A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer
And the plot is over all Carla Estrada's. I tweak it a lot for the flow though.
Marriage of Hate
Chapter 11
Isabella Swan POV
Two days after my mother came into my room and informed me of Edward Cullen's interest in a marriage with me she barged into my room like a raging bull and began her tormenting all over again.
"We need to talk"
"Very well mother" I sighed exhausted with the direction this conversation was headed.
"You most likely think your father and I don't deserve your help, affection, or considerations" she began.
"No mother. I love you both very much and respect you both" I said monotone.
"Don't say that! It's not true! Because if you respected us, you'd worry about us and you would listen to the advice we give you, that for your own good we always give you" During her rant I went about my room putting away my dresses and skirts. I most desired she would get on with it and tell me what she wanted already.
"Do you even begin to understand how badly your behavior has been lately? You were about to drown us in dishonor! Do you have any idea how your father would have felt if he would have found out about your romance with that military man. What do you think he would have done? I'll tell you what he would have done! He'd look for that scum across seas and land and would have declared him a duel! And if he'd kill him then good, but if he would have die instead, you'd be the one to carry on with that in your conscience!"
I couldn't take anymore I collapsed and sobbed. I abruptly stood up and raised my voice.
"Very well mother, I've listened and understand. What is it you want?" I cried.
"For you to accept the proposal of Edward Anthony Cullen!"
"Very well, I accept! But please mother, I beg of you, please stop tormenting me!" I yelled. She seemed to have been placated with my answer. She simply scoffed and picked up her dress from the front and glided out of my room. I watched her close the door and I cried with a passion I'd only come to know these past few days. I ran to my window and gazed out.
"God willing Jacob! That you have a miserable life like my own!" I yelled out to the skies and sobbed.
The day after my mother came into my room to pressure me to accept Edward Cullen's proposal there was a man in the foyer asking for my brother. He said my brother owed him money from the poker games and demanded to be paid in total right away. I sent the man away because I didn't want him making a scene and for my father to hear the embarrassment that Emmett was putting on his shoulders. Emmett wasn't even home which made matters worse. The man left reluctantly but left.
A few hours later I was gardening in the front yard when the very same man came back. He let me know he had been to Edward Cullen's house to my utter horror. I couldn't believe Emmett would do such a thing as to say that Edward Cullen was his brother in law. I could have died on the spot when Edward arrived at that very moment.
Edward took the man a aside to speak to him and the man left with a smile. I could only imagine that he had agreed to pay him so that he would quit badgering about the money. I apologized to Edward for my brother's behavior and expressed my embarrassment to which he immediately shook off.
This is when Edward Cullen for the first time made his intentions known to me. I couldn't understand why when Mr. Cullen took my hand in his I liked it. He caressed my knuckles with his fingers and I didn't mind it very much. I should have felt repulsed and undignified but all the contrary. I reacted when his lips suddenly touched mine though. I had never been kissed without knowing it was coming before so I jumped. I had hoped he wouldn't be offended by it and luckily he seemed to have understood. He asked me for the opportunity to get to know me and I couldn't even respond. I was caught off guard. I couldn't have been happier about him not pushing me to give him an answer. I knew I would accept when he asked. It was an agreement I had already made with my mother, it's just I didn't know how to go about it.
We spent a few minutes with my father in light conversation which soon turned into political talk. My father asked for my opinion and thankfully I did have some opinions on the topic.
The day after that Alice paid me a visit. She was ecstatic when I told her about Edward Cullen's proposal but that I hadn't given an answer.
"He proposed! When?" she could hardly believe it.
"Um yesterday"
"You're going to accept right?" she asked. I took too long to answer so she brought up Jacob.
"Don't tell me you're still thinking about that lowlife. He lied to you Bella, he pretended to be single when he's married! He tried passing you for a fool!" she seethed angrily. I couldn't blame her, I felt the same way most of the time now.
"Sure he lied, but pass me for a fool no. He loved me, truly Alice"
"Then that makes it worse! Because it's only more cruel for him to have given you false hopes of marrying you, knowing very well it couldn't happen! It was very cowardly of him, why won't you admit it? I mean what did he want to do, just string you along your whole life or wait for his wife to die?"
I sighed "He wanted for me to leave with him" Alice let out a horrified gasp.
"Run away? Holy mother of Jesus! What horror!" she hissed. She looked around us to make sure no one was around us.
"Bella, instead of saying you still love him you should be utterly repulsed by him! You should be damning his name to the pits of fire!"
"But how can I?" I asked
"How can you not! You were a breath away from ruining your whole life! Your reputation! My goodness my dear friend you should be thanking God that woman came in time to open your eyes!"
She picked up our tea cups and handed me mine.
"No we need to think about your future now. Think about you now, so let's leave the past in the past and as if it never happened. So tell me, what did Edward Cullen say?" she went from horrified to ecstatic in less than two seconds.
"Edward Cullen is an excellent candidate Isabella! You can't deny him. There won't be more proposals like his! When have you seen a young fit and incredibly handsome gentleman with a last name and single these days? On top of that they say he's incredibly rich! There are very few if any left my friend!" she got quiet all of the sudden and blushed.
"What's he like Bella? What's his character like?" she asked softly. If I didn't know any better I'd say Alice fancied Edward.
"He's wonderful, isn't conceited in the least, and my father likes him very much" I said and I found myself daydreaming as I often did about Mr. Cullen.
"Then tell me what the problem is Isabella! What more do you want woman?" Alice spoke loudly and I smiled.
"I wanted to marry in love" I answered softly and she gave me a sad smile. What could she say?
That very same afternoon Edward Cullen himself came to visit. He and I took a stroll in my backyard and my aunt lingered very far behind. I always thought that when I would be chaperoned the chaperone would have to be involved in the conversation as well but it seems my family is desperate enough to leave us be.
"At Willow Estate I have a large garden much like this one but it's abandoned"
"Abandoned? Why?" I asked
"Because nobody cares about it"
"Even you don't?" I asked and he chuckled.
"Next time I go back I'll order for it to be fixed. What other pass times do you enjoy other than gardening and reading?" he asked me.
"Well I do what most women do, I sew, cook, I paint canvases, and there are times my mother, aunt and I visit the kids at the orphanage and take treats for them as well as clothing. Nothing very important"
"Don't say that. To attend to the house and care for the family is very important homework even when it's not recognized as such enough. It also holds great blessings to tend and care to those who need it most" he said and I blushed.
"Well I like kids very much"
"Near Willow Estate there is town. It's in the same Forest Grove, it's a small town where water is scarce and its inhabitants aren't just poor but down right miserable. Of course their main priorities aren't to care for themselves but to care for their masters. A few days ago you spoke about teaching the poor to be clean and take care of themselves. Do you know why poor kids get sick so often?" he asked me.
"Well because they live in the unsanitary" I answered.
"Yes and their dirty surroundings just like their ignorance comes from being poor. For example when you are done gardening you wash your hands. Why?" he asked me.
"Because that's what I was taught, to not get sick"
"And you could do so because in your home there is always enough clean water but if you hardly had enough to even quench your thirst, what would you do then?"
"Well I don't know" I answered him
"The same as those poor people, you'd stay dirty and it is like that the sickness comes to flourish"
"Yes, now I see. So that is why you want to build that clinic?" I blushed right away and had to look away from him because I remembered the predicament we had been in various days ago.
"I imagine what you're thinking" he said softly behind me. "And I want to apologize about what happened the other day at my house but there is also no reason for you to feel humiliated" that just made me remember it more.
Then my breath caught with his next words. He spoke softly close to my ear.
"Our bodies are wonderful instruments because thanks to them we can see, hear, savor a wonderful meal, and come to know great pleasure through love" I gasped and my heart thundered in my chest.
"And it's with much joy that any man get to have the honor to lay eyes upon such a beautiful body, such as your own" I couldn't take it anymore and tried to flee.
He grabbed a hold of my arm and brought me close to his chest.
"Please don't leave" he begged me." Please understand that I am falling in love with you like a mad man"
His words truly frightened me because as much as I wanted to despise him for telling me these things, I couldn't help it when I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach, but I left anyway.
That night I knew to expect my mother and for her to ask what went on this afternoon. Of course she made an appearance just as I was about to put out the candles.
"Was there a problem with Edward?" she wasted no time.
"The problem is that I don't think I can marry Mr. Cullen" I said.
"Why?" she asked too calmly, as if she was expecting something like this.
"Because I don't want to" I answered facing her.
"Are you doing this out of whim?" she asked.
"No"
"Then what?" I couldn't take her intense stare so I tried walking to my bed but she grabbed me by the arm and made me face her.
"I want you to answer me!" she hissed.
"It's j-just that he s-scares me mother" I whimpered.
"What is it that scares you?" she implored
"H-he's different, he says things like that men enjoy looking at pretty bodies and he's too…"
"Too what Isabella?"
"He told me he's falling in love with me like a mad man so it scared me" I explained. She pause for a moment to get her words out.
"Then you should feel appreciative that you awaken those…intense …sentiments in a man"
"But mother I've only just met him!"
"Well some men are more impulsive than others" she argued.
"Yes b-but-"
"Oh please Isabella. Don't go and behave as if you've never heard it before because I would never doubt that with that coronel there weren't more than sweet whispers in your ears"
"The difference is that with Jacob Black I was in love, and with Edward Cullen I'm not"
"Now listen to me you insolent dumb child. There is no backing out of this agreement"
"Yes there is, I'll speak with my father" I argued.
"Your father already accepted Cullen as his son in law! Are you going to make him take back his word?"
"No but I'm sure if Edward knows I don't feel the same way about him he'll understand"
"The only thing he'll understand is that we lied to him because since he's sure you accepted to marry him he's lent us the money for the mortgage!"
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I was outraged. I was fuming and I couldn't look at her let alone talk with her. She gave me a while to process what she was saying to me. If this was true, what more was there than for me to accept to marry him because I owed him for my family?
My mother began to explain it all to me.
"And since I saw your father so worried because I do worry about him, I put my pride aside and asked Edward for the help"
"And it doesn't seem to you like it was abuse to have done that? He had already paid for Emmett's debt" I said crying.
"Well he did it with pleasure and so that you can see the type of man that has fallen to you from heaven, he's even asked me to not let you know he has helped us"
"Why?" I was bewildered.
"So that you wouldn't feel uncomfortable with him. So be very careful and do not let him know that you know" she said in a warning.
"And my father is aware and accepting of that agreement?" I asked though I was afraid of the answer.
"I had to fib a little to your father so he wouldn't be mortified"
"What was that?"
"That Edward found out about our difficulties and offered to help out of the kindness of his heart" I breathed a sigh of relief to hear this.
"Of course, my father would never have agreed to this knowing Edward was interested in courting me"
She continued fanning herself looking tired that it broke my heart.
"You don't love me, do you?"
"It is you who doesn't love us Isabella. You were about to throw mud on our good name by gallivanting eight months with that Mr. No one. You are the only one who can help us and you still refuse to do so!"
I turned my face in shame and tears.
"Well now that you know everything, do you still want to tell your father to take his word back and tell Edward Cullen you won't be accepting his proposal?"
I cried harder and shook my head.
"No" I whispered.
"Good. And back to the things Edward says to you, don't act so innocent daughter. I don't buy that it scares you so I expect you to swallow it next time. Have a good night"
She left swiftly leaving me dumbfounded. The truth was that Jacob did get daring at times but we loved each other. Our romance was ongoing eight months so we got comfortable to an extent. I went to bed knowing my fate.
The next morning my aunt Winifred and I were talking all about the predicament I found myself in. The conversation quickly escalated and I was yelling while gardening.
"No aunt Wini, please don't try justifying anything for her. She behaved in a abusive and immoral way!"
"Jesus child! You're speaking about your mother!"
"That is exactly why I feel so much embarrassment. I'm sure that even before any of this happened she was planning on asking Mr. Cullen for the money! That's why she trapped me, humiliated me and forced me to finally accept his marriage proposal!"
"Fine angel, but what fault is it of his? He's good and cares for you very much!"
"And that's what makes me feel worse Aunt! I feel so bad because I am part of this lie too and he doesn't deserve any it. It's like I'm cheating on him" I said softly crying all over again.
"No baby! You have nothing to do with any of this!" she tried pacifying me.
"How can you say that?" I cried "If I'm even accepting his proposal it's precisely because of that money"
I bowed my head in tears when we heard my brother's booming voice.
"OH there you are! Blessed are the eyes that lay upon you two beautiful women first thing in the morning!"
I was on my feet in no time at all. I ran up to face him and give him a piece of my mind.
"And YOU, don't even for a second believe you will continue to take advantage of Edward Cullen, because when I marry him, it'll be the first thing I do to make sure he never gives you one more cent! Do you understand?" I yelled.
I could see in his eyes that he couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth. He quickly cleared his throat and looked back behind him and turned back to face me.
"Dear sister, I simply came to inform you that you have a guest. Shall I send Edward Cullen back here?"
I glanced at my aunt and she quickly gave me a nod.
"Very well" I whispered and took a seat. When Emmett came back out he was in the company of Edward.
"Good morning Miss Winifred" he greeted my aunt kissing the back of her hand.
"Good morning Mr. Cullen" my aunt answered with a smile.
"I trust you've had a good morning Isabella" he said while curtsying and taking my hand to give it a kiss.
"Y-yes thank you, I hope you have as well" I said standing up.
"Would you like to take a walk with me in your garden?" he asked.
"That would be very lovely." I answered him and picked up my skirt to lead the way to the garden. A minute into our walk he spoke first.
"Isabella I want to apologize for making you uncomfortable the last time I saw you. I was out of line and cannot express my deepest regret for behaving in that manner"
I gave him a reassuring smile.
"The thing is I am not use to hearing words so…"
"Crude" he answered for me.
My silence confirmed his admission.
"It was not my intention" he chuckled "I can be too impulsive at times".
We continued our stroll until we made it to a bench and took a seat.
"I just always like to have open communication with everyone around me Isabella and that is why I am the way that I am"
"But it can sometimes be inappropriate"
"Says who?"
"Well it's how I was raised"
"I understand but can't you see why that can sometimes limit us to the relationships we have?"
"Yes I do"
"Well, the point Bella is that I'm okay with watching what I say in society, but I'd like to be able to be more open with people who's opinions matter to me" he said.
"There is something I actually came to talk to you about," he began."I received a letter from my estate this morning telling me that some of my cattle has been stolen from me and my presence is needed back right away. I plan on leaving today." he said. My heart leapt into my throat. I didn't understand if this news was good or bad.
"That's terrible! And you need to go back today?"
"Yes it's important that I do" he answered.
"When will you come back?" I asked softly and timidly.
"Well that depends"
My eyes grew wide and I turned to look at him.
"On what?"
"In reality I have no more business to attend to here as you can see. All the property deeds I needed to work with have been long dealt with so I really don't have to come back for a while" he said.
My heart broke really, and I couldn't comprehend why.
"And if you've put thought into my proposal and decide to deny me still-"
"No! I accept!" I quickly cut him off.
His beautiful deep green eyes grew wide in surprise.
"I accept to marry you Edward" I declared.
He opened his mouth to speak but nothing was coming out. I got worried. He shook his head side to side a few times before finally talking.
"You have no idea how happy you have just made me!" he said in awe. He took both my hands in his and kept speaking.
"I promise you, no, I swear to you, that you won't regret this!" he exclaimed while kissing the back of my hands repeatedly in a loving way.
I sure hoped he would be the one not to regret this though.
