Chapter 7: Carlisle Cullen By Bella

I couldn't help but cry a little. He was my father, and it hurt me so much to see him in that state. I wanted to do something for him… but what? I have no money, and my parents control the family's finances, so I can't pay for a doctor. I could bring him food, I guess. Every little bit helps.

That's what I'll do: I'll bring him food every Saturday. Today was Wednesday, so I'll just pack up a ton of food from the kitchen and run there in the dead of night. Hopefully, most people should be asleep by then, so I won't encounter too much trouble. I'll open the door, drop it inside and leave. No one would ever have to know it was me.

Then there's the Newton's Ball next Saturday. I'd just have to get home, and then run to Turner Street. It would be a long night.

I continued to scheme in silence as I walked past the familiar neighborhood houses on Tenement Street. If there had been a banana peel, I would've slipped on it because I wasn't paying enough attention where I was going. Thankfully, Edward was.

"Bella, you're going to walk into the lamp post! Watch it!" Edward pulled me out of the well of my thoughts. He also pulled my wrist and I barely missed it.

"Thanks," I said. I smiled at him as reassuringly as I could, but I don't think I pulled it off because he was still looking at me worriedly. Those brilliant green eyes said everything he was thinking.

"There's nothing we can do." He said. He put his arm around my waist as we walked and pulled me closer.

"I know," I lied. This was a pretty easy lie to tell because he already agreed with me. Otherwise, I'm a horrible liar. I put my head on his shoulder. It was just one of those moments where it's hard to stand up alone.

We walked side by side again as we journeyed into the upper districts. The sun was beneath the horizon, the last rays of that day's life just peeking over in one final display of color, its footsteps marked closely by darkness. Edward, always the gentleman, walked me home.

Edward was perfect. I could not imagine a better human being other than perhaps my father. It was a huge stroke of luck that brought him into my life, and an even bigger one that we were engaged to begins with. Here's how that one came about:

Mother and Philip had been well off at first, but then the war came.

Philip got drafted, and while he was overseas, my mother's habit of spending and buying became a problem for the first time since she'd married him. Since he could not work, we had to depend entirely on their savings, which slowly but surely dwindled.



Then the Masens moved to Chicago. They had moved from New York, and as it turns out, my mother had known Mrs. Masen since childhood. So, as Mother and Mrs. Masen caught up with each other, they found that they had children, Edward and myself, who were the same age. They concocted a plan.

Edward had long since been without companions, as had I. Our mothers had recognized with sadness that we were not the socialite kind. In an effort to try to bring us out of our own little worlds we had created to survive in the harsh world of social Chicago, they decided that we were going to marry. Crazy, insane, and completely not what I had envisioned at any rate. I guess I'd never thought about marriage before. It always seemed so far off that I never worried about it, not that I worry about it now. At any rate, Mother had three reasons for promising me to Edward: financial (first), social (second), and my own good (third). I always liked how that one came last…. So comforting.

The only thing was, I didn't care for him at all. I didn't know him, and I was determined to not like him just to spite my mother. He never cared for me, because I was always so aloof and unwelcoming, although why I should welcome a perfect stranger to be my husband I would never know. But that's past now, and I am in love with Edward Masen.

We were already at the steep steps to my front door. Edward we stood, debating unanimously whether or not to knock. He leaned in, pinning me against the doorframe, but in a good way. I was mesmerized by everything about him: his eyes, his breath, his mouth, his scent, even though he wasn't wearing any cologne he smelled fresh and clean and bright. He leaned even further so our faces were less than an inch apart. "I love you, Bella Swan," he whispered softly into my ear as he kissed my cheek.

"I love—" I started to say, but right then the door started to unlock. We separated like opposite sides of a magnet as the door swung open to reveal the maid. "Mistress has been looking for you," she said innocently. "Your parents, as well, Mr. Masen. They're all in the dining room."

Edward was just as befuddled as I was when we walked into the dining room.

"Bella! Edward! We were looking for you everywhere! It's nice to see you've turned up!" Philip said as he stood up, along with Mr. Masen and another man who looked vaguely familiar. Philip was looking relieved. The stranger and I made eye contact and I knew I recognized him from somewhere. My eyes lingered on him for a moment. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. His features were kind, yet mysterious, like he had many secrets, and at the same time, exquisitely formed and perfect. He moved with inhuman grace and agility.

"Mr. Carol, good evening to you." Edward said politely to Jack. "Mrs. Carol, Mother, Father," he nodded to each as he said their names.

My mother looked disapprovingly at me. "Bella, you know you're late for dinner, and I told you we had a guest coming," she said sternly.

"You did?" I said totally surprised. "I don't recall…."

"Well, I did," she said pointedly. "Go get dressed for dinner, Bella then you may come and join us."



I curtsied a little, then walked out of dining hall with another glance at the stranger who was still watching me with a curious expression. His glance flitted to Edward, and then I could no longer see him as I had left the room.

When I came back down in a fresh blue frock, Edward was already seated and everyone had been waiting on me. I felt slightly guilty, although I could not be blamed as I really had no forewarning of a dinner guest. The four men stood as I entered. I couldn't help but look at the stranger again. "Bella," Philip began, "this is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He's a new doctor at the hospital that Mr. Masen helped to finance."

"Pleasure to meet you, Bella," he said in an unknowingly seductive voice. I was intrigued, but untrusting of this man.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Dr. Cullen," I said guardedly.

Edward pulled out a chair for me and helped me seat myself. Dinner finally started. Judging by Edward's expression, he was just as lost as I was.

"So where did you reside before you came to Chicago?" Mrs. Masen asked, spearing the lettuce in her salad with a fork. She was staring at him just as intently as I.

"I moved here from Boston. I had lived there for many years, and I decided it was time to see what was further west," he said honestly. He glanced at me again, curious as to why I was staring at him. I was certain I'd seen his face somewhere before.

Then it clicked. He had the same shape as the man on the roof, and the same features, same pale beauty as the creature that had rushed past the trees in the park yesterday. "How long have you been here?" I asked curiously, but it was obvious on my face that I had a certain point to the question.

"I got here two nights ago." He said this looking straight at me, significantly. I couldn't think why he was acting this way to me only. "My position at the hospital was secured by mail before I came," he explained to the others.

So he got here and decided to climb my roof, did he and scare me half to death? What the hell….

Oh no…. when I passed out, I was in front of the window, so how did I get back to my bed? I didn't recall being lifted or anything between the window and the sunny day.

After dinner was over, the men went into game room (which included a pool table and multiple ashtrays) to smoke and talk politics (men are boring. Edward is the one exception). I was very curious to talk to Dr. Cullen: I was convinced he was the mysterious humanlike creature at my window and in the woods. Those previous encounters, I had never thought about if the creature was human or not, but in retrospect, it looked human, but acted with such grace, agility, and terrifying speed and strength that it convinced me otherwise. We females, with our tea and coffee, retired to the parlor, decorated with frills and knick-knacks that were very unnecessary.



I had to talk to Dr. Cullen alone.