A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviews. You rock!
(I do not own anything Twilight.)
Chapter Nine - Raspberry Tarts
He is leaving.
I always knew that this time would come. At first, it was a comfort to me. Edward's pride and his disregard for others made the thought of his presence here on the farm unbearable. I thought, the sooner this summer was over with and he was gone, the better. Now, I cannot comprehend the notion of a single day without seeing Edward's face.
It is mid August, 1774. I have watched Edward come and go for the past few months, working in the fields and around the farm with Pa and Emmett. My own dealings with him have been limited, only interacting when a situation demanded it and never seeking out his attention or giving him any reason to seek mine. Yet, we have been thrown together on several occasions and with each encounter my feelings toward him have escalated. Now, when I see him or hear his voice I feel almost buoyant. What will I do without the prospect of seeing him each day?
It is the morning of Edward's last day with us and I am wishing that my opportunities to get to know him had been greater, that there were more time. There is not. Edward is leaving for college in two days and he does not know when he will be able to return. When he leaves today, it will be the last time I see him, perhaps for a long time.
In an attempt to make his last memory of me a good one, I have invited both Edward and Alice to stay for a farewell supper. Alice has been my companion these last few weeks on the farm and I have been grateful for her company. When Edward leaves, she will no longer be able to come to spend time with me on a daily basis. The time I spend with her will be limited to our lessons on Sundays and I will miss her.
With this in mind, I rise early to rush through my chores and prepare breakfast for Pa and Emmett, eager to greet Alice and Edward when they arrive. I do not have to wait long before I hear their buggy. I practically fly off the front porch in my impatience to greet them, only stumbling on the bottom step. Edward smiles at me as I come to stand at the drive's edge, where he stops the buggy right in front of me.
"I see your in fine spirits today, Bella," he says, taking note of my enthusiasm. I smile at him and he hops down from the buggy to offer Alice his hand. He helps her down and before I know it she has swept me up into a quick hug and starts talking about our plans for the day.
"Izzy, today is bittersweet for me. I am so happy to see you, but I know it will make me miss you all the more throughout the coming week. We will have to do something extra fun. Oh, I know! Let me do your hair, Izzy. I do enjoy such things and I promise it will look pretty for supper tonight…" she begins, as she starts to pull me toward the house.
"Alice, " I interrupt her, "if we have time, we can do that, but I was hoping to pick raspberries today. I wanted to make a special dessert for supper."
"Raspberries? I love raspberries," she exclaims. "I have never been raspberry picking before. We have some growing in our garden at home, but the gardeners tend to them."
"Well, then your in for a treat. They grow wild near the edges of the forest around our farm. We should get going before the day becomes too hot," I explain, and then instruct her to wait while I get our supplies.
I leave Alice standing on the front porch to watch as Edward parks his buggy and removes his horse to put to pasture while he works. I quickly gather my bonnet and two large baskets and return to Alice just as Pa and Emmett are making ready to leave the house.
"Where are you running off to in such a hurry, Izzy?" Pa asks, as he comes out the door after me.
"We were going to pick some berries, Pa," I answer him.
"You make sure to take your musket along. I don't know as I like the idea of two young ladies off alone," Pa says, and then teases, "especially when one of them has a knack for finding trouble."
"We won't go far," I assure him.
I return to the house and retrieve my musket making sure that it is ready to use. When I come back out of the house, the men are already off getting ready to begin their workday. Alice and I cross the pasture and head towards the edge of the forest where the brambles line the meadows and fields. It does not take us long to find our prize; sweet blue and red raspberries.
We walk slowly along the forests edge picking berries as we find them, just enjoying each others company. Alice talks about anything and everything. As I listen to her, I sneak a berry or two and swat at the many bugs that make themselves friendly this time of year. The time passes quickly and we find ourselves a little farther from home than I intended to venture. I suggest to Alice that we head home along the other side of the field so we can gather more berries along the way.
We reach the opposite side of the field and immediately Alice clutches my hand and says in a panicked voice, "I saw something move in the trees, Izzy. What do we do?"
"Where?" I ask. She points off into the distance and my eyes survey the area. At first I do not see anything, and then slowly a figure steps from behind a tree startling both Alice and myself. I raise my musket and Alice starts to shake and whimper she is so frightened. The figure starts to walk towards us. I can see that it is an Indian, but he is too far away for me to recognize him. I, too, am starting to become frightened.
"Stop, where you are," I order. He laughs and keeps approaching. I lower my weapon. I know that laugh.
"Jacob," I ask, "is that you?"
"It hasn't been that long since you've seen me, Izzy. Don't you know your best friend when you see him?" he asks.
I cannot believe my eyes. I have not seen Jacob for a several months and the changes in him are great. He has grown several inches and his build has become more muscular, even his voice is deeper. He is no longer a boy, but still not yet a man.
"Jacob, It's so good to see you," I say, as I awkwardly run to close the distance between us. "Why have you stayed away so long?"
"I was visiting my cousins in the Ohio territory. They were host to the Green Corn Festival this year." He then takes notice of Alice walking cautiously up behind me and asks, "Who is this?"
I turn my attention back to Alice who is staring at us with near amazement.
"Jacob this is Alice, Alice…Jacob," I introduce my two closest friends.
"Pleased to meet you," Alice responds nervously. Her relief that Jacob means us no harm is obvious, but she is still wary and remains several paces away.
Jacob nods politely to her and then returns his attention to me. He very obviously looks me over and I think that he sees a change in me as well. We stand and look into each others eyes and I realize how much I have missed his companionship. His fierce looking exterior hides the tenderness I see expressed in his eyes. After a moment, Alice clears her throat and I realize how odd we must appear to her. I look at Alice, suddenly self conscience, I had not realized Jacob was standing so close.
"You shouldn't be out this far by yourself, Izzy," he scolds, then casually takes a step back. The tension between us is suddenly broken. "Let me walk you home."
I gladly accept Jacob's offer. Along the way back to the house, Alice and I fill our baskets while Jacob and I get caught up on the happenings in each others lives. I have not had a visit from Jacob since soon after my accident in the woods. At first, I was hurt by his absence, but Pa said that Jacob was feeling responsible for my condition and that it was hard for him to see me suffer. Pa suggested that I should give him time and he would come to his senses. Pa was right. Jacob has returned and the kinship I feel when I am with him has returned as well. It is as if he was never gone.
It is late in the morning when we return to the house. I thank Jacob for his escort and his company. He promises to return later in the week for a proper visit. His return has lifted my spirits immeasurably. Alice on the other hand has not said two words the whole way home.
"Alice, are you alright?" I ask her as we enter the house.
"Izzy, I've never been so close to an Indian before. He was magnificent. Do you spend a lot of time with him? He looks so dangerous, but with you he is very gentle. I was afraid to even speak…" she begins. Once again, I am amazed that she has managed to contain all her thoughts without bursting.
Alice continues to chatter away as I go about preparing a special dessert of raspberry tarts. I make one for each of us then set them to cool and invite Alice to keep me company away from the heat of the hearth. I serve us a small lunch of vegetables and cheese and we sit on the porch. I practice my embroidery as Alice insists on working with my hair. By the time Alice is done, I have managed to decorate a small scrap of fabric with my name and some dainty flowers.
The time is getting late and I set my needlework to rest on the chair as we return to the hearth to start supper. We prepare a simple meal of roast chicken, potatoes and carrots. Alice sets the table and all is ready as Pa, Emmett and Edward enter the house after washing up outside. We all sit down to eat and Pa says grace. Alice barely has food on her plate before she starts to tell Edward about our encounter with Jacob.
"Edward, you will never guess what happened to us today," she begins, and the men all give her their attention. "We came across an Indian as we were berry picking. He was very intimidating to look at, I must say…" Alice stopped talking when she noticed the looks of concern on the men's faces.
"It was just Jacob, Pa" I say quickly.
Pa and Emmett immediately become at ease and resume plating their food, but Edward continues to look at Alice and myself with concern.
"I was terrified at first," Alice continues, "but Izzy was so brave aiming her musket at him until she recognized him. Even after I saw that he meant us no harm, I was still afraid. He was so strong and wild looking, but at the same time he treated Izzy with such care. I could tell that they have a special friendship. He stood so close to Izzy and looked at her so intensely…"
"Do you think it is wise to let the girls associate with the savages?" Edward interrupts abruptly, with a question directed at my father. Everyone at the table is startled by his irritation. I am offended by his question.
"Jacob is not a savage," I defend, before Pa has a chance to respond.
Edward looks at me as if I am a child speaking out of turn. He turns away to look at my father and awaits his reply. "Sir," he prompts.
Pa glances from Edward to me and back again. He pauses thoughtfully before he answers. He looks almost amused.
"Seems to me, Edward, that some of the finest people I know are Indians," Pa replies. "Izzy could do a lot worse than Jacob for a friend."
Edward looks back to me with eyes that are almost desperate with frustration. Why is he so against my friendship with Jacob? I can only assume it stems from the animosity between the Cullens and Jacob's tribe, although Pa said they were kind to him after he redeemed himself by saving me in the woods. I cannot make sense of his reasoning.
"Your father is off to Philadelphia, is he, Edward?" Pa diverts the conversation in a new direction.
"Yes," he responds, and then reluctantly turns his attention to Pa. "He will be escorting me to school and then traveling on to attend the congress there."
"I wish you both a safe journey," Pa says. "You will be missed here on the farm. You worked hard and I let your father know it. An education is important, I have no doubt, but a man needs to know how to do a hard days work. There is a feeling of worth that comes from it and a sense of peace knowing he can provide for a family from what the earth has to offer."
Edward seems to soak in what Pa was saying. I observe how much his attitude has changed over the course of the time he has spent with Pa and Emmett. He has become a different person. He is warmer and more genuine. He glances at me frequently during the meal and his mood lightens when the conversation turns away from my friendship with Jacob.
When the meal is over, I collect the dishes and serve dessert. Pa compliments me on my cooking and Edward smiles at me as I set his tart in front of him.
"I made it with the maple sugar we harvested," I tell him as he eagerly takes a bite.
"It's wonderful," he says. I feel my cheeks flush at his compliment. I am pleased that he is pleased.
"Yes, Izzy will make a fine home someday," Pa says proudly to Edward, "but not for a few more years."
Pa stares at Edward in a silent exchange. Edward quickly breaks eye contact and looks down at his plate. Whatever that was about, Edward clearly understands Pa will not be compromised.
Supper comes to an end too quickly and it is time for Edward and Alice to go home. Pa and Emmett wish Edward a safe journey and good luck. He thanks them for all they have done for him and then goes outside to hitch his horse and buggy. I take Alice's hand and walk her out. On the porch, I notice I left my needlework forgotten on the chair. I glance at it as we pass and realize that the fabric I worked on today is not there.
"Alice, did you see where I set my needlework today?"
"No, Izzy, it was right there," she answers.
"Huh? That's strange."
I decide it is not important and I will look for it later. We walk to the edge of the drive to say our goodbyes.
"I will see you Sunday," I tell her as we wait for Edward. She smiles and gives me a hug.
Edward pulls the buggy up across from us. He gets down and waits for Alice to cross the drive to give her a hand up into the buggy. When she is safely seated, he turns and walks over to stand in front of me.
I take this time to commit him to memory. In the fading light of the day, the blonde highlights in his auburn hair shimmer around his face. His green eyes pierce through me, making me feel as if there is no one in the world but us two. He is taking in my every feature as well. He steps so close my heart begins to race and my breathing becomes shallow. He smells like earth and something only Edward. He reaches his hand up to touch a lock of my hair.
"You look lovely," he says. I am glad I let Alice have her way with my hair if he likes it.
My emotions become to much for me to contain and I feel a tear roll down my cheek. Edward's hand cups my face and his thumb gently brushes it away. He offers me a smile of reassurance.
"Goodbye, my Bella," he says, as he gently strokes my cheek.
I close my eyes and turn my face into his hand wishing that this moment would never end. His touch is heaven. I feel him pull away but I do not open my eyes until I hear the buggy start to move. I watch him drive away taking my heart with him into the distance.
He is gone.