Chapter Twelve
Renesmee
Jasper headed back down the stairs after showing me to my room. He had shown me all the rooms on the way, including Carlisle's impressive study, which was filled with books, ancient books. Huge portraits adorned the walls and an enormous desk occupied centre stage.
Yes, my room. I had my own room in this elaborate mansion owned by this wonderful family. It was a very satisfying feeling. I had truly been given a second chance. I smiled at the clothes that Alice had laid out on the enormous couch which took up most of the far side of the room. The trousers were similar to the ones I was wearing, but the shirt was short sleeved and a fine check pattern. Nothing too offensive then. Emmett and Jasper had made me slightly nervous by their teasing. That was a relief; it had just been a joke. She had also placed a neatly folded dark brown Kashmir jumper underneath the shirt, like this was an optional extra. It was all brand-new. I had presumed I would have been given some of Jasper's cast-off's, something that he had maybe worn a few times but didn't like much.
I changed into my new clothes quickly, admiring myself in the full-length mirror when I had finished. They were a perfect fit. It was surprising what a difference an expensive set of clothes made to someone's appearance. I was quite pleased with the reflection I was now looking at. I was handsome and debonair. I could easily pass for a middle-class businessman. If it weren't for the red eyes, I reminded myself before I got too carried away.
I was torn. I wanted to spend a little time to myself. I felt so much grief for my poor little friend Bree, and I wanted some time to reflect on this, but I didn't want to be rude, and in any case, I also wanted to spend some more time with the family, soaking up any information I could glean about their lives; enjoying their company. Esme had told me to take my time, but it seemed impolite to linger here on my own for too long.
Rosalie was downstairs trying to uncover some tenuous link between us. I was pretty sure nothing would come of it; that it would either be inconclusive, or turn out that we were not related at all. How could one family be so unlucky to lose two members of its family to the vampire world in less than a century? However, it suited me to keep on the right side of her, as she had indeed been exceedingly frosty up until she discovered I might be some distant relation.
I paused for a minute to contemplate what i was supposed to do with the clothes I had been wearing? Did they do laundry? Did they ever wear the same thing twice? I would have a quiet word with Esme when no-one else was around. For now, I folded them as neatly as I could and placed them on the couch where Alice had left the new ones.
I glanced once more round the room, taking in the television set in one corner, with built-in DVD. A home cinema system with huge speakers and a few DVD's were on a shelf below it. My eyes then rested on my well-worn back pack which presumably Esme had placed next to the couch. I was glad she hadn't unpacked it. All that crumpled up cash in the bottom of it would have been a bit of an embarrassment. Not that I imagined the Cullens were unused to large amounts of money, it just seemed vulgar to carry so much cash, and in such a sorry state. It suddenly occurred to me that I ought to offer to give Alice some money for the clothes she was going to buy for me. She more than likely wouldn't accept it but it was rude not to offer. I quickly opened the bag and took out the cash, trying to straighten it out in the process, unsuccessfully. Still, it would have to do. I folded it in half and slipped it into the back pocket of my trousers and headed downstairs.
Rosalie was hunched over the laptop looking deep in concentration. Emmett was leaning back on the sofa beside her, his usual casual posture, with one arm loosely around her tiny waist. Alice eyed me up and down approvingly, "Not bad, not at all bad," she commented. Esme smiled her warm, caring smile. "It's a perfect fit," she said, softly. I nodded and thanked them, a little embarrassed with all the attention.
"Carlisle has gone up to his study," Esme informed me, noticing I was looking around the room. He must have gone up while I was changing then because his study had been empty when Jasper had shown me earlier. "He had to take a call," Esme explained.
I sat down next to Rosalie. She looked up at me and smiled, as she suddenly became aware of the movement next to her. She had been so engrossed she hadn't noticed me come downstairs.
"Have you found anything yet?" I asked her.
"No not yet. Do you have any idea how many William Hales there are?"
I didn't. "Why don't you start from your end and work forwards?" I offered. "Rosalie is more unusual."
"Hmmm," she pondered. "I didn't think of that. It might be easier."
"I've always said blondes are dumb," Emmett teased. He received a sharp crack in the ribs for that comment. He pretended to be hurt.
"What's that ticking sound?" Emmett continued, his had cupped around his ear as if straining to hear something. "Oh, it must be the little-used brain of my darling beautiful wife."
"Very funny Emmett." Rosalie hissed.
Alice suddenly leapt up anxiously. "Edward and Bella are coming. Are you ready to meet Renesmee?" She asked me.
"Of course," I replied. I couldn't understand why everyone was so worried about it. I loved children and there is no way I would ever hurt one.
"Excellent!" Alice exclaimed. "They will be here in about thirty seconds."
I started counting out the seconds in my head. I didn't know why, curiosity I suppose to see how accurate she was.
Just as I reached twenty-nine, the door opened and in walked the remaining members of the family. I briefly had a chance to take in Renesmee's childish beauty, her long dark auburn hair in beautifully formed ringlets framing her face, and her radiant smile. And then the stench hit me.
Lingering in the doorway, a little behind Edward, looking rather tense, was a tall dark-skinned Native American wearing nothing but a pair of cut-off jeans. He was an impressive sight. He must have been about six foot six or seven, his massive shoulders topped off an enormous muscular torso.
Rosalie hissed and stiffened visibly in the seat beside me. This had to be Jacob. He was glaring at me like I was his worst enemy and his nose was slightly twisted as if he was taking in an unpleasant smell, but I wasn't using my repulsion. I was making a conscious effort not to use it while in this refined company. It was weird then that Jacob was obviously finding something so offensive too.
Alice could have warned me. I hadn't been prepared for this, but on reflection, I don't suppose it would have helped if I had been prepared. I couldn't exactly have run away. I wondered if the rest of the family knew, in which case it would explain their anxiety. They weren't afraid of my reaction to Renesmee, it was Jacob they were worried about. I reminded myself that the Cullens had a truce with these wolves. What should I do now? Introduce myself? No, I would wait. Edward was watching me and he would sense my awkwardness.
He nodded at me and then, "Jacob," he began, "This is Fred. The one we told you about. He is going to be staying with us for a while and I want you to be nice to him." Jacob had to be told to be nice then? Presumably the wolf instincts were to rip vampires to pieces then, even in polite company. Maybe his wrinkled nose had purely been a natural reaction to the smell of vampires, whatever that was.
"Actually, it's not Fred, its William," Alice chirped in.
Nice one Alice, I thought, now really wasn't the time. I had enough to concentrate on at the moment without any distractions about my past.
"Oh." Edward said thoughtfully. "I see."
I wasn't sure whose mind he was reading, but he was obviously processing the thoughts of someone in the room, probably Alice. Yes, it was Alice. He was looking at her now. She was telling him everything, silently. I noticed Edward's face change several times as he listened to her, his eyebrows knitted together at the end of their exchange, like he had a question to ask.
I noticed too that Jasper had shifted his position so that he was halfway across the room now separating the newcomers from the rest of us.
"OK then." Edward took in a deep breath. "Jacob, this is William. William Hale?"
I nodded at him and then spoke. "Hello Jacob", I offered in the most casual voice I could muster.
As I stood up to greet him I deliberately made my speed more human, slower, and more deliberate, so as not to startle him. He took a step back so that he was almost out of the door now, and he had pulled Renesmee with him, his hands firmly on her shoulders.
"Jacob." Bella muttered. "Be nice. William is not going to hurt Renesmee."
"Sure." He replied. "Hi William," his tone was sarcastic and mocking. He had relaxed slightly though.
I decided against walking over and shaking hands so I just nodded. I was feeling totally calm about the situation now. I didn't like his smell, but I no longer felt him to be a threat.
Renesmee broke the tension. She grabbed hold of his Jacob's hand, pulling him into the room. "It's ok, it's ok," she was saying to him. "Come say hello. Come on Jake."
Jacob's glare immediately vanished and a warm smile broke across his face as he looked adoringly at the little girl. "Ok, Nessie, for you, anything."
I was relieved that she appeared to have a nick-name that was easier to pronounce. Renesmee was a bit of a mouthful.
She danced across the room to me dragging Jacob with her. Her cute smile was captivating. She took hold of my right hand, quite forcibly for such a small child, and placed it firmly in Jacob's right hand. The heat coming from Jacob's hand almost made me recoil, but I corrected myself instantly hoping no-one noticed. "Shake!" she commanded. We obeyed.
"Good," she said, "Now we can all be fwiends?" the child-like way she pronounced her r's as w's was endearing. I momentarily reflected that I was glad I wasn't called Robert, or Richard. William should be easier for her. She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. She had warm dark brown eyes I noticed, and then I reminded myself she was half-human. I could hear her fairly rapid heart-beat, blending in with the slower and steadier sound of Jacob's.
Instinctively, once I had released myself from Jacob's hot grip, I crouched down so that I was eye level with Renesmee. She reached her hand forward and touched my forehead with it. What was she doing? Her touch was hotter than average too, but now I could see images in my mind, she was showing me the contents of her mind, her memories. This was an extraordinary gift. They were so clear. I watched her playing hide and seek with Jacob in the forest, then she took me inside their cottage and I watched Jacob tucking her up in bed and reading her a story, kissing her goodnight, then there were images of her hunting with Bella and a giant russet coloured wolf. She showed no fear of him. This must be Jacob in his wolf form. The images flowed so fluently it was like watching a movie.
"See," she said, "Jacob is my best fwiend."
I looked up at Jacob, having to crane my neck to do so. Jacob was smiling now, a sort of goofy grin. I expect he knew what she was showing me. "Amazing," I told him.
Edward and Bella had come over now too and were hovering behind Jacob. I noticed for the first time today that Bella's eyes were no longer red. They were a sort of muddy dark brown colour. Did this happen overnight?
"Why you called William and not Fwed?" Renesmee asked me suddenly, taking me by surprise.
I smiled at her, not exactly sure what I should tell her, it seemed a bit of a complicated story to tell a child. Edward helped me out. "He thought William would be easier for you to say," and he winked at me.
I laughed and asked, "And why are you called Nessie and not Renesmee?"
"Jacob can't say Wenesmee," she replied. This made us all laugh, even Jacob. It seemed the tension was over. Jasper returned now to the couch next to Alice, who gave him a warming smile. "Nicely done," she told him. I would have to ask later what it was that he had done. He hadn't said a whole word since I had come downstairs.
"I think I should get going now," Bella looked at Edward for approval.
"Yes, ok love." Edward replied. "Jacob, are you going too?"
He nodded.
Carlisle was coming down the stairs now, "Are you going out already?" he asked. "I'm sorry, I've missed you. I was involved in something."
"Gwampa!" Renesmee exclaimed as she hurtled across the room to give him a hug.
He reached down to pick her up and then swirled her round in his arms.
"Yes, I'm taking Renesmee over to see Charlie," Bella replied to the question Carlisle had asked before the interruption. "Before Charlie decides to come here..."
"Ok, yes. That makes sense," Carlisle replied.
Someone would presumably tell me who Charlie was at some point, but I presumed he was either another wolf, or maybe even a human, and they didn't trust me enough to be around humans just yet. Quite wise, I thought. I didn't trust myself yet either.
"Charlie is Bella's father," Edward explained. "Yes, he is human, and he sometimes visits us on a Sunday."
"He knows about you then?" I asked, wondering how they had dealt with this delicate situation, and feeling more than a little jealous that Bella was still able to keep in touch with her human family.
"No, not entirely," Bella replied. "Charlie is on a need to know basis; that was his terminology, not ours. He knows there is something different about us, but he doesn't know the truth. He doesn't want to know. He is the chief of Police in Forks, you see, and prefers to remain in the dark about certain things. He doesn't want to compromise his position. As long as I am happy, he doesn't ask any questions." She paused a little and then added, "He does, however know about the wolves." She shot Jacob a reproachful glance as she spoke the last sentence.
Jacob screwed the corner of his mouth up into a sort of crooked grin. "Yeah, well I had to tell him something."
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "You are so lucky, Bella."
"Yes, I know. I am very lucky." She smiled at me for a while as if contemplating how lucky she was and at the same time understanding the suffering I felt for not being able to be with my family. Then she scooped Renesmee up in her arms, gave Edward a lingering kiss on the lips and headed for the door. "See you later, love," she told him. Jacob was immediately right behind her. "See you all later," Jacob's said in his deep gruff voice. Renesmee was waving at us and she blew me a kiss as they left the house. What an adorable child, I thought.
A few moments later I heard a car speeding away from the house.
"Sorry, I missed that. I should have been here," Carlisle said apologetically.
"Oh, it was ok, Jasper had it covered," Alice replied.
"Jasper?" I asked.
"Yes, Jasper has a gift too," Alice explained. "He can control moods, calm situations, that sort of thing." I looked at Jasper and he nodded, grinning like he was pleased with himself.
"Ah, I wondered what that was all about. Why you suddenly put yourself between us. I assumed you were there to break up any fight that might have started."
"Well, yes, there was always that possibility too," Jasper replied.
"And then, I overheard Alice praising you for doing something, but I hadn't been aware that you had done anything." I laughed.
"I'm very subtle," Jasper grinned. "Most of the time, people don't know I'm doing it."
A ripple of quiet laughter filled the room.
"Edward, what a beautiful daughter you have," I told him, "Absolutely adorable." I shook my head, marvelling at her beauty and charm, remembering the visions that her exceptional talent had shown me.
"Yes," he replied thoughtfully, "Isn't she just?"
