Esme woke the first Sunday in Forks to a soft but steady rapping at the door. She manages to wrap a robe around herself, and blearily opens the door. Edward stands there, also in a robe, but looking much more awake, also more displeased. "Good morning!" He grumbles, his arms wrapped around his torso. "Carlisle goes in early to stack The Book and welcome the flock." Edward explains, "He wanted to know if you'd like to walk with him."
Esme certainly did not want to be out of bed when the sun was barely peeking up. "So early …" she mutters sleepily, "when do you go?" She asks him.
Edward smiles. "I do not." He told her. So Esme agreed she would walk with the Pastor Cullen that morning. He bids her to come to the table after she was dressed; he'd made coffee and toast.
Esme goes back inside to take out her best dress. She had ironed it the night before, thankfully. She unfolds it, and something flutters to the ground. Curious, she picks up a very pretty ribbon, a very similar colour to her dress. She was confused and delighted, and glances back at where Edward closes the door to the house.
"You might not go, young man," Esme murmurs to herself, "but I think you care for the appearance of those who do!" She hummed to herself; charmed, for once, at a young man's notions of style.
Esme comes into the kitchen, to find Carlisle eating alone.
"Where is Ted?" Esme asks him.
Carlisle smiles. "Good morning to you as well!" He nods upstairs. "Asleep, I should imagine. It's his favourite state of being." He explains.
"I hope he gets up after church, I need to wash his bedsheets," Esme says as she sits and plucks up a piece of toast. Then she drops it and blows on her burnt fingers. "That is, I did change yours yesterday," she amends carefully, not daring to look at Carlisle.
He hums; "oh yes, please do. If he's not out of bed, you should insist on it, he does try and live there. To be idle is to sin, even if he does not heed the Word." Carlisle mused, sounding more so resigned than disapproving.
Esme nods, and butters her toast. She had no intention to pry; and she knew Edward spent most of the afternoon in his room.
"That's a lovely little ribbon you have on your hat." Carlisle says, eyes on the bonnet she hung at a peg at the door. "Not in your hair?" He questions.
That makes Esme laugh. "No grown woman wears ribbons." She tells him. It wasn't true these days; from what Esme had seen from city fashions and heard from Alice. But Esme always did feel a little silly wearing them; when she was a girl, she was only encouraged to wear them for only the very best occasions. "It is nice, a surprise gift." She tells him.
His gaze was fond. "From an admirer?" He teases.
Esme shrugs. "From a friend." She replied confidently, thoughts on the young man currently dead to the world upstairs.
Their walk to the church was very peaceful and mostly quiet. Esme was subdued so early in the morning, and Carlisle didn't seem to feel the need to fill the silence.
Esme did breathe out, into the foggy morning; "it is lovely here." Carlisle covered the hand she had on his elbow with his own, as though thanking her for seeing the pretty here as well.
Church was lively; there was a solid half hour in the very beginning, as men found their seats, some of them outright staring at Esme. The first ten other parishioners were all men. Esme gleaned some insight from sitting and waiting in the church. It was a very tiny and rough building; it reminded her mostly of a rabbit hutch.
Esme had read the newspaper article too; there were no women. That wasn't entirely true, though. Three women introduced themselves to her; much older, pointing out their grown sons or husbands or if they were widowed, old wedding rings around their necks. They were all grandmothers too, and after they left to find their own seats, Esme realised something unhappily.
Travelling with young women had made Esme feel older, and wiser. But now, with less than a dozen other women in the room, being eyed at by men who had willingly come to a wild place. She felt distinctly younger, and not much better for it.
Esme fixed her eyes on her lap and carefully inspected a slight hole in her glove. Just in the seams, but she'd have to mend it-
"A lively bunch," Carlisle's voice right in front of her made her start slightly. He looked slightly concerned, but he was smiling. "Everyone is a little out of practise with their manners." He declared at her loudly. Several men averted their gaze at his words.
"I hope you're not too bothered." He added in a much quieter voice.
Esme was touched that he'd asked and shook her head. "Nothing – a bit different from a room of school children." She told him confidently.
He chuckles lightly. "I find it not too different, actually." He says in a confiding tone; as though they were sharing a joke. "You must judge my oration and tell me where the weaknesses in my teachings are."
She agrees, very pleased as he excuses himself for newcomers. They had been sharing a joke; something that made her feel it was very precious, comparing their professions.
Three men sitting in three different parts of the room shouted barely religious limericks as a crowd grew.
"There once was a woman called Mary,
Who was about to have a baby,
She begged and she pleaded,
And whined and she wheedled,
But still she was sent to the ..."
No other words came forth, until the man swore with frustration, and was rallied on for sprouting filth in church.
Alice was led in by Jasper then, looking very pretty and pleased on his arm. She spotted Esme and skipped over to join her. Alice seemed to make much of the same spectacle; the men didn't so much gawk, though, as comment on her hair.
"Why is it so short, luv?" An unidentified man yelled out, and he was hushed when Jasper stood and looked over them with his one brilliant blue eye.
Alice, it seemed, was not raised in any gentlewomanly way, yells over her shoulder; "Lice, I'll have you know!" And another round of limericks starts up again, this time with a heavy bout of laughter.
"You shouldn't yell, dear, it's not ladylike." Esme reminds her but smiles as Alice gives her a kiss and shrugs carelessly.
"We are the only ladies here, Esme," Alice points out reasonably. It wasn't true, actually. There were at least three other women in the room; obviously firmly wives and mothers, much older, though, and looked as hardy as their men. Esme found something comforting about them; she was all but a pauper widow, doubtlessly they fared better than her. Given time, she could fare as well as any of them, too.
Esme looks past Alice and gives Jasper an encouraging smile. "Good morning," she tells him pleasantly. He repeats her politely and doesn't remove his hat, Esme realises; to hide his face.
"Once there was Joe the carpenter,
He had a wife with a heart in her,
They went to Jordan,
It was important,
When they left she was much more circular,"
There was a rowdy roar of laughter, and Alice looked amused, but visibly quells herself as Jasper clicks his tongue rudely, obviously annoyed at the commotion.
But there were several lulls in the commotion. The first happens when Lauren and Jessica arrive. They are escorted in at the same time; obviously planned and sat down with a younger set of men likely their husbands' friends, and quickly become the centre of attention. There are some whispers, and Alice looks warily at Esme. As though, to the little woman, the attention of men was not at all a pleasure. But Jessica and Lauren look well pleased; chatting and laughing as they shake hands with everyone.
The second lull happens when the Mayor enters, with a very flustered-looking Isabella Swan. Bella only becomes obviously more embarrassed when she realises the amount of people watching her with interest. Unfortunately, she trips before being shown to a seat, and grows incredibly more humiliated as there's a healthy chuckle around the room.
The young men that had hoarded Lauren and Jessica's attentions are immediately fixated on the newer woman, as unlike her companions she has no ring. There is no hint of good manners as they shout jubilantly at the Mayor to have 'The Swan' sat with them, that Bella looked stricken as she obviously wishes the exact opposite.
Pastor steps in, leading her to a more sedate bench with the few matriarchs, and Bella looks relieved as the Mayor sits with the men from earlier, much to their complaints. Esme's gaze meets Bella, and she hopes to convey some pity as the young woman waves shortly, still looking very shy.
The constant bubble of conversation persisted, with Alice telling Esme all about the lovely radio Jasper had, and how she would want to hold a dinner party to show it to everyone. Until, that is, Rosalie entered.
The quiet was much more encompassing than the others. She stood, blonde among a sea of brown curls. Esme was mildly surprised at the two young girls with her; obviously closer to twelve or thirteen, but they were the only young girls Esme had seen here.
Rosalie catches Esme's eye and inclines her head and returned Alice's wave with a flick of her fingers. She looks still and stony, what had been seen at the Wash Bearer's Club and even when she had hunted her down in the of-poor-straits markets after their telegrams. The girl was nervous, incredibly so.
The McCarty's took up the entire pew behind them and made for a rowdy bunch.
Rosalie sat abruptly directly behind Esme; causing a few of her in-laws to step past her. Esme turned in her seat to welcome her and found Rosalie's expression sulky. She plucked up the youngest child in the brood, who wiggled and gave a squawk. "This is Sonny." She told Esme, before the little one slipped out of her hold and toddled off. One of the younger girls sat right next to Rosalie and looked at her with a pleased grin.
"This one likes me more than the other." Rosalie said, mentioning to the other young girl who sat a way away with her arms crossed. "I specifically asked to be left home, and no one allowed it." Rosalie added in an injured tone.
Esme reached over to squeeze her hand. "Well I am pleased you came."
Alice cheerfully informs Rosalie the feather in her hat is crocked, and Rosalie bossily tells her to mind her own.
Carlisle walked up to the podium, having everyone seated, and asked for quiet. He received it immediately and began his speech. His tone was strong and warm; he spoke clearly and held the attention of most of the room. Esme was enthralled and found his opinions on the scriptures both calming and stimulating.
Some of the sparse children seemed to be on their own devises, wandering around the room or being shushed for giggling; especially in the McCarty bunch. Of the adults, the most untouched sat beside Esme. Whitlock did not so much as glance at the Pastor as he spoke; the young man looked everywhere else; the windows, the other parishioners; he even met Esme's gaze calmly several times. Alice, on the other hand, pulled out some embroidery and had been sewing almost as soon as the pastor spoke.
Esme nudged her, trying to give what she thought was a quelling look. But it must have looked very different to Alice, who only showed her the bird on the cloth with a smile.
When the service ended, a small battalion of children ran screaming from the room immediately, but after then Carlisle spoke again; "Before we depart; some community announcements." He called, and people stayed standing but they listened. "Among our number are our promised blushing brides, I hope we work to make them feel welcomed." He gestured only vaguely, though there was some laughter and a loud 'the what?' from the crowd. Alice leant more against Jasper's side and Rosalie stiffened in her seat. "And, a congratulation is in order – the McCarty's have their floor!" Carlisle added with a flourish.
There was a loud commotion, stamping of feet, banging on the pews and general jubilee. It was solely from the McCarty's themselves, though everyone seemed agreeable to the ruckus. Rosalie was to the side, angling herself away from the commotion, and staying seated.
Martha called a family meeting after church, and Lenore bought her dandy; who was a very slender, kittenish woman called Dandelion. Rosalie was very sure Dandelion wasn't her real name, mostly because it was ridiculous.
Their current dilemma was whether the floor funds should be used for it yet. "But Lenny's having the baby soon, shouldn't we save for the doctor?" Silas asked, a worried crease in his brow. "Victoria isn't so well." He shook his head.
"Family discussion!" Marsha declared. "Floor, or the doctor to check Victoria again?"
Sarah and Rebecca shouted; "Victoria! Victoria!" and the two littlest boys joined in.
Rosalie felt a flash of panic, and gripped Emmett's arm tightly, not caring if her nails scratched him. "Well, the floor's a necessity, isn't it?" She hissed at him.
Lenore peered at her. "You seem harried, Rosie." She told her.
"Well, I am!" Rosalie yelled, but then she realised everyone had gone quiet and was looking at her. "I … I'm getting blisters." Rosalie muttered, leaning more towards Lenore and mentioning to her sore feet, always, always in her thick boots. "I'm sure it's not so bad," she said quickly, nervous under so many pairs of eyes.
This was a family matter, after all, and she had barely stayed here. "I'm sure I'm being spoilt, it's just … awful." She muttered. She'd never had so many blisters before, not even when she broke in the heels her father sent away for her from Italy. She couldn't look at her feet at all in bed; she was horrified at the state of them. Her appearance, her femininity, always meant the most to her, but she was beginning to realize that if she stayed here, neither of those things would last.
"… We need a floor, Pa." Emmett's voice was gentle, but he inclines his head just so towards Rosalie. Rosalie felt embarrassed, but, she was glad he was taking her side.
"It's long overdue." Henry agrees readily. "Even my hut has a floor."
"Victoria's tough." Lenore says. "Plus, Rebecca can stay with them, keep her off her feet." The young girl agrees readily, looking excited.
"I should be there too." Martha says.
"Ma, we fall apart without you!" Several of them wailed.
"Last time you were bedridden a month and the house did almost catch fire." Silas pointed out.
Martha looked displeased but clapped her hands. "Well, Victoria needs help, and we'll need everyone gone to put the floors in." She announced. Rosalie felt some acute relief. "You'll all have to split off. Your da and I get to stay here and set timber." She says, her tone turning fondly teasing at the end.
"Where are we going?" Sarah whined.
"You and Mary go with Lenore!" Henry flicked her forehead. "Me and Em have an agreement with Mickey at the store, so we'll take Ben too." He tells their father.
"Sonny and Johnny go to the woods with Lenny." Martha decided. "Let Victoria practise mothering on them."
Silas nods. "Don't let Mickey have you stock shelves." He says to Henry sternly. "I'll need you here for the timbers in the day."
Emmett tugs her hand, which was loosely grasps in his since she'd asked about the floor. "Perhaps I could send you to Whitlock's house?" Emmett offered. "That little woman you came with is your friend, isn't she?" His gaze was slightly worried, and Rosalie wasn't too sure why.
But she nods, relieved to be able to stay with her friend for some time. "That would be best."
Rosalie felt a little more at ease in the Whitlock house. It was a homey type of place. What she didn't expect, though, was just how lovelorn Alice had become. She'd been over-joyed that Rosalie was to stay for a time. Jasper had no objections, himself, seemingly pleased Emmett would stay for dinner most nights to see his wife.
But Alice would simper like anything when Jasper was in the room, though the man stayed aloof and polite. Like a guest in his own home, and Alice floated after him longingly. It unnerved Rosalie to watch; she didn't know why at all they acted this way and it made no sense to her.
Mostly the first afternoon, he sat on the porch and whittled. "Jasper seems … solitary." Rosalie finally decided. She had assumed that Alice and her doting nature would take up most of his free time. But for all her posturing, Alice stayed away. They stood in the work room, where Alice was fitting Rosalie to re-hem her work apron, which was fraying at the edges. It wasn't a very durable material; before this town, the most chores Rosalie did was embroidery for cushions to give to the poor at Agnes Feast.
At her words, Alice sighs, and crosses her arms. "I think a lot of the men go out at night, but none invite him!" She snaps, looking put-out for his sake. Rosalie nods, but she's not surprised that some would prefer to stay away from that face. "He likes Emmett, though." Alice pipes up. Rosalie hummed and glanced out the window. Nothing but damp, thick green.
"You're putting on weight, Rosalie." Alice tells her, patting her stomach.
Rosalie felt herself go cold. "What?" She asked faintly.
"In your arms!" Alice declared with a grin. "Muscles!"
Rosalie clears her throat several times, and, oblivious, Alice goes to fetch her a glass of water. She uses the apron she was still wearing to dab at the corner of her eyes before Alice could come back and see the wetness. "Then why pat my belly?" Rosalie grumbles as Alice gives her the glass.
"I'm here, I could reach." Alice told her, kneeling down again in front of her to finish pinning. Rosalie sips, and rolls the water on her tongue. She hadn't bled yet, not once since … since her first engagement was broken. And she certainly hadn't done anything with Emmett, his siblings behind the curtain. But she couldn't think of that now, she didn't want to think of it ever.
Alice hums as she finishes, and Rosalie goes to put the apron in Alice's work-room while her hostess trots after her. "But," Alice says, grinning, "my husband needn't be lonely now we'll be sharing a room –" Jasper walks in, and Alice shuts up as he drags a large rectangle of wood and canvas fabric. "What's that?" Alice asks him sharply.
He glances at the cot, and back up to her. "I'll sleep in here." He explains, "The cot tucks away, it won't be a bother."
Alice scowls heavily. "We're married!" She growls. "We can share a bed!"
At this, Jasper smiles indulgently, causing the twisted muscles in his face to crease oddly. "Kind of you." He tells her, but he doesn't sound like he means it. He nods to the other woman. "Rosalie, tell Ma McCarty I'm glad she's got her timbers. I can help set them, if they need the hands." Jasper says.
Rosalie snorts, "She'd got four strapping sons and a stout husband." Her tone was droll as she hung the apron, thinking about the hearty McCartys. "You won't be much good." Jasper looked away and shifted a little. Alice tapped her left leg with a stern frown to Rosalie. "Oh, I didn't mean your leg." She tells him quickly. He inclines his head and slides the folded cot against the wall.
Alice huffed in exasperation. "I don't want the cot in my work room!" She declared heatedly.
Jasper glances at her, seemingly surprised by her obvious agitation, but he nods once. "Then I'll sleep by the fire, I don't mind it." He assured her and dragged the cot to the living room.
After he'd gone, Alice whines; "Rosalie!"
But Rosalie was curious, and almost, for a moment, amused. The little woman had all but declared she was desperate to be embraced by him. "Alice … I don't think scaring you is his fear …" Rosalie tells her slowly, "I think you scare him."
Alice is so amorous (by that I mean horny). I should also mention it's hard to keep this American, not because I'm Australian but because I've read my fave three Georgette Heyer novels again.