Chapter 9. Confrontations
(BPOV)
It has been a week since Edward and I confessed to each other, and every night since has been wonderful. We do still talk of course, getting to know each other more and more every day. But we do spend a great deal of the time 'showing' our love for each other. We're still trying to be careful, so we've never gone past innocent kisses.
Today, I was in our private library laying on a lovely blue velvet chaise reading my favorite story, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I was a hopeless romantic. I loved love stories and this was my favorite. I couldn't help but grin at the similarities between the love in this story and the love between Edward and myself. Although I did hope neither of us ended up dying in the future. My only disappointment of this beautiful morning is that it was Edward's day off and I wouldn't see him today. I insisted that he spend it with his family. I was expecting to go for a ride tomorrow. I would see him bright and early.
I was really enjoying my solitude when who should walk in but Sir Michael Crawford. He looked pleased with himself for some reason. Maybe his just struck another business deal with father. Oh, well. I chose not to acknowledge it. But for the sake of formality, I gave him a weak greeting.
"Good morning, Sir Crawford."
He was standing in front of the window, looking suspiciously smug. "Good morning… Isabella."
I looked at him at that and gave him a very stern look. "I'll thank you not to address me so informally, sir."
He kept that smug on his face as he approached me slowly but with purpose. "Oh, I think I'm free to address you any way I please after today."
I eyed him suspiciously. "And why is that?"
He stood before me and he actually kneeled down, reached into his inside pocket, and pulled out a small red box. "Because, you're going to be my wife." He lifted the lid and inside was the largest, gaudiest diamond I've ever seen, and it didn't interest me in the least bit.
"I don't think so." Then I averted my attention back to my book.
Next thing I knew, my book was being snatched out of my hands and I was viciously being yanked onto my feet by my wrist. I felt like he was trying to break my arm off my torso.
"What in the blazes are you doing?"
He just looked at me with rage in his eyes. He painfully grabbed hold of my shoulders and forced me to look at him.
"Let me make something very clear, Isabella. I am a man who always gets what he wants. I'm also the sort of man no one says no to. And a spoiled rich brat is certainly not going to be an exception. You ARE going to marry me. Your father just gave me his blessing and your mother is positively euphoric. All that's left is for you to say 'yes.' Which are ARE going to do."
I tried to push him away, but he was just too strong. "Let go! You're hurting me!"
"It'll get better, Isabella. It just takes one little word."
I practically spat in his face, "NO!"
He slapped my face hard. "Wrong answer! Let's try that again… Isabella, say you will marry me."
I stay strong. "NO!"
This time he slapped me so hard I fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. He walked toward me while I scooted away till I hit the coffee table. I was actually scared for my life at that moment.
"I will not be denied but anyone, least of all you." He threw the ring box at me, but thankfully he missed. "SAY YOU WILL MARRY ME!" He grabbed my sleeve. "SAY YES! SAY YES! SAY YES!" That whole time he hit me over and over and over.
God was looking out for me today. At that moment, but parents came into the room and my father punched Crawford's lights out. Father continued to hit him as mother kneeled down at my side.
"Isabella, my angel, are you alright?"
I couldn't speak. I just held onto her as I watched my father do his fatherly duty and protect his daughter from a monster. Finally what seemed like forever, father gabbed onto Crawford's jacket and forced him onto his feet and spoke to him in a very frighteningly threatening way.
"You will NEVER come near my daughter again. You will NEVER come onto my property again. You will NEVER show your face around here or speak to anyone of my family ever again. Or else I will personally see to it that you never see your own legs ever again." Then father shoved him so hard he fell to the ground with a great thud. "NOW GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
I don't know if it was because he was terrified or because his lip was impossibly swollen from the beating he just got, but he didn't say a single word or even made a sound as he unsteadily got up and limped out of the room, out of the house, and hopefully, out of our lives.
"Are you alright, darling?" Father kneeled down to take a better look at me. Mother was still holding onto me in a comforting way. I was just too overwhelmed to speak. So I did the only thing I could do. I cried. I placed my face on my mothers shoulder and cried my heart out.
Mother tried to sooth me, but it did nothing for me. Father reached over and picked me up. I laid my head on his shoulder and continued to cry. He carried me up to my room with my mother in suit and laid me on the bed.
"You're alright now, princess. That horrible man is gone now. You're safe." Mother ran her fingers through my ruined hair. It was actually quite refreshing to not listen to her lecture or reprimand me for a change. Then she addressed my father. "Darling, go summon the doctor."
Father looked reluctant to leave, but did as bid.
I continued to cry for a few more minutes while mother tried to comfort me. Finally, my tears completely subsided, all that was left was exhaustion. But I didn't want to sleep. I was scarred I'd have nightmares about the beating I just took, and the one my father just gave. I know it was for my behalf, but I never seen my father that way, and it frightened me.
Mother held onto me, the way she used to when I was a small child after a nightmare, and tried with all her might to comfort me. "Oh, my precious girl. I'm so sorry. I was too blind to see what a horrid man that Crawford was. This is all my doing. I should have seen past his 'charming' pretense and realized he was a monster."
I tried to stop her from blaming herself. I knew it wasn't really her fault. "No, mother. It's not your doing. No one guessed what kind of man he really was."
"But you could see that he wasn't to be reckoned with. And I just saw your protests as defiance and childishness. I'll never brush off your instincts again."
We just held each other for a moment more when father knocked on the door. Mother beckoned him to come in and he was followed by the doctor. After a little examination, he diagnosed that I was no worse for the ware. Just a little shook up and tired, and I thankfully would have no blemishes on my face. I just needed to rest in bed for a few days.
At first I tried to protest, because I hadn't forgotten that I was supposed to go riding tomorrow, to see Edward. But mother forbade it and so did father. They both insisted that I stay in bed and rest after the ordeal I just endured. I knew I couldn't win an argument against both my parents, so I decided to respect their wishes. This time.
But I still had to let Edward know that I couldn't go riding tomorrow instead of let him think I stood him up. So, shortly after mother and father left the room to let me rest, I padded over to my writing desk, took out a piece of parchment and wrote a quick not for him. After I sealed it in an envelope and wrote his name on the front of it. Then I pulled a cord in the corner of my room to summon Nelly.
There was a light knock on my door a couple minutes later. "Come in."
It was Nelly, thank heaven, "You summoned me, Miss? Forgive me, but shouldn't you be resting now?"
"Never mind that, Nelly. I need you to do something for me. It is of the utmost importance that you do this with extreme caution and discretion and NEVER speak of this to anyone. In fact, after you do this, it never even happened. Understand?"
She looked at me with a very uncertain look. "Tell me you understand, Nelly!"
She staggered for a moment. "Yes, I understand, Miss."
"Good." I handed her the envelope. "Now, I need you to take this directly to the stable master, and I want you to tell him to give it to the stable boy first thing when he arrives in the morning. Be sure he knows that it is very important that he gets it. Please promise me you'll do this." I gave her a pleading look, hoping she would understand.
She eyed me and the envelope for a moment, then took it from me with a small assuring smile. "I promise I'll see to it, Miss. I'll see to it immediately."
I just hugged her tightly. I always knew I could count on Nelly no matter what. "Thank you so much, Nelly. Really."
She hugged me back briefly, then gently pulled me away from her. "Now, Miss de Swan, please get back in that bed and get your rest. Your parents would be beside themselves if they knew I allowed you out of bed."
I chuckled slightly and did as bid. After about a half an hour of laying quietly in my bed, thinking about Edward and the hope that I would be allowed out of this bed soon so I could see him again, I began to drift off in a dreamless sleep. I just hope that he'll get my note and understand.
