlike touches, then continuing up her neck and along her cheek to trace the outline of her lips.

His eyes warned her to stay where she was, but she already missed the feel of his body pressed close against hers and he was too tantalisingly near. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and grasped his cock firmly in her hand. Caught unawares, his eyes widened as he fought to get his reactions under control. His head tilted up and back and his whole body arched and tightened, then relaxed as he let out a shuddering breath.

'Christ, you nearly had me coming on the spot!'

Grinning, he removed her hand and pulled her into his arms, squeezing her tightly and burrowing his face into her neck before kissing her there several times and nipping at her earlobe. When he turned his attention to her mouth, she ground against him as his tongue gained entrance and his strong hands gripped her body tightly, making her heart pound and her whole body grow heavy with desire.

She felt drunk when he laid her down again.

He smiled, 'Shhhh not yet. Stay still,'

She felt the mattress dip once more as he lay down on his side next to her, leaning on his elbow. Then too deliciously slowly he leant over her and his hands resumed their exploration, while his mouth moved across her breasts and down her body, covering her with kisses, which set off fireworks of lust in their wake and made her so unbearably itchy with desire that her body tried to squirm away from his touch.

It was too much, too overwhelming, too powerful a sensation. But he had no mercy and continued his tantalising progress until every tiny inch of her body tingled and pulsed and she had to bite her lip to prevent herself begging him to give her more.

She froze when his tongue dipped into her belly button and his fingers began to trace a path across her thigh and when he suddenly moved away again, the loss made her groan. But she realised he was only reaching for a condom and abruptly the atmosphere in the room changed again.

His eyes were hooded now and dark and he moved with deliberation, as she lay panting and breathless, too much in need of his touch to try to hide the desperation in her eyes. She groaned again when he took a nipple between his teeth and pinched the other with a pressure which jolted through her, making her squirm and bite her lip, then sigh when his hand finally slipped between her thighs.

Her head fell back and her eyes closed as his fingers worked skilfully. It was a revelation. Her body had never reacted so intensely before. She could feel every nerve come to life as waves of pleasure swept through her, overwhelming her defences and sweeping away every last vestige of resistance, until she had no choice but to open herself to him completely. But she wanted him inside her when she came and desperately drawing together all her remaining willpower, she managed to move away slightly.

Understanding, he stopped immediately and looked down at her.

'Ready then?'

She nodded as he tore the foil packet with his teeth and quickly slipped the condom on, then lined himself up and slowly pressed forward. It felt so unbelievably good that they both groaned in unison and froze, savouring the sensation and grinning stupidly at each other, as a wave of pleasure flooded through their bodies like a rolling tide.

Then taking a deep breath and shaking the hair out of his eyes, he withdrew and slowly thrust back, fascinated by the sight, as he was gradually enveloped and then released, until his upper arms shook and locked with the effort of holding himself back and refusing to give in to his body's need to thrust blindly and greedily to a quick conclusion.

Already she was wondering how she could ever do without him or give this up. She'd never thought anything could possibly feel so good and she'd become an instant addict, dizzy with pleasure, beyond any reasoning, utterly consumed.

Somewhere there was a bed and a room in a house and a quiet night filled with stars, but she was worlds away, floating on a sea of sensation, which buoyed her up then sucked her down into its depths, until her whole body was trembling and her head was spinning.

Leisurely he re-arranged their bodies, slowly and skilfully drawing out the pleasure, as they watched each other's reactions, unable to stop smiling or touching each other. Sometimes their lips met in greedy kisses, or he whispered endearments and gentle encouragement into her ear, as their hips gyrated in perfect rhythm and the waves of pleasure rose and fell.

But as he picked up the pace and they rocked and ground against each other, the endearments turned to groans and muttered curses and it felt almost as if their bodies were fighting each other, until they were gasping for breath and her nails dug savage tracks into his smooth skin.

She needed to hold onto him to steady herself as she fell, but as her back arched and her eyes rolled back in her head she clawed at the sheets and the bedrail behind her and screamed, as wave after wave of white hot sensation swept through her and she writhed in an agony of pleasure, which was almost unbearable in its intensity, spiralling away into a dark place which was lit with flashes of brilliant white.

And the last things she saw before her eyes fluttered shut, were his impossibly green eyes burning down at her and drawing her to him, binding like steel.

-ooo-

Dimly she was aware that he'd collapsed onto her, his weight pressing her into the mattress. Trembling with the aftershock and suddenly aware of how chilly the night air was on their damp skin, she hugged him closer to her, before gently kissing his shoulder and reaching out to drag the discarded sheet back over them.

He stirred then and smiled down at her, placing a kiss on her lips before moving to lie down next to her and in the quietness of the night they talked and laughed together in the moonlight, before caresses turned to lingering kisses and the passion ignited again.

He made her feel beautiful and brazen and she never wanted the night to end.

She woke again at dawn, their bodies tangled together among the crumpled sheets, and she watched him sleep, feeling as if she should pinch herself – how had she managed to capture someone so beautiful and entice him into her bed? A surge of intense happiness swept through her and she felt as if anything was possible.

Slowly disentangling herself and holding her breath as his hand tightened around her waist then relaxed, when he almost woke, Bella edged away from him and out of bed and darted into the bathroom. After smoothing down her tangled hair a little and brushing her teeth, she stood at the window for a moment - the sea was still calm and it looked as if it was going to be another beautiful day. She yawned and stretched, feeling her tired muscles complain and turning back towards the bed she saw she had an interested audience.

Just woken from sleep his voice was gruff, but his smile was as wide and as bewitching as ever.

'Come here, Beautiful.' He pulled back the sheet invitingly and scooted backwards giving her plenty of space to lie down. But when she climbed into bed his arms immediately scooped her up and pulled her back against his chest and his legs locked around hers. Spooning her body, he nibbled at her ear and kissed her neck and she could already feel his breathing speed up and the unmistakable evidence of his arousal. She wriggled her ass against him, just to tease, and he literally growled into her ear as his arms tightened their grip around her.

Giggling, she found she was suddenly flat on her back and he was looming over her, his green eyes flashing with intent. He tickled her and she laughed and kicked out at him, pulling the sheet up to her chin and pinning it tightly across her chest with her arm. But his long fingers burrowed under the covers lower down, making her gasp. Panting she let the sheet fall and grasped both his shoulders, pulling until he gave in and lowered his face towards hers.

The smile he gave her as his lips approached made her heart lurch and as he let the weight of his body rest on hers for a moment and she felt both their hearts beating in unison, in that moment she knew that she would always remember how his eyes gleamed at her in the bright morning sunlight and how tenderly he whispered her name.

-ooo-

When she woke next, Edward's side of the bed was empty and she knew immediately that he'd gone. Reaching for her phone she found that it was just after nine thirty. He'd sent her a text, apologising again for having to leave so early - she was sleeping so soundly that he hadn't wanted to wake her just to say goodbye.

She wondered again why he had a business meeting on a Sunday, but she felt so deliciously relaxed, worn out and elated all at the same time – that would be from all the fantastic sex! – that she couldn't be bothered to think about it now and she drowsily snuggled back under the covers, wondering whether to get up or try to go back to sleep.

In the end the bright sunshine and the feeling of sheer euphoria made it impossible to sleep and when she lazily sat up and reached for her phone again, she noticed he'd left her a present. A few stray grains of sand confirmed that he'd been down to the beach before leaving and on the mattress where he'd been lying, he'd arranged a collection of small shells and flowers into a smiley face with two pieces of green sea glass for eyes.

Hardly able to contain the feelings which were bubbling up inside and ignoring her aching muscles, at the prompting of some half remembered dance class in a town she'd spent a few months in as a child, Bella jumped off the bed and danced around the room, pirouetting faster and faster until she ended up dizzy and gasping for air, clutching onto the bedpost.

As she stood there trying to get her breath back, her eyes wandered aimlessly across Lady Mary's picture, past her gloved right hand which held a riding crop, to her left hand which was partly concealed by the skirt of her riding habit. And looking more closely, for the first time Bella noticed that she was holding a small shell between her first and second fingers, just like the ones Edward had left her, and in the shadows at the bottom of the picture where the hem of her skirt brushed the floor, Bella could just make out the shapes of a handful of others, scattered around Lady Mary's feet.

Bella was surprised she hadn't noticed them before, but the shell in Lady Mary's hand was so small it was barely visible among the folds of her dress and the outline of the ones on the floor was so indistinct that they were only visible because the morning sun was shining directly onto the picture. She smiled when she thought that perhaps Lady Mary had run up from the beach with a handful of shells just as the portrait painter had arrived and she'd quickly dropped them where she stood.

Clambering back onto the bed, Bella scooped up the shells Edward had left her and smiling up at Lady Mary and feeling as if they were some sort of magic token, she opened the box she kept her mother's necklace in and dropped them inside.

Thanks to shaz308 for the costume suggestion - sorry I didn't make more of that

Next chapter a visitor turns up

Thanks for reading x Sue